Reading Zacs letters makes me realize they keep us on a pretty tight leash here... we have to obey the white handbook. ha jk but like we arent allowed to get together with other missionaries and play sports on pday or anything. It hasnt really been a problem since we are an hour away from anyone. But that is rocking that you played against some black ballers. There arent too many of those here. Occasionally, we will come across some jokers playing basketball, but mexicans just arent good at it for some reason.
Ha but in response, no I still havent gotten that other package. We should have zone conference like this week or the next, so I should get it soon.
NYC sounds like it was a blast. Those robots are freaking rocking babies!! I cant believe how much different you already look freakins! Your teeth more than anything else! good grief. ha ya the heat can be a pain, but I have grown to love it. Everyday this week that I caught myself thinking it was too hot or feeling uncomfortable with my clothes sticking to me, I just said "I will take the sun over the rain anyday!" We didnt have any rain this week and I was so happy. It is funny because now when we are like in the church with AC, I am just feezing. I enjoy every minute of it, but it feels good when we get to go back outside and feel the wall of humidity and sun.
Our leaders came this week to conduct another baptismal interview, so I went on splits with one of them. It was way sweet to experience a different teaching style. We did work. We contacted everyone, and on guy let us in to teach him. I am not sure if it was the most effective, but we committed him to be baptized after we taught like a 15 minute lesson 3 (faith, repentance, and baptism) After accepted that day, he ended up falling later in the week, but it helped me lose my fear and gain back my drive that there are people here that are ready to be baptized. We have had a hard time lately because all of our investigators that were progressing are now baptized and all of ours that werent progessing are now dropped. We contacted and taught a ton this week, but just cant seem to get people to progress solidly, so we are pulling out all the tricks this week.
Well I had a way sweet experience this week. Last week, when the stake presidency came, they told us to focus our attention this week and getting the inactives back to church because we are making a big push to get the assistance up in the branch so we can become a ward. On Saturday, we went to an appointment we had with a guy that has been inactive for who knows how long. He lives freaking far away (and the leaders ended up not giving us permission to keep using out bikes and at the end of the month we didnt have any money for taxi so we walked a ton!) and we got out there only to find that he wasnt there. Since we were out there, we felt that we should knock doors in this little cuartaria. We stood at the locked gate and yelled "Buenos Dias." We saw a woman in the first apartment hesitate and then come out to meet us. Come to find out, she was also a member of the church. She had converted in Chiapus, but moved here 5 years ago when there wasnt a church building or anything here, so she lost contact with the church. Then she had work that prevented her from assisting the church when the chapel was built. Then she started to cry, and through her tears explained that things had been really difficult lately. She told us that she had finally started praying again this week to receive help and guidance in her life, and then we showed up at her doorstep inviting her back to church. It was such a sweet experience and testimony that the Lord answers prayers and that we are simply his instruments. We didnt hardly do anything but where our ties and nametags, but that was all she needed.
We spent all day Saturday walking, contacting, and knocking doors. So much that we showed up late to our own baptismal service at 7:30. We got there to find everyone wating outside and the ward mission leader came to tell us that he hadnt been able to get the water to work so the font was still empty. So solid. For the next 30 minutes we were callling for a water truck, trying everything in the church, (trying to get permission to go to the beach ;) ha ). Luckily, for some reason the water kicked on and we were able to fill the font surprisingly fast and things went smooth from then on. I baptized a 9 year old girl named Andrea. Even though she is just a little 9 year old girl, she is legit. Her mom and the rest of her relatives are members of the church that have been inactive for like 13 years. In some of our first days here, we tracted into them and started passing by them every once in a while. Next thing we know, Andrea started coming to church by herself. Then the next week, with her little brother. Slowly week after week she got more and more of her family to come until now all of them come faithfully every week. He mom is now back in the relief society, we eat lunch with them every Tuesday, and she is preparing to go through the temple. It has been incredible to see the faith and desire of Andrea totally change their whole family. Even the babies would like her (if she didnt beat them up because she is huge. She actually reminds me a ton of dean grease because she is like a teenager mentality but not that old)
Yesterday we were feeling way down in church because almost all of our investigators bailed on their commitment to come to church. But as I stood at the back of the chapel, I looked around at who all was their and especially those that wouldnt have been 9 weeks ago. Whether they were people we baptized, families of people we baptized, or less actives that we visited. Not that we are anything special, but simply for our effort the Lord has used us to help these people. I love this branch and it is so sweet to watch it grow in numbers and strength.
Well I love you all so much! The parents of the branch presidents wife were here all week, so I didnt get a chance to ask her for those recipes because they were never really in the house, but I will get them next week! I love you all so so so much! The girls are on the lower end of the totem pole, but I am offering them a chance to redeem themselves this next week!
And like our investigators, I am leaving you with a commitment... Invite a non member to have a lesson with the missionaries in our house this week! I want to hear all about it in your emails next week. As I am on the other side of the spectrum, I realize that our family can up the missionary work. Be the family that the missionaries write home about. ¡No Tengan Miedo!
Can't wait to hear all about it! I love you!
Elder Jergensen
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