Another Week

Elder Lopez

The Torta

And this is a pic of me and Lopez when we were soaked. you can't really tell though.

The ruins

and more ruins

 The first grass I have seen in Mexico!

 Us buddies in Zocalo

This was the USA booth. I bought a brownie. haha 

Hello Dearest Family,

Another week has flown by and it was a good one. I am kinda not in a very great mood right now due to a whole chain of events that just happened so who knows how good this letter will be. haha It was a good day but after we got back for our pday festivities they cut the light and water in our house for who knows why, an hermana got mad at me for telling her daughter (preparing for the mish)  that she can only come with us to lessons if she meets us there from what our president recently told us and she got all mad and offended and apparently it was all my fault that she isn't excited about the mission anymore. Not one part of that was my fault. Price for being obedient I guess.  We had an appointment at 4 and we were gonna write after so we planned around that and I couldn't do a few things I needed to do but she wasn't even there when we went. Now I have a headache, no money for the rest of the month, and now I'm just frustrated with everything. ahhh

We did have lots of success this week though. We taught 45 lessons, found lots of new investigators, and put a bunch of baptismal dates. But once again when Sunday came, I was let down when not one of our 8 investigators who had promised to go to church went. We passed by for all of them, and none of them were there. I just don't get it! We had days this week when every single one of our plans and appointments work out and we teach 10 lessons in 1 day. But other days not one of them works out so we have to use unplanned ways to find and teach investigators.

One day this week my companion settled a bet he made with Hermana Lety. He ate a huge torta that are pretty famous in this one place by the Virgins Bascilica. It is disgustingly huge, and he ate it all in 25 minutes. I will send pics. It was bad. haha

We had a really great zone meeting this week. The zone leaders had a training with the first counselor in the area presidency. He basically told us that the Lord is not happy with our mission because we are only baptizing 20-30 people each week, when we should be baptizing more than 100. I still haven't had time to review all my notes, but basically I learned that if we want to have the kind of success that they want us to have we have to be 100 percent dedicated to the mission and leave everything else behind. It is very hard to do but little by little I am getting better every day.

It rained a lot this week, one day we got caught in the street in a huge storm. We got so wet it was as if we had just jumped in a pool. Not even kidding. We had to come back to the house and change every bit of our clothes.

Today was a really good day for the first half. We woke up then cleaned our house.  Then we went with Elder Murphy and 2 other elders, Marret and Jiminez to a few places. We went to some ancient ruins that are pretty close to here. I didn't really get the whole story of what they were, but they were pretty cool. Pretty much the only ruins in the mission.  Then we went to downtown, Zocalo. Right now there is a huge thing going on in that big main square. There are tents of like all the countries in the world selling their food and souvenir type stuff. The South Africa tent had an elephant I wanted so bad, but it was ridiculously expensive so I didn't buy it. darn.  It was cool, got to experience lots of different countries. We ran into about 100 other Elders and Sisters there, pretty much the whole mission went. It was cool. But then we came back when all the fun started. 

So Mother with the Wells Fargo thing, I ended up getting a hold of them, and the lady said that YOU can do it. She said anyone on the account can. But she asked me a few questions, then said good now I am gonna transfer you to somebody else but then they didn't answer and the line ended. So I don't know if it worked or not.

But that is basically my week. Sounds like your week was good, lots of changes happening, keeping y'all busy. That's good. Yard work sounds fun. . I miss it. This week will be a year since I graduated! That was fast. haha. Well I hope you all have a great week! Love you tons.

Elder Elgan

PS Britt I got your card and pics. Thanks so much! Loved it :)

Hola Familia

Dirty Shirt

 Elder Elgan & Elder Murphy (From Logan)

BBQ pineapple burgers with Lety and her family 

Hello again dearest family,

This week was all right. A little good, a little rough. Last week was a good birthday, and after I wrote you guys we taught a few lessons then went to Lety's house and they made me a Bday dinner. I managed to get it all over my shirt. Of course. I've been doing good dang it, oh well don't think I'll ever change.

Wednesday was Julio's birthday (Letys son) so we had another party. Me and Elder Murphy went to Walmart and bought him a big chocolate cake. But he complained about it saying it had too much chocolate. First off, too much chocolate doesn't exist and secondly, complainer what did you buy me on my bday? Oh that's right. . nothing. haha no jk it was a good time he was just kidding.

We had some highs and lows with the food this week. One lady gave us a little bowl of lentil soup, and a potato patty. I was like oh how cute, whats next? But nope, that's it. But it was all made up for when we ate with one hermana. She is the one who cooks really good and is from Chiapas Mexico. She made us bbq pork chops, pasta salad, and a normal salad with grapes and croutons and other things that I haven't even seen here until that day. Even had dressing! That's a rare one to the average Mexicano.

We had a really awesome experience with our investigator Silvia this week. She has always accepted us really well, but doesn't really see the need for organized religion. Also she doesn't know what to think because she likes our messages, but has a hatred towards us bc the church didn't help her when her dad who was a member was dying last year. But we had a lesson that changed it all. We were teaching about the Book of Mormon. She always says things like, it doesn't matter if its true or not the true book is written on the heart of every person. What? Who knows. But we continued teaching and then I think we asked her a question. Then she got really quiet and looked down. Then she just bursts into a prayer. Me and Elder Lopez didn't know what to do at first we were like huh? She went on for about 5 minutes and started crying. Then there was about a 2 minute silence. I was praying so hard for her during that time, but then she started to talk again and she had a Book of Mormon in her hands and said Father, I know that this book that I have in my hands is true. It was like what! Seriously? How did that even happen. So that was a cool moment to see someones prayers be answered right before your eyes.

We had a special meeting with president for the investigators in our zone. We ended up taking a couple investigatos and president talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was really good. We ended up being about a half hour late cuz our inv. weren't there and we were running around trying to get people to go but it all ended up really good.

Sunday was all right. We still are struggling with getting investigators to church. I had so many plans and so many promised to come, but when we go Sunday morning, there not there or just dead asleep. Other than that church was good, our ward mission leader is moving which I'm not too sad about because he's kinda weird. We ate in the church after the service and we were just about to start when he came in and told us, and started telling us the good and bad about each one of us and was going on and on when the son of the lady who made food for us got up and said hey, its not the place or time, we're eating, goodbye. He got really mad and stormed out. I thought it was pretty funny. Sunday night we had a lesson with another investigator Fransisco. His whole family are members, but he is a super smart engineer, and is one of those who has always thought he is too smart for faith. But he has been super sick and in the hospital for about a month. He lost all mobility in his legs and arms. We talked with him and he told us he needed this affliction in his life to prepare him for baptism. He has been humbled and through this experience realized how much he relies on and needs God in his life. We invited him to be baptized and he will be baptized in June. He is slowly getting is mobility back so by then he should be good to go.

And today. It was a good pday. We got up and cleaned the house. Then we went to Walmart. Me and Elder Murphy bought all of our hamburger supplies because we made bbq pineapple burgers for Lety and her family. (Part of the bet we lost). We went to their house and made them some pretty darn good American burgers and homemade onion rings. I loved being able to cook again. I will send some pics. But that's all we really did today.

Sounds like a good week y'all have had. Lots going on. Congrats Kayla on the new job, that's cool! So now you'll just be a world traveler :) Brandon hope your all recovered from your surgery and doing good. Max's soccer experience sounded hilarious. What a little character he is, playing dead. Hope everything continues to go good with you guys. Mom and Dad when are you leaving for Italy/Greece? Probably getting ready, fun fun. Um. . Whenever you guys send the next package in the future I will probably be needing some clothes items. But I will let you know exactly what.

But that should just about do it! I love you all, have a great week! :D

Elder Elgan

Feliz Cumpleaños a mi!

Hello everybody!

It was SO good to see you all and talk to you all yesterday! I enjoyed that call much more than the one on Christmas, I think every time it gets a little easier, but still hard to say goodbye. Everyone looks good, so good to meet baby Lincoln! Mother hope you had a super great mothers day, you deserve it. Good to see Josh, even though it was through the iPad haha. 3 of 5. woo.

So as of today am a big ol 19 year old. First bday away from home ;( But it was a good day, I'm glad it landed on a pday. So for my bday we got up early cleaned the house and went to Walmart, then headed to the lovely downtown. We went to the big Buenavista mall and shopped a little bit, met up with some friends and then ate in an Italian restaurant. It was super good! The restaurant sang to me and gave me a little cake thing. I will send pics. We spent most of the day there before coming back to the house and I opened all the presents from the package and had a little mini party. See more pics. Thanks to everyone for all the presents/cards I still haven't got to the cards, but I will tonight!

The week was really good, it had its ups and downs but so do all the weeks! It rained quite a bit, but its all good. We had a really good class with our zone on Wednesday that president ended up showing up to. I always love zone classes, they always inspire me to be so much better. Right after that we went out and started to work, found some new investigators, invited them to be baptized and they accepted! A very important part of this work is to find those that have been prepared by the Lord, and don't waste your time on those that haven't, until they have been. I wish everyday could be like that day, and with lots of faith and work, it can be done.

We had another earthquake this week. That day it was thunder storming, earthquaking, and God pouring his wrath on wicked Mexico. haha. That day one of our investigators was telling us about her creepy ghost stories and how the day before some spirit of some dead guy visited her and a bunch of creepy things, but don't worry she said she prayed to the virgin and it all went away. Some people just have it so right. ha

Everything is good with Elder Lopez, but he is a bit disobedient at times. But don't worry I planch him about it :)

We found some other really great investigators this week, a member introduced us to a family who wants to learn more, and I see baptisms in their near future. But seriously everyday has so many ups and downs, there are great moments where I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose and everythings going great , and not so great moments, when doubts, frustrations, and sadness enter my mind and I don't want to continue on. But somehow, it always seems to work out.

Sunday was great, other than the whole morning I was running running trying to get as many people in the church as possible and nobody went. That was a bad moment. Other than that we had Israels confirmation, good church services, and best of all the call home!

But thanks for all the birthday wishes, I love you all so much! I miss you all tons, but hey only 14 1/2 months left. 1 year will be here before we know it, then the second half will fly by. I hope you all have a super great week! Brandon, hope you get feeling better, you're  in my prayers. Loved all the pics of spring! Love the pic of the girls with Gpa.

Well that should just about do it, I'm out!

Love Elder Elgan, now just the average normal aged missionary. :D