Hey Fam!!!
This week was really good...maybe....Naww just joking. Every week here is awesome. What I'm stoked more than anything for, is that we are going to have 4 baptisms this saturday. A family of three and a 13 year old girl, that's super cool. We've taught everything and made sure they don't have any problems with the commandments. Now we just have to hope and pray that they pass their interviews. We will baptize them all this saturday if they pass their interviews.
This saturday as well is dis de niño...which is like mothers day but for kids, they actaully have a day just for kids. They don't have to go to school and there is candy and parties everywhere and probably kids will be drinking and smoking...there is nothing worse than to see like 6 -12 year olds get on a bus and there all smoking. Sick....it makes me soo glad that I'm a misisonary fighting Satan and his triste tempatation (Sad temptations). I don't know how kids can be soo weak, all my life I always thought I was weak for not being able to play on sundays and do worldly stuff; but being a missionary has opened my eyes to what the world really is like.
Things were a little better this week with my comp Elder Chronister. We have transfers in 1 week, so here's hoping. He's changed a ton, when he got here he didn't have faith or a testimony in anything. Now he's a little bit more obedient and is still really selfish and pride full but I can't complain, that's what so cool about being a missionary too, is that not only do you have to work with investigators, you have to work with your comp. It's a constant battle to raise his testimony. Sometimes I have to call him out in english in the lessons when he's yelling or teaching apostasy. triste (sad) apostasy, he accidentally teaches false doctrine and I feel guilty if I don't say [se lo que mi compañero dijo es verdadero) or I know what my comp said is true. Things are better though. We have our on and off days, like at church he didn't want to share his hymn book with our investigators...uggg....but I've learned so much patience too. Things like this I feel the Lord is testing me. If I can be the one to be obedient when my comp won't be...like there was a family watching a movie and we arrived and he just started watching, I started too. I knew my senior comp wouldn't stop so I had to suck it up tell them that we had to go, but I'm soo hoping that the changes are cool. I'm literally happy with whatever happens. Even if I'm junior comp again, or if a stay, or if I go, if I stay we are going to have at least two more baptisms the next week.
The Jehovas witness is softening his heart but it's still so hard. He came to church with us and was out thinking and talking everyone in the church because he knows the bible inside and out. He's a super smart, but nothing compared to the power of the spirit. I showed him my priesthood line of authority and explained what it means to be ordained by God. It hit him hard, but we still have to planch him the next lesson. Planch is like chew out, because people here are soo flaky and if the missionaries didn't do everything, everything would fall apart here, but I love doing the dirty work. For example there is a lot and way too much chesmeando (gossip) aqui or ummmmmmm what do you call it......talking bad.. or spreading rumors, I can't think of the word and the Relief Society Presidenta (President) was mad at the missionaries because we are baptizing too much and the people are staying for all three hours. Our mission leader is a boss though and fought her off with her apostasy. No one here in mexico is going to be the perfect baptism. They're super flaky and you just have to learn how to work around all that. Even though their flaky and super catholics, they are awesome. I had such a bad idea of mexicans before my mission. I was probably a bit racist.....but now I freaking love them all. I have never wanted to give more hugs to people before in my life. I would be sad if I left contreras in the cambiso(changes) because I have a ton of time here.
We've been teaching and preparing people a ton this last week. We passed by 2 times a day with one lady who is super catholic and has problems understanding the restoration, like ohhh mormon wrote the book of Joseph and saw two angel moronies... NOOO how many time must I show you this video and explain that mormon doesn't have blond hair!!!...but all is good. We asked to go to the center today but we didn't get permission. Our whole district was ready and had everything with all of our money saved up...but none of us got permission. So we went back to our house and drank milk while playing nerf russian rulet. It was way fun. I freaking love my district. Although we literally have --and I have no doubt in my mind--- the strictest presidente (president) in the world. like no games, no traveling anywhere unless you need shoes or glasses or your super super super sick.....I'm literally thinking about drinking the water to give my self up on going to the doctor in the temple, so that I can do another session. I love our presidente (president) though, but it is a bit ridiculous.......anyways.
I am doing good. My shoes only have two holes in them,( ONE IN EACH) and my plac is finally turning yellow from the sun.. I'm learning spanish like a boss. I have a notebook full of words and expressions and naco dichos... which is like what all the bus drivers and drunks talks. Some investigators told me that some pictures I've taken are on my facebook, that's soo cool. Keep up the fun and know that it's really heating up here in mexico. I've been burnt now for weeks and our house is always blazing hot. We run around opening every window tin the house when we got back to cool it down. Oh and I tried some new street food. A part on a female pig that males don't have. It was gross and expensive but worth it. I'll stick to skin and meat.....I love you guys and Hope everything is going good.
Love, Michael Ordway
Excellent!!! What a week.. of course every day here in Mexico is awesome. I feel the power of the Lord working through me every second of every day. An apostle once said that when we are set apart, you've been set apart to a much higher level than the world, and it's never been so true.
First offf.... I know the gospel and the church is true. There is no doubt in my mind that I am serving the only church of God. It's perfect and even if people try to find fault in it. There just isn't any.I know the doctrine inside and out. Like all my life I didn't understand who Joseph Smith was or what he did, but now it's like a clear cut story since the beginning. I love to hear from you guys too.
All my letters for 5 weeks for some reason stored up until yesterday when I got them all. Tons of dear elders and letters. It took me hours to read them all, but there is a lot going on them, in good old eugene. I do love to hear from you guys...and sadley my comp receive a dear john letter....his girlfriend is getting married and didn't bother to tell him until they had a wedding date...triste muchachas!!(sad ladies!!) Hopefully that doesn't impede our work even more.
Things here are great though. Our area is so juicy. I could be here in Contreras my whole mission. I love the people and the trees and the marijuana and paint thinner and every other drug that gives a man a headache. No really, but this week was good especially because I got to send home my memory card. I have all the pictures and videos stored and backed up here on a hard drive, so when you guys get my card in a couple of weeks I can delete it of my usb stick thats getting full. I feel so focused. I love p-days and being able to rest, but I feel like I'm not using my full potential during the week. So I always feel like I can do more. I probably should just chill more and be more accepting that I can't always do everything.
We have 3 investigaters that are super close to baptism. There date is the 27 of april right before transfers, so I'm hopping that it goes thru so I can witness that miracle. We also have like 10 others that are super close, but always always always, there not married and either they don't have the money or one of them doesn't want to marry, or something like that, satan ruins my life, but it's all good, because I feel super happy in this work and also.... in like 2-8 weeks all and I mean ALL of the leaders in the mission are going home. So that means that the presidente is going to need to start calling district leaders here soon. I know I should have so much desire, but I would love to be a district leader. I'm ready too I know it.
I've completely ¨revolutionized¨my teaching. I don't like being a robot, but preach my gospel is like liquid gold for a missionary. That and the book and mormon have all the answers. Seriously there is nothing I love more than to hear mission advice from Dad and Christopher and Jeff Robinson. What dad said about 1st think of your investigators, 2nd pray to receive revelation through the scriptures, 3rd start reading and fasting on the words of the prophets. There is no better way to receive help than that. Seriously every word in Mormon and Moroni and 3 Nefi (Nephi) is liquid gold and I've always said that they should just sell Doctrine and Covenants pre-highlighted so that way I don't have to waste pesos(money) buying highlighters pencils, because it's soo juicy. Speaking of juicy...this week we ate a lot more street food. Now it doesn't affect me as much. One day feeling like garbage ...is so worth that 5 minutes of eating pork with lime and chili. I'm sorry to all my friends, but I'll be real: I got the best mission, before I didn't want a big city, but here I'm learning so much about living in the city, ghetto and country all at the same time.
We watched a cool movie this week: The Testaments. Which is a boss movie even in Spanish. We invited and had a ton of investigators come and less actives. The Lord is blessing this area so much and our ward is now the 3rd strongest in the mission. 200 every week...awwwww yeahhhhhhh...that's so much, no one has that much. 4 months and 100 more members. You can pretty much call me menos activo master (Less active master) ever less active I see we instantly "fall well" or get along well I think. I forced my comp to visit one more family before we left to the movie. A less active family of 13!!! I showed all their kids a couple magic tricks and gave them cards and candy..... and they came to church...that's all......I'm slowing down on the pictures I know.
My comp doesn't like to take too many, but we are getting along a lot better trust me. We can actually teach with the spirit again. I've learned the meaning of diligence this week. We had two days without 1 lesson and I worked hard. We had interchanges with an Elder who only has 1 month in his mission and I showed him the meaning of work. We had 1 lesson but found a ton of old investigators and less actives. That's what the work is here, returning sheep to the fold. Less actives that once went astray because 30 or 13% ( I don't remember) of the church here doesn't assist. They are too lazy to do anything about it too, until the missionaries show up and start planting people and getting them active. Officially 24 less actives returned to the ward while I (the Lord) has been here. 6 are entering in the temple. 3 received the priesthood and there are at least 30 niños (kids) under the age of 7 that can now be in line to be baptized. Seriously missionaries changes the world. I highly recommend everyone to get their act together and serve the Lord in his work. My good old Uncle Dan said that there is no better boss than Jesus. It's soo true and I loved what Dad said about how missionaries have so many rules, not only to keep them in line but with more responsibility, the Lord has more oportunidades de bendicirnos (Opportunity to bless us).
I know the Lord lives and I am sooo happy even though people here are super flaky and they all lie thinking that missionaries won't be able to tell. Little do they know that missionaries have been blessed with basically the ability to read minds. I feel like I can just read peoples minds, I'm not even joking, in lessons, when the spirit is super strong I feel it tells me, like ask about her family especially her last child by chance was killed last year...and I do it and it's true.!!! No one would ever understand how awesome it is to be a missionary, even when you have a rough comp, who is your senior comp just because he has more time than I do...But seriously I know I've been super pride full this letter. Way to pride full, that I need to repent. No joke, but I also realized that when I said last letter that all my besties (best friends) are on their missions. I didn't mean only my best friends. Harrison, Kevan, Chris, Geoff, Clay, Bau, Hargobind, and everyone else are the bestys. Sooo cool that they all are studying and working. The mission is easy when I think of what they are doing right now. I did write letters to Geoff and Dallas this last week and I don't know why my letter a couple weeks ago never sent. I've written one every week that I've been here. Never missed one yet.
I love you all and I pray for every single one of you guys almost every night. I can feel your prayers and I highly appreciate everything you guys do for me. 2 more weeks before transfers. I'm so excited..........................................................Love Michael.
Hey there Eugene Family and maybe some others!!!
WOW what a good week this week. First off: me and my comp are rocking this area. Seriously in the beginning we had some troubles but we're sooo cool now!!! We have 10 or 11 I can't remember with baptismal dates. A lot of the good ones are going to get baptised after this change though. So there is a chance that I'm not going to be able to see them, but we have 4 progressing super nicely!!! there's going to get baptised the 20th of abril (April) and they are super chosen.
I've gotten really good at contacting in the street and following the spirit in every moment. If there is anything I've learned this week is that the spirit is real, not just with what I felt from general conference, but literally I think of every move and words I say before I say them now. My mind goes so much faster when I have the spirit with me. It gives me insight into their troubles and I can always tell when my comp is lying...which happens a lot, but I don't know if that's the spirit. As usual, here is apostasy land, things are weird. I contacted a super chosen girl who had just lost a baby. I didn't understand it though and said ¨que padre!!!¨ which means how awesome basically. I felt bad, I thought she said it was just born.....that happens a lot though.
We had changes for one day and I went with the most dead missionary in this mission, who is in our district. He also has the biggest area. We also had no money, so we walked for hours. I've gotten holes in my shoes now...from all the walking, but they should still last a while!!! Last week we went to Walmart and my comp made me buy more than I wanted, like Oreos and Nutella. I blew a ton of money so I was riding low all this week, but now I'm back to normal on money. They raised the price of public transportation, which is killer for missionaries especially here in my area.
I have a ton of time here, but I love it here. I feel like I actually have a complete understanding of what I'm doing in my mission now and how to help people progress to baptism. I'm not saying I'm the best but I've learned so much being with a district leader and 2 zone leaders my whole mission. We had interviews with the presidente (president) this week and all was good. I was nervous about nothing. Our president is super strict, but super funny and everyone loves him, but he is really strict. I had the wonderful food of chicken legs, which are gross. I don't believe anyone here that says that they are good. bleaa!!! pure bone and skin, sick I hope I never eat it again, at least with stomach, nose, tongue, eye, or head its small and mixed in with onions and tomato to take away some of its bad texture, a couple investigadores (investigators) are going to baptize their child in the catholic religion. People just have to much fear and false traditions here. They can receive an answer and know 100 percent that this is the true church of God, but from years of tradition and fear because the huge numbers of catholics here, they give in and fall into apostasy.
We had to give an interview to some other elders' investigators. So we walked for like 2 hours. We walked along a highway, it was terrible....in the changes for one day we had 10 bucks to buy food so we just bought bread. Tons of bread and apple soda that is sooo goood here. Then a lady gave us 5 more bucks to buy street tacos. They were soo goood, but in that night let me just tell you...pure liquid was my dump. Never before did I feel so bad. Now I'm back to normal, but I never regret doing stuff like that. They are soo gooooood. We had a zone meeting this week and I always feel stoked when we go to the stake center and see other elders. So far there is only one elder that has stayed in my same zone all this time. Elder Uchytil who speaks the worst spanish ever. It's all good though. We had a good amount of lessons this week and put another baptismal date. Seriously, all we did was humbly ourselves and live perfectly obedient and me and my comp are now rocking.
Elder Mathis is now a Zone Leader, which means I have more control over my area since I'm the one that knows it, I make al ot of the calls. (; Then of course General conference came around!!! WO what an awesome experience to be able to listen to terrible translations of the conference. To be able to listen to my favorite speaker, Elder J Holland with the emotion that he puts into it...just kidding it was good. I learned a ton and I've never took so many notes before. We had our super Jehovas witness come and listen to the prophet, which is funny because the testigos (witnesses) don't believe in prophets. Things went super well this week and just barely I got my hair cut from an investigator!! Afterwards we ate carnitas with lime and salt, which are soooo good, thanks to Crystal Ordway, I'm the only one here that likes limes with salt straight... (: I'm super stoked to hear that all my friends are basically on their missions serving the Lord, but how many is that from our ward?? like 10 or something.
I feel super confident now in my spanish and ability to teach. I'm way good at using examples from my life and stories. It invites the spirit so strong. Sorry for all the bragging this letter. I'm seriously stoked to be a missionary. When they announced Mexico city MTC in conference was awesome, and Eric's mission and how they baptism a lot was wayyyy awesome. I'm so blessed to have my family and friends and I'm soo sorry that I don't write more personally, but I'll repent and keep it up. I love you all and will talk to you all in 1 week.
Elder Ordway!!!
WOW, what a wonderful week. I feel so focused in the work here. Like Eric Robinson always says; "The more you're focused on your purpose and investigators, the faster time flies and the less stories you have too".
First off: me and my new comp Elder Chronister are way good. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of him yet, but we are super cool. Besties. Things were rough in the beginning because he was my senior comp and was ruining everything about my life and my investigators, but now he's changed. He now doesn't pray in bed, he actually tries to teach with the spirit. He understands his calling because the president planched him hard, or ironed him, chewed him out in other words. He's way different and we are super cool. I'm sure this next week we will have our rough times, but I can actually trust him now, and he's learning our huge area really nicely.
Our p-day was super good, and all week long too. The crazy lady was in our grills a little bit more than usual, but I've finally learned to like catcus, chocolate chiles and a lot of other things which in reality is a big feat, not a lot of elders can eat cactus.
We didn't get shot, in fact we called our president about the threat and he told us to drop them and never return, destroy their registro de ensenanza (teaching registry?), I don't know what it would be called in english. Teaching paper maybe. so we lost 4 baptismal dates, and then we lost two more. I realized that cycling through investigators is really hard, but it's necessary. Wasting time on people who like americans but don't want anything to do with what they have to say is wasting the Lords time. We put 5 more baptismal dates. Elder Chronister complains a lot. He doesn't like our area or the fact that we have to take public transportaion a lot, but who cares. I lost 15 pounds here and I feel great. I still have never been able to stay up after 10. I'm soo tired that I fall asleep every night after planning, we are 1/3 done with this transfer and I'm hoping that I get moved, because I have so mcuh time here in Contreras.
I learned a new trick on the trompo and my mexican rubiks cube broke :(. it always was a piece of junk though. We are teaching a super testigo or a super Jehovah witness, but no one can resist the power of a fully armed servant of the Lord. We put a baptismal date, with him and his wife. Elder Chronister is new too, so I am learning sooo much, from experience, Spanish and how to teach good. We've taught the restoration like 8 times this week. I've never taught it so much. I've also learned that people here have absolutely no idea what the gospel is and the doctrine. They have only heard of Joseph Smith and they think he wrote the book of mormon and that mormon restored the gospel. They have no idea what the plan of salvation is or what it means when they get baptized. They just do what the spirit tells them to do. What they know is right. its actually quite amazing that people can get baptized years ago and not have a single idea what they just did, but yet they pay tithing every 1st sunday...haha... which is also a miracle because no one pays tithing here, and people always put the used sacrament cups back in the holes instead of in the big used cup hole. For those of you who have never been to church, you will have no idea what I just said. We looked for old investigators all this week and had a lot of success. It doesn't help that I am the only one that contacts people in the street. Elder chron still has yet to contact someone...anyone!!!! but it's ok, I need to be more humble.
My missionary tan is coming along nice and it's finally warm again here. I dont have to wear a coat. Although, at any moment it could rain and be thunder and lightning. I've never experienced anything like it. Sunny and warm in the morning and at 3 rain and lightning. We only had 4 at church this sunday, but I'm still grateful for that. The coolest / weirdest thing that happended to me all this week was the Semana Santa ( Holy Week). Here in the city on friday, every thing is closed down because everyone is Catholic here. When the sun falls huge mobs of people walk the streets banging deep drums and moaning. If anyone has every seen !the mummy! that part when there running from the zombies and there in the car driving threw the people. that's what its like. people carrying crosses and 4 people carrying a carriage for the Virgen and everyone in black and candles and spears and its weird. I've never ever seen anything like it. Apostasy gone wrong. I was going to try to video it, but if anyone saw me, i would be a dead man. this went on every night for three days. and on the first day. belive it or not, but they crucify people literally. They beat and whip them, make him carry a cross, the crown of thorns and he gets nailed to a cross, were he dies. It's an honor and respected if you sign up to do it. He gets spit on and luckily we had to go teach a lesson, but I'm not sure if I would have wanted to see it. Until sunday when Jesus gets resurrected, then the party and drink and yeah all is normal again. haha. What an Easter.
I've heard that it's even worse in Iztapalapa. We have interviews with our President this tuesday. I'm willing to serve the Lord in any position, but I'm hoping that the Lord sees that I should be moved from contreras. We have plans to go to Walmart today which I'm super stoked. It should be like 2 hours there and 2 hours back, but I'm going to buy more peanut butter, I ran out. Things here are going super good and I feel like every move I made is guided by the spirit. I have the strongest testimony in the world of the apostacy and that the spirit can guide your every move. Which doors to knock, who to talk to in the street. I have a strong testimony of obedience. Although it's kind of hard with my comp and he would never admit it.
Being obedient is living happy. You can know that if you do everything possible in the teaching and the spirit is there. You don't need to feel bad about anything. I am stoked to be able to call you guys here soon and talk with Maria again in spanish. This time I will be able to use the tu form. I always felt bad and stupid talking to little kids in usted because their just little kids. Tu is like talking to family and friends and dogs and stuff like that. Usted is like great respect and admiration. All elders have to use it except with little little kids but I never knew it because we don't speaks it, but know I know it and i like it way better. I always wanted to talk to my comps in tu but I know I shouldn't. This week was really good. I'm so blessed with the gift of tongues. I can understand soo much and yet soo little. I miss beach volleyball and wake boarding, but I've gotten really good at using so trials from my life and wakeboarding examples to help my investgiaters understand. I miss peach rigns and being burnt all the time, and littles ceasers pizza. I love you all and Im sure this week will fly by as well. Elder ORdwizle
Wow I'm stoked!!! First of all, USA is playing Mexico here at Aztec stadium. We can hear the games from our house, so I'm way stoked to see who wins. I love Mexico but I was born American. I could never route against my home blood. But this week was way long, it felt super long compared to normal. It actually felt like 7 days instead of 7 hours.
Monday Elder Mathis and I went around saying goodbye to people. All of our baptisms and less actives that we brought back to the church were crying to hear he was leaving. Two menos activos (two less active) are going to get married the 5th of April and sealed in the temple soon. I'm soo stoked they told us that we had to make time and go and watch them get sealed. That would be sooooo coool. It was a good day and for some reason I've never seen people so close to missionaries. Everyone was crying. One lady didn't understand that He was going to leave forever. She thought it was just another day change, but when we told her, she started to cry, but after all the crying we had our last district meeting and took a photo. I'm sad that Elder Feliz(Happy) is gone too, but an elder named Elder Sanabria is coming in his place instead who is way cool, and the coolest part of it is that he was in my area for months when he first started too.
Tuesday came and I met my new companion: Elder Chronister. I've met him before because we had sunday meetings together. He has a lot of energy and Animo (Encourage), we returned to the house and to my surprise he wasn't the same guy as I thought I knew. Where as I love it here in Contreras, all the hills, losing weight, the sun burn, and trees, it's like living in Oregon just with garbage and drunks and graffiti everywhere. He doesn't like it here, for the last week all he did was complain about how hard it is and how much it sucks.....But oh well, he's a missionary He can suck it up.
We are really cool together though when were just walking and talking and in the house and stuff, he's kind of rebelios with the rules which makes it really hard on me to be obedient when your comp isn't, but there is definitely a reason that He is a senior comp and district leader. He only has 12 more weeks than I do, so we both can't speak spanish that well. I thought I knew spanish really well, but then I realized that when you don't have a comp that's been here for a year and a half,there is more pressure to learn the language.
We had a lot of success this week. We have 12 investigators with baptismal dates, all for this change, but a lot of them are super flaky, I would feel terribnle to baptize them in their current state. We have a lot of work to do, but we had intercambios (exchanges) for one day and Elder Sanabri came to my area. We had such a good time. He's way cool and I think it's awesome that he's returning to the same ward just different half of it. I hope one day I can do the same with this ward. We now have a whopping 200 that come every week. Third biggest ward here in our mission. (soon to be the biggest when I'm (I mean the lord) is done here) We are doing really good work, but I have to show my huge area, so he just follows me around everywhere, and I have to make all the decisions. There are a lot of things that we lack, but I won't rag on my comp, I'm sure he's ragging on me right now to his family. I feel humbled though I feel bad for calling catholics what I did. They ruin my life, but without their church I'm sure this country would be straight dead right now.
We had a good week, with lessons and new investigaters. and this week was ward conference, there was like 300 people there and the Stake President gave our investigator/recien converso/menos activo class (less active), and it was soo cool. we have 2 baptisms planned this week as well, but I honestly don't think it will go through, the last like 10 dates we had fell through and it is heart breaking, I love the people here but the investigators are soooo flaky, it kills my heart,literally kills my heart. I got a dear elder sent two months again, hahaha, maybe dear elders aren't all that fast, but it's all good. I loved the candy and bubbles and shampoo sent from Harrison and I just had run out of the old spice, so the re-supply was in perfect timing.
Tomorrow I will be 6 months into my mission and 1/4 the way through . That literally blows my mind how fast it's gone. I don't know about you guys, but time is shooting by. I'm really good at conserving my money now. I actually have money to buy things from the shops in the road. I got over my sickness, but sickness here for a missionary doesn't mean anything. You have to keep working anyways. It's now like in school where the first cold that comes around and half the people leave for a week. you get sick every other week here, but my immune system should be strong as an ox when I come back. It's been warming up here, we don't have to sleep with our little heater thing now, just in the cocoon of blankets. Elder Sanabria showed me what it really is to be a misisonary, in the way he works and teaches, the spirit is so strong. I've learned this week that the spirit can't testify of things that aren't true. I tried bearing my testimony of obedience when I first got here, but the spirit wouldn't testify of my words. Now that I've humble myself a little and am almost completly obedient I have a huge testimony of how God is wanting to bless you, but he literally can't if we choose not to accept it with our disobedience. Now I can bear a wicked testimony.
It was a good week and I still have to get used to how Elder Chron teaches becasue we don't have the spririt anymore like Elder Mathis and I had, but all in time. I'm stoked and blessed to always have been companions with district leaders and in the same ward with zone leaders. We cleaned the house super good today like We've never before, and for how fast time flies here, the house gets so dirty with two 20 year olds only living in it at nights. Things are going good, and I don't have too many cool stories except for one this week.......one night Elder Chronister and I were chilling writing in our journals and wW received a message from a no name number..... it was full of spanish cuss words and it said that we needed to leave Estela alone or he was going to get a gang of people and shoot us.......................saying that he was the husband of Estela. the only thing is, is that we have two Estelas, both with baptismal dates and one is like 80 and is in the hospital, the other is dead......or so we think.....anyways I'll let you guys know if I die or not this week, but I'm not nervous.
I love you all and I love your letters. I'm glad no one is sick and all working hard. I hope mom that everything is cool and settled down at work and dad:the scouts are progressing, like progressing investigators. You've been given a calling from God to receive revelation for them. I'm almost in tears to think that a lot of my friends are on their missions and I only hope that one day I can see Geoff Yoon and John White do the same, and Lucas and Harrison and Kevan and Chris, and Clay and everyone else. Keep pressing forward. and remember alma 26 27. *-' Elder Ordway
Hola familia!!
So yeah, three baptisms fell through. They told us monday that they weren't prepared yet and so we decided to put another date and push it back, between that time they talked with some people and now don't want to listen to us.... It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my mission. I loved this family and their dad had died and they loved the idea or the fact that they were going to be able to live with him again. I wanted to throw up for a while when we heard the news about them, but it's ok. If they can talk with catholics and lose their testimony like that, they weren't ready for baptism, no matter how much I loved them.
This week was rocking though. We had a lot of success and it all started with our p-day that we had on tuesday. We had the wonderful opportunity to go to the temple here in mexico, and it was awesome. It's one of the biggest that I've seen and the coolest. Inside and out has a aztec theme and it was sooooo cooool to do a session in spanish. I understood almost everything, except the part right before the celestial room. hahaha. I felt the spirit and I was edified like no other. Having temples here on the earth is one of the most underrated blessings that we have, to renew our testimonies and it's a blessing to be worhty to enter and take advantage of such a miracle. Truly this work is marvelous.
So all of my converts are strong in the church and one actually is giving a talk this sunday. I'm so stoked. She is already making plans to go to the temple and do the sealings with her son since her husband died. Also we heard from a primary child in church. She gave a talk in front of everyone and rocked it. It was literally the most informational and spiritual talk I've heard here. from a PRIMARY KID. WOW, I was so ignorant when I was in primary. I would never be able to give a talk like that, let alone, I don't think it's allowed.. but that's just how Mexico roles around here. We have one more week untill exchanges again so there is a huge chance that I'm not going to be with my comp, which is a shame because we are absolutely dominating our area. It's so ripe already to harvest; in fact we found a couple of new people. One of which, we passed by their house and she said that she already read the resturacion folleto (Restoration pamphlet). We asked her how she liked it and she said "me gusto bastante", which means I liked it a ton. Which was weird for someone who is 17. So we left her a plan de salvacion ( Plan of Salvation) and told her that if she like that, she is really going to like this. We had a good humbling experience when we lost those investigators so close to baptism. They had 8 weeks to prepare and I feel like we falied them, which we probably did. I have this unproven philosophy that if we can teach so well and bear testimony so well that we can take away their abililty to say no, becasue they know that its true. In reality that doesn't work at all, but me and my comp are super good friends. best... naw jk. es broma, but I've decided I want to enter the temple with all of my comps. I feel like God has blessed me with the gift of "falling well" (as they say here in mexico) with people.
I'm absolutely boss with trompos too. I have blisters all over my hands from spinning them on my hands and rapping the string around them. It's hard to explain but I would youtube it. It's like a top that you wrap a string around. then you throw it with the string attached to your hands and if your good you can throw it through your legs and around your back, have it role down the string into your other hand. I'm practicing a lot when it's p-days. Today after we deep cleaned our house, I practiced for hours while Elder Mathis shined his shoes and shaved and what not. I have a lot of funny pictures that we took this week. We contacted a mom and her daughter in the street by offering to haul her bags, and I mean haul they were so heavy. We learned that her daughter is deaf and so her mom taught us a little sign language in spanish. Possibly the most useless language to learn spanish sign language, but me and my comp are learning so that we can teach her the lessons in sign. I don't know how far we will be able to go, but that would be so cool to feel the spirit in sign language. whoaaaaaaa....so I've heard about all Eric's success in Africa, that's crazy that he's having like 55 investigators at church. We have on average 4 and I'm super happy about that, but this week I've been feeling the pressure to learn my area better because there is a huge chance that Elder Mathis is gonzo (gone?). He's been here 4 transfers and his time has come. I made some more pancakes and I'm actually really good at making them now. I always make them for people when we have interexchanges with other elders.
We are now teaching three different families english, and were are not good teachers. We only know how to speak it. Dogs haven't been a problem for a long time. I don't know what happened. Although Elder Mathis still freaks out every time a chihuahua
comes up to us. (I'm serious its not stereotypical) there are huge amounts of chihuahuas
here. I saw a puppy laying on the ground just barely had been ran over, still alive and the mom was trying to lick it back to life. I almost threw up again when I saw it twitching. I'm sorry if you guys didn't want to hear that. I got to write three letters today, one to Kevan Bendt, Mom, and Meg Whipp. I hope they arrive in good time. there was a ton of work to do this week and so I didn't have much time to rest or walk. It's so funny to think that we know this area better than the taxis and people. people ask us for directions and we know all the short cuts that are super dangerous, but you gotta take what you gotta take, even though I don't think God would protect us for being stupid. My legs are bough and I can climb a mountain hill in like 15 minutes. Which is fast. It's so true that if you have unity and love in your companionship you have the spirit in the lessons. I don't know if I've already said this but it's as if our area is a wet rag and me and Elder Mathis are each hand, wringing it out of it's chosen people. That is a bit prideful but the Lord is blessing us so much and now that I can speak the language it's so easy to find people's needs and hit them with the spirit fist.
My testimony of the apostasy is really strong and I feel bad about what I said about a catholics last time. It's a huge thing here though that the catholic pope resigned and people now are losing their faith in the catholic church, which is good and bad,. it's helps us with how we have a Prophet today that lives and doesn't resign, but if it wasn't for the catholics than we would have start from scratch with the lessons. Everyone here believes in God. I haven't met anyone that doesn't believe in God here. Which helps a ton. I love the work I'm doing and I only feel bad that I'm almost 1/4 done. It's going by way to fast I wish it would slow down. I miss everyone and I spend a lot of time at nights thinking about how cool my life was before and how much I dreaded that eagle project, which helped prepare me for my mission so much. Honestly growing up in the true church of God, is the best, because now I have an eagle scout, great friends and support from the ward. I'm serving a mission and learning spanish which is such a useful language it's relic and I have a unbreakable testimony of the restoration.
I had and have the best friends and leaders and parents and family and mission. Seriously this mission is rockin'. Our mission baptizes a new ward every month. I still have so much to learn but what I'M most stoked for is my birthday tomorrow. I have literally no plans because we are packed from 10 till 8 so maybe I'll enjoy a cup of noodles at night or something. I got a package from Harrison just barely. I have it in my arms now but it's unopened. So maybe I'll wait till tomorrow to open it for my birthday. What ever it is thanks Harry and thank your family. I don't have my journal with me, which I normally read and write from it so I don't forget, but I don't have it with me today.
I love you all and I'm sorry that I always sound prideful in my letters. I just get really excited that I can talk with you guys. Keep up the good work everyone and go manchester united. I hope to dominate people in soccer when I return, that's a threat. Alright I'm off.
Elder Michael guadelupe hernandez sumeria godninez the thrid 3
What a great week, seriously, the weeks are going by too fast. Time here is flying, which is good and bad, it means less time before I'm home again, but I don't like to think that I'll be 20 in 7 days!!! One week and I'm not a teenager in Mexico anymore. Naw it's all good though.
I learned a ton this week. I really learned how to receive revelation. It's awesome when your just sitting in bed or studying or in a lesson and God is telling you something directly. I now carry a notebook on me wherever I go so that kids can draw with me and keep themselves busy, and so that I never miss a opportunity to write down what God wants me to hear. Seriously though I have one half of the notebook for words or cool frases and the other half for what God tells me. My testimony is so strong now in the gospel and how it can chagne people if they let God into their lives.
Me and Elder Mathis have filtered out all of the chosen chosen chosen people and are now working hard with those that need to get married and drop beer or cafe or stuff like that. Every single person here without fail has family problems and needs the gospel, just the traditions of the fathers is what keeps them from getting baptized and making covenents with God. We only have 2 more weeks of the cambio (transfers) untill one of us goes. maybe we will stay but normally you don't stay with your trainer for 4 cambios (transfers). I learned the hard way that planning in the mornings is too important to just forget about, however badly you don't want to do it. If you want the spirit with you bright the day, you need your studies and planning session.
I also heard and I might have already told you guys but they are going to open 8 more missions here in Mexico that's more than any other country in the world. 7 in brazil and 58 new missions total. I seriously feel like a boss that I am in the mission when I am, because when everyone arrives that are 18 and they open all the new missions I'm goign to have 10 months and it really touches me that the Lord is accelereating his work, before the second coming and all. We have been working really hard and it feels good to drop dead on my bed at 10 and be fast asleep till 6:30 the next day. I've never ever been tired at 9 before, but we hike and walk and run way too much here. I feel exhausted every day, but I feel good that I'm serving the Lord with all my strength, might, mind, heart, or however that goes. I'll admit it too, I'm scared to find out that some of my investigators are prepared to receive the gospel. They just want us at their house to be with the missionaries because everyone loves the missionaries once you get to talkin to them for a couple minutes.
Speaking of running. Me and Elder Mathis were booking it down the mountain of ocotal, when I stepped on a rock and twisted my ankle. It hurt like no other but we had to continue running to get the appointment. For 4 days it's been hurting but I don't have time or the patience to baby my foot. Sometimes in the nights it's really painful, but now it's almsot healed. I also had a really awesome experience with fast offerings: in church I only had 200 peso bill and didn't want to give all of that away, so I put 100 on the slip and wrote change on the envelope, after church, they normally go around giving people back their proper change. Well during fast and testimony meeting I heard a testimony on how when we trust in the Lord and give him temporal things we can be promised a recompensation. I felt impressed to scrible out the change and give all the money to the fast offerings. I turned it in and at the end of church the 2nd counsler gave me back change anyways. I didn't understand at first, but then I realized that I already wrote 100 on the fast offereing slip. although it's a little experience I learned that when God asks us to sacrifice a lot, and we trust in him to do it, well, he just wants to see that we were willing to sacrifice. I got my change back, but yet I was still willing to pay it. I thought at least it was a cool experience.
Also a menos activo (some what less active) sitting next to me felt the spirit super strong during fast and testimony meeting ( or just testimony meeting because not everyone fasts here, in fact hardly anyone. He ripped off his lip ring in sacrememnt meeting and said that he wanted to turn his life around and serve a mission. I was nearly crying, being able to see the spirit work miracles in people. I don't have fotos (photos) this week becasue I forgot to bring my card reader and usb drive, but I receive everyones letters and I got the two packages which was awesome. Sadly I have to much desire to give away all my stuff to people. I love butterfingers but I can't resist see the smile on someone's face when I say that I brought them american candy, but I've been craving some war heads and skittles. I am now a champ at making butterfinger peanut butter pancakes, literally the most delicios thing I've ever eaten. The language is still coming along nicely, but slowly. People really don't have troubles understaning me now and I now don't have fear to call people and try to understand them through all the terrible reception here. It's soo cold here that our gas tank doesn't work. All the gas goes to the bottom and so we have to warm up a bucket of water with a little water heating thing, I don't know how to explain it, but it's the worst. It doesn't matter how hot you can get it, because the instant that your not pouring water on you, the cold hair reacts with the water on your body and your freezing again. I never thought it would be cold here in southern mexico, but we are so high up and it's so dry here that you walk around and feel like it should be snowing. Also if it's too cold, people just decide to not go to church, becasue the church isn't heated so it's even colder than outside. It's as sunny as a summer day, so you get burnt while freezing, it really is the worst of two worlds put together. naw jk I love it here.
People are so cool and people aren't so afraid to give me spicy food. There is also a toy here called a trompo that they don't have in the United States. Me and Elder Mathis have been practicing and now we're really good we can catch it in our hands and do a couple of tricks. Maybe i'll video it or something. I'm sure you can find it on youtube. I feel like I have so much to learn and so little time, really the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't end on how much you can learn and apply to your life, but like Eric Robinson said; the mission changes a man for the better, he adapts all characteristics of Christ and loses all the bad ones but keeps his personality. God doesn't send missionaries to their proper missions so that they can change their personality, and sorry for all my bad typing today, my fingers are soo cold and I don't want to waste any time trying to fix thigns that you guys would understand anyways. I've learned a really awesome way to eat an orange becasue you eat like an orange a day here and you need to be skilled to eat it with out a knife. Also there have been less drunks and people passes out lately. Only like 4 times a week now when it was every day before. I think it's because the holdiays are over, but not for the catholics. Uggg when I think of catholics I think of Satan, I'm sorry if anyone catholic is reading this, but really apostacy on steroids. They have a holiday every week, day of the virgen, day of the shoe day of the mule ( that one is real) day of the day, day of the day again. also every saturday is party day, where everyone comes out and parties and no one has school or work so everyone is drunk.
It really is the best mission in the world. We should have 3 baptisms this week but they didn't come to church and so me and Elder Mathis had to make the tough decision to push back there date a week, even though they pass all of the needs to be baptized. I can't think of the word in English. if they dont dar frutos de su arrepentimiento (they don't repent) , then they really shouldn't be baptized, we have to think of the Lord's will than ours.
Really I love you all and I'm sorry that I'm not personal, now that I have stamps though I'm going to start writting more to you all. Keep up the good work and one day we will all walk through the temple together.
Love MIchael!!!
