This week has been a little rough as far as my body goes. Each day is the new record for the hottest of my mission. I am scared to death to enter July. All week my stomach was a little uneasy and travelers was pretty common, but we didnt slow down a bit. Every time we wanted to take a break from walking and contacting and stand in the shade, we just said that satan cant beat us that easy and kept going. We had zone conference this week (and ya I got the package with all the chocolate goodness! It was all completely melted, but nothing our freezer can't solve! thank you thank you thank you!!) and realized some things we can do to have more success. We were working hard before, but we have taken it to a whole new level. We realized that in order to encounter the 15 escogidos we need to teach shorter lessons so we can contact and knock doors for more hours each day. It has been incredible to realize how much more effective this is. When we cut our lessons from about 45 minutes to 15-20 we can feel the spirit so much stronger it is incredible. We can also teach more people each day in order to find those that will progress. However, it is extremely hard to work so hard in this heat. They also encourage us to fast weekly, and that is also a real test of manhood. In our fast this week, I was already feeling uneasy in my stomach, then I was about to die of thirst, and then just to cap it off... I was walking and looking down to keep my face out of the scorching sun and the next thing I knew I was like blacking out and had throbbing pain in my head like someone hit me with a hammer. It took a little while, but I came to and looked around to find that I had walked in to a low cement roof and just crammed my head on the corner. It hurt so bad I wanted to cry! This town wasn't built for tall gringos. You would laugh at how many times I hit my head on street signs and all kinds of little things. So that fast was a little rough, but we have received so many blessings for our perseverance.
Before I tell you about the more spiritual things, I have one more little experience to share. At zone conference, Hna Cardenas was really worried about everyone having worms and other parasites, so she gave us some dried plant leaves in a bag and instructed everyone to make tea with them Sunday night to clear our systems. Obedience with exactness... Last night was the worst night of my entire life! The tea was terrible for one thing. I have taken a lot of medicines that taste terrible, but all of the others are to clear a cold or calm my stomach.... this one was to upset my stomach so much that my body rejected every single thing that was inside of it. From about 1 in the morning to 5, I was in and out of my hammock and running to the bathroom to hover my little bum over our toilet without a freaking toilet seat. I have never felt so sick and so weak in my entire life. It is okay to laugh about it now because now I feel great! I am not sure what was in my body this week that made me feel sick, but it isnt in there anymore. This has been a really humbling week.
The highlight of the week started Monday night. We had a Noche de Hogar with a member family, Luis y Marysela, that INVITED THEIR NON MEMBER FRIENDS OVER FOR US TO TEACH!! (hint hint) We created a sweet lesson with Helaman 5:12 and the activity with like a sand castle of flour that you cut away until the coin at the top falls and then you have to dig it out with your nose. It was a blast. Then we taught that we are the coin at the top of the "rock of Christ" but satan is constantly cutting away at our foundation during the week and that is why it is so important that we attend church weekly. Then we committed Carlos and Martha and their family to come to church with us this week. Then we set an appointment and left. We taught them again Tuesday night. We taught them lesson one with huge emphasis on how this can bless their family to be more united and have more happiness. The coolest part is that they have watched how happy and united the family of Luis ad Marysela is and they want to have that in their own family. People are always watching! Lesson one went really well and they felt the spirit and we committed them to pray and everything. We went back on Friday night after ending our fast. However, Carlos started the lesson with telling us that his whole family is Catholic and that he doesnt want to change and be the odd one out. That is a hard way to start a lesson, but the spirit just took over. We taught about faith, repentance, and baptism like we always do at the second visit, but this time was way different. We taught it exactly to his needs and the spirit was so strong. During the lesson, we talked about the answer they received when they prayed and they both told us that they knew Jose Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. Then at the end of the lesson we committed them to be baptized, but again he explained that he was Catholic and just couldnt... ha weren't expecting that were you. We left that appointment just devastated. However, yesterday they still came to church and they LOVED it. It also helped that the theme was all about prophets and we stood and sang Praise to the Man in sacrament meeting. They accepted another appointment for tomorrow, so hopefully this story isn't over.
As a companionship, we have learned so much this week about how to have the spirit more in our teaching and how vital it is. We have had some of the most amazing lessons this week. This week was definitely one of trials for me, but something has just changed and I have so much love for every single person here. Apparently fathers day isnt until next week, but our branch had a fathers day party Saturday night and we got to go for like 15 minutes but it was the cutest thing ever. The fathers played musical chairs and danced all around, the mothers sang some corny love song, we played tug of war.... just watching them and thinking about the week and everything just made me realize how happy I am. I love it here!
From what I have heard, many missionaries stay in the same area for a long time, but I don't know because others don't. Elder Valdivia served 8 months in Cancun, but it like 3 different areas in Cancun. I am not sure what will happen with this next transfer, but I have a feeling that things will get mixed up. We also get our new president after this transfer so who knows how he will run things. As for my stuff, everything is still holding up perfectly. I am well equiped so dont worry about that. As far as what I want in my package, I dont know. I love whatever you send. If you could send or email the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies, I think I could make them here, but just to be safe maybe toss some of them in the box. For sure toss in the movie of greasy zac! Next week I will put my pics on a cd or dvd and send them home. I love pics in your emails! Send me some of the yard and boating when you get a chance!
I can't believe Zac only has one more transfer. It makes me sick. Not because I want to end my mission, but because I love being out at the same time as him. I love thinking about what he is doing at the same time as me to help me keep working hard when I don't think I can. Make sure he is one of the weird RMs and keeps up his missionary habits! Have him tag along with Dean to some sweet stake dances! ha I cant believe dean is so grown up in just 4 months!
Don't worry about me! I will use my debit card if I need, but I am fine! I have it so much better than the people here. I found out that minimum wage here is 40 pesos for a whole day! These people work so hard and don't get paid hardly anything.
This week we have planned a huge ward missionary challenge, so I will tell you about how it goes in my next email... but the challenge is for you too! Ask the missionaries for at least one pamphlet for lesson one. Then during the week you have to give it to a non member, testify to them, and set up an appointment that you and the missionaries can teach a lesson. This is our challenge for our branch here to get them more involved so we can become a ward!! If I don't hear that you at least placed a pamphlet by next week, I will eat eggs from the garbage again... please place a pamphlet!
I love you all! The church is freaking true!!
Elder Jergensen
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