We didn't start the fire!

🎶   Ok, I'm just hoping other people sang that title.

That is the title because last Wednesday we woke up and got ready and looked out the window right before we started to study and a bunch of leaves and stuff were on fire in our front yard... So I took a picture and we went back to studying. But the other photos are of my zone, the coast. and the sky looked cool so there are a couple pictures of that. And there was a caterpillar(please forgive my spelling) that made a cocoon on our door. But my companion doesn't like insects so this morning when the butterfly came out my companion killed it with a electric racket that we have.

 bunch of leaves and stuff were on fire in our front yard

 the coast. and the sky looked cool

And there was a caterpillar

 the coast. and the sky looked cool

 my zone

 really good snack that is just a pasta fried

The last photo is of this really good snack that is just a pasta fried. Literally. We helped someone prep for a party and she was making these and took pasta, put it in oil that was being heated on the stove, and then about 20 seconds later took it out and it had grown about 3 times bigger!

So Tuesday we had a zone meeting and after that we were able to find someone that contacted us and he has a mototaxi(It's a three wheeled motorcycle but a taxi), so after talking to him for a while he gave us a free ride! I hope we can meet with him again.

Wednesday was the fun little fire. That was about the most different thing on Wednesday. We had a good day and taught 4 lessons. Not terrible but we can teach more if we really try.

Thursday we went to San Jose and that was fun. We don't have a lot of time over there so it is really hard to find people because we don't want to get lost and we need to remember where our investigators live, because we already lost one because of that.

Friday we found a less active who was really sick and lost his leg which is why he is inactive. But he's gained a lot of strength back. I hope we can pick him up in his wheelchair next week and bring him to church.

Saturday was good. Nothing huge or different. 5 lessons which is about average. between 4 and 5 is normal. Except on Pdays and Sunday which are less.

Sunday we had service and washed a dog called HEYSHA. Try pronouncing that. In spanish, it would be how we in english pronounce Asia. Which is why for a long time I thought her name was Asia. She is Hermana Ana Cristina's(Paco's Mom) dog.

Hope everyone is great! The scripture that I want to share is a whole chapter so everyone read Alma 26!

First zone activity!

Well all of the photos are from the zone activity because that was the main different thing that happened this week.

one is of me on the beach

trail leading to the beach

trail leading to the beach

the beach! Well and rocks... Super pretty. 

the beach! Well and rocks... Super pretty. 

the beach! Well and rocks... Super pretty. 

So, one is of me on the beach, two are of the trail leading to the beach, and the rest are the beach! Well and rocks... Super pretty.

The zone activity threw the week out of whack, because it meant no Pday Monday, but nothing on Tuesday; and Wednesday we had a district meeting instead of Tuesday. Wednesday we also had exchanges and I stayed in Rio Grande with my district leader Elder Rivera coming and I only needed help from some members to find one person! Even though I've been here for almost 9 weeks, wow it doesn't feel like that long, our area is super huge. And so it is still hard knowing where everyone lives. Not having addresses or street names doesn't help.

But anyway! Monday we had a family home evening, well a family home afternoon with Paco's family because his sister is in town for a couple weeks. They are all newly baptized converts but they are incredibly strong in the church. We couldn't have the family home evening in the evening because we had to go to Puerto that night for traveling to San Pedro Pochutla on Tuesday.

Tuesday we woke up early to travel to the zone activity! We got to Pochutla and then changed into normal people clothes and then in a taxi went to Puerto Ángel beach. Well it is a beach in Puerto Ángel... I don't know the name... But we played volleyball and frisbee, and I got to know the new senior couple that is serving in Oaxaca a little bit! They are cool, Elder and Hermana Johnson I think. I also got to meet Elder Forsyth who is the only companion of my companion (Elder Seañez) that is still in his mission besides me. But he finishes his mission in 3 weeks. I think Hermana Madsen put up a lot of photos on Facebook.

But Wednesday we had a district meeting and then Elder Rivera, my district leader came with me to Rio Grande and we did a lot of contacting, and met with a less active who has a daughter that wants to be baptized. Also Paco gave us 3 references and was with us for a couple hours.

Thursday, we went to a small town called San Jose, like we do every Thursday because we have investigators and a less active family there.

Friday we went to the doctor, a specialist in the intestinal tract because my companion has an inflamed intestine I think and a parasite. And this week he got meds to get rid of the parasite because 2 weeks ago he took meds to calm the inflamed parts. So he is only dying a little bit because the parasite is getting flushed out.

Saturday Paco came with us again and we met with Rolando and he is doing better but he still doesn't feel ready to commit to a baptismal date. We also had a lesson with Bendito, who lives in a town over an hour away, but still in our area (XD Our area is very large...) But he is good friends with a family of members here and he travels here a lot for his work so we got to have a lesson with him and he is really interested, it is just really hard to meet up with him.

Sunday, we had 4 investigators at church! But one of them is a 10 year old of a family of members who is waiting for his mom to visit from the US before he gets baptized because he wants her here. Then it was also Rolando and 2 young men in a less active family that live in San Jose so it is a bit hard for them to come to church because it is over a half hour away and cost 50 pesos per person to get here and back in an urban. Very few people have cars here.

And yeah so that was my week. Hope y'all are doing great!

Well I hit my 3 month mark!

So I've been in my mission for over three months now and have over 1/8 done with my mission! Man, how the time flies!

So I got to burn some socks for my 3 month anniversary! I took a picture of the socks and a video but the video is a bit too big to send...

And the other 2 pictures are one of my district and one of my house. It is very yellow. Don't know why I haven't sent a picture of it yet.

Anyway, today the letter is short because I don't have a bunch of time because our Pday was cancelled because of our zone activity tomorrow which will be a beach party. But we are allowed a bit of time to write.

This week we had 2 investigators at church which was good, but it's hard for us to find new investigators because my companion has talked to basically all of Rio Grande and we don't have a lot of money so we only travel to one nearby town that is in our area one day a week.

But one of the best things that happened this week is Paco (recent convert) and his sister ( also a recent convert, 20 years old) came with us to an appointment with an investigator who is struggling to keep her commitments and I think it helped her realize that there are normal Mormons too. Not all of them are wierdo missionaries XD But for recent converts they have incredible testimonies!

one of my district

So I got to burn some socks for my 3 month anniversary! I took a picture of the socks

one of my house

Yeah, no scripture this week cuz I'm out of time... but remember that God is always there if we want Him to be!

Investigators at church!

One of the most exciting things this week was we had 3 investigators at church! While that may not seem like a big deal, it is. Normally we have 1 or maybe 2; but 3 is SUPER AWESOME!

one was me being bored on Pday. So I took a picture of my agenda.

Then the sky looked cool so I took a picture of that.

One is of the church,

one is of my companion because President said we could wear hats so he wanted to know what President thinks of his new hat.

Anyway, for the photos. One is of the church, one is of my companion because President said we could wear hats so he wanted to know what President thinks of his new hat. Then the sky looked cool so I took a picture of that. And the last one was me being bored on Pday. So I took a picture of my agenda.

Anyway, one of our investigators who is 10 and in a family of members but he still counts as an investigator, had a family friend pass away this week so we didn't get to meet with him, because his whole family is in town and they are all Catholic and Catholics have some interesting funeral things for the first 9 days, and then a month later, and a year and so on, it is interesting... But that is ok. We've been praying a lot for them.

Also, Rolando, who has been really stuggling to make it to church was at church! We met with him on Friday and he really wants to get closer to Heavenly Father and he is really trying. But I know that him coming to church will really help him.

We have 2 teenagers that are part of a less active family that made it to church as well! They are really cool, and have their baptismal date for the end of this month! We have been going over the lessons a bit fast but they are understanding very well and keeping their commitments so it is great!

Oh, and one awesome thing this week was that we were able to get a full set of LDS Scriptures to Paco! He had the Book of mormon but needed D&C and while he had a bible, it didn't have any of the footnotes because it wasn't an LDS bible, and yes they are the same, but the footnotes really help. But we were able to get him a set of scriptures and write our testimonies in it and highlight our favorite verses! It was super cool!

Oh! ALSO! Another HUGE rainstorm Sunday night. That was super fun. Got home super wet but my stuff was completely dry and after 10 minutes so was I! Definitely an answered prayer there.

I'm definitely seeing an improvement in my spanish! But my english spelling is declining I think so forgive me. But I fasted to be able to recognize the gift of tongues and for my investigators to progress more and both of those happened that day!

But besides that this week wasn't super different so I'll leave y'all with a mormon message that helped me this week.

It is Elder Holland's testimony of the Book of Mormon and it is inspiring. I want to be able to share my testimony with the power that he has.