Week 95

Hola Familia:

This week was better than last week, we finally had a coorelacion meeting with our mission leader and made some good plans for the work. We were working hard and found a really chosen family, but both are married to other people and and will have to first both be divorced then married to each other, because they have a baby together. So Elder Ramirez and I will be working with them for a while now. We have some super chosen people that we are teaching and now that I know the whole ward like the back of my hand, its a lot easier to ask members to help us in the teaching. I finished my second study journal, its just full of revaltion and doctrine that I've learned. 

This week we had 3 interchanges. and so my comp and I had alot of time away from each other. Actually some people that he contacted in the street, my interchange comp and I went to visit them, so they didn't know us at all. We helped an investigador fold this paper cardboard things for hours because they needed to get thousands of these things folded by monday. We were given some pancake mix so now everytime someone comes to the area, we make them pancakes, here in mexico it's called HOT cakes. 

We were walking to the stake center the other day when this old skinny guy came up behind me and punched me hard in the arm. I thought it was funny, but he started saying some really bad words to my comp. then the next day we talked with other elderes that this guy had punched, but this elder was alot less patience and spartan kicked him into the wall. man would i have loved to watch that. but then our presidente got informed and its a big deal now, because this guy is always right outside of the stake center,. 

Our area is full of T.J. jehovas witnesses,. Every saturday morning they all go out to knock doors, and its so weird walking around being looked at like the enemy everywhere. I got some cool  pictuers this week and now that the world cup is over, everything is back to normal, for months people didn't leave there houses, and in every little store. there was a tiny tv where you could watch the world cup. we didnt miss anything, walking in the streets.. and when there was a goal, everyone yelled and the whole city lit up with noise. 

Everyone is also on vacations now, wich makes a missionaries life so much easier, because everyone shares your same schedule of being available 24 7. I love Mexico so much, Elder Ordway

Week 94- I have my itinerary now

Hola Queridos Amigos!! ( Hello Dear Friends) This week was good. 

Well, I have my flight home all planned out now: Wednesday 17 of september, I leave Mexico City at 7 in the morning mexico time. I will arrive in Los Angeles at 9 California time. I will have a 3 hour wait until I leave los angeles at 12 and I will then arrive in the EUGENE airport at 2 o'clock!!! I will need you  guys to pick me up from the airport then!!!

The truth is it was a hard week, really stressful. There are troubles in the Zone and pressure from our Bishop, but I feel like it's a good challange for me to over come. Our mission leader failed us this week and  came down on our neck, but after a good fast and a talk with my comp, I think everything will be ok. I'm really loving my mission. but sometimes it's hard. There is so much to keep my mind on, but I feel like I couldn't serve the Lord better than any other way. These challenges are bound to come sooner or later in the mission, but I really feel the anabling power of the Atonement. My patriarchal blessing has been a lot of help. Sorry that this letter is short but were running late.

Week 93

Well this week was literally the craziest week of  my mission!!!

 

    First off on our last preperation day we had left the keys to our house really far away from home, it was a pain and a pure miracle that we found them again. We found a really funny investigator, that is one of the biggest "sinners"  I have ever met, he's done everything bad in  his life, for sure he will need a special interview with the mission president. But he came to church sunday and he liked it a lot. We had interchanges with the assistants for the first time in my whole mission and it was pretty sweet. When we were in the middle of  lesson, it started raining harder than I've ever seen in my mission. Really hard. The streets became rivers and there were waterfalls and lightning everwhere, in that same moment the president called us and told us that we had to go across the mission to help an elder who was wanting to go immediately. So we ended the lesson and ran into the rain and we were drenched within 10 seconds. It was the craziest thing I've ever done run through the river and rain like that. We found a taxi and went across the mission to pick up the elders. We took them to the mission house and while Elder Albretchson ( the assistant) talked with him Elder Cardenas and I made like 40 pancakes so that he could feel at home. It's a party inthe mission home, with the assistents and the secretaries and other elders all sleeping there. In the morning we did some serious workouts p 90 x and I  was sore all week long after that. I went straight into interchanges with Elder Poyner and Elder young. ElderYoung just barely has 1 week in the mission, so he didn't know his area at all, while we were lost we were contacting a ton of people to get Elder Young excited about his mission. He really didn't want to go to mexico city. The truth is no missionary is too excited to come into a HUGE City to work, were your constantly taking public transportation, the truth is also that I know Mexico City better than Eugene, even though its like 30 times the size, I've gotten to love and know this city soo well.

  We had a leadership meeting where the presdiente explained what we all have to do in the Zone conference that we are going to have this week. Each Zone leader is going to be giving a certain training. I'm way excited, to  be in a Zone conference of 6 hours!! after leadership meeting, we went straight into more interchanges, I brought Elder Patey to the area and we saw a bunch of miracles. I had to annouce a million things to the zone while planning the baptism the following day. It was a nightmare, I didn't stop talking on the phone all night. ( until we had to go to bed that is) and in the morning I went at it again. My comp still doesn't know the members so well, so he didn't know how to help. Then saturday when we returned back into our companionships we had to fill the faunt and find clothes and a bunch of other stuff. Man how I wish we had a mission leader. I honestly was so exausted every sinlge night, spiritually stressed and physically hurt and all week long: heavy rains. I love rain season here in Mexico City. It was a good oportunity to show the Lord how much I was willing to sacrifice. 

Jose asked me to confirm him, and it was an awesome confirmation. I honestly don't remember much about what I said, but I know it was what needed to be said. Sunday we had a ton of meeting and alot of investigators in church, and today we have been going and selling our stuff in the " black market" we got 250 pesos for an iron and a video thing that doesn't work. It was awesome selling our stuff, I'm loving my mission so much, but it's harder than its ever been. 

Elder Ordway

Week 92

Hello Familia!!! Wow this week was amazing and hard!! I'll try and go day bay day:

 Lunes (Monday): We had reports in the offices, the zone is doing really well, only a couple disobedient missionaries, we asked our president if one of our investigators could be baptized at 4 weeks in church instead of 5, he said yes!! which is really rare, because he never gives permision. We started visiting Ernestina every day in order to teach her everything for her baptism and invterview this week.

Martes (Tuesday): P-day was awesome we had to lose a couple hours of our day due to to many lessons. really it was just like any other p day

Miercoles (Wednesday):  This is where things get hot!!! The president personally asked Elder Hernandez and I to be the behind the scence agents in the the zone conference for the other half of the mission. Elder Johnson the Mexico area president came to our mission and so in order to see him, our mission was split in half and half the mission saw him wednesday and the othe half on thursday. So on wednesday we had to set up all the chairs for a picture that they were going to take, then during the picture maybe the hardest part  was run around the other side of the stake center and gather all of the materials (materials) that the president had with him in his trunk, grab them and we had 4 minutes to run and set everything up inside of the room where they were going to listen to Elder Johnson, then run around the back of the stake center and take down all of the chairs without making a sound at the last moment we were told that we had to set up microphones and connect them in. It was  like a mission impossible seeing as we couldn't just take out microphones out of nowhere. The secretaries office was just somehow left open and so we were blessed so much. I can't express how pressured we were to do everything perfectly, knowing my president he would of sent us home if we had failed.

Jueves (Thursday): Now it was our turn to listen to Elder Johnson. Basically he just called each and everyone of us to repentance, for not fulfilling our callings, it was hard, but it was what we needed to get ourselves in line, It was marvelous being able to hear him, he actually called on Elder Hernandez and I to show half the mission how to contact a member and get a reference. He talked about how we are going to baptize every week, teach 60 lessons a week, and find 21 news each week. After the conference I was contacting so much in the streets and in the metro and in the buses. I don't leave a bus now without have contacted all that I can.

Viernres (Friday): Probably their best day of the week. Elder Johnson wanted a specialized meeting with the zone leaders and training sisters. We spoke to us about our leadership positions and how important the role we play is, he also talked about the tree of life, and I had never once in my life seen the scriptures like that. He is so powerful when he talks and it was an honor being in his presence, I literally felt like I was in the presence of the Lord. We then got to hug Elder Johnson, one for one. As if it was Jesus letting us touch his hands one for one.

I'm running out of time, but saturday we took everyone to the visitors center here in Mexico, and yesterday we had a specilized meeting with the president to go over and the president made each one of us promise to fulfill each commitment that weas left in the conference. The president also told us that it's very possible that we are going to lose various zone leaders this change to be district leaders or senior comps, so maybe I'll be changed...... I'm really happy in my mission, and this week we have changes,

       Love,

                - Elder Ordway

Week 91

 Well, We got our changes saturday morning and......I didn't get changed, in fact my companion Elder Hernandez got changed and he's goign to my old Zone. He's going to San Pedro!!! Elder Hernandez will end his mission there as he only has 6 weeks left, and I will be Receiving Elder Ramirez. I've known Elder Ramirez now for a couple months, I believe he just completed a year or a little bit more, but I will now have 5 changes here in Iztacalco or 7 and a half months!!!!! by far it's the longest are I've ever had. Actually Everyone in the zone that arrived with me got changed, in fact some people in the zone that got changed after my first change here are coming back into the zone, doesn't that make me feel old!!! I've been able to see this zone be revolutionized and changed like no other. I'm going to miss Elder Hernadez but I'll still see him every monday. Oh and Elder Carrigan my first " child" is coming into the zone as well. Elder Johnson my " second child" is now secretary in the mission offices, I don't know if I ever told you guys, but I always knew he was going to be secretary. He's just so smart.  I actually put in a good ward to the president to choose him haha

  We had a wonderful baptism. I don't have the pictures right now , because my camera died, right as I was about to take the picture, but Elder Brower took them for us, It was an awesome baptism, highly spiritual and truly blessed by the Lord. Ernestina invited all of her family to come and see and so there were plenty of people to visit. We are also putting in practice everything that Elder Johnson taught us and we are so busy with the work here, our area is really moving along

  This week we had to do the evaluations of the new Elders that ended there 12 week training we had interchanges for 48 hours, which was hard, once you get to love your area, you don't have very many desires to leave it to an area that is struggling. We got locked out of our house for a few hours until a member brought us the keys that elder Hernandez had, and I had to calm down Elder Lopez who got really mad. He doesn't like being out in the streets at night when you cant get into the house.

  Sorry this letter is short, but I have to go already. I love my mission, it's been really hard these last 6 months, but in Iztacalco I've grown the most in all my life.

-Elder  Ordway

Week 90

Hello Family:
  Everything is really good here in Mexico. I'll start by telling you a little bit about my companion Elder Ramirez is about to turn 27!! he's the oldest missionary in the mission. He is the youngest of 13 children!! his dad is 85 years old!!! he's a college graduate and he's from Xalapa Veracruz ( close to where Elder Hernandez is from) He's a great guy, although it is a little weird being comps with someone so much older than me, it's pretty sweet. He's really into drawing and art, our house now is full of different paintings and stuff like that, he actually just the other day drew me as a missionary zombie, he speaks way good english, we can speak english in the house now. 

 I was asked a really painful question this week: the secretary asked me what was the closest airport to my house, I painfully told him the Eugene airport and he told me that within a week I would be receiving my flight schedule..... :(   It's been raining a ton here, I really am not liking rain season, all of our p-days and lessons get ruined, but I'm sure it would be worse being a missionary in the eugene Rain, but my trusty umbrella that I've had now for like a year is keeping up the good work, the other day I actually had to fix it using a lolly pop and super glue. 

 Our area got hit hard at the beginning of the change, the presidente comitted us to drop every last investigator that didn't progress and to start begging to the Lord that he blesses us with  the chosen ones. It worked. We through ourselves out onto the sea, like Peter when he started walking on water. We started the week out a little hard, but we started receiving references like never before, and we found a ton of new investigators. 

 Everyone's favorite joke with me now is that I'm dying or that I'm starting to see beyond the vail, or that I smell worse than their organic garbage. It's a dumb joke that we have as missionaries that when someone is close to going home, they are close to dying, but I  really don't like thinking about it. In fact, I don't have any goals now but serve the Lord as hard and as best I can with the time that has been giving me. I just have pure desires to contact everyone in the street and preach the gospel to all the world. I think I  rely on the gospel soo much that it's finally sunken into my heart how much I want others to know it. I love my mission, I love my savior, I owe soo much to him. 

                -Elder Ordway.