Xalapa: Week 3

Hello fam, and anyone else...

Happy New Years! This letter will probably be long because i didnt end up getting on the internet last week.  So we will start with Christmas. The whole skype thing was pretty sweet and fun. The time went by way to fast! THe work has been so slow this christmas season, which has been a bummer, but it's challenging us to be diligent.  for christmas we went and ate with Hermans Blanca, the wards here didnt really invite us to do anything exepts her, so we ate dinner with her, elder moreno talked to his family while i helped cook, then we did a little kareoke, adn around 10 we went to the zoneleaders house and played risk untill 230 in the morning.  We woke up, did the mourning routine then as  zone we did our zone gift exchange, i fogot to take pics of the whole thing so ill work on getting those from other elders, after that we went and did service at soem kids shelter, but nobody ended up being there so we just sang to the two that were thatere and elder casteneda layed the guitar, then the elders that brought gifts gave a bag of gifts to the shelter, (they were all just cheap little toys bought off the street).  THen it was back to the normal work routine up untill new years.  New years night we all ate as a zone in a members house, it was good we ate tukey spageti and mached potatoes with Jamaica ( a really good drink here) we didnt do anything for new years night, becaus of all the fireworks it soundouded like worldwar 3 unti8ll 3 in the morning, so i just wrote in my journal and read a little bit, nothing like the old testament to but you to sleep with its mazelike verses! haha but for new years day we had a zone activity from 10 to 4 so we watched toy story 3 and ice age 3, i really liked toy story 3, actually all of them are good to tell the truth, well have to hve a toy story marathon some day! then we played soem games, including risk again, and then after all that it was already 4 and time to get to work.  I just realized it hasnt taken long at all to describe these last two big holidays, so if there are any specific details you wanna know just ask me im sure ill remember it! SO the work here had ben slow, right now we have a baptism set fo this week with Carlos, i dont know if i have said anything about him yet or not, but her has been really good, we have been teaching him 3 weeks and he is already about to starat mosiah, so that awesome, im not comletly sure why yet, but when investigators readl the bom that gives me one of the best feelings ever.  Carlos seems to be progressing really well, we have already taught him everything so now we just reviwe the baptism questions and wathch church movies with him because they bring the spirit really strong, but im exited for his baptism and it will be neat to ha my first here in Xalapa after knocking a million doors and many false attempts to contact people in the street.  We are also teaching Juan, i dont know what i have said about hhim, he didnt go to church last week so i think if he gets baptized it wont be untill next week.  Last lesson we had with him we had to basically go over the book of mormon invitation all over again because he didnt read or pray, man if people only understood how important that part is! SO after about an 45 mins of testifying and convincing and talking and answering his endless dounbts he finally realized he needs to read and pray, so hopefully wqe can see him soon to see how things are, i hopw all is well wit him, he wasnt at church yesterdy so im growing worried.  THen last night the district leaders had a training, so those of us who were jr coms just chilled and studyied and elder Watson, who is from utah just talked about anything and everything it was fun, it always feels good to have a good conversation in english.  By the way mom, you would be proud to know that the other day a sister said i had to be the most polite missionary that had ever eaten at here house, just htought you would liek tpo know that! SO Jumping back, new years day nihgt, everybody was drunk and wasted form teh day before, so there was nobody in the street and nothing going on so me and elder merino had a nice conversation, and at the end of it i re learnded something very valulable, which is that I just need to be myself and stop worrying about the changes that I want to make on the mission and what I think I need to change, because the Lord already accepts me the way I am, and with that I can do anything.  so thats what i have been working on, and then last night wfter the training we were invited to a family home evening of some members, so we went and it was about talents, and we had to do the whole thing where you sya a talent and a gift that other people have and it was interesting to hear what people who dont know me had to say about me, the said im very happy person and i guess the best translation for alegre is upbeat, maybe but they said i have a very strong desire to do the right things and to do good, i though that was an interesting first impression ha and then i learned i need to work on my ability to trust and use the Holy Ghost in all things and that i need to learn how to not only have faith but to learn and exercise it, so those are three things im starting to work on, it will probably take more than my life to start, but as for now, i hav enow idea where or how to start.  BUt i guess oyu could say thats the week, always remember that i love you all and som so gratefull for you love and prayers for me!  Take care, and dont enjoythe cold too much while im away! pS i found my charger again so ill work on getting more pics of the city for yall! 

"Members are the most important source for finding investigators."

Well, another week in the field. Transfers are on Wednesday, so we will see what ends up happening for those.  I'm kinda hoping our companionship is changed from 3 greenies and one trainer to something a little more balanced.

So, this week me and Elder Stradling have been working on getting the members more involved.  I can't believe how much missionaries really depend on members for missionary work, so always remember that members are the most important source for finding investigators. Us missionaries are constantly changing around areas, so we don't know the area, and we dont know the people. I challenge everybody to get to know your neighbors so that when the missionaries come to your door and ask for referrals, you can give them something!

So me and Elder Stradling went around to the auxiliary leaders in the Oquirr Point Stake and shared a scripture with them and bore our testimonies about missionary work and how it blesses us and our families.  Then we asked them how we can help them and for referrals and then we left with a prayer.  We gave them pass along cards with D&C 18:10, 13-17 and Matthew 14:5 or something like that with our number on it.  So just remember the members are key in areas.

We went on splits sometime through out the week. Me and Elder Stradling went and stayed with Elder Jones, one of our zone leaders.  Their landlords are so messy, ha, it was driving me crazy. The whole time I was in their house I was cleaning. Thanks for that trait mom. I'm sure my wife will appreciate it, hahah! Elder Jones is English speaking and so we went around to English people, and boy, am I glad to get to work with Spanish people because English people [aren't so friendly]. That was the first time a door had ever been slammed in my face. Everybody should learn to be more like Spanish people and Polynesian cultures. They are so nice about everything, and they are soo friendly. And their families are usually closer too. I'm already making mental notes of how I want things to be in my house that I will have some day.  I don't know if anyone else thinks about this while on the mission, but I think about my future family and home A LOT. I'm always taking mental notes. But we have found a lot of Spanish families in the Oquirr Stake and Oquirr Point Stake. Now we just need to turn them into investigators.

We had a lot of people plan to come to church but only one of them showed, so that puts about 5 people back on baptism appointments--so we will see how that goes. I have been praying really hard for the members to get more involved here. We really need that.

The Spanish is coming, really, I just have to work on my vocab. I have a small vocabulary, so that is what makes it hard. I think I'm fine with grammar. It's not perfect, but it's good enough for what I'm doing. It just comes with time.

So on the bike I now can bunny hop! On flat ground I can be going and get both wheels off the ground!! WOO Hoo. That took a lot of tries! And I got a decent wheely down, too. I only had to bail one time in the few weeks I have been in the field.  I'm so glad we get to ride bikes. A lot of the time the only reason I'm happy is because I get to ride a bike and mess around and just have fun. I guess it's sad to say, but being on a bike has made things better! haha, I love biking!


So, I have decided that I really want to read through the bible because so many people think us Mormons don't study the bible, so I decided I should have a testimony of the bible, too. Everybody should read Preach My Gospel. It's great stuff. I'm learning soo much from it.  [I get a little bugged] in my companionship when they don't do things according to PMG. [In the MTC that's what they told us to teach.] Man, I loved the MTC! But at least I get to cook now, woo hoo! Man, I love cooking! But ya, that's about all for this week. I think! I will work on getting a few hand written letters out!

Thanks for the love and the prayers. I pray that God blesses those that help his missionaries!  One more piece of advice: the best thing you can do for a missionary is give them food! Or money is good too, since none of us can stick to a budget! I'm exited to see what transfers bring, but no matter what, I'm just gonna keep on working anyways! Thanks for everything. I love you all! Have a great one! Hopefully I will have something exiting to share for next week! TTFN!