Hi there... How you doin? Dec. 27, 2016

Hey family and friends!  This week I got a new companion! if all goes well he will be my last companion. Elder Jimenez from the Dominican Republic is my companion. He will be helping me through my death, and to work hard here in tenochtitlan. We are going to do some great work here. other than that I just have to say, i'm on my last transfer cycle. "in a few weeks" as my mom said, I will be home. 

Look for miracles in your life. If you don't look you will never find them. looking in the past it's easier to see the influence of God in our lives. I have had many occasions in my life and mission, where I haven't seen how God is helping me because I was angry, prideful, sad, whatever reason. then one day i look back and say, "thank you Father. I know I was sad/angry back then, but now I learned from that experience, and I am better now." it makes me think of the talk about the currant bush, I am the Gardener here.                         

www.lds.org/new-era/1973/01/the-currant-bush?lang=eng (here you go. it's a great talk if you haven't read it)

GO sing for me ok? I sing here but singing is a great way to share. 

​making punch for the ward Christmas party! (sorry for the low quality, took the picture with our cell)

​like the abominable snowman, this white giant likes to help people put on the stars/bows on their christmas tree. 

Hey remember the animated mops from the sorcerers apprentice? we have a bunch here in Mexico.

​hoyo en la puente? no pasa nada.​ [hole in the bridge? nothing falls through]

Dont worry be happy, in a winter wonderland. (or in CA a green christmas...) Dec 20, 2016

this week is christmas! go make someone happy! that's what christmas is about! go help your missionaries out! they are having a hard time right now. an investigator would be a great christmas present. we had our mission christmas party this week. WE did service! it was great. I did my normal job of taking out a tree/bush. but this time mexican style. with a machete! pictures to come. 

Thanks Grandma for the package! i still haven't opened it but I know it's great.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas emphasis in Christ! emphasis! Dec. 13, 2016

This week, or these two weeks are going to be full of Navidad! we have the mission Christmas party (which we will be doing service, cool!) on Wednesday (tomorrow), the stake Christmas party, complete with mechanical bull, on Friday, ward Christmas party (tenochtitlan) on Wednesday, and Ward Christmas Party,(Barrios Campiña y Independencia) on Friday. in all of which they asked me to sing.  yay for singing! 

I dont know if it happens to everyone this time of year, but it definitely happens in mexico. Everyone starts to say, "come back next year, the holidays are busy."  yeah and we are busy walking, hoping someone lets us in. But Christmas is great.  lots of food, lots of lights (not as many as the us, but its ok) lots of music, and kids are out of school. Just remember that the real reason for Christmas is to celebrate the Birth of Christ. (even though it wasn't during this time of year.) Be a light this time of year and help someone else this year!

​hey, mom, dad, look what you bought me for Christmas! among other things.

​This time it's not winning cause its the second time. Dog bite! like anastazia said, the dog wanted to taste me. I've been lucky with the dog bites.

Luz Dec. 6, 2016

SO my sister complained that I didn't write so much, so I'm going to try and write more today.

I am so grateful for all the things I have learned. As we would say, Started from the bottom now we´re here.  There are many things that my mission president has said to me along the lines of: "Just think of all the things you have done. I want you to see that you started in one place and you have progressed."  And really I have learned a lot.  I have learned things that many people would be surprised with. A lot of people think, oh you learned all the scriptures. nope. I learned the same things we are teaching. Faith. Repentance. Baptism for the Remission of Sins. the gift of the Holy Ghost. Endure to the End. I have really learned what is faith, what is repentance. I have seen my lack of faith. I learned that things I said I had repented of, that really I hadn´t repented. But I have learned. I have become a better person. But as Elder Holland(I think) said, the trick is to not lose the light after the mission.

I wrote a song about this actually. The main phrase is: I came to teach, and ended up being taught. I'll work on it more when I get home to refine the song.

This week wasn't that great in regards to lessons with investigators, but we visited with members to share the Christmas message: Light the World. It is great. I love when we have the holiday pass along cards. Every member we have gone with, we have given them two cards to give to others. Even though it is great to get new investigators, it is about lighting the world making the season bright. in the calendar for 25 ways in 25 days, it says attend a religious service. We need to share the Gospel to everyone. but in the mean time, the best way to be happy is to come closer to Christ. and in the way we do it is the way in which can come closer to God. some ways don't help as much as others but they do help. Be a light! (Sorry Connor i'm copying it. I like it too.)  Help others to be happy!  Ye are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine. 

Light the World Nov. 29, 2016

Christmas is upon us. if you are wondering what to do in the 24 days before christmas visit this website: Christmas.mormon.org The lights that we put up on christmas should remind us of the Light of Christ and that we should "let our light so shine" Matt 5:16.

 Ads in the Metro

My planners from all my mission

Why you shouldn't put your socks on the heater.

This week we went to the Torre Latinoamericana

 My Christmas Tree!

Winter Time Nov. 23, 2016

This week was cold. I don´t know really how cold it was, but it seems colder when you have cement floors and walls. Problems always come up in anything that you do. We have a few investigators that were progressing really well, but they don´t want to get married now. (happens a lot in Mexico, don´t like commitments.) a lot of leaders would say, "You need to baptize them in November! You put them as the goal for November!" Hold your horses! They are not prepared. They will get baptized when they are ready.  That is my council for this week: Get things ready, then go. The pioneers had a lot of problems because they weren't ready to go.  Get ready, set, GO!

Love ya!

Pikachu Nov 15, 2016

Official: They bought my flight. Feb 7th flying into john wayne.

ayayayay another cycle is gone. this cycle ends on christmas, so I downloaded a bunch of christmas music to listen to. 

This week we were going to baptize the ramirez family, but we found out that they weren't married. people sometimes say, oh we've been married for 8 years. but really they mean, we've been living together for 8 years. so next week we are going to baptize them. we got connections in the government and we get marriages done in a week.

last week we had a stake conference. Elder Reyes of the Seventy spoke and one of the things that stuck with me was, What did you do about it? He talked about a sister that spoke to her friend, saying, "we have prophets and apostles today", and her friend asked, "and what have they told us recently?" uh... And so he told us, President Monson has spoken about the Word of Wisdom. so what did we do about that? did I just say, oh yep. I don't drink coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco or drugs. We should better ask ourselves, how can I better follow the Word of Wisdom? it doesn't just include those five things. It also talks about meat, grains, all food. If the prophets are talking about something, then we need to apply it in our lives. (by the way, Coke isn't included in the word of wisdom, that's why they said that we should avoid fanatism. Caffine isn't the reason.)

I Hope you all have a great week. Happy Christmas!

I'm not going to send photos this week. because if I do, all my pictures will disappear from my camera. viruses...

:) Nov 8, 2016

Hey. It's now Christmas. Thanksgiving doesn't exist here, so now it's Christmas. Just thought i would notify you all. 

Things have been going good here. We're doing good without investigators and getting referrals from the ward members.  Sorry, I don't have much time right now. Just want to say that I love you guys, keep working hard, and strengthen your testimony! 

Oh, and I ate my first burrito here in the mission today. (I have eaten others but really, no. They don't qualify)

Zona Xalostoc

Hi! Nov. 1, 2016

We have been doing a lot of work with members and less actives, so we realized we don't have any investigators when the Ramirez family gets baptized. so we have to focus on getting new investigators.  This week we went to Zocalo (the centre of Mexico City). There were a lot of people there since it's the Day of the Dead. We are going to change apartments tomorrow so that´ll be fun. Oh and we also helped dig a hole to put a cistern. 

​I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole. (pretty big dwarf eh?)

​my attempt at ramen

​Dia de los Muertos is pretty. (they are flower petals)

​Zocalo is Mexico´s Time Square.

​we went to go to the top of Torre latino. here we are at the bottom, because it was 90 pesos to go to the top.

​every chance to teach is a good one!

Love you guys!!!

Why have you not been baptized? Oct. 25, 2016

This week Arturo got baptized! He is an investigator who has been listening to the missionaries for about four months, and i have wanted to count lessons with his family as member present, because he teaches and everything. This week it counts. and then his family (his mom,brother,sister-in-law,and his niece) will get baptized in November!

today i went to aguilas (my old area that is across the street from my area right now) to see my converts and some members. Its cool to know that my converts are all active in the church. and i went to visit a member in the ward, and you know how in charlie and the chocolate factory, his dads house dissappears? same thing with this member. house: gone. there's just the front wall and the rest, kaput.

​the water didnt work, so we pulled the water for the font from the sistern.(clean water, it just had dirt.)

​its hard work filling a baptismal font by bucket

​the Jordan river experience.

Tenocht! Oct. 11, 2016

So this was my first week in Tenochtitlan. I was pretty good. I didn't really realize how [desanimado] i was in my last areas. This week we had a really good lesson with the Ramirez family. Arturo was the first one the missionaries started teaching (in June), and about a week ago, they started teaching the rest of his family. This week they went to church, and are really ready to accept everything. They know we have what we need to follow the example of Jesus Christ. We are going to invite them to be baptized the fifth of November.  (Arturo already has a baptismal date for the 22nd. Two weeks!)  When we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, i felt the spirit hit me like a hug from an old friend. (the image came to my mind of Jackie running up to give me a hug. :)  It feels nice to be back in a place where the people are more receptive, and I can help more people progress.

[can you translate this one mom? no idea what it would be in English.  mom: discouraged, without excitement]

more of my pink neckties:

classic from home​

​slim, one of my favorites.

​a Susan G Komen for the Cure official tie.

Cholostoc Oct. 4, 2016

So I got transferred! I am no longer in Casas Aleman, I am now in Tenochtitlan (different from the cities in Connor`s mission, the way it's spelled is how it sounds)  Zone: Xalostoc (maybe its a bit different X is like an H) commonly known to missionaries as Cholostoc. It's across the main street from a previous area I had: Aguilas. I'm excited to be in the State of Mexico once again, instead of the federal district.  This week was general Conference and it was very uplifting. maybe I'll give you guys my notes next week because I still haven't written them up.  My new companion is Elder Mata, he got to the Mission when I trained the second time, with Elder Nava. Even though I am older than him in terms of the mission, he is 25 years old. The most probable thing is that I will finish my mission here in Tenochtitlan. 

 

For Breast Cancer Awareness month, I'm putting on my pink ties everyday this month. Here's one of them: (it's Jerry Garcia too)

Visitors Center Sept 27, 2016

This week we planned a family Ward evening (noche de Barrio en lugar de Noche de Hogar) in the Visitors Center. We haven't had a great record in ward activities (one time 9 people came.) But this week we had about 70 people in the Ward activity! and 11 investigators! and two from other wards. it was great! we had a Sister talk about families, which our investigator really liked. We showed a video: elder Holland`s: Completely Alone, and then we played 100 mormones said, (in English is Family Feud)    I loved it. It was great to see the ward attend and help. (Some times the sacrament attendance has been lower than 70) 

And today we went to the Basilica! It was interesting to see all the things they had there. Really beautiful gardens, and I finally got an explanation of some of the beliefs about la virgen guadalupe.

​Gardens of the Basilica

​Maybe you can see how far the city goes

​Inside the Basilica. It's really voluminous. :)

:) Sep 20, 2016

There are many things that I have learned during my mission. I have learned many of these things preparing lessons for district meetings. And they are widely ranged. Scripture knowledge, doctrine, and attribute knowledge. There are many things that are great to know, but the best things to know are those that change our lives, things that we learn and knowing it we change our attitude/behavior/life. I have had many life changing experiences, that aren't the experiences that most people think of when they think about missionaries (baptisms, teaching), but the times when it is hard, when nobody wants to listen to us. Those are the times when I have learned Patience, Diligence, Love, a deeper understanding of the Atonement, and a deeper understanding of myself, and how I can be better in the future. Really a lot of things have helped me understand how I should be later in life, when I have a wife and kids to take care of, that I can help them more than my needs.    

I am grateful that God has sent me to hard areas. I am grateful that God gives me strength, because He knows I can do it. I am Grateful for everything God has given me, and all He will give me. 

I love you guys. Échale ganas.

I Like Food. Sep 13, 2016

We've been having some problems with investigators here. Example: I have had four investigators, in this area, after they accept a baptismal date, tell us via message, that they don't want to listen to us anymore, and disappear...  I suspect JWs...  But other than that, we´re doing good here. It was my comp´s birthday the 6th, so we had cake.     

Today we played soccer with some people in the park. They had a dog with them that got out on the soccer field and went close to a pitbull.  The pitbull grabbed the dog and started throwing him around.  And the owner all  "Good, now he knows not to mess with pitbulls." OK, its your dog dying over there.  He didn't die, just a bit bloody.

​From last week: "They´re bigger in Utah" -Elder Herlin

​Elder Dominguez made something from Veracruz. Fried plantains with beans, sour cream and cheese. Yummy.

Taters

​I made salsa. Wasn't very spicy, though.  (for me at least)  

Zootopia Sep 6, 2016

Today is September. 

This week we had investigators in the church reunions [mom note:  reunion is Spanish for meeting, so obviously Ryan is thinking in Spanish and having to translate to English!] for the first time in a while. And with that, Marta and Flavio have a baptismal date for the 30th! Marta and Flavio are a pair of people that are in union libre (free union?)  [mom note: In English, we say unwed, living together, civil union]  Flavio has dementia, but he remembers enough right now that he remembers the main points of the lessons. (Also because we have reviewed them a few times.) They are really cool, and Flavio is pretty much like a kid. He tells us the same jokes every time, but that kind of makes it funnier. We just need to divorce Flavio from his wife that left him for the problems he had, and marry Marta y Flavio. Easy peasy. 

I love being on the mission. I love meeting people and learning about their lives and how I can help them. I love talking to strangers and finding common interests (mostly Jesus Christ ;)) Hey, who are you? and what have you done with Ryan?!

If anyone is doubting about going on the mission, Go. But do it with heart. There are so many things to learn and to serve. I have learned so many things. I have learned how to talk. I think you guys will be surprised how I have changed, but you will have to see for yourself when I get home. I have been able to change many things for the better. Loving more of myself and the people that surround me. One time an investigator asked us why we kept coming back even though they didn't answer? It's because we love them. We want the best for them, and we know how it can change their lives. We know that they want this. They just don't know it yet. 

Today we went to the Zoo! It's right next to my area, but it's closed on Mondays. But now Pdays are on Tuesday! So we can go to museums and stuff! (I will also be writing on Tuesdays now.)

​When we got close to his enclosure (which was just rope), he came closer to us to take a picture.

Giraffes and the Temple

​There were quite a few animals that we could get really close to.

Jaguar!

​You know how they have those lorikeet enclosures you can enter? They had one but with toucans, tucancitos, and other birds that I don't know what they were. Like this one: