Dunked

 Hello once again everybody,

Man these weeks sure seem to be going by fast. This week as usual had lots of ups and downs, but probably a few more downs than ups. There were just a few days with a whole lot of walking, and not a whole lot of lessons or success. But then the Lord always puts a few ups in there to keep me going. One day this week I was in divisions with Elder Murphy when we got caught in the rain. It was pouring and we didn't have anything so we got soaking wet. We were running through the streets, basically under a waterfall and we were just like "whatcha gonna do?" We were laughing, and I'm not sure why but I was just super happy and super glad to be in the mission in that moment. I really enjoyed the divisions with Elder Murphy. If you have a really good relationship between companions it makes such a difference. We put some new baptismal dates, and taught a ton of lessons.

Everyday is a test of patience with Elder Lopez, but its all good. We can never judge people, because we never really know the whole story. This week he told me some things and now I understand a little bit more now why he is the way he is.

The highlight of the week was Rene's baptism! I was so happy everything worked out. We have been working with him to give up marijuana, get married, and get ready for baptism. We discovered some things about his past so he needed a special interview with President Anaya, but he passed and its was all good! The day of his baptism I was having a really crappy day, but the moment that he passed made the whole day worth it. We had a bautizona on Sunday. Almost all the Elders in our zone baptized on Sunday so we all did it together, and President went, and it was pretty cool.  So good to see the fruits of our labors. When I look into Rene's eyes, I can really see the true conversion. He has completely changed his life, and has such a strong testimony for such the short time that he has known the gospel.

So Sunday was super busy with church, the baptism, a stake priesthood meeting, the food, and trying to get a few lessons in there. We continue to teach Fransisco, but he really does not like Elder Lopez. He does lots of things that you can tell make him mad. So the whole time I'm trying to make up for all of Elder Lopez's mistakes, teach him the lesson, and get him baptized in the next few weeks! Next Sunday we will be baptizing Hugo so I'm excited for that. This month our mission baptized 122 people. So that was cool.

It continues to rain a ton, everyday. The world cup has been going on which has been crazy. There was a game on Sunday during church. I thought nobody would go because Mexico is usually pretty shut down when Mexico is playing, but I was proud to see my awesome ward be there instead of watching the game. You can see the difference between those who are converted, and those who just have a testimony in moments like that.

Well that about does it for me. Sounds like you guys continue to be busy. Well Dad calm down, you just got back from Italy and Greece, What is this England/Belgium/Scotland/France business next week? Rough life you got there. Loved the pics from Greece/Venice. Looks so cool. That is crazy that it was one year ago we were watching the fireworks at Niagara Falls. Time does fly. Well tell Grandpa that his last time at Mormon Bend is gonna be when I am there. No exceptions :)

Well I hope you all have a great week! Love you tons!

Rainy Mexico

 Hello again!

Another week has quickly passed by and it was a pretty good one! There are really pushing baptizing here every week, so we are working as hard as we can to try to get there. It really is something that is so possible, it just requires lots of faith, work, and dedication. We had a really good start this week, we even taught 7 lessons pday alone (cuz we did divisions with some ward members). But as the week went on it got harder and harder. We struggled finding new investigators and putting new baptismal dates. This week I was so tired at the end of each day, one day I thought for sure I was gonna faint on the walk home. And every night the second I put my head on the pillow, its time to wake up once again.

We have some really great investigators right now. Rene is supposed to be baptized this Sunday. He has completely changed his way of life to be baptized and is so excited and has such a testimony about it. The only problem is he isn't married and his girlfriend I guess you could say doesn't want to get married. We are fasting right now with him so that she can change her heart and mind so Rene can be baptized this Sunday. Hugo will be baptized the following week. He is really awesome as well, hes a good friend of ours now. We have a really good family we are teaching (Karen and Anibal) and everything is going good with them, the only problem is getting them to church. There little kid is funny, he looked at my agenda and asked me whats in here, I said oh just names and plans. Then he looked at me and said "Porque estas un poco loco" (Why are you a little crazy) It was pretty funny, but apparently I'm a bit crazy. We put a bap. date with Hector, the nephew of the hna Lety who is a pretty hard core Christan so that was a big step. He should be the week after Hugo. But long story short everything is going good with the work, lots of ups, lot of downs.

We had a really good training this week with President Anaya about the Book of Mormon. Usually the trainings are more simple, just how we need to improve, but this was was a bit more doctriney. It was pretty deep. Learned lots of new things. Basically the Book of Mormon is awesome and we should be pretty dang glad we have it.

It rained ALL week. Its pretty crazy. Its even raining right now. The thunderstorms get pretty crazy here, and I just about got struck by lightning this week. haha we were just jontin down the road, umbrellas in hand, and it all just went white and the loundes boom Ive ever heard. I thought I was toast. I think I jumped 5 feet high. All of the car alarms on the street were going off, and my heart was sure racing. So that was fun.

We had a really good ward activity this week. Us 4 missionaries in the ward put together a "minute to win it" activity. We had lots of the games, even all the same videos downloaded on how to do them all. We were a bit worried when nobody was showing up at first, cuz we put a lot of time and effort into it. But little by little, with a little prayer, they starting showing up. haha. We ended up with a nice little crowd, and had lots of fun. Lots of people brought food, so we had a nice little pozole feast after. (you ll have to look up what pozole is, really popular here)

We have been a little frustrated with the ward lately and their lack of work and what not so we had a little sit down with the bishop. But it was super good because he told us about how bad this ward has struggled lately with all of its leaders and problems with the members. He told us lots about the ward, and now we can understand a little bit better why the ward is how it is.

Something cool this week is we took Hugo to start his genealogy with the ward genealogy lady in the chapel, and I was looking at mine during it all. Anyways, I found a direct line from me back to Adam and Eve! I thought it was so cool one lady from the ward has it, but who da thunk, I do too! Did you (mother) know that with all the work you have done? It is on Dads side of the fam though. I can tell you guys how to find it if your even interested. haha I thought it was pretty cool.

Ive been a bit frustrated with Elder Lopez lately,  it doesn't matter how many times I tell him, he will just do what he wants, and disobey. I got kinda mad at him one day this week, and I think he got the message a little more clear. 4 more weeks . . haha jk its all good.

That about does it for my week. Loved the pics Mom and Dad! Venice and Greece looked so cool!  You will have to tell me more about it. Didn't get a letter, just the pics, is that right?? So are you home now or no? Lemme know. Well I love you all, your all in my prayers, and have a super great last week of June.

Love Elder Elgan

Hello dearest family all over the world!

Hello everybody, wherever you might be!

Another week has passed by and here I am writing again. It was a pretty good week I guess, probably not as good as some of yours though! haha Every week here has so many ups and downs, some days are great, others not so much. But hey thanks to the downs, we can enjoy the ups so much more. This week is 10 months which is pretty crazy! A year will be here before I even know it. Then the time will start flying.

This week we had our Zone class. And  I had to teach the whole zone how to teach that God reveals his gospel in every dispensation through profets, the earthly ministry of Christ, and the apostasy to investigators because everybody complicates that part of the first lesson way to much and for some reason the zone leaders trusted me to teach that to the zone. ha It went ok I think.

We had some good teaching experiences this week. One lesson we taught involved teaching Catholics, atheists, and a dying grandma all at the same time. So that was fun. haha. We found out Rene isn't married which I wasn't very happy about, but he is trying to get his civil marriage done in the next 2 weeks so he can still be baptized the 29. Hugo will be baptized the week after. We have lots of other investigators that we are teaching as well and there is definitely lots of work to do.

Church was pretty funny because a sweet little old lady had just finished giving her first sacrament meeting talk and when she was walking off the stand her skirt fell down right around her ankles. She had her books in her hands and couldn't do anything about it. She was like " I'm sorry, I've lost lots of weight lately. It was actually pretty funny.

Today was a chill day, alls' we really did was clean the house, go to Walmart, get my haircut by a delightful man/woman, come back and had a day in the house. It was much needed. But now I'm feeling lazy and don't know what else to write so ya. . Tonight we have 6 appointments in 3 hours so I think we will be doing divisions with some hermanos from the ward. This week we had 48 lessons, but one week we are gonna have 60! Its gonna happen, just wait. .

Well I hope you all have a super great week. Mom and Dad the cruise sounds amazing, don't have too much fun in Venice and Greece without me. You better be havin a cruise booked when I get backed cuz it just sounds too dang fun. Send me some pics! Good luck summer sellers Josh and Trevor hope your having all sorts of success. Brandi/Brandon your the coolest bc your in the best place in the world, Logan Utah. That's where I would go if I could go anywhere right now! haha Kayla hope your having fun in Vegas, and Nichole and Ashlee good luck in Africa! So cool, have fun.

Well that about does it, love you all, have a great week!

Elder Elgan

Lots of Rain & Pain

Our Homeless Friend (Elder Lopez)

Minute to win it

Our Zone

Hello dearest family,

Well another week has passed, it was a fast, but really difficult one. Ive been kinda sick all week with fever, sore throat, headache, and a cough. So that doesn't make things any easier. It was a hard week work wise but we taught 51 lessons which I think is my high score. One day we taught 12, it was crazy we were running all over the place. Even with the success they were long hard days. One day we had appointments from 9-9 ever single hour of the day. All came through in the morning, but not a single one in the afternoon. So that was frustrating.

So yes tomorrow is changes and I was so hoping that I would stay and yes Elder Lopez and I are both staying. yay. The big news is that Elder Rodriguez is now the new assistant to President Anaya, so he keeps me in the loop with everything :) Hopefully these next 6 weeks with Elder Lopez will be good, probably won't be my favorites but its all good.  Elder Murphy's comp Elder Lopez is leaving.

Everything continues to go good with our investigators, Rene is progressing really well for his baptism this month, and he hasn't smoked for a week and a half so that's good. We had quite the experience  with Silvia again. Usually we have to try and help people recognize the answers to their prayers, but with her its trying to help her realize that it's crazy when she basically wrote out her own patriarchial blessing saying it was revelation from God and it said that all the churches are good and she only needs to be baptized if she wants to. I think she is a little overly sensitive to spiritual promptings, if that's even what it is she is receiving. ha We have had a lot of experience with members from a church called "the light of the world" They are kinda like jws with how sure they are and what they think they know. Their church is very similar to ours, just with a few differences. I get a little frustrated when I talk to them, but it helps me a lot bc after I have to study for answers that I didn't know, and I learn lots of new things.

One of the recent converts we teach is super into genealogy and does it every day in the church, and this week she showed us that she has her family tree, a direct line, to Adam. That was pretty cool, I had never seen that before.

We had a pretty fun ward family night this week. Elder Lopez (from Peru) dressed up like a homeless guy from the street, a pretty good little get up too. As everyone was arriving he was out in the street and everybody could see him. Nobody talked to him or even noticed him. Another hermano who was in on it invited him at the last minute and sat him down in the chapel. Lots of people (including the bishops wife) got up and moved to the other side of the chapel. We watched some movies on Jesus Christ, and after Elder Lopez presented himself. Everybody was in shock, and Elder Lopez planched the whole ward on how there is no love or service in our ward and how they needed to repent and become more like Jesus. It was pretty good. See the pics. But by the end I was dying from my fever and headache.

We have been trying to motivate Marisol, Letys daughter to go on a mission, and this week she got her pat. blessing and it said that she is going on a mission! So now she is in the process of getting ready, so that was cool.

Today was a bit cray cray. We woke up and cleaned the house and hurried to Walmart. Then we had our zone activity. We played minute to win it games. They were really fun, it was pretty official too. Then we ate some 2 foot long quesadillas and then played soccer. We were there most of the day, but it was fun. Then we came back, and here I am writing.

That basically does it for me for this week, and wow you guys have sure been busy! Britt and Julie/Nichole hope your getting settled in and like your new houses. Good luck in Mississippi Britt! 6 Weeks, that is one transfer in the mission. Now your on my time :) Glad to hear Josh is doing good in Oklahoma. Kayla the new job sounds fun, good luck in Vegas this week. And Mom and Dad (and Gpa and Gma) have fun on the Italy/Greece cruise! I could really use a vacation too, but darn, I don't get one. I wanna see some pics next week! If you can even email that is. haha

Well love you all, have a great week!

Elder Elgan