Don't Walk Behind People...[Apr. 28, 2014]

Great times down here in Puebla! Weather is perfect, as usual. There weren't any trash sandstorms, and I am not getting transferred this week.

I forgot to mention last week, but the week before last was La Semana Santa here in Puebla. Basically, The people celebrate the last week of Christ's life here with parties and loud music. All the children get out of school for 2 weeks, and they crucify someone--not to the death or anything--and it is completely volunteer, but still... pretty interesting. They also put a lot of flowers in the street on the same day we had the monsoon. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photographs of it.

A couple of weeks ago, my companion and I were walking down the street when I saw a very pregnant woman walking with a child on the other side of the street. I felt very strongly that I needed to talk to her and share the gospel... but I didn't. Later, I felt guilty that I had ignored an impression from the Lord and it had kept someone from hearing the Gospel. After this, I prayed for the opportunity to talk to her another time.

Skip forward to this Sunday, we were waiting for one of our investigators so we could take him to church when the pregnant woman walked past us on the street. I didn't notice until she was already past us, so I didn't say anything to her. However, I mentioned to my companion that she would probably be receptive to the Gospel. He suggested that we walk up to her and talk to her, so we did. (Generally, we never do this because it can be a little creepy for someone to come up behind you and ask why it is important to pray.) Long story short, it went well and I can truly testify that the Lord loves us and will forgive our weaknesses if we are humble and want to become better.

I hope everyone has an excellent week,

Élder Seymour.

Bathroom in Apt

Clean Apt

Kitchen

Other End of Kitchen

Study Area

There's No Place Like Home... [Apr. 21, 2014]

Hola,

So a while ago I lost my bedsheet. I hung it up to dry on the roof like any normal Mexican would. When I came back, one of the bedsheets was gone and the pillowcase and the other bedsheet were in a nice pile off to the side. Since it was a windy day, I assumed that it simply blew off the roof into the distant horizon. Later, I talked to a member about it and they told me that it was actually stolen. The ladrón takes only one of the bedsheets so you assume that it blew off the roof never to be seen again. Quite clever.

Right after my last email, we had a tatooine level sandstorm here in Puebla. I don´t think I have mentioned this yet, but there is trash everywhere around here. You can imagine how that went. Let´s just say that I am grateful for showers.

We also had intercambios on Thursday which went well. It was weird being with a different companion for a day in a different area, but I figure that I better get used to it.

On Friday, we had a monsoon come through Puebla. Unfortunately, we were about a mile from our apartment when it happened and we didn´t have any lessons that we could go to. It was about as much rain at one time as I have ever gotten in Oregon, and there was also some pea sized hail as well. In short, I absolutely loved it. It seems likely that other people here think I might be a little insane, but I just look at a drunk person and say--I´m doing just fine. Needless to say, I got an unexpected shower.

Other than that, things are going quite well. We still don´t have much success, but we are working hard and obeying the mission rules, so I don´t feel bad about it. I just have to keep improving and looking.

Tengan una semana increíble,

Élder Seymour.

Tatooine Sandstorm

Herd of Sheep Near Our Apartment

Caught in Monsoon

My Companion and I in Monsoon

Picture of Nature...really

A little weirded out from this strange ring around the sun, and no, it´s not glare. If someone could explain to me what this is, I would greatly appreciate it.

Scary Zebra

The Bread is the Best... [Apr. 14, 2014]

Sometimes the work is brutal. We often get appointments that fall through and then we don't have anyone to teach. It also gets frustrating when an investigator tells you that they want to change their life and will stop doing bad things, but they don't. We face many tests and trials in missionary work, but if we give in and give up, we will never receive the blessings that we need to succeed. I am so grateful for the strengthening power that comes from the Atonement when we need and want it, not just when we can't rely on anything else in our lives.

On a much lighter note, there are many times when you just have to laugh at yourself and keep going. I firmly believe that if you aren't having fun while doing missionary work, you are not doing it right. It is a different experience and everyday, I am grateful to be out here.

Some other interesting things: nobody drinks unfiltered water where I am at, not even the people that live here. It is definitely not safe.

Also, everyone eats bread. The bread shops are open past 9pm because people will still eat it after that.

Flour tortillas are fairly uncommon here. We mostly just have corn tortillas, but they are the best.

Sorry, but I seriously neglected to take photos this week. I will repent and have I bunch more next week, I promise.

Have a great week everyone,

Élder Seymour.

Concha...my favorite thing to eat down here

I Hate Eating Out... [Apr. 7, 2014]

Hello friends,

The latter part of this week has been not very fun because I have been a little sick. It all started when a member took us to a restaurant to eat La Comida. I was a little excited at first because it was the first restaurant that I have been to down here. I thought the food was okay, but my stomach thought quite differently. The work was long, but had to go on, so I pushed through it. It isn’t that bad now, but it is sufficient for me to say that I am not too excited to eat out ever again.

One thing that I learned well this week is that when you are focused on yourself and your own needs, you end up being a terrible missionary. The whole reason I am down here is to help other people, and if I cannot focus my attention on them, I miss my entire purpose.

We picked up three new investigators this week that are the best. They are so ready and humble it really shocked me a bit at first. They struggle a lot financially and seem to live day by day, but I know that as they exercise faith in Christ, they will be fine.

Conference was great although it pretty much stopped missionary work here for 2 days in most cases. So glad I could watch it in English.

Les amo,

Élder Seymour.

Homes near where we live

Stores near where we live

Pancakes made with chocolate milk actually do turn out pretty well.

The graffiti here is quite interesting at times

Picture of the street outside our apartment from the roof

We just learned we have pigs living next to us.

Murals on the buildings

Murals

2 months completed

My companion and I in front of a chapel

I Don't Know a Drunk Person When I See One... [Mar. 31, 2014]

Hola,

Sorry I don`t have much time today. A few zone here in the mission went on a brief African safari here in Puebla today. We got to see a lot of zoo animals and have a tour guide that explained everything in Spanish, so basically I didn’t learn much.

Some interesting things that happened during the week. First, we taught a woman that works at a sort of office supply/internet cafe. We taught her about the plan of salvation and afterwards she tried to give us money. Unfortunately for us, it is against the mission rules to accept money, so we didn’t.

Since I got here, I cannot tell if someon is drunk or not. Just because they talk like I do in Spanish doesn’t seem like it should be a reason that they are drunk.

Also, I saw a child on a leash. It is interesting that I have never seen a dog on a leash though.

An average day here in the mission, at least for me, starts at 6:30. We wake up and get ready for the day by normal stuff. Then from 8am to 12pm we study. First personal, then companion, then new missionary stuff, then language. After that, we usually have a lesson, then we eat La Comida with a member. The whole rest of the day is spent contacting and teaching lessons. We get back at 9pm and plan for the next day, eat a snack, and sleep.

One of our investigators we were teaching this week can`t get baptized because she can`t get married for slightly complicated reasons. During the lesson, I felt the spirit and asked her if she believed that our God is a God of miracles. She said that she did and I was able to testify to her that if she had enough faith in Jesus Christ and in our Heavenly Father, miracles would happen in her life and she would be able to be baptized. We told her that we felt that by the 10th of May, she would be ready to be baptized. She accepted that date.

I wish all of you a great week filled with good memories.

Èlder Seymour.

Massive cloud out at night

At the “African Safari”

Especially for Jimmy

My relatives here in Puebla

Sometimes I Think I Am Mexican... [Mar. 25, 2014]

Hola from México,

     Before I left the MTC, it hit an all time low for the past 18 months. There were only about 700 missionaries there. So, the cafteria was very spacious and nice. It feels weird to talk about the MTC. It feels like it happened months ago even though it was only about a week.

     When we were traveling to Puebla from Provo, my MTC companion lost his passport. He isn’t here with us now, but I am praying that he can get it soon because I really love it here. It is so hard to express everything that is different from the US, but I will try.

    First, the people here are so nice. You can say -Buenas Tardes- to anyone and about 85% of the time they will answer back.

     Second, most of the people here are religious. You can walk up to someone selling bread and have a religious discussion with them about faith or Jesus Christ. In my area, we have a decent amount of Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is quite interesting.

     Third, the food is some of the best I have ever had. This is real México, so I have not seen a single burrito or really anything that you would find at taco bell. Nothing is really that spicy and I actually seem to tolerate spice better than my companion. The tortillas are so good here. Also, the biggest meal of the day is at 2 pm and is called La Comida (food). We always have it at a member’s house and the food is always so good. At our apartment, we mostly have cereal and salchichas en una tortilla.

     Fourth, my companion is from Guayaquil, Ecuador. The interesting thing about this is that I told my MTC companion that I thought my first companion would be from Guayaquil, Ecuador before we left. I have no clue why though.

     Fifth, there is very little law enforcement here. Amazingly enough, they do not seem to need it here. There is not really any crime that I have seen, except perhaps on the road. There isn’t really a speed limit here. Instead, they put speed bumps if they want you to drive slowly. They also have these small buses called Combis. We have to ride these if we want to get anywhere without walking. Sometimes they get so packed with people that someone has to hang off the back. They are a lot of fun to ride though.

    Sixth, no one here speaks English. I know this may seem a bit obvious, but since I got here, I have only seen one person here who is white and isn’t a missionary. Sometimes I forget that I am actually not Mexican. The language is coming along fairly well, but there are some people here that I can never seem to understand. Also the keyboard here is a bit different and it is a little annoying.

     Seventh, nobody here has air conditioning or heating. It generally doesn’t matter though because the weather is always perfect and it wouldn’t do much anyway.

     Eighth, they have nesquik cereal here. It’s a lot like cocoa puffs, only better.

     Ninth, there seems to be no law against excessive noise here. Sometimes the people here will blast music out of their cars, and every day without fail, the gas truck will come playing the tune as it drives by… EL GAS.

     I was assigned to the Fuertes area of Puebla. Our apartment is a new one that they got just for us. Unfortunately, that means that we had to do a lot of setting up. We didn’t even have a way to heat up the water when we first got here, so we couldn’t take showers. We are doing well now though. It was also hard getting started because we were added to a ward that in the past has only had two missionaries. We didn’t have an area book and we have had to do a lot of contacting and we are struggling to get new investigators, but it is going well. We just have to take it one day at a time and let the Lord guide us.

     With the new additions to the apartment, we have been very tight on money because we don’t have very much at the moment. This means we don’t have much food in the apartment. However, our neighbors (who aren’t members) are super nice and they brought us some of their food at night after we got back. However, it wasn’t just a few tortillas, it was a FEAST for two people.

Words of the week: Libélula (dragonfly) and babear (to drool)

Les Amo,

Élder Seymour.

Our last photo as an MTC district

Our pre-departure feast

The tiny plane to Puebla

Mt Popo

Roof of Mission Home

Basketball and Soccer

My new Ecuadorian companion Élder Suarez

Nesquik Cereal

We are on the top floor

A gift from our neighbors

Remember to apply sunscreen…

Arrived in Puebla... [Mar. 17, 2014]

I made it to Puebla yesterday (3/17/2014). I have not yet found one thing that I dislike about this place.

Elder Seymour

Below is a picture sent by his Mission President…

Elder Seymour and President and Sister Christensen

Surprise Text from Las Vegas...

I (as in the mother of Elder Rob as I affectionately refer to him) received the following text from a complete stranger on Feb. 28th in Vegas complete with pics (took me a bit to figure out how to get them off my phone…not as tech savvy as all the men I’m surrounded by!)  Can’t relate enough the tears of joy to get this surprise…has to be a mom that is in the know of how us missionary moms feel!!:

Hi there, I’m a Mormon mom and I work at the Las Vegas airport.  I get to see many missionaries when they come here to get their Mexico visa’s.  I just thought you might like a picture of your missionary.

Group at Vegas Airport

Elder Seymour at Vegas Airport getting visa

Snow Wet-Willies and Such...[Mar. 14, 2014]

Things keep rolling on as usual.

Before I left for the MTC, my dad said that it would only be a few days before the Spanish taught at the MTC would catch up to what I knew. I disagreed and said that it would be at least 2 weeks – we were both wrong.

From day one, I was learning new vocabulary that I did not know before, simply because they do not teach you missionary vocabulary in High School (at least in Oregon… Utah might be different). However, as far as grammar and verb conjugations, I did not learn anything new until this past week. It pays to pay attention in school.

I have literally gotten to the point where I eat cereal every single meal here at the MTC. This has been going on for the past 2 weeks. Just last night, I ate salmon and wheat chex… it tasted a lot better than it sounds.

About the subject, it snowed here in Provo a few days back and the wind was blowing it hard enough that it was moving sideways. The snow would fly into my ears and melt; it was the worst feeling in the world – physically that is.

I also got my travel plans this week to go to Mexico. Oddly enough, it will take longer for us to fly to Houston from Provo than it will for us to fly from Houston to Puebla. I cannot wait to leave. Next email will come from México.

Vos Amo,

Élder Seymour.

He might be dead…

My companion trying on a jacket

Our district at Provo Temple

For every month of my mission, I’ll color out a letter

Our district and one member of the branch presidency

Purple Dinosaurs... [Mar. 7, 2014]

The visa trip went well. We took an airplane early in the morning to Las Vegas and spent most of the whole day sitting in a classroom. Lots of fun… Not really. We eventually made it to the Mexican Consolate and we got our visas. I had no clue that obesity is such a big problem in Mexico. They were showing a bunch of anti-obesity ads on the TV’s. Actually getting the visa was somewhat unexciting because all they do is scan your fingers and take your picture and you get your visa about 15 minutes later. Oh well.
When we were in the airport to go home, the cold that I had made me exhausted and I had trouble moving about and doing the things we needed to do. It is amazing how many people come up to you as a missionary. At one point, we had a guy come up and offered to buy us ice cream. I was cold and shivering from drinking the water so I decided against it. Fighting the cold was sapped all my energy, so I focused mostly on warming up. At one point, I decided that I needed to either read the Book of Mormon or remain cold and miserable. As I read the Book of Mormon, I felt the spirit flood into my chest and warm me up like hot chocolate. I stopped shivering and I gained new insights as I read. I know that God is here for his missionaries and He will support us in our time of need. We just need to turn away from ourselves and turn to Him.
On the flight back, my companion and another elder from my district were able to give a Book of Mormon to a guy who used to be amish. They put us in weird seating positions for reasons I do not understand, but I am okay with that.
The rest of the week had its ups and downs, but it was a pretty average week. In our zone, we got a new district this week. One of the elders is from Australia and has an actual accent, not just a british accent that I hear from most Australians.
Also I went to Jamba Juice today. It was great.
Vos Amo,
Élder Seymour.

Our district with the district that is leaving.

Thoughts of home…

My new bedspread…(quilt from home with the whole fam’s handprints to give him a hug!)

Some of us find creative ways to sleep. He was snoring so loud.