Whale 4-23-18

🐋, its been a good week. Mireya was finally baptized, after so many months of pleading in prayer that she would accept. She seems super happy and said in her testimony that she has never been so happy in her life!! The baptismal service was so special, her mom was beaming and I was sweating bullets because President Mecham and his wife were there. I thought we were gonna mess up and that he would destroy us (lol i even bought flowers to decorate the church) but it all went well, we even sung a special musical number with all the YSA and I didn't even mess up! but i was as red as a tomato 🍅 the whole time, thats for sure. all went well!! it was a cool moment to have. 6 years!!! after 6 years.

Speaking of 6, if it sounds like a lot, try 40! Fani and Elias, who were baptized 2 weeks ago have changed their grandmas heart! She has had an extensive histroy with the church. Her ENTIRE family is in the church. She is literally the only one not baptized. And she said she felt the Spirit for the first time in her life in the baptism of her grandkids, and decided she will be baptized too. We are teaching her the lessons. God works in amazing ways! 

This week on Thursday we celebrated the Mexico City official holiday, "Hide from the white guys day"🎊🎉. We successfully knocked over 50 doors and called and texted and visited and not a single person was home! We didn't even really see anyone in thestreet! Man they are so good at celebrating that holiday!! Thankfully it only lasts one day and on Friday everyone was around again. 

Then we met this dude who was super Catholic and he told us we were a waste of space and time and was telling us that love is the abscense of death or something like that and then when we tried to walk away he would follow us until he insulted me becausemy hands were cold and told us that he was only being nice to us because maybe we were Jesus Christ. And he was sober. good times. 

i hit 17 months yesterday

Other than that we are just teaching and loving everyone. Fernando, Fernanda, Samantha, etc. many people who are amazing and really changing. I am so happy to be here. I can testify that the Apostoles did in fact receive revelation when sending me here, and that President Mecham did indeed receive the revelation when he sent me here to open the area, even with a lack of missionaries. It is such a great feeling to be on the Lord's errand! 🤘👍

Thanks for all the prayers and support and love. I am so glad I know all of you! Now if you'll excuse me, a few members are going to take me to a shopping mall to buy me new shoes 😎

pics

mireya

president mecham

us

(No subject) [that is the subject] 4-16-18

Greetings fellow human life forms👽

This week was quaint👍 

Fani and Elias were baptized, the spirit was strong, I didn't mess up on our special musical number. Their grandma has known about the church for 40 years now, and decided that for the spirit she felt when her grandkids were baptized, she too will be baptized. 'Tis charming to see how the Lord works with everyone and never gives up, even after 40 years! Elias says he wants to go on a mission too. How cool would that be! 🌎󾓦󾓩

We worked hard and met a lot of good and prepared people this week too. The work never ceases. We met Erika, a teenager who is already convinced that this is the true church, and Miguel Angel, a returned missionary👬 (but for the Catholic church⛪ lol) who is also sure this is the true church. I am excited to work with them. 

We had a good leadership training with President Mecham. He talked about callings and stuff. He told us to be willing and stop looking. Satan 👿 can reveal things to us as well. We shouldn't be hoping or looking for a specific answer, just waiting for God to tell us what to do. The greatest revelations have always been unexpected. (Moses🔥, Joseph Smith, Pablo [haha i put pablo but i meant Paul], etc.)

I love Sundays. It's the Sabbath, we go to church and take the Sacrament, there are hundreds of bullet bikes 🏍 driving past us, church services are always great, we have to keep working but a normal member gets to rest, it really is a great day. 

A very neat experience that I have every now and then is the opportunity to teach people how to pray and listen to them pray to Heavenly Father for the first time. Such a powerful experience. For the Devil teacheth a man not to pray, but the Spirit teacheth a man to pray always. Even when you don't feel like praying (which is pretty much all the time cause Satan👿 is influencing us) we should pray even stronger. Prayer is the key to everything. Really. Pray often and faint not. 

Mireya will be getting baptized this Saturday. President Mecham will be attending the baptism cause he is so touched by her conversion. We are super pumped and are planning a super baptismal program. I'm sure I'll screw up on the musical number this timebut it's okay. We are very happy for her! 🛁🌊

Faith without works is dead. So alike is love without service. 💀

lol sorry for such a boring email its cause nothing happened this week it was so normal

Pics:

1. baptism

Hey April 9, 2018

Woohoo! This week we fasted and let me explain all the legit blessings He gave us. 

First, Ana was baptized. It was a great time, she was happy, we didn't mess up on our special musical number and even her mom gave a small testimony. We are going to baptize her next. She's just a little stubborn is all. 

Second, Jhadys was confirmed! She is officially a member of the best and most true church there is. 

We finally found Elias and Fani, and to my surprise? Fani, who said no no no the whole time, suddenly said yes. and not just a yes in general. A yes to next week. So we will also be baptizing them this Saturday. Which means another special musical number haha! I am so pumped for them! 

Side note: We had companion exchanges on Wednesday, and I went to Santo Tomas Ajusco. Elder Eastmond went to visit Elias and Fani but couldn't go in because their parents weren't around. I guess Elias asked if I was gone for good, and Elder Trasviña said yes! Elias took it a little too seriously and started crying, threw his Book of Mormon on the ground and screamed "IF WILSON WON'T BAPTIZE ME, THEN NO ONE CAN!" Maybe he didn't scream it, that was just to make the story better. but he was definitely heart broken. and was happy again when he saw me the next day haha. I am super surprised at Fani because she just started crying in the middle of the lesson and explained how she was scared of water. So we took her to the baptismal font and she went inside and everything went just great. She is excited to get baptized this Saturday :)

We visited Mireya again, she's just super. I told my old companion we were gonna baptize her and he said "No manche ella es la que menos pense que se iba a bautizar!" My testimony from last weeks message has once again been affirmed. Jesus Christ can trulychange anyone. Just let him in! I love the Hymn "Abide with me, 'tis eventide". He truly will abide with us if we let him in. Oh, Savior, stay this night with me. 

We received transfers this week, I am staying! I begged President to let me stay. I'm so glad he did. 

There is an awesome family out here too. We swing by and clean their kitchen every morning. We also found an 18 year old girl who hasn't been baptized and her mom is super faithful and everything and she said she doesn't really have a reason to why she isn't baptized. Pray that we can help Monica!  

Spiritual thought: Mosiah 2:41. We really are happy if we keep the commandments. We really are blessed if we keep the commandments. And I testify that one day if we keep the commandments we will be accepted into His prescence again. 

Other than that we are just happy to be working and having a good time! Thanks for all the prayers and support! Have a good week! 

Pics:

1. Ana's baptism

2. we had hamburgers

3. more hamburger stuff

4. my feet

5. tlalpan centro building thing idk but its cool

Solemn Assembly April 2, 2018

Never will I ever forget what I felt when Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and Henry B. Eyring uplifted their hands as a First Presidency.

"We'll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit, that we through our faith may begin to inherit the visions and blessings and glories of God. - Hymnbook, page #2.

The feeling is so rigidly set that Russell M. Nelson is a prophet. The words of a living prophet are more important than those of a dead one. I urge everyone to take what President Nelson as serious as if it were Christ himself. I loved conference. I lovedBednar's talk on Meekness. I loved that success is failure after failure, not losing enthusiasm. I loved the counsel of doing everything in our power to receive the Holy Ghost! I loved it all. I hope you did too. An unforgettable moment was the following quote from Devin G. Durrant's dad: "You've got strong hands, son. I just hope those hands are strong enough to never touch a girl inappropriately." I hope to be a dad like this one day. 

I've spoken a little about Mireya, but this week was just wow. When I first met Mireya, I visited her house! haha, wow, no wonder. Her mom is Edith, the Relief Society President. Mireya had rejected missionaries for over 6 years. I went upstairs to knock on her door and invite her to visit with us. She told me she'd never get baptized and that if I didn't answer her doubts in that very moment, she would never let me talk to her again. I commented this to my ward who told me it was impossible to change her. "They had tried everything." This week, Mireya accepted a baptismal date for the 21st of April. I am eternally grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how he can change us. Mireya didn't even believe in the Bible! Now she reads the Book of Mormon every single day. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon, which contains the fulness of Christ's Gospel and divine mission. 

This Saturday Ana is getting baptized! She commented in her baptismal interview: "I have never felt a feeling like the one I feel in Sacrament meeting." What a strong convert. I am so happy for her because I remember contacting her and her mom outside of a small grocery store 2 months ago! This Saturday I'll be performing live again. This time, "Our Savior's Love". Stay tuned to know if I screw up or not.

This week we also moved from our garbage dump excuse for a living place and moved to a palace (for missionary standards). It even comes with a walk out balcony overlooking the smog filled view of Mexico City. It's awesome. As a result though, we didn'tactually get to do much this week because of General Conference, moving, and other things. 

This week we contacted over 6 stray dogs. Not one accepted a card. 

I had a cool interview with President Mecham about changing our perspectives. It actually works, you should try it sometime :) 

"Temple work seals and heals families" -Ronald A. Rasband

"We're not asking you to follow us, we're asking you to follow Jesus Christ." -Elder Rosales

To readers, lookers, hearers, anyone who sees this message: Jesus is the Christ, and Russell M. Nelson is His Prophet. 

Pictures:

1. Me and my comp, Elder Eastmond (in spanish, eh-asss-mohn-day)