Happy Halloween!

Wow. One month in the field already and it still feels like I arrived earlier this week. Crazy!

Last Tuesday we had a great day teaching people and meeting with some of our contacts. Jonathan is doing great with cutting back on his drinking and is almost completely off of it. I know that as he keeps relying on the Lord, he will have the power to resist evil and temptations like never before. We also met with a really cool girl of about 28 years of age whose name is Karina. She has cousins and an uncle and aunt who are all members so she knew a little bit and that her cousins all served missions, but nothing more than that. We taught her and the Spirit was really strong, so we set her for a baptismal date on November 12 and she accepted! We also met with a real cool family Gilberto, his wife Natalia, and their son (one of three kids) named Christian. They are awesome and love hearing what we have to offer, so we will extend a baptismal date soon to them. The cool thing is that Gilberto and Christian are learning English so it is fun talking with them in both languages.

Wednesday started off with us going to the immigration office for me to sign some papers. We moved Jonathan`s baptismal date to the 5th of November to give him a little more time to prepare. We also taught Karina the commandments and she accepted to live all of them, which she had no problem doing before, which is great! Later, Josè Manuel and Andrea had their baptismal interviews, but they aren`t prepared. Elder Valdovinos and I have done almost all we can to teach Josè Manuel that it is important to be baptized in the correct form like Jesus Christ, but he doesn`t want to accept it even though he knows perfectly that he should. Andrea wants to be baptized, but doesn`t want to keep a certain commandment. We are going back to them to teach a little more and extend the offer to live all the commandments and be baptized. If they don`t accept, we are just going to have to move on and visit them only like once a month just to see how they are and if they want to make that covenant with God. That`s the thing, too. We can`t pick and choose which commandments work for us and which don`t. God doesn`t work that way. We need to obey all of His commandments for Him to be able to bless us.

Thursday, we knocked a bunch and made a bunch of return appointments that we hope go well. On Friday, we had a lot of success! We knocked and taught a bunch of lessons and have a bunch of new investigators now! I am excited to return to them all because they can really feel the Spirit, which is the most important part in conversion! We talked to Jonathan tonight and it was amazing. He said that although he has been off of drugs for two years now, he has never been able to quit drinking cerveza until he met us and started talking with us! He had tried everything in the book to try quitting, but it wasn`t until he started relying on God that he has been able to stop. Wow. He said we were like angels to him and that he is so grateful for us bringing this into his life. Wow x2. It is truly amazing having a front row seat in seeing God work miracles in His children`s lives.

Saturday and Sunday were pretty much the same, a lot of knocking and contacting with a little success. Crazy thing is that Elder Valdovinos and I have almost knocked our entire area, so we will finish in the next few weeks and start round 2 of knocking again!

Today has been a relaxing p-day. We played some soccer this morning and are going to finish our day with washing clothes and having our district meeting. Whew! What a week!

We have a bunch of people who are in line to be baptized, so hopefully November will be really successful!

Take care and love you all!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Preaching to...

...a Large City

"But of You It Is Required to Forgive All Men!"

¡Hola everyone!

What a crazy week it has been here in Mexico!

Ok, so on on Tuesday we met with Jose Manuel and Jonathan. Jose Manuel is doing good and we put a goal date for him to be baptized on the 29th of October. He just needs to come to church now and pray for his response which I know will come if he just asks. Jonathan accepted a baptismal date today for the 29th of October! It is really exciting. He just needs to come to church now.

Wednesday, we taught Jonathan about the commandments and he has committed to live all the commandments and accepted to live the law of chastity, law of tithing, and word of wisdom! He said that he used to be a drug addict but he is on his second year now drug free. He said all he needs to change is that he drink a little bit of cerveza but said it is something he is willing to give up to be baptized and said he would gladly follow through with that. Yeah!

Thursday, we headed down to the mission office for me to sign some papers because there were conflicts with my name. Then, we met with our investigators, returned to our contacts, and knocked some more doors.

On Friday we knocked almost all day and found a really cool family and taught them the first lesson. The mom´s name is Laura and she has two kids, Mariana who is 12 and Benjamin who is 9. Benjamin loves us and likes to listen to the message we have. We know they are really good and that we can baptize them with a little hard work and faith. Funny story: Benjamin loves to listen to me beat-box and he and all his cousins are enthralled with it. Another funny story: Last week Elder Valdovinos and I were walking and I stepped in some wet cement, leaving my footprint. So now, I can really say I left my footprint in this first area of mine!

Saturday was more or less a somewhat disappointing day. We had all our appointments fall so we knocked and contacted a bunch and had a little bit of success. What makes up for it all is knowing I am doing the Lord's work and he is with me through it all!

Sunday was great and crazy at the same time. Andrea came to church and had such a powerful confirmation from the Spirit that this church is true. We talked to her for a little bit and are going to set her for a baptismal date this weekend! Hurray for the Spirit and prayers being answered! In other news, my camera, umbrella, and flashlight got stolen. They were all deep in my bag so I know that the only time someone could have taken my stuff was when I didn´t have my bag in my sight, which was only once during the day when we were helping one of our investigators with something and we were on the roof with him and his mom was downstairs. She does not like us and said our church is just one big lie. Anyway, I know she took my stuff, but she won´t admit it. So, I have just followed through with what Christ taught to love our enemies and it has given me such peace to do that. I just hope I can get it all back!

Today was another good p-day. We went to downtown Mexico City and saw all the cool buildings and later we have some interviews. Busy busy, but so great!

Well, I have to go. I love you all!

Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Me in front of a Catholic Cathedral

The Mexican Flag

Predicad Mi Evangelio - Preach My Gospel

¡Hola!

A great week it has been here in Mexico! The time seems to just fly by so quickly here!

Tuesday was a pretty good day. We contacted a bunch and knocked doors like crazy and ended up with quite a few appointments. Other than that, not too much else happened...but! It is just dandy!

On Wednesday we had some success! We found a lady named Denise and taught a great lesson and the Spirit was very strong. We invited her to be baptized and she agreed! Yeah!

Thursday, we started out with no appointments, so we went to work knocking doors and contacting! We even found some people that we taught lessons to and they were very receptive. Yay! Elder Valdovinos and I are praying to find a great family to teach and baptize. I know that as we keep working hard in this area, we will receive a family in answer to our prayers! On another note, the members here are great! They are so nice and we have a meal appointment every day! Hurrah for not starving! Here in Mexico there is only really one meal of the day at about 3pm and that`s pretty much all I need or even feel like eating, which is great!

On Friday we had a bunch of appointments. For the most part, a lot fell through. But the ones who we got to were great! We have one investigator named Jose Manuel who is an older man and drives a taxi. We found him on Thursday and returned today and he read 3 Nephi 11, the Restoration pamphlet we gave him and took it upon himself and started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning! Wow! We have taught him a bit and invited him to be baptized and he is going to pray and think about it this week and come to church and says when he feels it is right he will be baptized. I know as we pray to know the truth, we will always come to know it!

Saturday was good. We have 5 people we are really going to focus on: Jaime, Jonathan, Jose Manuel, Adreana, Denise, and Joselyn. I do not have time to expound on all of them, but they are all great and we are setting them all up for baptisms as they progress! I know that this gospel blesses lives. I have seen it in my own life and I see it even more in the lives of those we teach! So amazing!

Sunday was okay. Church was good and after, Elder Valdovinos and I knocked and contacted some more and had a little bit of success. And, as we keep working, we will have even more!

Today was p-day yet again, so that meant soccer with the zone! My team pretty much dominated all day long. We had a great offense (I scored a goal!) and a killer defense (me and our goalie Elder Brimhall!) and went 15-2 today with an 8 game win streak. After I finish this e-mail, Elder Valdovinos and I are going to get some tacos! Yay!

Everything is just amazing here. I wish I had more time to tell more! Anyway, I love you all! Take care!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Houses!

Lots and Lots of Houses!!

Bienvenido a la Ciudad de México (Welcome to Mexico City)

Hola and many greetings from Mexico!

Wow! What a week it has been here in Mexico! Everything is just amazing. The people, the food, serving the Lord, and a bunch of other things! Family, you would have a hay day here because there are SO many VW´s driving around up in this piece!

So last Thursday and Friday weren´t much of anything. Just a bunch of meetings and things for the missionaries leaving the MTC. Saturday and Sunday were spectacular and very spiritually uplifting from General Conference. I highly recommend reading over the talks again or going onto lds.org and watching videos of the talks. They were so good!

So. Monday. My first day in MEXICO! As I was flying in to the city, I looked out the window and what did I see? Houses. And I mean a lot and a lot of houses and buildings. They went as far as I could see! And I´m looking out of an airplane! President Tervort and his secretaries came and picked us up from the airport and drove us to the mission home. It is so crazy when you drive around here! There are basically no lines and people are merging whenever they want and driving super fast. So fun! Crazy thing is even with all the crazy driving, I have yet to see anyone hit another car. Mexico City is just great. I really feel at home here. I also feel unusually tall. That makes me happy. So we went to the mission home, had dinner (Pizza Hut and lasagna), and had a great meeting with President Tervort talking about what we ought to expect out of ourselves and how to help people know this gospel is true through a witness of the Spirit. Really great. Then we met our trainers! My trainer is Elder Valdovinos. He is from here in Mexico City except a different part. He is bien chito (really cool) and is great. Fun fact! Elder Valdovinos was also the trainer of one of my friends and basically roommates Elder Quirante! Crazy.

Tuesday was my first day in the field and boy was it crazy! Elder Valdovinos and I are opening a new area so we were starting from scratch so that means a bunch of knocking doors and contacting for a while which is very fun. I was getting so lost trying to understand everyone here. They speak so fast! But we had a few contacts and I ended the day with some lovely blisters on my feet. (good news now is my feet are like rocks! yeah! no more pain for me!)

Wednesday was great. I started contacting and knocking doors by myself! Yeah! All our appointments for today fell through, but it´s ok! It just means we get to work even harder to find the people God has prepared!

Thursday was pretty similar in that basically all our appointments fell through so we got to do a bunch more knocking and contacting! Elder Valdovinos said we need to try get up to 25 contacts each. Yay for motivation!

On Friday it poured on us! So much rain. Oh how I love it. Whether my books like it is another story for another time. We did more contacting and knocking and found a great lady named Blanca. She invited us in as we were knocking our last street for the day and we taught her about the Restoration and Book of Mormon. I felt the Spirit strongly and know she did too. We got her to even commit to read part of the Book of Mormon and pray about it and about Joseph Smith! God is always so gracious towards us in our lives. His Spirit and words in the scriptures always touch my heart.

Saturday. All of our appointments fell through so we knocked and contacted for most of the day. And guess what? I ended the day with 28 contacts! Whether or not they fall through doesn´t matter too much, just the fact that I can hold my own in conversations and understand people is great and also that Elder Valdovinos and I are talking to more people and about to find some investigators! It rained again also so he and I were nice and wet for a good part of the day.

Church was way good yesterday. There was such a great spirit there as we had a testimony meeting. I even got up and shared my testimony in Spanish! Thanks to Heavenly Father for the gift of tongues, I am doing pretty good in the language. We taught a great guy named Jaime also. He is great and I know that as he reads the Book of Mormon and prays, he will receive his witness of the truth and receive direction from on high in all he does as we promised him, just as I know we all can receive the same in our own lives!

Today was P-day so we played soccer as a zone. It was way fun. Elder Valdovinos and I also went and got tacos at a local stand. They were AMAZING. Street vendors here are superb and I would eat from them every day if I had the dinero to. These three things you will always find on the streets: tacos, chicharrones, and gelatin. Isn´t Mexico City amazing?

Well that´s all for now. I love you all!

Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

New Arriving Missionaries at the Mexico City Northwest Mission Home

Training Session for the new missionaries & meeting their Trainers

"Meet & Greet" at the mission home