"¡Hola Brothers!"

Hey guys!

Elder Jay and I had a tough week.  We weren't able to visit with our investigators this week who were going to be baptized because the mom was double-shifting all week and then they didn't go on Sunday either because of her work and then through her family members we were told she doesn't want to be baptized anymore.  We still haven't been able to get in touch with her, but we are praying that we soon can to talk with her and get her doubts all figured out and find out what it is exactly that is holding her back.

However, we were able to find some people by always contacting or talking to people who yell out at us in the street.  For example, this week we were leaving a house from teaching some kids English and we came out to find an inactive family pass by.  So we went around the corner with them and invited them to church.  As we went down a street that we originally weren't planning on going down to get to the metro, we passed a man who said "hola brothers". We stopped and started talking to him and I asked if he had ever had the chance to talk with missionaries. He said he never had the opportunity but that he would love to talk to us and that he needs some direction in his life. So we are doing good and the work is moving forward.

We also had a Multi-Mission Conference this past Tuesday with Elder Russell M. Nelson and he talked about our grand heritage and how knowing who we are prepares us to receive the blessings we are promised and to accomplish the prophecies about us. It was good and a great conference.

Well, that's all! I hope you have a great week! Love you all!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,
Elder San Diego

The District (MTC)

BIG plant!!

Great Blessings Coming From The Lord!!

Hey folks and family!

Elder Jay and I had an awesome week and saw lots and lots of success!

We found two new families this week who are progressing fantastically and are feeling the spirit with us every time we go and are accepting the steps they need to take that will near them to their salvation. We are doing great and are excited for another great week of work!

We baptized a man named Rafael who contacted us in the street our second day here in the area. His dad was inactive and 10 years ago he always went to church with him but was never baptized and he wanted to learn more and be closer to the Savior. So we went and have had many great experiences with him and what a joy it was to see him in white with Elder Jay and be baptized.

We also have a family of three that we are going to baptize this Sunday and they are super excited and ready and willing to follow our Lord. Their names are Veronica (mom), Daniela (daughter), and Daniel (son).

Great stuff and great blessings coming from the Lord because of our faith and obedience!

Have a great week!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Rafael's baptism!

My posterity!

"She Knew It Was Her Answer From God"

Hey folks!

Elder Jay and I had an amazing week.

One experience we had came as direction from the Spirit.  We had all of our appointments fall one night and Elder Jay turned to me and told me,"Quick who are you thinking of right now that we should go visit?"  I thought for second and the name Sergio Lara came to mind.  He is an inactive in our ward who has leg problems and has a hard time getting to church.  We went and visited him and find one of the previous Elders old investigators there who we had only talked to once before whose name is Guadalupe.  We chatted with her and were going to share a message with all but Sergio didn't feel good right then so we put an appointment with her for the next day.  The next day Elder Jay and I planned to sing, pray, and testify.  We went over and sung for her and started with a prayer and taught about the Godhead.  The Spirit came and we all could feel it.  She then said that she was confused between us and the Jehovah's Witnesses and how she didn't want to keep studying with the JW's because there were a lot of things that she didn't agree with.  I then asked her, "Guadalupe, will you believe the words I tell you right now?"  She said she would so I started to testify to her that Jehovah was and is Jesus Christ.  She believed me, but wanted me to also show her through the scriptures that what I said was true.  I showed her lots of scriptures and explained to her all those things and she was satisfied and convinced.  We then asked if we could say a kneeling prayer with her to ask God for an answer to the questions she had and to receive a response that what she learned from all the missionaries she had met with was true.  We knelt down and offered a prayer each.  When we ended, the spirit was super strong and she started to cry.  She said it was the first time in her life she had ever knelt down to pray and that it was a humbling and special experience for her to kneel down before her God because all her life she had been a very prideful person.  She identified how she felt as being from the spirit and was so excited and knew it was her answer from God.  We invited her to be baptized and she accepted! She will be baptized this Saturday!

We had many other amazing experiences this week and we have learned a lot together.  We have a family who has also accepted to be baptized in preparation right now and also a few more single people.  The work is going great and we are loving it!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,
Elder San Diego

p.s. Oh yeah! We also had a baptism too! Guadalupe! Yay!! The one I talked about last week!

Guadalupe's baptism!

When I was a child a talked as a child, I acted as a child, I shaved as a child; 
but when I became a man, and had to shave every day, 
I put away childish things and started shaving with shaving cream.

Hot Water All The Time! Whoo!!

Hey guys!

Elder Jay and I had a great week. We got going from the get go and found a lot of members in the street who talked to us and have given us some references who we are going to visit this week. We had an inactive member of our ward contact us in the street this week and he was with his son and they talked to us for a bit and invited us to their house the next day. We went and got to know them more and taught about the Restoration. The Spirit came strong and we recognized it with them and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We invited the dad, Humberto, to go to church again and he said he would and recognized that it's time for him to get back to church. We invited the son, Rafael, to be baptized and he said he would love to be baptized. The are doing good but couldn't go to church this week because they had family members visit them from Cancun. So, we will go this week with him and continue preparing him for his baptism which will be for the next week. 

We also went with a sister in the ward this week to visit some inactive sisters and while we were going with her, we passed by the house of a friend and she told us that she would like to have us visit her and teach her. We went over the next day with Sis. Perez to visit her friend and she let us in. We started getting to know her and talked about some important decisions we make in our lives and how following the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses our lives and helps us overcome all the struggles and challenges we have. The Spirit came and Elder Jay invited her to be baptized and at first she didn't understand the why behind baptism and how, but after explaining some more, she said she would love to follow Jesus Christ's example and be baptized, so we have her baptism planned for this Thursday!

We had a great week and I have loved Elder Jay's work ethic and enthusiasm for the work of salvation. I have learned a lot from him and will continue to do so as we grow together. The new ward we are in (Joyas) is a super big area too! We have lots of work to do! The house we live in is honestly the best I have seen in the mission. Hot water all the time! Whoo! Also, the owners we live with are recent converts and super cool and love us to death. Yay! Well, we had a great week and I have you guys do too! I love you all!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Me and Elder Jay

Time For A "Change"!!

Hey guys!

Last week as we finished up our time together, Elder Cadena and I had one of our better weeks yet. Even though we were limited on time because of having to go on divisions with Elder DeHart and Elder Carreto, we were able to find and teach more people. We went with Orfelina, a reference from a sister in the ward who went to church last week, and had an amazing lesson with her. We taught her about the Restoration and when my companion was relating the First Vision, the Spirit was strongly present. As we explained the function of the Spirit and testified it was there as we helped her identify it, she started to cry and explained how she felt really good. As I explained the Gospel of Jesus Christ and baptism to her, the Spirit was eer more present. I extended the baptismal invitation and she whole heartedly accepted. As we kept passing by to teach her, she had a new life and light in her eyes. I could really feel the difference the Gospel of Jesus Christ was making in her life and how happy it was making her. We had an amazing experience with her this past week but unfortunately she is not married and her man doesn't want to be married right now. We did all we could to help them in that aspect but in the end the guy just said he didn't want to. But, we left her and a few other good investigators for the new elders who are going to be there.

So, today I got changed! I got changed to an area called Joyas 2 in the Industrial Stake. And, I am training again and still being District Leader! My companion's name is Elder Jay but I still haven't met him yet because I go pick him up tonight from President Tervort's house. I think he will be pretty cool but I will have to tell you all more about him next week. Funny thing is last time I was here in Industrial I was with Elder Andrew and he was my District Leader. Then, he went up as Zone Leader  in Centenario and one change later I was one of his District Leaders. Then, he got put down after his time as Zone Leader and I was his District Leader. Now, he got put back up as Zone Leader here in Industrial and I am again one of his District Leaders. I guess President Tervort just already knows that we come in a package! I am excited for this new area I am in and I know as we work hard, we will have a lot of success! Have a great week! I love you all!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,
Elder San Diego

Volcano - Iztaccihuatl

Volcano - Popocatépetl

Good Bye 2012, Welcome 2013!!

Hey guys!

We had a pretty good week. It was great seeing my family on Christmas via Skype. It truly is a miracle and a blessing to have the kind of technology that we have in this time and age to bless our lives and the lives of others in an instant. It was good to see them and hear of their successes. We had a good week and found some great people who are excited to listen to the gospel and know of the blessings it has to offer us in our lives. One sister in the ward even brought her friend to church this week and then presented her to us. She was excited, as was her friend, about the opportunities that are opened before us as we open our hearts and souls to the Lord by receiving His gospel. We worked hard and will continue to do so.

In this time of the year, we have the marvelous opportunity to reflect on our lives, our successes and failures, the chances we have to improve, the love we can give, and the happiness we can find in the service of the Lord. In this season of the New Year, I am reminded of the principle of repentance. Many prophets and apostles have written and spoken of this divine gift of repentance. It is well known that the Savior gave His life for us that we may live. It is true that it is only in and through Christ our Lord that we can be washed clean of sin and sorrow and receive the peace, joy, and glory that awaits us in the heavenly realm. Yet, He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. My dear friends and family, let us not turn to our own way and forget the Lord. Let us not wander in darkness. Let us not commit one more sin or regretful mistake than is necessary. Let us always remember Him. Let us live our lives as He did His. Let us reach out and help another. Let us serve our brethren. True happiness only comes by making others happy. Let us rise out of the dust and shake ourselves off and act instead of wait. Let us rededicate ourselves to the Lord. In this New Year, let us live better, stand a little taller, and be more Christ-like. We have the chance to repent; to change! If we have made mistakes, it's okay. All of us do. What we need to do with those mistakes is forsake them. For that reason, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came to the world. For that reason, He sacrificed all so that we may live, if we will repent. Let us start again and come unto the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Ronald and I just chatt'in it up!

The after effects of Christmas dinner on me and Elder Hatch

Feliz Navidad Everyone!!

Dear folks,

We had an okay week. We found the little girl named Vania who we are preparing for baptism and she is still excited about it. (If I have never mentioned her before, she is the daughter of an inactive member lady we found) The only thing is that she couldn't go to church this week again. The good thing is that her mom doesn't work for the next few weeks and wants to start going back to church! So we should be able to find her more frequently and prepare her for baptism. Yay! This week we had two families we had found tell us that they don't want to or can't listen any more. It was disappointing for the both of us but we kept working to find more whom we can teach. But we have good hopes and faith for this week. We had a guy contact us yesterday in the street and tell us he wants to learn more and be closer to God and Christ. That was a tender mercy from the Lord and we will meet with him tomorrow and see how it goes! It should be good and we are praying for the best!

In good news, the world didn't end! Whoopie! That just means we still have time to save people! But we had a good week. Lately, we have been helping a kid in our ward with his english and as I have taught english over the course of my mission, I remember the words of my past english teachers telling us one day we would have to teach somebody english and me thinking 'yeah, right'. Just goes to show that all those who are older than you will always be right. Anyway, tomorrow is Christmas! Yay! My prayer is that we may always have the spirit of Christmas to be with us throughout all the year, and not just in the moments in which we unite as a family to celebrate the holidays. Let us always remember him. In good and in bad, let us give thanks to the redeemer of our souls, Jesus Christ, the very Son of God. May our hearts always be full of cheer, love, joy, and giving. As we focus and center our lives on Christ, we can enjoy the peace he has to offer us in life. We are never alone. We are never forgotten. Let us never forget Him. And may we always enjoy the feeling of Christmas all year round. In the name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

See you tomorrow family! Love you all!

¡Ten fe y se obediente!

Todo mi amor,

Elder San Diego

Hey! The world didn't end!