Life is going well.

Alright,

      Life is going well, the mission is still great, I'm in Tijuana, we comfered our convert this week... What else is there to say... nothing

    To start, I saw the drunkest guy I've ever seen in my life try to drive a Taxi. No way, he backed it up over the curb to start. Swearing and cusing he threw it in drive and took it foreward... about 2 feet. Only to once again put it in reverse and this time, already on top of the curb, he slammed the taxi into a gaint metal fence. Puting some very big and stylish dents in the back of the car, he sobbered up really quick actually and got the car to leave the sidewalk and drive down the street. Driving head on to traffic nearly getting slammed by an on coming bus. Well he made it alright, but wow it was crazy.

   The mother that I asked you to pray for this last week is super cool. We had alot of good lessons with her this week. She really wants to change, or so it seams but once again she didn't show up to church. Super bummer, So I won't be having that baptism this week. She was supposed to get a job saturday, but we haven't been able to see her to ask how it all went, so I'm hoping that she got it and can quite her other work. Other then that actually we had 4 Inv. in the church. Thank goodness, it has been a very long time since I had anyone in the church. The lame thing is is that all our stats or number look great. We teach more then anyone, well everything is more. But we fail hardcore with getting them to church. And because our numbers look good, the leaders don't tell us anything. comments, concerns, tips. Nothing. Just that we are doing good and to keep working. Well this week finally we got somepeople to church, so I'm pretty happy about that. 2 of them Gabriel and alejandra I hope will be bap, this week but its doubtful. We have acouple people that are progressing well, so I'm hoping that Nov. looks better then Oct.

    Hey Z. Happy happy b Day bro. Your getting big. another year and a half and youll be in TJ just like me preaching the gospel. I hope your doing good bro and I love you tons. Keep worthy so that you can leave right after highschool ends. Oh and yeah momma, he can't put in his papers till 4 months before his Availability date.

    I wish I had something sweat to tell you all but I don't. Thanks aton for the package, I loved everything. Especially I'm enjoying the fire balls, Mexicans hate Cinammon. So it has been fun giving them to my companion, especially cuz he doesn't even like hot things. I've been feeling way better this week, and the shoes are great thanks. And I got your letters that was the best part. Of course I don't get tired of reading your letters mom, I get them once a month or once every 2 months so I love them. tell Z I wan't a pic of him decked out to ski and his skis. and thats my fav. disc or all time (well of all church :) ) I'm actaully going to buy a speaker one of these weeks thats super cool. you just put a usb in the side and it plays off that. But we also have a CD player. But can Z send me some more Music, tell him to put it in a zip folder. and send it like that to me. I can listen to everything church. Disney songs (if you can find them Z, mulan, tarzan, and lion king ;) ) and orchestra music. also if you can find them there is a band called 4 string quortet. Look it up and they have a bunch of covers for bands. If you can figure it out send me some. (the killers, queen, rolling stones) oh and some jazz music, ask dad for the best.... Love you tones bro and again happy b, day.

Well as far as other stuff happening here, there is nothing. Life is great, I will change companions again next monday. We will see what happens, I might train again, that would be kinda cool. or something else. Not sure lets see. Oh and as far as christmas well, I'll tell you next week as I don't know my comp. But I don't need to many white shirts, if your going to send those.

Peace, love, and Go big, Baptise, and well I've still got along time before I go home.

The battle continues!!

We will see how long this letter is. I'm prettty mad because I;m trying to type on a keyboard that has juice all up in it. and the buttons are way hard to hit. So I'll do my best,.

Alright, to start, I wasany better last moday, I was still way sick, And finaly tuesdaty I was sick of being sick. I had bee up 3 nights in a row with a fever but something fierce. So I called up the mission pres. wife. And she didn't aswer so I got permission from the DL to go to the Doctor. A lil sketchy pharmacy that has a doctor in it. It cost me 35 pesos. like 3 bucks and the lady was crazy. I told her my symptoms. she took my temp (102 and I was feeling way better then the otherdays ) and she gave me 3 different pills to take and an injection to put in my but 4 times. Oh and the worst part of my sickness, is that monday witgh my fever under my armpits were a bunch of boils/zit or something fierce that hurt like thedickens to the point I didn't want to move my arms.I still have them but not so bad. She said it was a allergic reaction.

Alrright, I really am sorry this is going to be short but my forarms are burning from using so much muscle trying to hit the keys.

The good thing is that this week, We did have a bap. Carlos showed back up i town on friday, and so we bap. him on sat before hecould run again. we had stake con. so we will confir him a member the next week.

Oh and I could use your prayers for a girl named vanessa. She is super cool, she has 2 kids, and wants to change her life. She wasn't interested at all when we first started talking with her, but after a sec, something hit. She is ready to be bap. But in the first lesson, I felt that she was lacking something. And the spirit told me it was a problem with the law of chastity. (super cool experience to recieve such clear revelation as to what a investigator needs) I gave her the pamphlet and asked her to readit before ournext visit. Well my comp and  I left and he told me there was no way she had a problem with that.... Well boy was he wrong. We came back and she is living with her sister. And she hasn't had an income for along time, at one point they were starving so she tured to selling her self on the street. She wants to change, needs to change. She is at the bottom of a pit right now, and its dark, damp, and deep. She needs a different job. so if you could all pray for that for her... Thanks aton. and love you tonns.

Peace, Love, and will you put my address on my facebook :)

Super, super super...... bummer week

Super, super super...... bummer week. To start it all off we went to and climbed mnt. colorado. A hill here that says jesus the savior. Pretty fun hike. I went up in 25, the first up ;) with an other elder of course. and it took most people an hour or 2 to start trickling up. It was like 1/2 mile but pretty steep. It would have been 10 min, before the mission but I can honestly say Im no were close to what I was, how I looked, or who I was before the mission. Some things change for the good, others change for the bad. But its all Gods plan so I'll stay happy with it.

Bueno.

No the reason why it all went so bad is to start after we hiked we came down for a carne asada one of the member prepared. It was delicious and I ate 8 or 10 good tacos. So far so good. with the tacos I crammed down a good amount of jalapenos and serrano peppers. Still going good.... Until that night. When the flood gates opened and it all came out. appearing somewhat like that time the US bombed the dams in Europe. My stomach tightned up, and my intestines crammped up. Literally there was something shredding my insides as it dumped the parts it didn't want into the fire torrent below. And trust me, it was a fiery torrent. serrano peppers go in hot, and if not degested properly the go out even hotter. At the end of the war, I was down one point and feeling low. The carna asada was winning.

No fear I thought, the next day I will conquer it. And with ditermination I marched on. Only to wake up three times in the night, to fight the same battle, each time lossing. The morning came and the war went on. As I studied that day I did most of it on the battle field with Jesus the Christ in hand. Not eating anything in the morning we went to work and I left my throne of battle hoping that the battle would stop there. But as I retreated the other armies did not. They began to burn the gates down. And my fortress was quickly weakening. As the gates began to burn (due to chilies) the armies hurled rocks, and what felt like gaint spike slashing and gashing trying to win. The day went on like this. That night, the I returned to my throne and fought again, over and over again. Until... Wednesday, the day the earth stood still. Or that is, after a particualarly bad battle. Loosing many forces and strenght. I went to leave my throne and the water didn't come. It wouldn't flush. There was no water. No water to flush, and no water to shower. No way Using the water straight from the boiler, The boiler is on the roof and you can drain the remaining water... boiling water, from it. I got a bucket full and went to the fridge pulling out every piece of ice I could find. I threw it all in and took a very hot but cleaning bath in a bucket. The war only got worse, the days grew longer. My strenght grew weaker, to try to end it all I fasted on thursday, to gave me nice relief in the day, with no food, there was no pains but once again on friday they started up. I'm getting better, I hope now but we wil see.

 So now we see the internal battle I was fighting. Now for the external. As the week went on, we got ready for our baptism. Battling hard with the leaders to see what we could do. He only had one time in the church and trying to see how we could help our investigator Carlos show up to church and be bap.. We did our praying, and we got everything sorted out. His partner left the house, so he was no longer in danger of breaking the law of chastity. his interview, although stranger, went well and he was all ready. We had to leave the area, sat in the morning to tract in a different colony but gave the responsability to a member to bap. him and bring him to the church. As we showed up at the church we sat there pactiently happy as could be. having a bap, is a great feeling, but as time went on and no one started to show up. Well the worried began to come. To be short He didn't show. and we can't get in contact with him. We have a goal of 5 bap. this month have got 1 yet, and don't have anyone that looks to terribly promising.

Sorry the email, came out with a total killer vibe. But I to am sitting in a room hotter then satans arm pits. thinking about what has happened, and nowing this week is a new week a better week. Learning from the mistakes and the hard times, to be better and bigger in the future. Next week I'll see if something better happens. I hope and pray it does.

Peace, love, and I sure hope my family is doing great, and my cousins to.

My Mind is BLOWN!

No way, did he just say that or I'm I way bad at spanish... 18... 18 my lil brother will be leaving at 18... Thats epic... and wait 19 for the girls... What does that mean... That there may be beautiful girls that have gone on missions and only are 20 years old??? Does that mean, I may just wait 3 years and marry a return missionary... well lets be realistic... NO. sister missionaries are crazy... but this may change the sister missionaries aton. After the first conference. Elder Holland held a pres conference and said that you can now turn in your paper 120 days before also. and that this was going to bring a huge surge in missionary work. He said this is happening because most certenly the lord is hastening the work and needs more missionaries. Elder Holand said they will be exanding the "flagship" MTC in Provo to acomadate for the new "fleet" epic conference. To be honest I paid good attention and was way excited the first session. In the bigging I was thinking no way my lil brother will leave way soon but, thats just better. Elder Holland stressed way hard the before mission prep. So get him to read. He also said that this was the work of the parents. So i'm shure he is alot better then me but youll proly still have to get him up in the morning, and if like me he acts sick or says hes not going cuz he is tired, kick him in the but and send him off anyways. The truth is that here in Mexico missionaries are sent out at 18. and they come in way inmature. So Z prepare yourself. They come in and don't make good learders and come in way pridefull and don't wanna change. Don't worry pops, I lost my pride in the MTC :) I listen sometime out here haha.

And for all my cousins or any women in the world that reads this... Go out on the mission. you now have the chance to leave before starting school, before getting married, do it. It will be the biggest blessing of your life. Like Elder Bednar said in Conference, the mission will effect, who you marry, your family, and your eternity... Think about it, pray about it... yeah that means you sammy, and chelsea :) I'm not calling you guys out or anything,,,, but I"m straight up calling you out... do it. Fast and pray, then read the book of Mormon and talk to your bishop. present the idea to him and thru this all youll know if its right for you...

Allright, to be honest my mind is so caught up on the announcment that I can barely think of anything else. We had 6 bap dates for the next sat. Well none of them came to conference. So we wont be bap. anyone. But 2 new poeple showed up to conference, members brought them. So I taught them and set a bap date with them both...; cha ching.

We watched tangled this week for a zone activity.... love that movie. and it makes me miss Blonde girls... Then we had a pretty good weak, we picked up 15 new investigators this week and 8 the week before, so I'm trying to turn around this area, I came into it pretty dead. We have 2 people that are doing really well, Carlos and felicitas. We taught the word of wisdom and she dropped drinking and smoking, just like that.... Well I hope so. And today we passed by them selling clothes in the streets and carlos had the restoration pamphlet in his hand and felicitas had the BofM so that was pretty cool to see. The people in this area are way cool. Which is good cuz the town isn't. Its nice but its all the exact same. Its like nuke town in CofDuty 4. or for those that don't play its like a gov built town so that they can blow it up. Everything looks the exact same... way weird.

I also went on trade offs this week with Elder Newell from Ogden. It was pretty fun, we talked to a good investigator and asked her about her experience reading and praying, she said she never felt like that before and that she knew it was true. Way sweet. Well more then that i don't have anything.... Oh thats a lie. My comp. locked the house then put the keys in his pocket. His pocket with a hole. So when we got back home we couldn't get in. So I scaled the house, and just to put in some style thru up a heel hook on the window sill, well I got in the second story window. and came down. Well here in mexico you have to have a key to unlock the doors, so I took off the back of the plate with my pocketknife and was looking inside, I found everything that I needed to do but didn't have the right tool. Well we called up a memer that is a lock smith and he came and passed me the tools and told me how to do it all. Pretty fun. We switched out the locks and everything. We got in at 10 30 at night haha. 

Love you all

Peace love, and hey gramsie, love you postcards thanks.

Ojo de Aqua

Allright,
  The new area, Ojo de Agua. well it is gigantic. We took 1 hour in bus to go to another part of the area. Really there are only 2 different colonies, but they are way far apart. And we have 4 missionaries in the ward. So the ward boundaries are also huge. some 20 miles. but for TJ and terrible public trans. its not that cool. I did get alot of cleaning done on the house this week. instead of working out cleaned everymornign. It looks amillion times better. I hope it stops giving me allergies. Its the first problem I've had here in Tj. But its getting bettter. I got inventive becasue we don't have a closet or anything. I've now got everything, even a dresser :) it may be made out aof cardboard but its actually pretty legit. I've enjoyed this area alot so far. Its pretty clean suprisingly, and the people are a little wealthier ( they hhave homes, well apartments) and so thats pretty cool. My companion Elder Castelan is pretty cool. He is a bigger guy and walks way slow (we will work on it) and I'm actaully training him. The pres called me this week and told me I needed to do the training with him. His last comp only finished 6 weeks and trained him bad. So I now need to correct a bunch of apostasy that he teaches and well hope for the best. The bishop is lazy, and has hair past his eyes... no way.... But he only has 4 months being bishop so we can still change him. We don't have ward council or meetings with our mssion leader, and our ditrict leader is well a goood guy but doesn't understand how to be an example or how to use the member. But all in all there is alot of work to do, and well I'm here to do it. So thats the best part. I think that most of the changes will b3e simple and a couple may take more time but. Hey itll get done.
   As far as investigators here, We have a couple. not many but acouple. Ill tell you more about them next week when I know them better. We picked up 7 new ones this week which was good and set dates with them all. But only 2 went to church so big bummer there. We do have a church bus which is cool here. the other terrible thing about here is that I feel like I"m in africa. Everyone breast feeds there babies in public in this area. The last area it wasnt so bad. but this week we taught a lesson for 40 mins and in the middle the mom just stripped half her shirt and started feeding her baby like we werent there, and like we didn't represent christ. Well that part I don't look forward to running into anymore. But the area is pretty cool, and people seem way open to the gospel here.
    We got the oportunity to give alot of priesthood blessings this week, which is always something really special. So that part of my week was the best. Being able to feel the spirit working through you and knowing that you are an instrument to help the lives of these people. We had some other good times this week to... Ohh I pulled a (well an idiot move) and was putting out matches in my mouth. Well I let one get way big, then tried to put it out. Well my roof of my mouth blistered and burned pretty bad. but hey I got the match put out. Then my whole mouth peeled haha. Pretty sweet. Sorry its going to be short today, The next week I'll get you some better stories and I'll throw in something spritual.

Yahairra, and her fam. we bap 3 of them.
my comp and me