No idea 8-28-2017

What a fun week! Literally everything wierd happened to me this week.

First, there was a gunfight in our neighborhood. There are motorcycles with carts on the back that you can sit in. mototaxis. The Police showed up and demanded them to stop their work, or pay some of their salary to the goverment (they don't have taxes). So, logically, instead of settling it peacefully, everyone pulled out their guns and started shooting. Nothing happened to us. It's all over and won't happen again. Good times. 

On Tuesday I was on the bus and this 40 year old guy came up to me and pulled out a machete, and threatened to kill me. Said he was anti-gringo, and if he saw me walking around his pueblo again, he would kill me, using a giant bucket of acid. He yelled a bunch of other insults that I don't remember at me, and I just looked at him and did nothing, and got off at our stop while he was still yelling at me. Kept yelling he was Catholic too. Woohoo, the mission! 

At our house, we live on the second floor. A big black dog lived on the roof, and barked all night. Wouldn't let us sleep! So, we went up with the owner (it's his dog) and bound it's feet and mouth up, and carried it down in a blanket. All was good until it attacked Chino and Werra, and there was blood and it was sad. I grabbed Chino and Werra and ran them up to our house and our owner took the black dog and left. I think he gave it away. 

And, this Saturday, we were going to have a baptism! But, we showed up and the teen that was going to be baptized didn't show up. I called her, and she said "Well, my grandma came into town this weekend so I can't make it. Can't do it next week either cause I have a lot of homework." I was not expecting that. 

But on the upside, we had a lot of great teaching moments, and the work is progressing here. I know the Lord his working by our side here, because he is the one doing it all. Lots are going to be baptized here! I am loving the mission, and even though I have moments where I miss everyone, I know I'll never regret coming out here. Elder Paz is great, and Chinampas is great too. 

Scripture of the week: Helaman 14:8

I hope you all have a great week!! 

Tuesday! August 22, 17

Just a personal email this week since he was unable to write on p-day.

Howdy-doodly mom! Sorry about yesterday. We went to write and the internet in the entire pueblo crashed! but its all good. presdient is giving me special permission to write to you today! im fine mom! and, dont worry if i dont write you mom. i promise im okay out here. the worst that could happen is i dont write to you but i am all good out here. D&C 84:88. God is always with me!

Chinampas is going great. lots of people, lots of work. my companion is a jokester, so he keeps me laughing all the time.

The Mechams are great. they make me laugh a lot, and they really worry about every single missionary here. 

dang. toby is tall, lily is taller, and dj is taller! theyre all grwoing up without me! 🙃 such awesome brothers and sister! 

i love you too mom!!!!!!! 💞

Good Week august 14, 2017

This week was a great week, it flew by so fast and we ran around forever, but we got it all set up and baptized Owen, Lesly, Sofia, and Sofia this week! Sofia jr. said she felt like a new person when she came up out of the water, and Sofia mama said that she had been looking for this church for a long time. I felt so blessed to be able to bring her the Gospel she was looking for! I got to baptize all 4 of them, and it was a really special moment to get to watch each one of them walk down the steps into the baptismal font!!! 

We are going to have another baptism this week, Tomasa, then the next week, Sheili, then the next week, Julio and Michelle. The Lord's hand is showing forth here. I am so happy to be taking part in his work, even though it is super hard and we barely sleep haha

Other than that, Elder Paz and I are working hard! We are getting along well, and it is getting easier and easier to be his trainer. I think we will put in a lot of good work in this area. 

Not much else happened honestly, but on Saturday we were on a bus, and this 50 year old lady pushed the button to stop the bus. The doors opened, but we were still going about 35-40 miles an hour. AND SHE GOT OFF hahaha. I saw her slam into the ground and everyone was like "Oooh! Ouch!" and the bus stopped and a few guys got off and helped her up while we picked up all of her stuff. haha. Then, this guy without a helmet fell off his bike while speeding in front of our house and I have never seen so much blood! Felt bad for the guy. Wear a helmet! I hope he is okay. Now there's a blood stain in front of our house. 

Other cool things:

1. uhhh

Queen Latifa August 7, 2017

Wow, what a week! Fastest week of my mission, by far. As God works, Satan works also, and a baptismal date fell. But I know that the Lord will again call his sheep to him, when it is the right time. I learned this week that we should really trust in the Lord, and in our companion. I trust my companion, even though he wears perfume made by Queen Latifah. Haven't asked him about it, and I'm not going to.

I think every RM knows what I am talking about when I say we all have that one companion that has lived the craziest life ever, and if I say something on here about it he could probably get killed but he still tells me everything. All I can say is that I am so blessed to live the life that I have lived, and there are people out there way stronger than I am. I really look up to my new companion too because he always says: "And even with all of this, I am so happy to be in the mission." He also experienced something really similar to my brother, he was also diagnosed with cancer at 2 years old. He is hilarious, and we spend the whole day laughing. I haven't felt this good in a long time. 

We are having great success in Chinampas as well! We have 4 amazing converts, who have literally given up the most brutal of addictions to be able to be baptized, and it is my pride and joy to see them take that step of Baptism this Saturday! The hand of the Lord is hard at work here in my area, and I feel very blessed and grateful to have such a help with me at all times. 

There is so much happening here that I can't write it all. I think that is a good thing. I just know that this is where I am supposed to be, and that the Lord blesses each and every one of us every day. I know that this is real. I feel like I blinked, and a week has passed. Friends are coming home from missions. Friends are leaving on missions. The work of the Lord is moving forward. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Spiritual thought: Romans 8:38-39. 

Peace be unto you 7-31-2017

Standards for the mission:

Investigators with baptismal date: 5. Our number: 9. 

Investigators at church: 5. Our number: 16. 

New investigators: 8. Our number: 11. 

We smashed records this last week in Chinampas, by not only matching the standards of perfection, but by even tripling them. I am so glad to see the amazing amount of work our Heavenly Father has put into this area to gather his lost sheep. I feel so blessed to partake in his holy work. 

Transfer week! Elder Humphrey sadly left, and went to Iztapalapa. It was sad to see him go, and also scary cause I have not learned this area at all haha. But little to my knowledge, Humpdog left because he had some big plans for me. I have another son! Elder Paz is from San Salvador, Salvador, and he got here today! This makes him my second missionary that I will be training. And I only have 8 months! Something else really special is that there are only 2 new missionaries that arrived, which means President chose me, out of every other missionary, to train! 

I am doing great, I am feeling great, and the work of the Lord is great. 

Paz means peace in English. It was probably a sign from heaven when the Lord sent me peace! It reminded me of when Jesus said something like "Peace I send unto you, Peace I leave with you" Honestly I don't remember the words exactly but still. It's cool. 

I hope you all had a great week, and keep going! You can do it!