Monday, November 25, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

Teachin' n preachin'

This week was better than the last few that have been flowin:D 

The great part of my week started on wednesday. We had intercambios and  I was with Elder Evans in my area. We had quite a bit to do because we just had an old investigator attend church this last sunday and so me and Elder Evans were going to go and visit her and put a date for her to be baptize. But ya know always things don't go as planned right?:D and so.... we arrived at her house and.... she wasn't home... fetch... :D but its alls good. :D so after that we headed over to another new investigator that we were meeting for the first time. :D this was quite the experience because before she didn't want to hear from us at all but she had given us the permission to teach her daughter. And over the last 2 weeks she has seen such a change in the life of her daughter that she was wondering what we were teaching. So... she set up a time with us and we taught her and invited her to be baptized and right now things are flowing swelly with that family. (right now the dad still does not want to talk with us but.... its only a matter of time. Ya know?:D) and after that lesson we had just enough time to run over to yet another investigator that earlier in the month I felt like we should talk to him and so... I just walked up and tried my best to converse with this manhomie (which... to say the least was rough. :D:D:D) But right now he loves what we are teaching him and all I have to say is it is practically like magic when I am talking with someone in a lesson or when they need help with something because I don't know if they are using easier words than the rest of the world of if I am just striking it easy with being able to understand them:D:D Nah its just a fact that the gift of tongues is real and with out it I could not teach at all. Pues.. After our lesson with freddie. We had just enough time to teach one more lesson and honestly I had really enjoyed that day because it was a day that I was not afraid to open my mouth and have what I say be laughed at. ya know the usual. :D:D 

But the next day was just as good :D I know right what is this gambling? Two good days never come in a row. Well... at least not here:D:D But I just want to write about one experience. So we had gotten this reference and we went and visited her and usually you have to talk to people and slowly let them start to trust you for them to tell you what they need to hear.. well.. I just want to say that we barley had enough time to introduce ourselves before she just laid it on us. Man she told us exactly what had happened in her life and... I don't want to say much but she has been through a lot. So we started to teach her about the Gospel of Jesucristo and while we were about 3/4ths of the way done her daughter walked in as well as her husband. (And usually we invite people to be baptized the first lesson ((unless we feel like it would be better to wait one more lesson))) and I was thinking to myself... How and I suppose to invite the father and the daughter to baptism when they have not even heard of our whole shpeel. And in that moment I just got the feeling that it honestly does not matter if they have heard the whole thing or not the spirit in the room in this moment is the same right now as it has been the hole lesson. So I just knew that it honestly did not matter if they have heard the whole lesson or not because they could just feel all that we have taught in one moment. And so with that I put all my fear that they just would not accept our invitation and just went for it. And honestly it is one of the most beautiful experiences when you invite someone to baptism. Because this is going to sound weird but... they really can not say no. It is not the words I use or my fancy way of persuading them to say yes but it is honestly just the power ( I can't think of any other word that i can describe it but pure... power. ) that is in the room. And as well as when I need to teach something or commit someone to baptism or... anything before I start to teach i don't think about what I am going to say or anything. because if I start to think about what I am going to say I just get myself confused with all the conjugations and their needs and tying... well... everything. so I honestly just don't think of anything and just listen to my comp with what he is saying and after he wraps up his part I just... talk. And i don't know how to explain it. The words just come. I mean if people don't believe in the Holy Ghost and the gift of tongues I can see how this sounds crazy but honestly words that I have never used before just come to my mind and I am not going to doubt that thought and I just... Go with the flow if ya know what i mean:D:D:D  and so after that they all said yes to the invitation to be baptized so me and my comp were pretty stoked. and while we were leaving their house we alway pass this lady in the street that is vending stuff. And i had the feeling that I should talk to her like... 3 weeks ago but I was to afraid to talk to her because I didn't know very much spanish. (given things still have not changed I still don't know very much spanish but I just don't care anymore I just speak:D:D:D) and so while we were walking by her again I just had the feeling that I should talk to her again and sheesh when you get that feeling of the spirit you just can not deny it. And so I just stopped and started to talk with her. We told her that we were missionaries and that we would love to share a message with her. And she said that she would love that and that she has wanted to talk with us for about 2 weeks now (fetch ladies and gents when she said that, It really hit me that I was about 2 weeks late on talking with this lady in the street.) and to come to find out that her mom had just been ran over by a camion about 1 month ago. And that she has just been looking for something to make her feel more happy. So with that we talked with her a little bit more and set an appointment for the next day. So this day was quite the experience as well:D:D:D


and just real quick update on the lady who sells stuff in the street. We recently have put a fecha with her to be baptized this 14 of diciembre. as well as we should have a baptism this saturday of a girl named estefani if we are able to get her and her boyfriend married this week she will be baptized this saturday. as well as we found another reference and we are planning on putting a fecha with him this week and as well as Rosa we are hoping that we can put a fecha with her for either the 7th or the 14th as well. and the family that we are teaching right now(with the husband and the daughter who walked in) if things flow well we will be able to baptize them the 21st. And as well the mother of Jonathan Delgado because she ends her schooling in like 7 days and we are going to put a fecha for her probably for the end of this month. So.. these are just the hopefuls I know we are able to baptize them all if we just can step up the work a bit more. Ya know? because right now 18 lessons a week just isn't cutting it for me. Even when 6 of those are when I teach by my self with another Elder in my area during intercambios. But... needless to say.... nowhere to go but up from here eh? (yeah... i know i used eh. they use it a whole junk load here in mexico eh?)

and the photo that is with this letter is of nothing special but... the fact of after 3 hours of studying and preparing for the day this is what it comes down to :D:D A paper with a few escrituras:D:D:D 

but things are going better and better I would just like to end with the fact of that 
if you are ever prompted by the spirit to do something you should freakin do it!!! Cuz you don't know what blessings it may bring in your life. I have learned that it does not matter if it is your thought or if it a thought that was put in your mind by the spirit because if you are living your live correctly your thoughts and the thoughts that the spirit will put in your mind are similar. I love this gospel and the opportunities to learn and experiences conversions in other peoples lives is amazing!!!! You just don't get to experience these kind of miracles in any other point in life and.... I would just like to end with answering something. Honestly if you are looking for something to read every week that is going to be life changing spiritually I would read someone else's blog because right now.... shesh I will right about the experiences that I go through when I am able to understand them:D:D:D That is why I wrote about all the gun shots and puddles of blood and all that jazz because I was not able to understand what was going on in the lessons. But I do want to write more about the lessons in the future so in time with the more spanish that i learn i will write more spiritual experiences yo :D:D But... 

The church is true and the book in blue. See ya next week. (well... write ya next week. :D:D:D)


Monday, November 18, 2013

Monday, November 18, 2013

School teacher?

This week was insane.. honestly insane. :D 

To start I went on cambios with Elder Evans and he had told a school that he would help them out and teach english. And so while we were walking to the school I was thinking that we would just be helping out another teacher that is already being paid to teach english. Wellp... as you can probably guess... they didnt have a teacher already to teach english and when we arrived we asked the teacher what we needed to do and she said. "i dont know you are the teachers" hahaha so.... needless to say that we taught and taught and taught for like 3 hours. class and class and class. It was quite fun all of the kids kept asking me to teach them swear words in english... Hahahaha. And one moment while me and elder evans had our backs to some students apparently one of them swore at the other and they literally started a full out brawl in the front of the class. Fists were flying and all sorts of other joyness if ya know what ima sayin:D:D

And just another funny story. :D Berkeley you might not want to post this on the internet but... I met this guy while my comp was using the bathroom and we just got talking about the united states and I had asked him if he had ever visited the usa. and he had told he of course but he doesnt have any papers. and so I asked him how he was able to get in with out papers. and he continued to explain to me in great detail that there are 2 places where you are just able to walk in. One in arizona and the other in texas. I had a good laugh about how he explained that it was so easy and then I got his information and setup an appointment with him for the next week to teach him... yeah not to interesting of a story but.. still a joy:D:D:D

and I just wanted to write about a freakin crazy spiritual experience this week. I know it is probably just normal for other missionaries but.. here it is:D:D We were going to put a baptisimal date with one of our investigators after we finished teaching the second part of the restauraciĆ³n. And when it came to my part to explain about the first vision I struggled through how to explain how he got into the grove of trees but when I got to the actual vision part things just flowed and after i had finished the appearance of God and Jesucristo the spirit was the thickest I have ever felt in my life I was about to go grab a stick from out side and make a little ice cream snack out of it and save it for a snack for later:D:D (hahah a food joke because there isnt much;D;D) and after that with explaining the authoridad and all the others things that i needed to say next just.... happened... I dont even know what to say... Its times like those that you just sit there and think.. dang.... that was crazy... and the hermana excepted the date to be baptized this next week and we are trying to fit in another one for 2 weeks and another for 3 so... if things flow smoothly we should be helping a few more people enter the beginning to receive eternal life:D:D

and these photos with this email are some that my bud Jacob took. I know there is one of me... awkward... but really he is sitting right next to me and is making sure that I send these photos back home:D:D Honestly i think that this broham has a lot of photographical talent :D (menos la foto de yo) and the others are of my other bud Jehovani who is a freakin boss at futbol. We just went to one of his games and watched him:D:D:D

but this week was good a lot a constructive time and learning experiences:D 
Hasta luego:D:D 




PHOTO OF THE WEEK...Monday, November 18, 2013

Yeah... I took jumpergram with me to mexico. 

#utahgram (kindof..) #jumpoftheday ;D;D;D


Baptisimal Cleaners. 


Monday, November 11, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

The weeks keep rollin like the salt keeps cookin?

This week.... man what do I even want to say bout this week.... Needless to say it was a heck of a lot less entertaining than the last... well... My whole time in mexico. :D This week was actually quite relaxing:D:D Not to much happened and I got to be the senior companion while my comp went and taught with other people.

First this week I learned the lesson (yet again) that a mission kinda sucks... Honestly. My relation with my comp is flowin swelly but the only thing is that now he has found a new way to make me feel like I am still worth nothing. Because people here like to ask questions that are insane. Like who was my second brother twice removed that liked to eat chocolate cake in the pre-earth life? And then when I respond that I have not a clue my comp always enjoys to tell me that I have been a member my whole life and I dont know this? Yeah as well as if something does not flow smoothly in a lesson apparently it is always something to do with my lacking in obedience. But other than feeling like I can respond to any question that I am asked with out being mocked.... Things are flowin GREAT:D:D:D

But like I said this week was a bit slow... :D (I wouldnt mind if more weeks were like this) The only thing that happened that was interesting was me and this other white boy that just got here had intercambios and we got lost in mexico city (in my area) for about 40 minutes:D So it wasnt that long of a time of being lost and it was quite an adventure:D:D As well as during that time with the other Elder we were chased by a drugged lady down the street so... This week no guns, blood, or shattered windows. Only a drugged lady who wanted to chase to american boys. 

But one thing that was awesome about this week was the fact that I got to do intercambios con the other Elder from utah:D:D (Im not going to say his name because I am going to save my mom an hour of searching where he lives and what kind of rice he likes to eat ever 17th of november:D:D) ((Love ya mom:D:D:D)) And that day we taught 5 lessons and receive 3 new investigators:D So that gave me hope that I have come far enough to teach lessons and receive investigators (Given 5 lessons is still lacking of the 8 we are suppose to teach) ((But you always need to improve in something right:D:D:D))

The thing that I really have learned this week was the fact that during my whole life I never really gave sufficient thanks to my mother and sister who are always there for me and have always been there for me. Thanks mom for everything that you have done and I dont know how I could thank you more for everything (given I am in mexico and the only thing I can do is type home every week...) And Berkeley as well thanks for everything there is only one person in this world that would be creepy enough to dress up as me for Halloween (that was a sarcastic comment). But really Berkeley thanks for everything and cant wait until we can make our next betos run or attend our next concert.:D:D:D

The nice thing about learning a language and doing missionary work is you really have no time to be full of your self because if  you do anything to not have the spirit with you, There is not a chance that you can speak with even a tiny bit of clarity. This is another thing that I have learned while being here in mexico. obedience (#garydunn) . Because with out this obedience I dont know how I could speak or teach people and have them learn from what I am sayin. And I am just going to apply this into the rest of my life. Because in all things if we are not obedient how can we expect to receive the blessings or help that we need from our Padre Celestial if we are not doing what he has already asked us to do. 

and in this email there are some photos of our apartment (right now we have a ton of fruit because this man just gave us about 60 pesos of fruit) So life is hard but good:D:D:D and one photo that was a mess up of the photo of the week:D:D Because my comp was having a hard time with the rack focus:D (Sheesh those little guatemalans I thought everyone already knew about rack focusing and using the natural light to make your photos pop more;D;D;D;D) Love my comp.... well... Yeah:D:D:D:D 





PHOTO OF THE WEEK...Monday, November 11, 2013

This weeks photo I just had to make it a photo of my chapstick... Because this good ol friend has been through it all with me so far in this mission... 7th of august to 11 of november... Please can we have a moment of silence for my good ol friend?

S I L E N C E 

adios buddy... See ya in the next life..... :D:D:D:D

until next week m´ friends:D:D


Monday, November 4, 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

Combi

Sheesh... You would think that this mission just could not get any better!!!! (Like that is for sure serious) This last week was the bomb! I could not have had a more fun week in my life!!! Ya know how I was havin problems with my companion? Yeah well... After 7 weeks of serving that little mexican... Oops.. I mean that little Guatemalan one day he just changed and things just started flowin. So I guess that this is proof that if you serve your companion or anyone in general that is could just possible take like... 7 weeks for that service to sink in and possibly change them:D:D But other than the fact that me and my companion are flowin swelly. Some really crazy things have happened this week. Both spiritual as well as more exciting crazy stories... Well I don't know if they are exciting or just ordinary... So... yeah:D:D 

This week was amazing week spiritually for me. I really don't know what to say about the experiences that I have had this past week. Because anything I say will not do the feelings and the power that were in those lessons. But all I have to say is that with every lesson that I teach and every principle that we teach it really strengthens my testimony that this message that we are teaching has so much power and truth behind it. Each time and everything new that I learn really helps me apply and see how if we are able to continually increase our faith and will follow what we are told and what we know we should do deep down then there is nothing that we cant do in our lives and there is no reason why we cant have joy here as well as after this life. :D So.. I really wish I could just speak face to face to everyone about the spiritual experiences because they are so huge and so much fun and an honor to be able to experience them. The people here just have so much faith and honestly have taught me so much about just being happy with your family and outside of that not much else matters:D 


So to start... My companion needed to go to the dentist for his tooth. and when we arrived there my companion needed some anesthetic. And ya know that is regular every time you go to the dentist you need some sort of pain killer right? Well... My dad is a dentist and my whole life I have known this stuff to be as "tingly gell" no one ever told me that this so called "tingly gell" was a needle of medication the size of freakin.... (plug in your own descriptive word). Ya know what Im sayin??? Sheesh!!! Well... Yeah I thought I would just inform the world that this so called "tingly gell" or anesthetic is a freakin huge needle. Yeah.. Nothing more special about the dentist:D:D 

Oh hahaha and so me and my companion were walking to our next appointment and every tuesday there are this huge markets that take up the whole street and they sell everything! (I have still yet to find a pair of raybands) And just a small side note.. I have some pretty good friends in these markets they are always informing me when the next movie has just come out and what kind of glasses they are going to pick up next week and haha yeah needless to say I got some friends in these markets of the streets (which may be black-markets but ya know who knows:D the stuff is cheap and new:D) And I don't even buy anything from them:D but as we were walking through the markets to our next appointment, my companion was ahead of me and all of the sudden this guy just literally comes out of no where and asks me if I speak spanish or english . I respond to him that I speak a little bit of both. And then he continued to ask me who was the creator of the earth. Psh, I'm thinkin to myself that's an easy one. And when I  give him the answer that is was Jesucrist antes este vida, he did not like that answer at all and then he grabs me by my shirt and pulls me really really close to his face (a lot closer than I would have wanted to be to this man) and then starts speaking all the english he knew. Which was that I was a stupid american and some words that I will not repeat because they were not very nice or up lifting. :D So during all this I thought that I was going to be punched by this man but I just admitted to him that yes I guess that I am stupid (hoping that it would satisfy his anger) and after I had said that he let me go and told me that I knew nothing and just walked away. :D Haha and after that moment I learned a valuable lesson. 

The only people that are impossible to teach are those who are unwilling to learn. 

Yeah pretty obvious i know but if you think about it the only way someone is unteachable is someone who is not willing to learn:D 

As well as during the day of the dead me and my companion are headed back to our house and we see this group of friends carrying this boy down the road towards the main road in which we were walking on. And as they arrived in the middle of the road they waited until one of the huge busses was about 15 feet away and they literally dropped this boy on his back right in the way of this bus! (These buses don't stop for like... anything.) So i thought that this man was goin ta freakin die ya know? But don't worry between the skreeching of the brakes of the bus and his barley having enough time to get to his feet and literally dive out of the way he did live:D So.. I don't know if this is some game that is really popular down here in mexico or... no se all I know is that I would rather not participate in this game.. if ya know what i mean:D 

And another story of how me and my companion were coming home from our weekly district leader meeting and we have to take a combi (which is like a van type of vehicle:D) and as we are about 15 minutes before we are going to get off at our stop this little motor cycle cuts off our combi and of course the driver of the combie had to pull over and say some words of encouragement to this man as well as some words of rejoice that he was able to shoot that gap in time:D hahaha heck no they were just a cussin a ways and sayin words that I have never heard before:D and this is where the story gets good:D As we are driving away I look back at the man and he bends down and picks up a rock and chucks is at the combi and shatters the back window. Haha it was so freakin exciting. Because one that I was covered head to toe with glass as well as I was the one that was hit by the rock when it came through the window:D (Ok maybe the rock did hurt and was not very cool to get hit by and maybe I got some cuts from the glass but other than that it was awesome!!!:D) Yeah... So.. That is my combi story:D:D 

And as well as this week I learned how to make pizza, pan dulce, and pastries. :D It was just a freakin blast from the past:D Yeah... there are some pictures that show how it was:D So... Im only gunna say that I just may change my career to bread and pastry maker because I have never had so much fun doing something:D Well... Maybe making videos and taking pictures is a bit more fun but... Hmm.. Who knows:D 

So this is a brief over view of what happened this week:D I am loving it here. I love this mission because all I have to do is go to peoples homes and help them receive more joy. :D And with every word that I learn in spanish the more fun and the more I am able to help people realize that honestly all they need is to complete a few laws of God and things will flow so much more smoothly:D 

Pues... Hasta luego. Y buena suerte esta semana:D:D  




PHOTO OF THE WEEK...Monday, November 4, 2013

F-f-f-f-f-foto de la semana cuatis

Yeah ya know it. I missed last week for the photo of the week so... Here is this weeks:D:D 

The kid in the pictures is name Jacob, so this weeks photo of the week is clearly named!!!!

C A G E D 

Yupp you could have easily got the name caged out of knowing that his name is Jacob:D Cuz I did:D:D 

Paz y Gozo 

Hasta siguiente semana. Buena suerte y espero que le gusta la foto:D:D