Zocalo on May the Fourth

Last week on Pday, (mom comment: 1 day a week they have time to write emails, do laundry and maybe spend a little free time playing) we went to Zocalo.  Zocalo is like the historical center of Mexico City.  We took a turibus and saw historical buildings, monuments, cathedrals. I saw about 8 times as many white people as the rest of the time in my mission. (32)  After the bus we went inside the big cathedral. It was weird and interesting. We met some members in the cathedral from Utah; it was funny because the father came up to us and asked, "Do you want to confess anything?" and we were like, "Um thanks but we have been pardoned from our sins."  Then he introduced himself and his family.

  

On the way back in the metro we stopped for ice cream and when we went to pay, someone stepped in front and paid for us and walked away. We looked at each other and then went to catch up with them and ask if they were members. They were and we asked where they were going, then we said we were going the same way. They replied, "No you have to take line C to observatorio, not B to Quatro Caminos."  It's interesting how the Spirit works, because if they were not to think, "Let's pay for the elders' icecream," we wouldn´t have known we were going the wrong way.

That isn't the first time we have been paid for. Once in a tortilleria and once in a ciber (internet cafe) the owner didn't have us pay. And then there was the time God paid for us. We were on our way to the Centro para Visitantes (visitors center for the temple) and I found a 20 peso bill. At the end of the day we had 2 pesos left from the taxis and metro costs. He knew that we didn't have enough and He gave us just enough. And yes Billy, Jesus did pay for our sins, so we can live with Heavenly Father and our families again.

Our second person that committed to baptism was unexpected. We went to teach the Plan of Salvation as a first lesson to one of our contacts on the street. Turns out she has a brother who is a member and half way through the lesson I knew she was ready and I was going to ask her to be baptized.

I hate mosquitos. I don't know how they get in my shoes but they do.

I went on splits with Elder Te the other day. What? Two new Elders with less than a month, teaching and being in Mexico speaking Spanish. But it made me think I have been living in Mexico for a month, speaking Spanish, and I can do it. 

We realized that the reason we are in this area is to correct the previous elders' mistakes. It sounds kinda harsh but it's true. They were teaching to baptism, not for baptism. Like they said, to learn more about Joseph Smith you have to get baptized. WHAT?! It's crazy, and we are trying to correct it.

It's amazing how people trust us. People confess their sins and tell us their deepest problems, sometimes even in the first time we talk with them. We are two young guys, and people trust us because people see us and recognize us as representatives of Christ, and ministers of God. I still think of myself as Ryan.

Elder Hernandez and an art museum

​View of the city from our apartment 

​This is the scene of the opening of the new James Bond movie that will be coming out. In the back is the cathedral we visited. Inside it was very big and had tall ceilings, very spacious. 

I wanted Reeses Puffs so I put peanut butter on Cocoa Puffs. It was better than Reeses Puffs.

Oh and May the Fourth be with you! In Spanish: ¡Que la fuerza los acompañe!

For the baptisms, one is a long time investigator and the other three we have taught for less than 3 lessons. The long time investigator is slightly confused so I think that's what took her so long.  We just helped her understand baptism is the only way to return to live with God. The other three were just prepared to hear the gospel.

The family we will be with on Mother's Day just really likes the missionaries and so we eat with them a lot, and have Family Home evening with them.