Happy 11 Months!

Hello dearest everybody,

Well another week has gone by, and this week was a lot better than the last. Cant believe me and Lopez already have 3 cycles here together. Tomorrow is transfers and. . . we still don't know! Ah its killing me. President told us that nobody is gonna know until tonight so that we can all focus on our work today and not waste it all with goodbyes. Having your best friend in the mission being AP has its advantages, but he doesn't know either. haha. Elder Rodriguez had me pretty convinced I was gonna be changed, but today apparently pres was changing a bunch of things at the last minute so who knows! I'm kinda nervous about it actually. . So next week I'll have to let ya know!

Sorry for the crappy email last week, we just didn't have time. But I should have a little bit more time today. :)  I sent a pic from our last district class on Tuesday. I like this district, and it should be changing tomorrow if pres would just tell us already.

We helped a kid named Diego start and fill out his mission papers this week which was exciting. Seems like I was just doing that. Now look how far Ive come. Almost half way done. Crazy stuff.

We did divisions this week which was fun. I went with Elder Jiminez in his area. We put 5  baptismal dates in 1 afternoon! Too bad they aren't in my area. haha. No it was good to get out and work with another elder. I really do like elder Lopez but more that 41/2 months with just one companion would be just a bit much. I like to learn from the way the other missionaries do things. 

We had a crazy lesson with our investigator Rene this week. He has his bap. date for in a couple weeks, but he kinda started to backwards progress. We tried to teach him based off of what he knows, but apparently all we could do was convince him that what he knows is wrong. He thought he believed in the bible until we read some scriptures to support what we were teaching and after was like well I guess I don't believe in the bible then. Its hard with him. I really want him to progress and be baptized though cuz the rest of the family are members. (inactives of course). Everything else is going all right with the rest of the investigators. We are still struggling to help them keep their commitments, like going to church. If I stay here we really need to get things back up and going full throttle again bc I feel like lately the work has been down a bit with the ward members, and with us. Its been a pretty difficult area but I'm grateful for the success that we have had here.

Saturday was ridiculous. Really the only bad day of the week. None of our appointments or plans came through and we were in the street all day. After that day I felt like I had ran 2 marathons. We walked so much, I was so tired. It is so hot here when its not raining, like today, and when its not baking my face off, its wet from all this rain. 

Sunday was really good. We took Rene to the CV. A member of the 70 came and spoke to inv. and recent converts there. While they were in that all us missionaries hung out in the CV. I was with E. Rodriguez most of the time. Tons of us missionaries were there, lots from other missions too. After I got my package from the office! So don't your worry it got here safe and sound. Thanks so much! Much needed. Loved the pics. The nutella lid was all busted off (good thing you put it in a bag) but don't worry I licked it clean. haha Everything else made it.

Today has been good, Ive just been wondering if I'm gonna have changes or not all day. We cleaned the house, got a haircut, went to Walmart, then we had lunch with our stake president as a zone because we met the stakes bap. goals for the month. He gave us hot dogs and cake.

Hmm what else. I feel like I don't really ever have anything new to tell you guys about the food here because I am just so used to it all now. haha One sister made us a Mexican version of a tin foil dinner in a pressure cooker that was pretty durn good. made me think of camping. . speaking of. . have fun in Mormon Bend! Ah I want to go so bad. It makes it a bit easier that nobody else is going either except you mom and dad. Next year I will be there. haha

To answer your question mom, who knows when the Mexico temple will be done. Probably not before I leave which is sad. But who knows. It is planned for next June. But when they remodeled the CV it took a year longer than expected.

Well that about does it for me. So good to hear from y'all, sounds like your all having fun back home which is good. I will let you know next week about what happens tomorrow! AH!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Elgan

Hello Hello!

Hello everybody,

This has been a pretty crazy day, I've been super busy doing lots of things, and now I only have about 20 minutes to write y'all so hopefully I can say everything I want to. This week was super difficult. Probably one of the hardest of the mission so far. I was so ready and excited to start this week and do everything and accomplish what our president had asked of us, and apparently Satan knew that I felt that way and put many tough obstacles in our way. We had lots of distractions from the work this week, almost every morning. We didn't start working until 3-4 each day due to interviews with president, zone classes, service projects, and other things. We worked super hard every second we could but I still ended up getting a bit frustrated and overwhelmed. Then I don't know if it was from the service we did, or our running every morning, or both, but my body was just exhausted. One night Elder Rodriguez called me (being AP he does whenever he wants) and said that he felt like he needed to call me. He even read me a letter that I wrote to him when he was frustrated in his last area when we were in the same zone. My own words helped me a ton, and helped me to be grateful in my afflictions, and not wish for them to be over.

There were lots of good things in the week though. My interview with president was really good, he always helps me out a lot. We had a fun family night with a family and they made us crepes and we played spoons that made me think of home. The zone class was really good, even though the zl put me in charge of just about everything for the zone activity we had today. So that was a lot of work. We contacted lots of people this week, and found lots of new investigators which is good. We had an awesome lesson with our inv. Fransisco yesterday. At the beginning I thought we were losing him for good, and I was almost ready to give up on him. But then everything changed when we finally figured out that we weren't really understanding each other. When it all got figured out, he said he was illuminated by the spirit and now knows that he wants to be baptized in August. It's pretty important that they understand what you are saying or it doesn't do any good!

The zone activity was really good today, we were there all day. We did a scavenger hunt type thing with scriptures through the church then the Dominicans from our zone made us food from their country. We made shirts for our zone (I made them) and they turned out pretty good. It was a lot of work but it was fun and it all worked out pretty good. After that we hurried to Walmart, then came here to write, and that's about it.

I wish I had more time to tell you guys more things, but I don't. Next week hopefully I will. This is the last week of the cycle so who knows whats happening next week. I'll know on Monday. Loved hearing from you all, your lives continue very busy just like mine. It's better that way no? I think so. haha. Well I love you all and have a great week!!

Elder Elgan

A little patience goes a long way

 Hello Dearest Family!

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! That definitely doesn't exist here. Darn. Missed them fireworks. 

Well I certainly didn't have quite the eventful week like you all did, but it was a good one nonetheless. We're still working hard, its raining lots, and I really am loving it here. God sure likes to try my patience though. haha. Just when I think I can't do it anymore, and when I can't see the promised blessings that I am supposed to get when I do my part, God always delivers in the perfect moment.   It's in moments like that that I know God lives and is always watching over me, and he is always bound to deliver what he has promised when we do what he as asked, but when we don't, we don't have that promise.

Things are going pretty good with the investigators. Rene has been struggling a bit since his baptism, but is enduring like a champ. He didn't understand why he didn't get to live with his girlfriend while he was getting his marriage figured out and done, and why he couldn't live with her. But he is so obedient, and he knew that that is the standards that the Lord has set, and sometimes we don't always understand the why, but God does, and he will deliver if we do our part. Adam didn't know why he was offering sacrifices when an angel appeared to him, he just knew that God had commanded it. And that was reason enough for him. That is obedience that we all can learn from. Rene gave such a strong testimony yesterday in church, and seeing his progress has really helped my personal testimony so much. We are teaching lots of other investigators and are getting closer and closer to baptizing every week. Our investigator that was gonna be baptized in 2 weeks moved to Cuernavaca so that kinda stinks.

On Sunday we had Hugo's baptism. He is such an awesome guy. Everything went really well. We have been trying to teach the rest of his family, but it has been a bit difficult. I was a little frustrated on Sunday when a lot of our investigators who promised to go to church didn't go when we went for all of them. I was sitting there just thinking why? I've done my part, why isn't the Lord doing his? Right then I looked back and saw the family of Hugo walk in. It was just one of those moments when my heart was filled with Joy. One of those perfect moment kinda situations.

There were a few frustrations this week, but hey there always is. But this week is gonna be pretty epic. President sent out a letter and for some reason wants every companionship in the mission to baptize on the 10th of August. So this week we have to find 3 new investigators every day, and put 10 bap. dates for that day. I know we can do it, but were gonna have to work hard.

That's about it for the week. Loved hearing about your week, sounded like lots of fun. Definitely a little different 4th this year for everyone. But I love you all, and hope you all have a super great week! Love you all so much.

Love Elder Elgan