Well, I hope my companion is learning something. One thing is for sure. He´s super tired after his first two weeks in the mission field. Yesterday he fell right asleep in sacrament meeting and I sense his exhaustion when he asked me the other day, ¨Elder Graham, what keeps you going?¨ I been reflecting on that question a lot lately, but still haven´t quite been able to find the answer. It was a very good question. However, Elder Rainford is an excellent missionary and it´s been a joy to be with him. He never complains about anything and accepts correction and constructive criticism without getting offended. He wants to learn and already knows a fair amount. The other day we were in a lesson and I was trying to explain to someone why we don´t worship/pray to/venerate the Virgen Mary, or more common here the Virgen of Guadalupe, but she refused to accept it. So, I just decided to start teaching the plan of salvation to her and the others that were listening. When we got to the part about the atonement, my companion read Alma 7:11-13 and then bore one of the most powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ that I have ever heard. I didn´t even know what to say afterward for a few seconds. They all committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and one of the lady´s that was there specifically mentioned that she liked very much what my companion explained. It was an awesome moment.
After looking back on the last two weeks yesterday I got a little discouraged. It´s difficult being in the same area for so long because I already know everyone and sometimes I feel like there´s no new ideas left to try. Sometimes I feel like even trying my hardest I can´t get the results I want. I love this ward, but sometimes I get very little help from anyone. Things don´t always function here quite like they do in the U.S. I hope you guys are helping the missionaries back home in any way that you possibly can because participation from the ward members really is essential. I felt a little better though after talking to my old companion, Elder Hurtado. (haha, the advantages of having a cell phone now - calls between missionaries are free). He was my first companion in this area. He called me to check how things were going here in Totolac.
I will probably send you another to email or call you to confirm everything with the call on Mother´s Day. By the way, I just found this weekend that here they also celebrate Kid´s Day. On saturday they had a big carnaval type thing for it and today they are celebrating it in the schools. I think we should have a Kid´s Day in the U.S. too.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
April 25, 2011
Well, I´m still getting in the groove of things with my new responsibilities. I had to wait until wednesday to see who my new companion was because his flight from the U.S. got delayed. It´s kind of weird being with a brand new missionary who´s unfamiliar with the culture, the language, and the doctrine and sometimes it can be a little hard, but I really like him. He actually knows quite a bit of spanish for a new missionary and he is more than willing to learn and work hard. But, according to this new in-field missionary training program from the first presidency he is supposed to be ready to train another new missionary in just two transfers with me. The dificult part is trying to involve him as much as I possibly can without embarrassing him or taking forever to get something done. It´s been difficult to balance my reponsibilities to him, my district, the ward members, and my investigators, but I think it will get easier with time. At least, I hope it will. My new companion´s name is Elder Rainford. He´s from Las Vegas and he has been to the catholic church a lot with his dad, although he has been a member his whole life. So, he should be able to relate to our investigators better than I can, once he´s more fluent in the language. one thing I´ve learned though is that, regardless of the language barrier, the spirit can be felt and understood by anyone no matter what language they speak.
I still have no clue what to do as district leader, but I invited one of my recent converts, Ruben, to the next district meeting so that we can learn from an investigator´s perspective. It should be cool. He has such a perfect way of explaining things.
Today we finally got the whole ward to help out with the less active family I told you about a few weeks ago. Elder Nuncio and I had gone a couple of times to help dig for the foundations of the house, but today we got a lot more done with the help of the members. I had been pushing the service project for a few weeks, almost a month I think. I was so glad it was finally able to be realized. I attached some pictures. We didn´t finish, but they´re planning on going back this week.
I really don´t know what I´m going to do for the next three months in this area. Where in the world am I going to find more people to teach. And, being district leader, my area should always have th highest numbers every week. At least, I think it should.
Save some of the crazy, fun, and dangerous vacations for when I get back.
Love, Brett
I still have no clue what to do as district leader, but I invited one of my recent converts, Ruben, to the next district meeting so that we can learn from an investigator´s perspective. It should be cool. He has such a perfect way of explaining things.
Today we finally got the whole ward to help out with the less active family I told you about a few weeks ago. Elder Nuncio and I had gone a couple of times to help dig for the foundations of the house, but today we got a lot more done with the help of the members. I had been pushing the service project for a few weeks, almost a month I think. I was so glad it was finally able to be realized. I attached some pictures. We didn´t finish, but they´re planning on going back this week.
I really don´t know what I´m going to do for the next three months in this area. Where in the world am I going to find more people to teach. And, being district leader, my area should always have th highest numbers every week. At least, I think it should.
Save some of the crazy, fun, and dangerous vacations for when I get back.
Love, Brett
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 18, 2011
Wow, a lot of unexpected things have happened lately. First, yesterday I was totally surprised when Leandro, the one who got baptized last week, showed up with his wife at sacrament meeting and therefore was able to be confirmed. He had told us that there was definitely no way he was going to be able to miss work and come home from Mexico and that maybe he wouldn´t be able to come for another 4 weeks. I was worried because he wouldn´t have been able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for more than a month after his baptism, but it turned out that he was able to get off work sunday. He was confirmed and gave me a big hug after Church. A nice little miracle/answered prayer, which I thought would be my last in the Totolac Ward, Tlaxcala. I was almost sure they were going to transfer me and leave my companion in the area because I now have six months in the same area. But,no.
Sunday night I found out that I was staying in the area and my companion was being transferred and that I would be training a brand new missionary. Then, today in La CAPU (the bus station where all the missionaries being transferred go on the Monday of the transfers) they told me I was going to be district leader and that the new missionary I´m going to be training is American which probably means he doesn´t speak any spanish. He arrives tomorrow. Today I´m staying with another missionary who will also be training a new missionary. So, in response to your question, it´s most likely that I will be here for another 3 months because it´s almost law now that a trainer be with the new missionary for at least 2 transfers. That will make 9 months that I´ll have been in the same area. And I thought I ran out of ideas almost 2 tranfers ago. What do you think about all that? Now, I have to worry about a brand new missionary and 4 other elders in my district. I was shocked and pumped with adrenaline at first, then worried, and now I´m not sure what to think. It´s going to be difficult, I know, but I think now I´m also a lot more sure that I can do it with the Lord´s help than I was a few months ago. I also trust 100% in President Rex. He always knows what he´s doing even when he doesn´t know what he´s doing.
Excellent quote from Spencer´s letter. I always knew that guy was going to be a powerful missionary. Tell Sis. Bush hi for me. And tell dad not to worry about the transportation system. Stuff does happen but it´s not nearly as common around here as it is in the northern part of the country. I feel much more at risk of crashing with the way they drive. Haha. By the way, how is Marc growing up so fast? He looks as tall as Austin in the photos.
Sunday night I found out that I was staying in the area and my companion was being transferred and that I would be training a brand new missionary. Then, today in La CAPU (the bus station where all the missionaries being transferred go on the Monday of the transfers) they told me I was going to be district leader and that the new missionary I´m going to be training is American which probably means he doesn´t speak any spanish. He arrives tomorrow. Today I´m staying with another missionary who will also be training a new missionary. So, in response to your question, it´s most likely that I will be here for another 3 months because it´s almost law now that a trainer be with the new missionary for at least 2 transfers. That will make 9 months that I´ll have been in the same area. And I thought I ran out of ideas almost 2 tranfers ago. What do you think about all that? Now, I have to worry about a brand new missionary and 4 other elders in my district. I was shocked and pumped with adrenaline at first, then worried, and now I´m not sure what to think. It´s going to be difficult, I know, but I think now I´m also a lot more sure that I can do it with the Lord´s help than I was a few months ago. I also trust 100% in President Rex. He always knows what he´s doing even when he doesn´t know what he´s doing.
Excellent quote from Spencer´s letter. I always knew that guy was going to be a powerful missionary. Tell Sis. Bush hi for me. And tell dad not to worry about the transportation system. Stuff does happen but it´s not nearly as common around here as it is in the northern part of the country. I feel much more at risk of crashing with the way they drive. Haha. By the way, how is Marc growing up so fast? He looks as tall as Austin in the photos.
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 11, 2011
You are right, Mom. I have been blessed a lot lately. We´ve been finding a lot of new people to teach and I`m beginning to see little changes in the attitude of the ward. The bishop has been very happy with us and has been trying to get the rest of the ward leaders to coordinate their efforts to help us out and serve others. I felt like the main focus of this past general conference was that we should be reaching out and serving others at all times. My companion and I are planning on helping some less active members this week to build their house. Right now their just living in this tiny room they made from some cement blocks. No floor, no roof. Just some sheet metal with holes in it to cover the room. Luckily the rainy season still hasn`t started yet or I don`t know where they would live. We have to help them build a few more walls and hopefully the ward will jump in soon to help us put up the roof. We just recently found the mom of the family while traveling in public transport. She told us she was a member and where she lived and we went to visit her later. She wasn`t in the ward list because she recently came from another ward after losing her house (she had to sell it for almost nothing).
Leandro, Margarita`s wife, was baptized yesterday. It was awesome. His wife was so happy and the baptismal service went perfectly. My companion sung a special musical number while playing the guitar. He was in the Rondalla de Saltillo before he came on the mission. Not that you would know what a Rondalla is. I explain later. The point is he sings and plays very well. The problem is that his daughter, the very rebellious one I was telling you about, refused to come. I have pictures but this computer isn`t recognizing my memory card. I`ll have to send them later.
The only sad news is that of 9 new investigators and like 5 or 6 other ones that had gone to church previously, not one showed up in sacrament meeting yesterday.
I hope you guys are all doing great. Read the scriptures daily!
Love,
Brett
Leandro, Margarita`s wife, was baptized yesterday. It was awesome. His wife was so happy and the baptismal service went perfectly. My companion sung a special musical number while playing the guitar. He was in the Rondalla de Saltillo before he came on the mission. Not that you would know what a Rondalla is. I explain later. The point is he sings and plays very well. The problem is that his daughter, the very rebellious one I was telling you about, refused to come. I have pictures but this computer isn`t recognizing my memory card. I`ll have to send them later.
The only sad news is that of 9 new investigators and like 5 or 6 other ones that had gone to church previously, not one showed up in sacrament meeting yesterday.
I hope you guys are all doing great. Read the scriptures daily!
Love,
Brett
April 4, 2011
Well, conference was a break for me in the sense that it was a spiritual rejuvenation as always. I love general conference. However, the stake center is in my area so we were still busy in between sessions, especially with the baptism of a family of four on sunday. We had to fight a little bit with the stake president. For some reason he didn´t want us to have a baptismal service the day of conference. But, it all worked out fine in the end.
It was an older lady, Consuelo, her son, Ohnorio, and her two grandchildren, Narzizo and Susana, that were baptized (on sunday after the second session of conference). I don´t think I´ve ever seen a woman with so much faith in my life. She had 12 children, but all but two pretty much abandoned her, and one of those two died a few years ago. The other one she is taking care of, Ohnorio, is pretty slow mentally and has epilepsy (although he seems to be doing better since we gave him a priesthood blessing). Her two grandchildren that live with her are the children of her son that died. The mother abandoned them when her husband died, so now she has to take care of them as well. In addition to all this, she was recently diagnosed with diabetes. All of her income comes from whatever work she can get cleaning houses and things like that. Needless to say they live in very humble circumstances. She has always been a very God-fearing person and had been looking for the ¨truth¨ for a long time. She has participated in just about every religion you can imagine, but the first sunday she went to our church she told us that she knew that it was the true church of God. She is so happy and grateful that "God sent us to her." She is truly an amazing person and her grandchildren are very intelligent and well behaved. They already want to be missionaries like us. The restored gospel has made them very happy and will continue to bless their lives and the lives of many others through them. I usually lose faith hope quickly with people her age because they´re usually really stubborn and really catholic and unwilling to accept anything besides what they´ve been taught their entire life, which is understandable, but Consuelo was the complete oppositte. It has been a really great experience.
We have another baptism planned for this sunday. Leandro, the one I´ve been talking about, the husband of Margarita. It´s been a little more difficult with him, but he finally seems to ready, and willling to commit firmly to live the gospel. He has gone through some major changes since I first met him a couple months ago. How cool would it be to see him and his wife get sealed in the temple a year from now! We have a little bit more work to do with her 12 year old daughter who has been very rebellious lately in everything and who has still not accepted to be baptized and, for the last couple months, won´t even go to church with her mom. Any suggestions for a mom who is struggling with a rebellious daughter who´s 12 but acts like she´s 25?
I bet you like how President Monson bragged about the temple being built in Rome during general conference.
It was an older lady, Consuelo, her son, Ohnorio, and her two grandchildren, Narzizo and Susana, that were baptized (on sunday after the second session of conference). I don´t think I´ve ever seen a woman with so much faith in my life. She had 12 children, but all but two pretty much abandoned her, and one of those two died a few years ago. The other one she is taking care of, Ohnorio, is pretty slow mentally and has epilepsy (although he seems to be doing better since we gave him a priesthood blessing). Her two grandchildren that live with her are the children of her son that died. The mother abandoned them when her husband died, so now she has to take care of them as well. In addition to all this, she was recently diagnosed with diabetes. All of her income comes from whatever work she can get cleaning houses and things like that. Needless to say they live in very humble circumstances. She has always been a very God-fearing person and had been looking for the ¨truth¨ for a long time. She has participated in just about every religion you can imagine, but the first sunday she went to our church she told us that she knew that it was the true church of God. She is so happy and grateful that "God sent us to her." She is truly an amazing person and her grandchildren are very intelligent and well behaved. They already want to be missionaries like us. The restored gospel has made them very happy and will continue to bless their lives and the lives of many others through them. I usually lose faith hope quickly with people her age because they´re usually really stubborn and really catholic and unwilling to accept anything besides what they´ve been taught their entire life, which is understandable, but Consuelo was the complete oppositte. It has been a really great experience.
We have another baptism planned for this sunday. Leandro, the one I´ve been talking about, the husband of Margarita. It´s been a little more difficult with him, but he finally seems to ready, and willling to commit firmly to live the gospel. He has gone through some major changes since I first met him a couple months ago. How cool would it be to see him and his wife get sealed in the temple a year from now! We have a little bit more work to do with her 12 year old daughter who has been very rebellious lately in everything and who has still not accepted to be baptized and, for the last couple months, won´t even go to church with her mom. Any suggestions for a mom who is struggling with a rebellious daughter who´s 12 but acts like she´s 25?
I bet you like how President Monson bragged about the temple being built in Rome during general conference.
April 4, 2011
The weather here has been more like I pictured it before I came. Very hot. The sun just beats down on you during the day and when we come back at night the house is pretty warm. Remember there´s no such thing as air conditioning here. It still hasn´t rained yet and the environment is much drier than florida.
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