Hello,
This week I set up a bet with some recent converts here (they are 8 and 9 years old) that I could learn the 13 articles of faith in Spanish before they could. I have them memorized now, but we haven't seen them for a few days, so I have no clue if I actually won or not...
We had an investigator come to church for the first time since I got here. We just started teaching her this last week, so she seems to be progressing really well. We contacted her in the street and she said that she had listened to the missionaries before. When we invited her to be baptized, she said that she wanted to, so that made us quite excited.
Christmas Eve was good because we had the Christmas conference in Puebla. It basically took up all day and it was a lot of fun. The president and his wife also gave us new socks as a gift. Actually, I am not sure what they gave to the sister missionaries, but I hope it was good too.
Christmas we spent, at least the morning, cleaning up a school that some members own that live in our area. It was honestly a lot of fun and a lot of work as well. We had to seperate plastics that were all put together in a bag as tall as I am. Also we cleaned up a part of the school that had a lot of dust because it was under construction.
After that I talked to my family and we tried to visit some people that weren't home. What a weird experience talking to the family when I will see them in almost 3 weeks.
Anyways, hope you have a great week!
élder Seymour.
Pics:
1)My companion and I during the Christmas Conference
2) The missionaries in our stake during the christmas conference.
So this week was a fair amount of activities in the church. Thursday we had a stake activity that was called 'viaje a Hawai' or Trip to Hawaii. It talked about the different kingdoms of glory. You know the type. It went pretty well even though none of our investigators could come with us. They obviously put a lot of effort into it.
The next day we had a sort of 'cena navideña' in the chapel. They had a piñata that the children destroyed. The bishop also made some carnitas. It is basically pig meat cut up and boiled in its own fat until it is cooked... it tastes better than it sounds. So, we ate together as a ward and I spent a lot of time trying to learn their names and everything. In all, it was quite fun.
Apart from that, it was a very difficult week as far as finding investigators in their houses. It seems like the building village that we live in just went on vacation. Probably about half just aren't here now because they went somewhere else. We didn't have a single lesson with an investigator and much less any new investigators. However, this week is a lot better because we just had a lesson with a new investigator. Promising stuff going on.
Plus, I forgot to mention that I went to the temple dedication of Tijuana last week. It was an amazing experience going to 2 different temple dedications. I feel really blessed.
Anyways, have an excellent week!
élder Seymour.
Pics:
Las Pinatas
Other Elders in our ward
La Carnitas
New area, new companion.
Right now I am in a town next to a big city. The town is called Tetla and we are the only 2 missionaries here. Lotd of buildings, but not lots of people on the streets during the day, but we steadily find new investigators and there is a lot of potential here.
My companion is Elder Zamora. He is from California which makes him my first American companion. However, both his parents are from México and most members just assume he is Mexican until they get to know him. He came to the mission speaking Spanish, so he already knows it pretty well. Honestly, it is super fun being with him.
This week we found 3 new investigators. One of them was slightly drunk when we taught him, but he seemed largely in control of himself and very sincere, so we will see where it goes.
Anyways, I have a lot of hope for this area. Just gotta work, as they say.
Have a great week!
élder Seymour.
1)study room of the last house.
So, as it would turn out, I have transfers yet again. My companion also has transfers, but they are going to send two other elders when we leave. It will honestly be sad not being here for Christmas and enjoying the prescence of members that I already know, but that's life for you.
This week we set a baptismal date with an investigator who we found through a member reference. She and her mom came to church this past Sunday and she is progressing quite well. She said in the last lesson that she knows the church is true because when she was in the hospital (she is going through kidney trouble) a man she didn't know came to her with a book and told her she had great faith. We were like "Um, but your still going to pray to know if it's true right." She said yes and we set the baptismal date. She also has read almost all of the book of mormon in the short 2 weeks we have been teaching her. And now we both have to leave...
In other news, things are going pretty well in the house. I feel slightly jealous for the elders that are going to come here after.
Also, I have decided to start ponderizing here on the mission. I feel it useful for those moments when you have nothing else to do. I also feel it allows to keep our minds focused on what's most important all day.
Well, I hope all goes well for each one of you, Have an excellent week!
élder Seymour.
1) I didn't think it was possible either
2) A photo of my companion and I with some members of the ward
So we changed houses. That's the first time I've done it in the mission. The house is very beautiful and has a lot of things I've never had in my entire mission... like a washing machine. It also has a jacuzzi (not the slightest clue on the spelling) that we won't really use for times sake. We also have a garden with fruit trees that I have never seen before, but that's life.
In missionary work, we are doing fairly well. we had some new investigators this week that we found just contacting people like normal. Hopefully we will be able to keep finding more because we really need it. One of the investigators we found is a Jehovah's witness which has never happened to me in the mission. We pray often for their progress and we ponder often on how we can help them. I feel that the most important thing is to focus on these people and try to understand how we can help them. As we do so, we become entitled to receive revelation for their needs.
I finally got the photos in, so enjoy.
Have a great week!
élder Seymour.
[In no particular order (sorry it's a busy week for mom)...:]
1) My failed attempt to make cupcakes
2) A scorpion we found at the bottom floor of our department
building
3) Wedding of the family I taught in Tepatlaxco
4) This looks familiar...
5) My companion holding a (live) rooster
6) An empty road we walked down... there was construction.
7) Baptism of Jacqueline. Our mission president came.
8) Our district leader at the baptism
9) Our district leader climbing our fruit tree.
10) The moon
11)A member in our ward waiting to go on a mission to Brazil and my companion
holding a lizard
12) Stars and stripes forever
13)A scorpion I found in our new house
14)A strange light effect.
