Week 14 - Another Great Missionary Week

Hello Friends :)

AHHH!!!! I'm so excited for you Mikele!  You are going to love Chile! (though me and my fellow Mexicans will relentlessly make fun of your accent).  Could life be better?  I submit to you that it could not!  You are going to be an amazing missionary!  I'm really proud of you! I'm so excited I can´t form multi-clause sentances!  Nor can I spell sentences!  AHHH!!!  YEAH!  Spanish is the best - I love how pretty much everyone I know from BYU is speaking Spanish!   Did I mention I'm excited!?
 

I hope everyone had a good week and an extra special Thanksgiving!  

Thanksgiving Greetings to all!

Thanks for the emails as always - I love the updates! We received our transfer calls this morning - I'll be staying here in Reforma, my companion is leaving to be a zone leader in Chapultapec, and my new companion is named Elder Martinez.  I'm a bit nervous because now I'm responsible for knowing where everybody lives and stuff but its should be alright.

This week was pretty good.  I went to an area called Capoya (to go to the doctor haha) and it was super cool.  You should look it up on Google maps and try to find the Cross of Tuxtla.  

Cross of Tuxtla

 The work is going well, the only problem is people's agency haha. Its tough not to get disappointed when things don't work out like you want them to, but that's how it goes. I read 2 Nephi 33 and Jacob 1 the other day. Both of them knew the ultimate result of their civilization, and lamented their downfall, nevertheless the worked as hard as they could. (Jacob 1:19).

And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. 

Ultimately we just do our best and leave unto the Lord the rest (D&C 123 somewhere near the end - starts with let us waste and wear out our lives).

For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, ...who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

These should then be attended to with great earnestness.

 One big problem here in Mexico is people who aren't married.  If it wasn't so tragically damning to their spiritual progress it would be pretty funny.  People have been together for 15 years have 3 or 4 kids, but they just aren't quite ready to make the leap haha.  Well we are working with a few of them and making good progress.  In one lesson we read The Family: A Proclamation to the World and essentially testified that they needed to change their life (in a tactful way of course). I have to admit I felt pretty legit declaring repentance so boldly haha. Its good fun!

Thanks for all the prayers on behalf of me and my investigators - both are doing quite well. I still have a pretty wicked cough but I feel fine and I'm just as fat as ever haha. I discovered this week that if every Sunday was the primary program church attendance would increase by 50%. Just saying - its an idea :)
 

Mom and Dad - good to hear that you enjoyed Thanksgiving. I'm pretty jealous of Mom's birthday present, that's so cool!  Thanks for the update on the sporting world Dad, I had no idea Notre Dame was tearing it up. To answer your questions Dad - I have given a few blessings. Usually I just do the anointing but I've done the sealing as well. Its tough because you give blessings in the Tú form, and as a missionary I almost never speak in tú, so I mess up a lot. but its all good. My language abilities have improved dramatically. I can understand almost everything and speak without thinking too much. My companion and I teach gospel principles second hour (Well, lets be honest, my companion teaches gospel principles and I offer commentary). I think in this coming transfer it will be more 50/50 though. And so far I haven't been asked to speak in church.

Roy and AD - Lucky! I love Toquerville! And I smiled just as big as possible to hear that you had the audacity to go back to that same Wendy's haha. Keep on truckin!

 Aly!! - Thanks for writing me! I'm so happy to hear that you are loving life! I can promise you that you will never regret choosing to serve a mission - I love it so much! I can also promise with almost as much confidence that you will not regret letting Senior-itis slip in just a bit. haha. Don't be a bum - but do. haha :) I love you!

I am still shaking with excitement about Mikele's mission call! Life seriously could not get better!

Well enjoy your week. I hope you are all as excited for Christmas as I am (even if its still flippin' hot here)! You know I'm kickin' it to some Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas music every night haha. 

Also enjoy the pictures - even though I look slightly like an alien in one or two of them!

I love you all!

Elder Çlark Roth