P-Day update week 25, 08/08/2022

¡¡Bonito día!!

This week has been great, a lot of getting used to a new area and new people, but a lot of really cool experiences!!

New Companionship!

So we started off our week by just getting to our new areas. On Monday we made sure to spend a lot of our time just cleaning, packing, getting ready for transfers, and saying goodbyes! But Tuesday was a little more exciting, we started off our day with a breakfast goodbye at President Luis' house. The food was good, they made us pancakes I think. I honestly wasn't thinking a lot about the food and more just about how this is going to be my last time with president Luis' and his family for a very long time! So I made sure to make the most of it and crack a lot of jokes and made sure we stay in contact after I leave! Once we had finished eating we all said goodbye, for hopefully not too long of a time, And got our bags ready for a taxi ride to Zaragoza! We got there expecting to meet with one last hermana before we left but she told us that she wasn't going to be able to make it to say goodbye! It was a little sad, but I can talk with my friends on Mondays (which includes the members from Zacapoaxtla now!), and it's even more reason to have to come back here as soon as I can! We hopped on the combi to Teziutlan and met up with the other missionaries in the bus terminal. Every time I've gone to this ADO bus terminal I always see people going up to this little crepe stand and I've always told myself that one day I will get one. Knowing that this could possibly be my last chance, I went up and told them to give me the yummiest crepe they could think up and I would buy it! It was kinda meh hahaha! But after that we had some more goodbyes with the zone, and the missionaries that were all going to Xalapa got on our bus and hit the road! The travel was pretty easy, nothing too interesting, and after about two and a half maybe three hours, we arrived in my new city, Xalapa!!! Once we hopped off we were greeted by our new Zone Leader and the new Zone Leader from the nearest zone. So in Xalapa, because it is so big, there are two zones. Zone Xalap, and Zone Macuil. And because they are so close to each other, we see the other zone a lot! But anyway, we arrived and I also met my new companion, Elder Parker. We had a quick greeting, grabbed my stuff, and we hit the road! He gave me a brief description of our area and our responsibilities as the Coordinators, then we headed to the house to drop off my bags and lightly unpack before our quick meeting with one of our investigators named Kris, he's someone they've been teaching here for a little bit, and he's a very interesting character. So first thing about Kris, he's from Chicago, so we teach him in English which is very strange and actually kinda hard! He also has had a really hard life, he was very into the gang life and has done some very very bad things, but he's turned his life around and he's finding a new way to live and provide for his family!! So when we went with Kris we basically just asked what he's been up to lately, that led him into a story where he talks about the only reason he moved here to Mexico, he said the only reason was so he could kill this one guy who had a bounty on his head, but he told us that if he were to kill the guy then a rival gang would go after him and his family, so he decided to hold off and just start working! Very crazy, he also has Asperger's with some pretty intense OCD and that doesn't help, But that is just another reason that he really needs Christ in his life! We also had a pretty great lesson with him on Sunday, but I'll talk about that later!

Roof selfie

Welcome to Xalapa!

This week we've been working like absolute dogs!! My new companion, Elder Parker is a super hard worker and he's not gonna let us take it easy this transfer! So our first couple days we just contacted a lot of people to set up appointments for the week! But we already had some appointments set up with a few people!! So right now I'll talk about the people we've taught this week, we've taught quite a few and we've seen some real miracles!! Our very first lesson as a companionship was with this Hermana named Sheryl, she's been going to church for quite a few years but she has never been baptized. So we dropped by with her and taught her about the Plan of Salvation, the lesson was going really well! And as the lesson was going on I felt the impression that she needed to be baptized, but I was just waiting to see how the lesson turned out. At the end of the lesson Elder Parker and I had the same impression, so he looked at her and invited her to be baptized, she said yes! and not only did she say yes but she wanted to get baptized as soon as possible! So we got here baptismal date for two weeks from now! It was truly a miracle and an amazing start to our time together!! So lets talk about this couple we're teaching named Carmen and Larry! They have also been to church quite a few times, in fact their daughter is already baptized! but they aren't married and that has been keeping them from being able to be baptized. But this week we decided to stop by and see how they were doing and see if we could help them! When we got there we talked for a bit and jumped right into the lesson, we decided to teach again the Plan of Salvation! The lesson was going really well! And the spirit was very strong, we decided to call an audible and teach about the temples! After the lesson I felt impressed to ask them what's been stopping them from being baptized, they said that they've just been having trouble in their relationship and have been struggling to find something to make it work. And with that we felt impressed to promise something to them, we promised them that if they worked to get married and baptized their relationship will improve and they will have true joy!! They said yes!! So we're gonna get them married and help them get baptized! It was incredible the spirit that was with us in that lesson!!

Oreos and Peanut Butter!

Elder Parker on a bridge. 

Speaking of marriage, our friend Kris and his partner have been together for about 5 years but they aren't married yet. So we set up an appointment with them after church to stop by and tech them a quick lesson. And I'm not really sure why, but we taught them the Plan of Salvation haha!! And after that we talked about the key that opens the doors to the Celestial kingdom, that being baptism. But we told them that to be baptized they need to live all of God's commandments, like the law of chastity. So we told them the same thing we told our other couple, we would help them be baptized and married! They were so excited!! They talked about how much they've been waiting for something to happen to push them! So now we will get them interviewed and see if Kris can be baptized, and then get them married before their baptism!! 

Chili's

By the way, Xalapa is so great! The city is so much more active than Zacapoaxtla, there's a lot more stuff to do!! I was so taken a back the other day when we went to subway for lunch haha! And now we're on our way to "Plaza Americas" which is a very nice mall, we're going as a zone to eat at Chili's!! And later today we plan on going to Costco so I can buy a Costco card! It's really nice, but this week I've been feeling really homesick for Zacapoaxtla! It's not something I ever really thought about but I know that I'm where I need to be, and I know we'll help a lot of people here!!

We may or may not have a dog that just walks in and has a bed in our house ha ha!

Crazy cat.

This week has been amazing, I've never felt the spirit so strong during the entirety of my mission! Almost everyday I have an amazing experience that prophesies of the Divinity of our work! I'm running out of time so I will leave yall with a quick spiritual thought! 

President Nelson, the current prophet and president of the church said 

"in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." I truly testify of the truth of this statement. I know the difference of my life when I do and don't have a strong connection with the spirit. My life is different, I'm happier, I have more peace, and the miracles I see are indescribable! I love the Lord and his constant guiding spirit!

I love you all and I know you'll have a great week!!