Monday, April 1, 2013 - Holy, Holy Week!

Hola Mi Familia! Well, like you all most of the Latin American world has vacations these 2 weeks. It is Holy Week which is widely celebrated by the Catholics and so there are school vacations and everything! And basically when there are vacations everyone whole lives in the city leaves for the coast/beach and everyone who lives on the coast goes to the city so basically NOBODY was home this past week which made it extremely difficult to have lessons. That was pretty sucky! I feel bad because this week that I feel like I don't have much to report on, so sorry if this is short... With the Family we are teaching we did have quite an excellent lesson this week! They told us that they really really enjoyed the church services last week and that they felt comfortable and that they could see this as a future for them. We taught them Lesson 3 "The Gospel" which talks about baptism and all. We asked the million dollar question and invited them to baptism! THEY ACCEPTED!!!! We have put a date for the 4th of May...it is kind of a ways a way, but the General Conference Sunday kind of kills us with not having regular services (with the requirement that they have to attend 4 Sundays.). It was a really fantastic lesson and they gave us dinner again! It is pretty great! They seem to feed us every time we go over there! I love it! They are really starting to gain more and more trust in us and are more comfortable with us. We also challenged the dad to get his life in order and meet with the Bishop so that he could be the one to baptize his wife and daughter so that is what is up with that. Thursday night we had basically all of our appointments all threw and so we went to go visit our renters who live below us. They are the ones who aren't members...very very catholic....but love the missionaries to death like their own kids. We began talking and it turned into a lesson. They explained what this Holy Week meant to them as Catholics and we explained why we don't really celebrate the Holy Week, but more Easter and the Resurrection. It was quite an interesting chat and really interesting to hear their point of views on different things and also that we could share with them ours. I mentioned to them that one of my goals before leaving Mexico was to buy a Catholic Rosario (Rosary in English?) because I am absolutely fascinated by the Catholic religion and traditions. They took that as an appreciation and respect for their religion and gifted me one! YES! Mission accomplished! At the end, we had to go to another appointment and leave, but we left them with our testimonies of Easter and this season and we sang them our beautiful harmonized rendition of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". I felt a special spirit while singing it and I believe they did too, because when we finished it was just really silent and the spirit was so strong and then they just told us how beautiful it was and how in awe they were! It was nice! Well, now we get to the weekend events.... To begin, Elder companion and I got a phone call from my papa Asisitant Elder Melchor and he tells us that we would be getting another missionary with us and would be in a trio for the final 2 weeks of the transfer. So Friday night Elder companion #2 arrived with us. He has 5 months in the mission, but only 3 weeks in Mexico. He previously served 4 months in his own country due to visa problems. At first I was dreading it because the last time we were in a trio it was really hard to teach with 3 people and all. It actually didn't go to bad for the first day. The next night we went to visit a sister who is less active and she has a little snack hut outside her house and so we bought Tostitos from her which are basically the individual potato chip bags opened up and you put nacho cheese and sometimes meat or lettuce and tomato in it and eat it. It is pretty good..sometimes....Well that night I woke up shaking kind of badly and felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I spent the next hour sick to my stomach. It was not fun....I think it was the lettuce and tomato we ate it may have been saved from one day to the next. Well, I woke up feeling HORRIBLE and I could barely shower or walk around the house without getting really tired and having to sit down and my whole body ached. If we hadn't of had to confirm the lady and her son I would have said that we not go to church, but we had to. But we only went to Sacrament meeting and then came home and I spent most of the day in bed sleeping. The sucky thing is I basically wasn't able to eat anything at all that day. We ran out of bread so I could have a few slices of bread and the only other thing I had was cereal and milk and that wouldn't have been good for my stomach. My comps gave me a blessing and I felt somewhat better at the end of the day. I do feel loads better today, but there is still something that doesn't feel right and doesn't feel completely cured, so I don't know what I need....more sleep or more gatorade, or more medicine or what... During Sacrament meeting we also got a new Bishop and Bishopric... The old one was in for 5 years as bishop. That same morning, the Zone Leaders called and said that Elder companion had special transfers to Obregon and that he would be leaving Monday morning at 7AM. He was happy to leave with this being his first area and having almost 7 months here. I had mixed feelings. I was kind of happy and sad. We have had a rough time together but were just starting to get along these past few weeks. He is the comp that I have had the most time with as well... 4 months... So he left this morning and that was that. So I am here with Elder companion #2 and that is that. Well I hope you all have a good rest of the week and enjoy your break and time with Grandma and Papa! I love and miss you all tons! ¡Yo sé que vive mi Señor! Con Mucho Amor, Elder Joyner