Zona Vergel April 25, 2016

OK. First week in Casas Aleman. It has been pretty good. The members and  investigators give us food quite a lot. We pretty much have the three meals covered, so I don't have to spend much in food (just in junk that I want).

This week we went to the Visitors Center four times. Once on Wednesday, once on Friday, and twice on Saturday. It is such a blessing to have the Visitors Center so close. We can walk to get there, like 15 minutes walking from our house to the temple. It's great. And even better is that, using the VC is so much cooler to teach investigators. And there are so many things there too. I haven't seen half of the things they have there but I have gone about fifteen times. I want to take a tour of the other VCs someday. 

I'm still getting to know the area but It is amazing to know other people, and it's really amazing how quickly you get to love the people. I only have been here a week, but I really care for the investigators we have here. and I want to help them with their problems.

From last week: ​He left the keys in the apartment, and he had to jump through the window.

Zona Vergel! New faces and old faces too!

Apr 18, 2016 New Cycle Down

Who's jealous?  If you are, stop it. It's a sin. But anyway, here's your weekly dose of temptation. You see that guy sitting in the middle? That's Elder Dallin H. Oaks. And see that handsome missionary in the top right hand? That's me. That's right. Elder Oaks came to Mexico City. I shook his hand and he spoke to us. 



New Cycle down. New Area. I thought I was close to the temple in my last area. Now we can walk to the temple. Now I am in the area called Casas Alemán. (literally translated: German Houses) My new Companion is Elder Paz. He is from Mexico City. Literally just outside the mission limits. I'm excited to be in this new area and we will see how it goes. The good news is: our apartment is nicely sized. Now I can cook without being in the bathroom. And we have a gas stove, so I will enjoy this house.  

This week we had the marvelous experience of having Elder Dallin H. Oaks speak to us in a special conference. It was simple, but powerful what he said. He said he would talk about three things: 1. Testify of Christ 2. share some phrases of things we should do in the mission, and 3. Answer questions. 

Things that I really liked from what he said was about the Gifts of the Spirit. Talking about the scripture, he said, " ´To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the son of God´, I have that Gift. But... ´To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful´." That is his work. He is called to be a special witness of Christ. It is not necessary that we have a knowledge that our Redeemer lives. But by the act of faith, we can believe in the words of the Prophets and Apostles, and in so doing, gain eternal life. He talked about how even being an apostle, he does not have all the gifts of the spirit. But that does not mean he is not completing his role. Likewise, each of us has a gift. It is not our purpose to see angels, if we do not have that gift. In response to the question, "when will I know my mission is complete?" Elder Oaks responded, "when you are in the office of your stake president, being released. And by that I don't mean for it to be a dumb answer. When you have finished your time, be it two years, 18 months, or less time for medical reasons, if you worked your best, you completed your mission. It doesn't matter if you baptized 2 or 200, if you worked your best, that is your mission."     

I hope everyone is OK in Japan and Ecuador. Prayers will be heard all over the world for those who are suffering.

Twice Apr 11, 2016

Ummm... This week was cool...  I don't really remember much from it because it went by so fast.  I'm still in trio and it's really quite fun.  Imagine the fun you have had with your companion, but two of them. Twice the companion, twice the fun, two-thirds the space, twice the area, and twice the amount of walking. We are practicing to be in a choir right now, for a special conference we are going to have... with.... (drum roll please) ..  ..  .. Elder Oaks! It's going to be Great! I didn't get the chance to be in the choir in the Provo MTC, because I came to Mexico, but now I get to sing with other people who sing! There are two Elders from each Zone, and some Hermanas too, chosen for their voices, but in our zone, 3. for some error, I was taken off the list, but I went anyway, so they kept us three in the choir. I'm really excited.     

It is quite weird. I have gotten to the "29 years old" mark. That doesn't mean I'm 29 years old, it just means that I have started lying about my age. (Mission age, that is.)  Now when people ask, I just say that I have been on the mission for one year. 

Note for future missionaries: Don't bring non-iron shirts. They are harder to iron. 

El Distrito. The blur in the back is Elder Villanueva.

There he is.

This is what happens when you don't listen to your companion saying, "Turn off the microwave. Your beans are exploding."  *cough cough*​ Elder Cadena

Three Missionaries, Two Wards

This week we have been in trio. It has been interesting for a few reasons. 

1. Our apartment is just big enough for 2 missionaries. That includes a few things. The fridge is just big enough to hold the food for two missionaries, not quite enough for 10 liters of milk, eggs, each person's ham, yogurt, frozen chicken for three people, and the water pitcher.  Then there is the bed situation. Luckily we have three mattresses, and enough space for three mattresses. But we have to crawl over each other's beds to get to ours. There is space for three mattresses but nothing else. 

2. We are working in two areas. That means that we take the metro a lot more, going in between the areas to get to appointments and getting to know other investigators.

1. Elder Cadena, mi compa

2. I decided to draw my gafete.

General Conference was so amazing! I loved hearing all the apostles speaking, especially in the two sessions that I got to see in English. I never thought I would miss the actual voices of the apostles. Listening to their messages are great, but there is nothing like listening to their voices. Hearing the words of God through His Prophets and Apostles is one of the most important things we can do. Have you ever wanted to hear what God would say to you? Listen to His servants. You can read the scriptures and that is an excellent way to listen. But how much better is to listen to what He has to say to you specifically today, in your life, in your work, with your family? I know that God loves you. Yes, you specifically. He knows your name, your needs, your weaknesses, your strengths. And He loves you for each and every one of your imperfections. And He wants you to live with Him again in His presence. Follow Christ and find the mansion He has prepared for you.

I would highly recommend listening to the Conference talks if you did not see them. Here you can see them: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04?cid=HP_SU_3-4-2016_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng 

Another cool thing are these photos: easy ways to share the messages of the apostles. 

You can find them here:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/april-2016-general-conference-picture-quotes?cid=HP_SA_2-4-2016_dOCS/ML_fGC_xLIDyL2-3_&lang=eng

The Church is True, The Book is Blue

Elder Haggard

OH, and for those of you who don't know, my sister is going on a mission! 27 July 2016 Becca is going to the Adriatic South mission! speaking Albanian! Where is the adriatic south mission you might ask? dont worry I asked it too... North of Greece, and to the east of Italy. My sister is going so far away, and going to speak a weird language. Im so proud of her.

What?! Albanian!?  But that's so cool! Europe!  Looks like she's got two or three national languages. Two of the three countries are Cyrillic languages. (Like Russia) but who knows how many languages she'll find. Being in Europe, she´ll be right next to a bunch of other languages.  That's so Cool! still got quite a bit of time though. Enjoy it while you can!

Starting to read the Book of Mormon in my language helped. Even if i didn't understand it, it still helped. In the movie The Other Side of Heaven, that's what he did when he was frustrated with the language. He just sat down and read the Bible in English and Tongan. I would have brought my waterproofing spray can with me. Because now, the waterproofing has worn off, and it's about to be the rainy season again. Bring photos. Speak as much as you can and ENJOY IT!

Easter Mouse March 28, 2016

This week has gone well. Now we are getting to where we should be in this area. The past cycles haven´t gone so well. I was trying to open an area without my companion thinking he needed to open it. But now we´ve opened the area. We now have investigators progressing. Finally we had investigators in the church services. And we have a new investigator, that we are going to baptize.  Now we just have to teach him.  Now he has gone to church two times but we haven't taught him yet. (Officially, I mean. We have taught him things in the church) But our President said in the last zone conference, that we should teach our investigators that they shouldn't take the sacrament until they are baptized, then they will have a testimony of the importance of the sacrament. Italo, this investigator, understood this really. And said to me, "When can I take the sacrament, so I can be cleaned?" I responded, "After you get baptized. Which is the purification, then the sacrament is to keep us pure." He then said, "I am going to take the sacrament in three weeks."  I nodded in agreement, and did a celebratory dance in my head.

Recently our ward mission leader bought a cellphone, so he can communicate with us. This has resulted in a few funny things. We are the only ones he has called, so, naturally, we are the first ones on his redial list. There have been a few times when he has butt dialed us. I pick up, and hear the movement of his pocket as he walks, talks, and even one time, he was singing. Really he butt dials us more than he actually calls us.

Funny story time. The other day we were laying in bed, about to go to sleep, then we hear a sound. "Do you hear that?" "Yeah, what is it?" "It sounds like tiny foot steps." I go to check and the sound stops. I return to bed and it starts again. I then get my flashlight. "it sounds like it's coming from the fridge."  I shine the light under the fridge and the sound stops, but I don't see anything. The sound doesn't come back, so I go to bed. In the morning I woke up, and see a shadow streak across the floorboard. Hmm?! I wait a little and call my companion. Then I see him, SQUEAKERS! Cue the manly screams. hmmm mmm I mean... nothing of the sort happened. We spend the next half an hour trying to get him out of the apartment.  At the end of it all, it went under the door to the next apartment. We tried, but now he's not our problem. Woops. He hasn´t returned. 

Happy Easter! I don't know which Sunday was Easter, because everyone is celebrating holy week here. They do reenactments of the last three days of Jesus´ life. It's interesting, but weird, seeing groups of people following a person carrying a cross, yelling at him and stuff. It's irreverent. But it's what they do here.