We don't do anything...[Mar. 16, 2015]

Hullo,
It seems really strange to me that I am writing in English and hearing people talk in Spanish and still understanding everything.
One thing I learned... remembered... one of those, this week is that really we hardly do anything as missionaries. Looking back, all the success that I've had here in the Mission really is a miracle. The people I stress out about the most in the Mission progress the least and those who get baptized really do so without a great deal of effort -- weird paradox, no? We were talking with a member the other day that lives a bit far away with some other members, and she said that she was going less active until we visited with her. Now she goes to church every week. We literally didn't do much more than visit, plan lessons to teach... and that's about it. Really it is the Spirit that does all the work.
In other news, English class is going very well right now. We had about 12 students and only one of them was a member. We also found a new investigator through one of our other investigators that has to leave to Veracruz for work. It kinda balanced out, but he also asked us when he could be baptized because he knows it is important. The only problem is that he doesn't really care what church he does it in. I think there's still a lot of potential.
Have a great week!
élder Seymour.

Strange Dreams...[Mar. 8, 2015]

Hola,
This past week feels like it has been a lot of walking and a lot of traveling, but there have also been a lot of great moments.
We found a few new investigators while contacting. The first one starts out with an interesting story. One night I was praying for more excitement and purpose to find some new investigators and that I would feel hope as I was doing it. As I was sleeping, I had a strange dream where we met with a woman to teach her about the gospel and she accepted the invitation to be baptized. When I woke up I was just like "we have to find her." After two days of contacting every woman that I could, we found her with her husband. We talked with them a bit and they said that we could teach them. We set up and appointment and went on our way. We went to the appointment, but only their children were there. We talked with them a bit and set up another appointment and went on our way. We got to the other appointment and talked a bit with the father who was the only one there. It went fairly well and I am super excited to see what happens.
Another family we found as we were looking for someone else. We knocked on their door and they told us that most of their children are members, but that they aren't. They are an older couple, but really open to listening to us which is refreshing. We taught part of the plan of salvation to the man and he told us he read part of the pamphlet and we were surprised when we found out that he actually did and remembered most of what he read. The only problem is that he is sometimes gone for several weeks at a time for his work, but I feel if he reads the Book of Mormon, he will progress a lot.
I don't know if you heard about the mountain climbers they found after 50 years recently in the Pico de Orizaba... it's really close to my area.
Anyways, have a good one!Thanks for all your prayers. Things keep getting better all the time.


Have a great week!
élder Seymour.



¡¡¡¡¡¡¡13 months!!!!!!
that last month went by so fast.

Some sort of chapel in Acatzingo.
It was closed.

Another picture of the chapel.

Some chocolate that I bought last week.
It goes well with hot milk.

Typewriters and Typhoid...[Mar. 2, 2015]

I should clear something up from the start. I didn't get typhoid this week, but I did get sick.

It honestly has been one of the most packed weeks I have had here in the Mission. Tuesday, we got dumped by one family of investigators that the past missionaries in this area said had the most potential. It really isn't that bad when we consider that we just need to look for others...only a little disappointing.

Wednesday, we had Divisiones and I went to Tlachichuca which borders a different mission. I bought a bag of chocolate that was about a half kilo that I haven't been able to eat much because of something that I will explain in a minute. We also had Branch Counsel that I didn't go to because I was in the other area.

Thursday, after leaving from La Comida, I felt a strong headache as we were going to an appointment and I just prayed that I could make it through the appointment and that afterwards I didn't care what would happen. How I would regret those words...

Leaving from the lesson that we had, my headache came back and with it came a bit of a bad feeling in my stomach. I told my companion about my stomach and that I could manage it for the time being. It slowly got worse as we were walking to another appointment until I told my companion we should go home.

We decided to rest for a bit at a Member´s house before continuing to our own house, and I just felt really sick. After being there for a bit, I felt like I was about to throw up. So I went to the bathroom, and to not be too graphic, some stuff happened. My companion said in this moment that he wasn't sure if it was real or not before.

We went back to the apartment and being sick and all, my companion gave me some Pepto Bismol because that is the Mission policy now. It didn't sit too well with my stomach. Afterwards, my companion talked with the mission doctor, whose ward I used to be in, and prescribed some medicine for me. I am not sure if I made her mad in the past or something, but she prescribed some pills and injections for an area of my body that hasn't had injections applied before. The injection felt like boiling hot water and I immediately went to the bathroom to do some "certain things."

After this I was laying in my bed feeling about as horrible as I ever have in my entire Mission. I remember wondering if Heavenly Father really noticed what I was feeling in this moment. Precisely in this moment, I felt the sweetest feeling of peace I have ever felt in my entire life. It was as if Heavenly Father was right there with me hugging me and telling me it was all going to be okay. Before this moment, I haven't really felt anything like that before. I know that God always cares about what we are going through.

Friday, I was in the house almost the whole day because I felt so bad... not much happened there.

Saturday, We had to go visit Acatzingo and Quecholac again because it is one of our duties here in this area. It went pretty well despite the fact that I still wasn't 100%. I actually really enjoy Quecholac. For a smallish village, there are a lot of nice stores.

Sunday (I almost put Domingo), was quite normal in every way possible, except for the fact that it was Fast Sunday.

Today we had a district activity and I also bought a typewriter here pretty cheap ($150...that's in pesos). Get ready for hand typed letters in the future.

Have a superb week and know that Heavenly Father always loves you!
élder Seymour.

Conozca a los Mormones...[Feb. 23, 2015]

Hola,
Today, we finally got to watch "Meet the Mormons"... in Spanish. It reminded me how much I don't like voiceovers at least until it got to the part where the Costa Rican kickboxer part came on in original Spanish. That part was pretty good. I could especially relate to the part where the mom is buying clothes for her son about to leave on the mission. She asks him what he wants and he is just like, "I don't know."

As far as my new area... well there just isn't much here more than people waiting to get baptized :) ...but in all honesty, there is a lot of work to be done here. Before I got to this area, there were Zone Leaders here and with all the traveling they had to do because of the distance, they couldn't do a whole lot. Like I said, lots of work.

This area also includes a pair of mountains that have snow on them right now. The missionaries before us asked permission to go up to where the snow is, but he said no. We will see what happens because my companion is about to leave.

They are about to set up a group in our area in another village somewhat close called Acatzingo. Our mission president said he is going to send missionaries there, so the duty falls on us to get things ready and everything. I guess we'll see what happens (this phrase seems to be the slogan of my mission). Sunday I went with the Branch President, his counselors and the Stake President, his counselors, and secretary to find members in the group that they are going to set up. Almost nobody was home, but we found a few members that I will have to visit with this week.

Before watching the movie today, we went to eat at one of the few Burger King's that there are here and it felt weird. Apart from being slightly expensive, it just felt... different. Everything told me I should be happy, but really it just felt like a plain and unsatisfying venture. I learned that it isn't money or good food that makes someone happy. The only things that make someone truly happy in this life are the things that we can have after this life like our families or the Gospel. These are the things that bring real happiness into our lives.

Also from other experiences I won't relate right now, I learned that I worry a lot more now about disappointing Heavenly Father than disappointing any other person. I think I got that a lot from Élder Field.


Anyway, have an excellent week!
Élder Seymour.




 A Hershey's pie from Burger King in México

The mountains in our area:
 el Pico de Orizaba and
the other one I don't remember...

To the Drought...[Feb. 19, 2015]

So... Monday was pretty busy... Tuesday as well.


On Tuesday (this past week), we learned from the assistants that we were going to close area. I was very confused when my companion wasn't in the slightest bit confused. Apparently, almost everyone except me already knew it was going to happen. The last transfer, the assistants asked Elder Field if they could take him and his companion out and put in the Zone Leaders in, but Elder Field said no. They then said that they were going to do it next transfer anyways because Elder Field was going home. So they took us both out and sent me off to El Seco where the Zone Leaders used to be.

They also just announced that "Meet the Mormons" is coming to Mexico February 27th, which I have been waiting for for a long time. Elder Field was really excited because I told him about it a while ago and he was going home in time to see it there.


Friday and Saturday was a lot of preparation to help my companion get ready to leave to go home. We had to ship a lot of his things because he didn't have space in his luggage. We also ended up making a box because the offices didn't have one large enough.


Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before transfers was a lot of getting the house ready and saying goodbye to members. We were so busy that I didn't have time to write on Monday.


Tuesday afternoon I got to San Salvador el Seco where I am at right now. It is a small village about 2 hours or so from the offices by bus. Things are going well so far and they will only get better from here.


Have a great one!
Élder Seymour.

 

Elder Field with
"Meet the Mormons" poster



A member helping Elder Field
pack for home

 



My new companion Elder Gomez
in our apartment

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom...[Feb. 9, 2015]

Hola,
An interesting week we had. Thursday, I completed a year in the mission and now I am starting to feel old. Pretty soon I will have my hair falling out like my companion and need new teeth and a new back.

This week in English class, nobody came, but that's okay because I got to practice piano for the first time since I was in San Martín over a month ago. Let me just say that time does take a toll on your talents if you don't use them.

Saturday, we also did a service project for one of the converts cutting down bamboo and trimming some other sort of vine. It was interesting using a machete, it makes a strange sound when it hits things that I kinda like.

Today we actually made it to Cholula. It was amazing going in because they have you go in the caverns under the pyramid from the very start. It felt a lot like Indiana Jones when he goes into the temple, except with less danger. And no heart ripping natives... At the top, they have a chapel built by the Spanish after they conquered Cholula. It was very interesting to see to say the least.

Afterwards my companion wanted to buy some Arabian clothes for his sister and mom. He also ended up getting a shirt for himself as well. I am trying to convince him to wear it to his last changes. We will see what happens in a week.

Have a superb week!
élder Seymour.

12 Months

La Malinche - a mountain that happens
to be in our area...
at least, part of it. Maybe i'll go once...

I can see my area from here!

Some ruins that date back to
the Spanish occupation days

Sunset with Mount Popo in the distance

Because I'm Batman!...[Feb. 2, 2015]

Well, fun week!

Thursday we went to one of the pueblos(small villages) a little bit from Xonacatepec that is in our area called San Miguel Espejo (Saint Michael Mirror). We were looking for some old investigators there and ran into a family of ten that wanted us to go by their house and teach them. We were teaching about the Godhead and who Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost (almost said Holy Spirit) are. They kept insisting that they are all the same and were using the same scriptures that we usually use to help them understand that they are different to teach us that they are the same. We were just like, "well I guess the Spirit will teach them the truth because we certainly aren't doing the job." I still feel like they will progress a lot.

We also started up English class again. My companion, Elder Field, feels like it will be pretty successful if we do it well and invite everyone. I certainly hope so.

One day, we were asking member of the ward how we could help and she said that we could wash dishes. I was quite pleased because it was the first time any member has said that we could do that. For some strange reason, I have grown to like washing dishes on the mission.

I also came down with a rough cold that took away my voice, so that has made street contacting interesting. On the happy note, I sound like batman now. Perhaps I can dress in my poncho and put a mask on and fight crime at night... not like there is much of that here, but I can dream.

Have a spectacular week,

élder Seymour.

Elder Field and I washing dishes.