This week was super busy but so good! Wedding and baptisms.

Hey there family,

This week was super busy but so good!

I will just go by day by day.

Family Night (noche de hogar)

Monday: At night we had a noche de hogar with a family in the ward, another member, a few youth from another family, and Brandon and Keven (the parents had to leave to an appointment). We had the sister missionaries there and we talked about temples and the importance of it. Then we played this fun game where you have to roll a dice and if you get a 6 and then put on clothes and have to eat cookies with a fork and a knife until the next person rolls a 6. It was pretty funny.

Tuesday: We had the junta. It was pretty good. I had the missionaries do a scavenger hunt to find things that give light and then they had clues to lead to the next step and then had to translate the message to find where to go to find the prize. I then talked about the light of Christ and how we have to help people ignite their light so that they can be more lights to the world. It was pretty good. I was happy how it went. Who knows what I will do fortomorrow...we later went to Cholula to give the paper work so Karla and Edgar can get married.

Thursday: We had a junta with President. It was really good hearing from him. He talked about the importance of having the Spirit as a 3rd companion. We later had a junta with the bishop and then we had the interviews for the family.

Friday: Such a good day. We worked in the morning a bit and then went to Edgar’s house and then went with him to Cholula where they get married. We met with Karla who was working. Yup, they got married! After 20 years living together they got married. Her dress was a bit...ehhh. not approved by For the Strength of Youth, but the wedding was nice. Edgar’s mom also came with. It’s super low key to be married for the civil. After they took us to get tacos and then they wanted to go back to the house to say a prayer. Then Edgar brought Karla back to work. I felt bad that we got them married so quickly so I really wanted to make something special. I asked the hermanas to help us out and told Edgar to bring Karla back from work at 8. The hermanas helped cook and Keven and Brandon helped us set up outside. It was a bit of a miracle because the wind stopped so the candles didn’t burn out and it also was a full moon. It was perfect. They came home from work and there was a surprise dinner. They were very thankful and loved it.

Saturday: We woke up super early and went to D.F. for the conference with Elder Christofferson. I had really high expectations from it. I can’t really say that I learned a ton, but I can say that Elder Christofferson sure has a strong testimony. It was super powerful. It was the first time we have ever had the whole mission together in the entire time President Whitehead has been here. When we sang Called to Serve, halfway through the song all the missionaries stood up. The spirit was so strong. It was a nice meeting.

Sunday: An even better day. We got permission for Elder Lagunas to come because he is still in the same zone as me. We had the baptism of Edgar, Karla, Keven and Brandon. The service was so nice. With the elders and the hermanas from the other ward, we had 10 missionaries with us. We found this guy who plays the piano soooooo nice. We sang The Family is of God. It was so good. Then we had the baptism. Elder Goff baptized Keven, Elder Lagunas baptized Brandon, and I baptized the parents. Then we had them share their testimonies. Karla started crying saying how their life has changed. Their testimonies are basic but they sure are growing. To finish we sang Families can be Together Forever. It was so good. Many were crying in the service as we sang. It was such a nice service.

So that was my week. I love this family so much. They will be lifelong friends for me. This week we plan to go to the temple open house this week. I am so excited for what is in store for them. They will be good such members. 

I love seeing people progress in the Gospel. Omar who we baptized a month ago, recieved the Priesthood. It makes me so happy. I am so glad I can be an instrument in God’s hand. 

This week, we really have to find new people to teach. I am praying that we can find the people that God’s prepared. 

I love you all so much and I am so glad we can have a family for the eternities.

Have a good week! Enjoy the pictures!

-Elder Thomas

Met a sister from Eric's ward; Investigators are progressing

Hey family!

The time is flying in the mission as always. There is a hermana in my district named Hermana Herlihy. She was in the MTC with me. She knows Erick and Terri’s family really well because she is from their ward. But she goes home in 3 months! I can’t believe it. Anyway, so about my week.

I have been trying to organize the information about the area. I made white boards to write who are the investigators, members who can help us, and less-actives. We’ve also tried to get some information about all the members on the directory. So many wards here aren’t very organized and there are so many members that no one knows or aren’t members but are on the list. So that’s a few projects I’ve got going on. 

The family of Edgar and Karla are doing super well. I was worried for our lesson on Friday because we had to talk about the commandments and about them getting married. I explained it with the Family Proclamation. And then said that they need to complete with this commandment to get married. AND THEY ACCEPTED!  Right now we are working on their marriage papers and helping them progress!  If all goes well, they could get baptized this Sunday! They are going to broadcast the rededication of the temple the 13th in the chapel, but only members can go so we are hoping they can be baptized the 30th and confirmed the 6th. I love this family so much. They have a list of all the things they want to do with me when I come back to visit them. Yesterday was Kevin’s 16^th birthday so they invited us over to celebrate with them. I am so excited for them. :)

We also have this other family. It’s a couple and their two daughters that came to church. I am not sure how much they liked it, but we have a noche de hogar  (Family Home Evening) with them and with another family and Edgar’s family tonight. Hopefully it all goes well.

Some of our other investigators have some problems with their families who are impeding them from progressing. Parents won’t give permission, abusive husbands, or partners who need to get divorced from their other wife and then married to their partner. I am so glad we have the Gospel and our families to help us along the way. 

Elder Goff and I continue working. We don’t have a ton in common, but I try to make the best of it.

This week we have a district meeting tomorrow (I am running out of ideas for these things...) and on Thursday a zone conference with President, and on Saturday our conference with Elder Christofferson. It’ll be a busy week along with a wedding. It’ll be good though. 

Glad you all had a fun week and another family reunion without me! Hopefully I will be with all you the next time. Love you!

-Elder Thomas

P.S. – I don’t have any pictures to send this week so here is a picture of my project.

Over the illness, good things, and the gospel has so many blessings with it!

(Spanish translation done by dad via Google.)

Mi querido familia (my dear family),

Pues ya es tiempo  otra vez por cambios. (It’s time for transfers) Esta vez, Elder Lagunas se fue y estoy con un Americano (and I have another American companion). Yup.  Another American.  After 4 changes of Mexicans, it’s weird being with an American. I like to be with Latinos because I am forced to always speak in Spanish. Speaking in Spanish with an American feels weird and pointless. I want my Spanish to be the best it can be even though I still fault a lot.

So right now I am with Elder Goff from West Jordan, Utah. He has a year in the mission, but I think still faults a bit of Spanish. He is a BIG white kid. Other than that, we will see how this change goes.

This past week was pretty good. On Monday night I planned the junta and then went to bed, but then woke up at 2 in the morning and found myself throwing up all night. Then I went to our district meeting that I was in charge of super tired. But I felt better in the morning, just tired. I think I got the bug out of my system because I have felt fine since Tuesday morning. We took a picture of my district (the ZLs and Hermana capacitadoras (sister trainers) and the hermanas in my ward as well). I think I look really tired in the photo.

The best news of the week is that the whole family came to church yesterday! I am so excited for them. The open house for the temple is going on right now. Everyone is super excited about it. It’s the biggest temple outside of the U.S. The family wants to go and I think I might be able to receive permission to go with :) This week we have to talk about the parents getting legally married so they can continue preparing for their baptism. Wish us luck!

Our other investigators that we are teaching weren’t able to come to church including the kid Alan who was planning to be baptized this week. We are going to keep working with them.

In other good news, today I heard that the family I baptized in Valle de Bravo is a power house! Bruno is the mission leader, Concepcion is 1st councilor in the relief society, and the family is preparing to enter into the temple in December to be sealed! I am so happy for them. I really want to be able to go to their sealing. Hopefully I can receive permission.

The Gospel has so many blessings with it. I love it. Seeing the Gospel in people’s lives makes the hard times of the mission worth it. I miss you all tons and hope you are doing well! Love ya!

-Elder Thomas

p.s. also included is a photo of a panaderia [bakery] of some members. We also have a picture with them.

Also a picture with the family that we are teaching at church.

No tequila for me!

Hey there family,

I think I said Elder Anderson is coming. I meant Elder Christofferson.  Oops. haha

So this week has been good. A bit interesing, but I’m still alive.

On Monday we went with the family. They asked about baptism and how we do it, so we taught them about baptism and invited them to be baptized. They accepted! We later taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel and they all said they would go to church yesterday. However, in the morning they texted us saying that the dad was selling his car and they wouldn’t be able to go. :( I really hope they can progress. 

I had an interesting experience on Saturday night with them. The dad told me that I can’t leave Mexico without drinking tequila. I told him I have never drank alcohol and I don’t do it. Then he told his son to get a shot and he poured a glass and tried to get me to take it. It was SO uncomfortable. Don’t worry family, I didn’t take it. haha. Instead I took the glass put it on the table and gave them the Word of Wisdom pamphlet and told them we would talk about this later. 

We have another investigator named Blanca who is super good and she really wants the fullness of the Gospel in her life. She has problems with her husband, but she has seen a lot of blessings from the Gospel. She has gone 2 times to church, but this past week she was pretty sick and couldn’t go to church.

There is also a 16 year old boy named Alan Mitchel who is listening to the lessons and is progressing well. He has gone 3 times to church. His girlfriend is a member and we wanted to make sure he wasn’t just interested because it’s his girlfriend. He told us about some of the problems he has had in his life and how in the church he feels a peace and is happy there. I am pretty excited for him. He should be baptized in the next 2 weeks.

So yesterday in the morning I felt pretty sick and was throwing up before church. Then I left after the sacrament. Mexico is funny because when you are sick everyone gives you every type of medicine and thinks they have the cure. Some gave me some pills others wet towels and others a glass of pure lemon juice to take. I ended up spending the day yesterday in some member’s house who loves the missionaries. They are a fun family, so it was nice to rest in there. After throwing up, diarrhea, and a fever, I finally feel better today. I am doing well after a good night of rest. 

So that is a wrap up of my week. There are a few pictures. One of our zone, one of the family we are teaching (the mom is taking the picture), and one of me throwing up. Apparently I am funny when I am sick according to the family and sister missionaries watching me... Have a good week!

-Elder Thomas

At times I think I'm bi-polar. ;-)

Hey family!

I am doing super well! Loving the mission. I don’t know. At times I think I am bi-polar. At times I want to be doing other things, and other times where I love what I am doing. Maybe because there is happy American music playing in the cyber right now. 

On Tuesday I ate so much Chile it destroyed me. I had about 4 or 5 mornings where I had my studies in the bathroom. Gosh dang it Mexican food. On Thursday though we had Little Caesars. I miss American food sometimes. It doesn’t destroy me as much.

So Omar was confirmed yesterday which was nice. I really hope he stays active. We are going to keep working with him. 

The highlight of the week (besides the diarrhea) was that we found a great family. 2 weeks ago, a 15 year old son contacted us asking us to visit his family. We went, but then couldn’t ever find them at home because they went on vacation. We finally found them and set up a cita on Friday. We talked to them how the Gospel can bring blessings to their family. There is the mom (Karla) and the dad (Edgar) and Kevin (15), Brandon (14) and Brian (4). Brian is my favorite. I love this family. Only the 4 guys went to church yesterday because Karla had a surgery. I really hope they progress. We have a cita with them tonight. We will see this week!

On Tuesday some of the hermanas in my district had a baptism and I baptized their investigator. The water was freezing because the font ran out of gas. Then on Sunday, the other hermanas (they also work in the Tecnilogico ward) baptized a couple. I worked with this couple and they are pretty good. But the water was still freezing.  Poor old people in the cold water. We were worried for them, but they made it out okay and were super happy after their baptism.

I was pretty happy this past week because I was thinking about Ruth in Toluca. She was one of my first converts. She just completed a year as a member and is super active from what I hear from the other missionaries. I am excited for her because this next week the Mexico City Temple is having an open house for a few weeks and then dedicate it in September. I am so excited for the people of Mexico. There are so many people who are waiting to receive the blessings of the temple.

The work is hard at times and at times I wish I was home, but the mission is something that is hard to describe. The things you learn are impossible to learn anywhere else. I love and miss you all! 

-Elder Thomas

P.S.  -We also just were told that Elder Anderson is going to come to our mission at the end of August! That should be exciting!

P.P.S. - [About the Yarmouth Branch newsletter]...Holy cow. Everyone is so old. I am pretty sure when I get back I won't know anyone