New area: Technologico in Lerma

Hey there family,

So yup. I am here in another area. It’s called Technologico in Lerma. It is about 15-20 minutes from Toluca, my first area. I guess President Whitehead doesn’t know whether to keep me in the city or in a pueblo. This area is probably the most pueblo of all my areas. It’s all flat which is nice, but rains A TON! It will be an interesting change. My companion is Elder Lagunas from Sanora, Mexico. He has 5 months in the mission. He seems nice. I don’t know a ton much about him so we will see. We just got together about 3 hours ago. I hope I can have as good of a time as I did with Elder Roca. I am not a huge fan of changes. I always feel "homesick" from my last areas and companions. It’s good though. I know I can learn from every change. 

So a recap on my last week. The week in terms of finding people was pretty rough. The people we were teaching including the family, couldn’t go to church. We were trying to find some new investigators. We had the interview for Nancy (Maria del Pilar had hers last week). Nancy still had some doubts, but with some things we will always have doubts until we just do it. Her main doubt is that she thinks that after her baptism we aren’t going to pass by anymore. Of course we are going to keep passing by... Anyway, yesterday I went up to share my testimony and said I was leaving. Then my companion went up and as a joke said he was leaving as well. Nancy and Maria were so sad. He told them he was joking and that he would keep passing by, but they were still pretty sad that I left. There are funny ladies, but they are going to be good members. I am excited for them. We were able to have the baptism of them.

At the baptism, we had a nice small service. The elders from Bellavista and Elder Roca sang "when I am baptized" and I played the piano. It was really good and the people wanted us to do another song. Haha. Encore in a baptism... we didn’t do it. Even though I can’t play piano super well, I can play well enough to get by. I am so grateful that I have that skill to read music. Sometimes when the pianist didn’t come to church, I would just go up and play the piano. And even if I can’t play really well, I can at least do the right hand. Thanks mom and dad for the lessons! :)

There wasn’t a whole lot this past week other than that. Yesterday I went by to visit some members. 

1. Guadalupe and her sister. Guadalupe was just baptized and confirmed my first week in the area. She is so good and she seems like she has years in the church.

2. Familia Mejia. They have 1 year in the church and super nice people

3. Familia de Oliva and Diana- Diana has to work on sundays to help earn money for the family, but Oliva and her 2 youngest daughters go every week walking to church

4. Marco and the Familia Olguin (the relief society president to the left of me and her two daughters)

5. A message from the mission leader’s family

6. Our mission leader, Hermano Zarza and his family

7. Baptism of Nancy and Maria del Pilar 

8. district photo

Super jealous of your 4th of July. I wore my red tie and blue pants and made my companion sing American songs. That’s as much as I can really do to celebrate. I don’t like being away for summer. Thank goodness this is the last one I have to miss. Haha It’s still nice to see you all in your activities and hear about them. I love and miss you all. Have a good week!

-Elder Thomas

Part 2:

Happy Birthday DAD! wahooo! 51! I feel like you just had your birthday. I wish I could be there to celebrate. I will be thinking about you this week. Thanks for being awesome and so great. I hope you have a special day!

AHHH looks like so much fun. I just love being out on the boat hanging out as a family. There really is such a calming feeling about being together as a family. Like right now I am happy, but I still feel something that isn’t with me. I can’t imagine how it will feel to be back with God again in the grand family. A feeling we can’t even remember anymore. I am glad you had a fun week. Tell the Scott’s hi for me. I listen to Michelle every day! Haha and about 150 other people singing as well  :)  Love you dad. Miss you! 

Your son,

Elder Thomas