Monday, October 1, 2012 - Another Week Gone.....

Hola Mi Familia! Thankfully week one of this new transfer has gone by pretty quickly and just five more to go. I always love reading all of the happenings at home! Sounds like things are plugging along. It makes me happy that you feed the missionaries so regularly, and not just 2, but all 4! Thank you for that! I always hope that you all treat the missionaries in our ward how you would want me to be treated by the members here! It just make me happy to hear that! Thanks for that! That is way awesome about Seminary and missionary experiences! Way to go Elise and Alex you little missionaries! Give references to the Elders! We love that! And it is fun to share the Gospel with friends! Keep up the work! First, let me just finish my package praises. I failed to thank you all for my beautiful Life cereal that you put in my package which just so happens to be my favorite! Needless to say it was gone within a 2 days or so! Also, the Mac and Cheese has saved me this week! After Monday, we ran out of money because of all the traveling we did this month and we didn't get more until this past Saturday which was the monthly allowance for October. So we had basically little food and I didn't really want to take out any money from my debit card (but had to anyway because we ran out of gas and I was NOT about to return to cold water). I was just kind of browsing about to make a shake (which I didn't really want to do because it isn't as filling) and I suddenly remembered "mi a-ma" as they say down here had sent me 2 boxes worth of Mac and Cheese. So we ran to the little store right next to our house and bought a stick of butter and I was able to be quite full the last 3 days of this week when we didn't have money! What a blessing! Thanks mom! Going along with the food in my package, I gave in and bought some cooking oil, but didn't want to buy eggs because they sell them in like 36. Luckily a sister in the rama was nice enough to give me some eggs and I was able to bake my BROWNIES!!!!! Ahhh!!! They were soo good! You just should have seen my face while I was making them! It made me so happy! They turned out superb and were so delicious! Of course I shared because that would just be rude not to and I had to introduce my American dessert to my Mexican comp. They sell American Betty Crocker cake mix boxes here, but they lack the American Brownies! I think he really liked them because he went back for more and even asked for them after breakfast! Ha! Yum yum! So good! Thanks again mom! Speaking of food! Since I have a stove, I got creative and bought some pancake mix and made pancakes for breakfast. They weren't the best I've ever had being Mexican brand (they had like corn flower in them or something), but it was still a decent breakfast! Okay, enough of food... So this past week marked one year since I received my mission call, and now here I am, actually in Mexico and speaking Spanish! It is great! I was talking to Justin and telling him how someone could be talking in Spanish and then immediately switch and start talking in English and I wouldn't notice the difference! It is really neat to get to that point of understanding! It's great! To answer your question, dad, about General Conference, we are going to Agua Prieta to one of the Chapels there to watch conference. They other missionaries tell me that they set up a room for the English Elders to watch it in English if we want to, which I think I might do! I'm not really sure about logistics right now, but I think we may leave Friday night for Agua Prieta, since the first bus here leaves at 8AM in the morning and it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get there; so we wouldn't get there in time Saturday morning and since we are on Pacific time it starts at 9AM here. So that is my thinking, but I'm not sure at this moment. As far as the members go, they will either go to AP as well, or go to someone's house who has internet. I'm not sure exactly what they will do though. I absolutely LOVE conference time! It is my favorite time of the year! I love to listen to all the talks and especially the MoTab Choir! Conference is so uplifting and refreshing and I think I need a refresher about now. And just thinking...after this conference, there will only be 2 more and then the 3 I will be watching from my own home. Crazy! I want to issue a challenge that I am going to do myself. I've always been told that if you have questions or doubts in your life or need guidance or something like that, before conference thoughtfully pray about those questions asking for you to receive the answer in conference and when you watch, you will always receive the personal revelation and answer and guidance that you need. So I am going to come up with some guidance and questions that I have and prayerfully ask for the answers and we will see what happens during conference time. I encourage you all to do the same! :) So this week, we received a few references that we will be working within the next few weeks from a sister in our branch. I think I may have already mentioned this, but this Sister, Hermana Maru, was recently appointed the director of DIF (which stands for like, well, in English, Developing and Integrated family relationships or something like that) which is like DEFACS or however that is abbreviated. It is basically social work helping families and making sure children are living in good surroundings in good homes and are not neglected or whatever. Well, she has been talking to us a lot since she was appointed director and has a few people for us to visit. She has created this program that has been accepted by the city government here which involves different churches and religions here helping rebellious youth or whatever. For our church she has created that the kids that need help are taught standards and morals by us the missionaries and that the kids go to seminary and the whole family goes to church and all. It sounds pretty cool. Soo.....there is this sister in our branch who is the only member in her family apart from another sister who lives in Hermosillo. She is always bringing her nieces and nephews to church though and the kids are practically members. At first the parents of these kids didn't want them to get baptized, but they are opening up more and more. Well, it turns out that one of these kids who is 14 has had a problem with drugs and his parents went to the Hermana in DIF and they started this program with this kid. So he is going to be going to seminary and the whole family has to come to church every week and we are going to be teaching them. We already know the boy wants to be baptized and his sister, we just have to work on the parents, but will come little by little, I'm sure of it. So that is basically what has been up in missionary work this week! Well, I hope I haven't written your eyes off! I feel like I've written too much! I didn't have as many emails this week so it left me a ton of time to write and I just get carried away sometimes! :) Well, I hope all is well! I miss and love you all tons! ¡Yo sé que vive mi Señor! Con Mucho Amor, Elder Joyner