Week #27

Hey,

So guess what? Transfers are today and I´m going to..... stay here in Tuxtla Chico with Elder Aguilar! :-) I´m excited to keep working with Elder Aguilar because he´s a great companion and we currently have some potential baptisms within the next few weeks. The town of Tuxtla Chico is fairly small so I would´ve liked a change of scenary, but who cares when it´s the will of the Lord right? haha Today makes 3 months here and after this next transfer it will make 4 1/2 months.

We are still visiting Andres, Angel, and Irvin but they still aren´t sure about baptism. They told us the last visit that they would pray about the 26th and Irvin actually prayed about the ``26 of March´´ in the closing prayer. We still don´t know why they didn´t make it to church yesterday but we are going to pass by tonight and see what happened. We stopped by yesterday after church but no one was home. They are reading the Book of Mormon and praying so I definitely say they will get baptized in this extra transfer!

Aurelio is really old and needs more time to understand I think. We ask him about baptism but he tells he needs to keep praying about it. He really likes church though! 

Yesterday, we taught a lesson with an awesome kid named Hugo! He´s 18 and really excited and interested to learn more. We invited him to be baptized this 26th of March and he said ``Yes´´. This week we are going to talk more with him and help him in every way we can to achieve eternal happiness.

These are our best right now and we will hope, pray, and work to find more this week!

Thanks so much for the support and prayers. I know this church is true and that without baptism in this Christ´s church (with someone possesing authority from God) one cannot return to live with God again. 

Love 

Elder Leslie

ps  here are a bunch of photos to make up for last week. 

IMG_3324  hi

IMG_3325  Elder Aguilar´s 7th month cake!

IMG_3326  actually when some bites into the cake it is a tradicion to smash their face in. ( found that out the messy way)

IMG_3327 fear in my eyes

IMG_3331 yum

IMG_3334 PACKAGES!

IMG_3337 LETTERS!

IMG_3339 FOOD!

IMG_3340 BURFDAY!

IMG_3345 (picture of Angel) We gifted Andres ties for his birthday and then have tie tying lessons afterward

IMG_3346 haha Andres (left), Angel (middle), Jose Angel--our ward mission leader (right). 

IMG_3347 package from mother

IMG_3349 The District 

IMG_3350 fixing my bag

IMG_3352 yo

IMG_3353 

IMG_3356 chicken tree...

Week #26

Well hey guess what. Thursday we had Zone Conference with President Velasco and that means packages and letters! Don´t worry it means other things too like: I learned a lot and took good notes from President and Sister Velasco, we practiced teaching, got to see other elders from the zone. Also, FYI the President told us that we can only e-mail immediate family (parents and siblings) and that we can only write for 45-60 minutes. That means some of you won´t receive my general e-mails anymore, but they will still go up on that blog thing (Thanks Rachel!).  Yes, I was very edified during zone conference....but afterwards I got 3 packages and at least 17 letters! Thank you so much everyone! I got Christmas, New Years, and Birthday cards! I would like to give a special thanks to the Gig Harbor Singles Ward and the Wollochet Ward High Priest group for their Christmas cards because it was unexpected and very nice. I received a couple great ties, tons of food (couple jars of nutella and some peanut butter....nice), CD player, music (amazing CD from Grandparents called Thirty Hymns for Missionaries....love it), awesome calendar from my sister and much more. Wow. I didn´t expect or ask for all these great letters, but thanks so much. They leave me more desires to serve.

 

What´s new in Tuxtla Chico? We have been teaching this man Andres and his son Angel and they are really awesome! Actually, the whole family is interested, but Andres (father) understands and remembers everything we teach and likes going to church. Yesterday, he told us that for some reason Angel (17 year old son) didn´t want to go, but talked him into going and afterward they felt like they had a great day. During the second hour of church we watched the Restoration video and afterward we asked everyone to comment on what they liked. This other investigator Brenda was skeptical of the whole idea of Joseph Smith and said things like his name isn´t in the Bible. I wasn´t sure what to say because all the other investigors felt the spirit and said it was ``powerful´´  said they really liked it. I was about bear my sure testimony but Andres beat me to it. He defended Joseph Smith and starting explaining how he was a prophet and that there was an apostasty. It was pretty awesome. Andres always asks really great questions in our lessons and when his sons or wife has a question he usually jumps right in and explains it. Tonight we are going to teach them with our new mission leader (Jose Angel who just got back from his mission) and invite them to baptism. The only problem is that Andres needs to get legally married first and I think he might need to divorce first. Usual problem here in Mexico but I pray that Andres will want Eternal Happiness bad enough to do something about it. We´ll see. 

 

We are also teaching a really old man named Aurelio. I mean like 90s old. He understands everything and even asked us ``you mean if I´m not mormon it´s all in vain´´. I almost said yes, but that´s not entirely true because he has learned a lot about Christ in his other church. However, yes we have the same priesthood authority and Church that Jesus Christ established on the Earth before the apostasy. He can´t walk very well, but I have high hopes for him. Mainly because one time we almost invited him again to be baptized but my companion felt strongly impressed not to. I take that to mean Aurelio needs more time ponder and pray.

 

Raquel is still going to church eventhough her father won´t let her get baptized. She is very strong and faithful and I pray everyday that her fathers heart will soften.

 

Well that´s about it this week. Back to work.

 

Thanks for all your cares ands prayers (you know you liked that little rymhe.....i think i have forgotten how to spell ryhme) 

 

LOVE

 

Elder Leslie

 

 

no photos this week. deal with it.

Week #25

Hey,

 

I´m still doing great and working hard here in Tuxtla Chico. We set a high goal of 140 contacts this week because a General told us a while ago that we need to contact 10 people each companion, each day if we want to have success. We want to have success and we are lacking in this area. This goal will double our efforts, but is very necessary. D&C 24:12 is exactly what I need to improve. Great scripture!

 

Love

Elder Leslie

 

IMG 3317 it has been raining sometimes.,...

IMG 182  a cemetary in the middle of the street.

Week #24

Hey,

 

Sorry that I don´t have much time to write but just want to you all to know that I´m doing great and working hard with my great companion Elder Aguilar.

 

Love you all

 

Elder Leslie

 

Photos next week. Don´t have much time partly due to this slow computer. Definitely using the other ciber planet (haha) next week.

Week #23

To whom this may concern:

I´m still doing well here in Tuxtla Chico and Elder Aguilar are working hard. This week we didn´t teach as many lessons but we visited eight less-active members. We shared scriptures about keeping the Sabbath Day holy  (Moroni 6), The Sacrament (3 Nephi 18), and remembering the baptismal convenants that they have made (any scripture on baptism). All of them said that they would be able to make to church, but of course come Sunday they are too busy for their own salvation. However, I was really happy to see that one less active member that we visited made it to church. It was so great to see that as we pray and work hard and are obedient we can make a difference. We will continue working with less active members because there are a lot. 

Raquel still attends church every Sunday, eventhough she isn´t allowed to be baptized. She continues to faithfully read the Book of Mormon and this last Sunday she even fasted! There is some sort of dance activity where the youth can participate and learn cultural dances this summer and Raquel told us she wants to do it! She is really great and I keep praying that her Father will let her make her own decision. 

I don´t have much else to say because this week we are really praying that we can find some people who really truly have desires to follow the example of Jesus Christ and join this wonderfully true church. I know it´s true and I really hope we can find someone like Raquel this week. 

Much love 

Elder Leslie

IMG 135 He broke it....

IMG 136 Yeah! Elder Aguilar.

IMG 142 Monday the 1st of February I officially completed 5 months..... haha

IMG 148 the street. 

IMG 151 Some sort of colored sawdust tradition in the streets...for the virgin mary. 

IMG 152 more

IMG 165 Entrance to Raquel´s house... 

Week #22

I´m working hard and striving to become a stronger missionary for the Lord everyday. Yes, this mission is not easy if I keep thinking about how difficult it really is. However, this past week I feel like I put into practice the phrase ``forget yourself and go to work´´ a bit more. I´m praying that I can have more love for the people we teach and that we can receive revelation to find those people truely willing to accept this true message. It´s interesting that I am not able to love people as much as I want to. I have desires to feel more concern for people but my ``charity´´ seems to be limited. In this aspect there is definitely room for improvement. I pray every day that my love and sincerity for people will grow. I think I am able to see a slight increase and for this I am grateful. All I want to do is my Heavenly Father´s will and so I also pray hard for personal revelation of what I need to do....to do what He wants me to do. 

Well, we didn´t have a baptism this week because Raquel´s father still doesn´t want her to. She is faithful and has a testimony. All she can really do is honor her father until she can leave the house one day to join the church. She told us that if she gets baptized her dad will kick her out of the house (ranch). We keep praying for her desires to remain strong and that the heart of her father will soften. 

I´m doing well and working in unity with my awesome companion. I´m so grateful for a mexican companion right now because my spanish is improving much faster with him. There are lots of phrases that don´t translate directly to english that I am picking up. More importantly, we are obedient and teaching inspired lessons. 

Thanks for all the support and prayers

Elder Leslie

IMG 126 ¡Elder Aguilar!

IMG 127 well hey there. just strolling through the jungle

IMG 128 tortillas with every meal!

IMG 131 I like churros

Week #21

I´m writing on Tuesday because yesterday was transfer day and  I received a new companion!  He arrived from Chiapas de Corzos (near Tuxtla Gutierrez) around 4 yesterday and for this we have our preparation day today. He is from Puebla and only has about a month and a half more than me in the mission. He is the senior companion and only has six months. This means, as you might imagine, that he is a good missionary and very obedient. Also, he pretty awesome and I forsee a lot of success.

 

This week we are planning the baptism for Raquel Valdez Lopez and I am really looking forward to it. She is only 15 but understands the importance of everything we are teaching and is reading the Book of Mormon. Her father doesn´t like the idea and this is why it has been postponed until this week. She says that she really wants this for herself and her family, but her brothers are too young to want to repent and be baptized (understandable they are 8,12,13) and her parents aren´t married but her mother wants to get baptized. Anyway, Raquel is very special and chosen daughter of God. I felt like there was something special about her the first time we taught her family (about month and a half ago).

 

Other than this we are working hard and are teaching some people that will hopefully come to church and have desires to sincerely change and be baptized in this beautiful church of our Heavenly Father. We´ll see. We are working with the members a lot and a missionary just came home yesterday from his mission in Puebla so we will probably start working with him too.

 

I´m doing well and ¡really happy about my new companion!

 

Love

 

 Elder Leslie

 

 

IMG 86   baptism for maximino (couple weeks ago)

IMG 94   washing my clothes in a bucket! yea.....

IMG 99   walking (that happens often)

IMG 119 picture with the bishop of Tuxla Chico

IMG 125  ¡my new companion Elder Aguilar!