Week 22

Hey guys, 
   Man this week was awesome!!! This was the most successful week we've ever had here, 24 lessons, which might not sound like a lot but we were sprinting from appoitment to appointment. We had so many lessons and we have so many progressing. We've definitely stepped up our game now that me and my trainer (well now equals)  have another change together. We had a new record at 9 at church, which was so cool. We were running all over the place trying to get everyone in their proper classes. It's hard because you have to say hi to them before and after every class so that they stay all three hours, people don't have the patience to stay that long, not even the member activos(actives) sometimes. 

    So, we have an investigator name America, we actually have two, one is progressing very nicely but doesn't want to get baptised yet, she's learned all the lessons but has a lot of problems with her family against her joining the church. They are catholics and she is always sad. I have literally learned just how much I love the people here, they are so awesome and lovable. It kills me to see them sad or when their family is agaisnt them joining or something. All I want to do is hug them all. My mission has made me a softy where all day long and all night long I'm thinking about my investigators and what I can do for them. The mission is so awesome because I feel like I've been changed, or transformed into a walking charity machine, except for giving drunks or barachos (drunks) money. I just want to buy and give them stuff and help them and talk to them all. Now that I can actually speak spanish it so much easier to understand people and what their going through, and everyone here, literally, everyone here has problems. 

  It's so cool though being a missionary especially with the new announcement that they are going to open 8!!!!!!!!! new missions here in MEXICO. One of them is the Chalco Mission just outside ours. Which means there going to need to talk 60 missionaries out of our mission and put  them in chalco. They are going to be looking for missionaries who already have about half their mission left and the changes are in july, I'll have 10 months in July,  so I think I'm gonzo (good?). Who knows though. Wherever the Lord needs me, I think it would be cool though, to start a new mission and train or something. It's probably bad, but I would love to be a leader of some sort. Preferably AP. 

  Oh yeah, I have a really awesome story to tell you guys. Miracles. So if you remember the girl that we found, well I'll start from the begging. We were looking for a reference and we past a house that Elder Mathis remembered the number from somewhere before. Right them a Señor (gentleman) appeared and asked if we were looking for him, we realized it was a menos activo (less active) from like 6 years ago. He let us in and we taught him. We then asked him if he knew anyone that we could invite the next time we come. He brought his granddaughter right then, who is about 25 and has 3 kids. We taught her and left her a book of mormon. The next day we texted her and asked her how everything was going and if she read. She said she did and prayed and God answered. We were stoked when she said she already had a testimony of the Book of Mormon. A couple days passed and we stopped by to visit her for the third time. She wasn't there but we left a sticky on her grandpa's door (oh btw,  the way people live with like 15 people all in one lobby enclosed house, I don't know how to explain it, ask a mexican) but we left a sticky on her grandpa's door that basically said,  "Hey anistacio, we came by to visit and talk, remember church tomorrow and don't forget to remind Erika ( the granddaughter). We got a text that night saying that her brother-in-law saw the note, showed it to her super catholic parents and they got really mad at her and she wasn't going to be able to go to church. We were super sad and were praying for a miracle. She sent us a message in the morning that everything was figured out and that she would be going to church with us. Church was awesome and everyone was saying hi and stuff. Her inactive grandpa said he wasn't going to leave the church again (and was trying to steal the hymnos from the church haha)  we got another message that night that "vi a algien con ojos de amor, este no esta bien, no voy a poder ir otravez" which means I saw someone there that I like and that's not cool, I'm not going to go again. I wanted to throw up when I read it. I felt so sick, she was so chosen and she had even seen a vision of the temple before we met her. We were super depressed until she sent us a message not but 10 minutes ago that said that she wants some advice about what she should do about the person she saw there that she likes. There is only two people that it really could be and that's our mission leaders who are two handsome studs her age. The whole time she was just wanting to gossip and hype up the situation. Elder mathis scalled it too, he said that people here like to gossip with the missionaries. That just goes to show that texting instantly brings drama, and it's no good. 

  We should have 3 baptisms in 2 weeks which im stoked for.  Me and Elder Mathis are doing good. He still has a problem with planching investigators which means chewing them out, but he's working on it ( I hope ) other than that though, we are really good friends, missionary work is so different when your working with your best friend. That's also another thing I've leanred is that you have to be filled with love for all people to do missionary work. I think I have that down though, because I can't express just how much I love being around people here. Our area too however big, it's so ripe already to harvest. I feel like me and Elder Mathis are two hands wringing out a wet towel with our area. Squeezing out all of the chosen people and sucking out the goods, and with so much time together we have learned to teach like bosses.

 Prayer is so essential too, you literally have to wrestle with God as it says in Alma, in prayer to see miracles. My morning and night prayers are super long as I pray for each one of my investigators. Things really are awesome here, I'm getting super tan and days are going by so fast, it seems like the day flies by in an hour. We also met a classic family and they are awesome. They have a bit too much catholicism in their blood but nothing we cant "wring out" haha. Literally with a testimony and the spirit, nothing is impossible. oh yeah, I almost forgot the coolest part of the week!!!! I finally got your packages!!! I got Ellie's too, and man there was so much cool stuff. Finally I have a up on the fight against athletes foot with the sandals and the butterfingers and peanut butter are soo cool. I've been making peanut butter pancakes and giving people the butterfingers to try because they don't have that here and everyone loves them. I've been also bringing around my peanut butter and letting people test it. Some people like it and others don't because of it's texture, and it doesn't have spices in it. Normally everything peanut here has spice in it. It's been warming up now, I haven't had to use a coat anymore and all the oregon stuff was cool. People don't know about college football but that's ok. What else was awesome. oh the picture of Christopher and Ellie in Ellie's package was cool, people love to see my family, you guys should send my a ton of pictures because my investigators want to see more of them. I'm getting all the dear elders. Although they come two weeks after they get sent. It's cool to read about how  people are doing. I truly get so much energy from hearing about people lives. 

I've learned how to cross the street like a boss now. I have no fear of crazy drivers or dogs anymore because you just learn to deal with it all. Elder Mathis has no fear of humans but is super scared of dogs and literally freaks out when a dog wants to play with him. It's cool though. My body is so tired every night when we come home, I drop on my terrible mattress and fall asleep instantly, but I can't complain because people here and other places like in Eric's mission have it so much worse. We have a couple people that are doing good in our english classes, they can say "I want pizza" which is a big step. I never realized how dumb english is until I have to teach it, they just like to have us over though because we're white americans who are young and know how to have a good time. They always call us guapos which means the handsome guys. It might sound a bit stupid but I swear I am getting better looking from being here in mexico in the sun all day and climbing huge hills. 

Anyways things here are great and my poops are back to normal fat and cactus finally doesn't faze me anymore and it's just a bit harder than normal to chew, as for cow head , I have trouble with. 

I love you all and really just had a big ramble session this letter. If you want to know more about mexico I would love to tell you everything. It's normal to me now so I can't find weird stuff anymore. The work is great and remember that God exists and loves all of us. Sea feliz y sea fuerte hasta caundo regreso. les amo todo y regresare con honor. ( Be happy and strong till I come back. I love you all and I will return with Honor) 

Elder Eliwin (as everyone here calls me)

Week 21

Hey:  I felt bad all week about misspelling Daughter of God when I called that lady a witch. She gave us a ride home when we were running late. That little act of kindess alone made me feel terrible. Just remember if you can serve those you hate it's just as good feeling as getting them back. 

  But hey  things here are going great. We actually had another tough week, but church here is sooo cool. Sundays are seriously the best day of the year. I wish everyday was sunday. We had a whopping 5 at the capilla (chapel), our record is 6 but 3 of them we thought we were losing because of schedule conflicts, but it was awesome. The classes of english are going good. The famiy now know how to say "I want pizza" and "he wants pizza". haha... no but I'm so happy with our numbers. No baptisms, actually we've had like 5 fall through which is really hard on a missionary to see all your work and then have them say that they don't feel ready. 

  We had like 7 lessons with members this week which is really good because members only like to help the missionaries by giving them food. (way to much food) I'm finally used to 2:00 dinners it was hard in the begging but I've learned to harness my hunger for good and focus it on teaching haha. not true. I also got super burnt this week, but it turned into a nice tan. My skin is becoming mexican. I'm so stoked to come back to Eugene and beat everyone in a tan off, because I've always been the most pale. Next to beloved Harrison Jones (who still needs to cut his hair) naw, but I've definitely felt the Lord's love this week. I actually had to give another talk. I was supposed to give it last 3 weeks ago, but the bishop kept pushing it back which in the beginning was annoying, but being a missionary you're filled with christlike attributes, I gave an awesome talk about forgiving others. Something people here in mexico have a lot of trouble with. I got a load of compliments and it was the first time ever that I didn't write the talk, but instead wrote notes and just spoke from the heart. In reality it's so much better, if you can just trust the spirit, he will guide every word, which he did. I was nervous to wing a talk, but it was super powerful. People normally talk and I learn nothing, but I've also learned the power of personal revelation, I received about half of the revelation from God for my talk during a law of chastity lesson, I had to write these thoughts and ideas down. 

  Also this week we had changes!!!! dun dun dun!!!! I was so nervous, because my area is really big and our map is absolutely terrible I wasn't sure if I was going to move or stay, especially it being my first changes, I couldn't wait. We find out at 10:00 that all 4 of us in ouir ward are staying to dominate a bit longer, but this change is only 4 weeks long. I've talked about how my comp is sometimes pridefull and hard to be with, I was just joking. He's a stud and I've finally seen the spirit of patience and humility inside him. He's been here for 16 months and had all mexican companions and is moved every 12 weeks (which is short time) but he's never complained about it once. He's last comp too was terrible. naw,  but the food is good. I tried pig tongue and pig nose and its really hard, it's like chewing through a bone. It wasn't for me, but someone (and ive no idea how) I said to the family that it was my favorite food, there going to make it for us the next time we come....great....missionaries are so poor but everyone thinks we are rich, walking around in a tie and are actually clean, when everyone else is straight dirty, actually dirty, not well dirty in that sense,( but in that sense too) my shoes are holding up good. I need to buy a shoe shine kit. The Zone Leaders said that I better be shining my shoes. 

  How the food stands work Crystal is that at about 4 in the afternoon all of the ice cream and little garage sail people shut down and get replaced by food stands. They have portable fire places and like a half a pig or something and you just say I want tacos del pastor o carnitas and they chop it up and throw it in a taco, Tamali's are sold on the move, people on little bike things go around with a huge thing of tamalis of different flavors like mushroom, strawberry (yeah strawberry) and pineapple, red, green, mole, and they come by around 9 in the morning during studies, and everyone had their own tamali yell, for example every momring 4 people go by our house screaming TTTTTAAAAAmmmmmmmmaaaaaaLLLLLLEEE oh tttttaaaMMMMMMMAAAAlLLLLeeee. by their screams every morning you know who's selling which, my personal favorite is the TTTTAAAAMMmmmmmmmmmmaaaaLLLLLEEEE. with a little valentina it's soooo good. 

  Let's see what else,  the garbage trunk will come down every street and here they don't have recycling but they do have organic which you have to seperate, and you have to bring it out to him from inside your house, I have finally learned to enjoy tomatoes straight, with a little salt, it's wayyy good, but they say rico (yummy) here, like mmm gracious hermana todo fui tan rico( sister, everything was very good), and they always always always say, que bueno elder que le gusto ( Glad you like it, Elder). I'm just glad I'm in the best work in the world, although missionaries aren't perfect, they rip up the work. It makes so much sense now why they send 19 and 18 year olds, because everyone in the ward loves us but everyone else makes fun of us, which is funny because they have no idea what's written on their shirt (ohh I just went there)....I've been getting letters from everyone so don't worry about if it's not coming, it's coming alright.

 Crystal don't worry about sending Tyler and Eric's emails, I get them already from dear old Susan and Jeff Robinson, but thanks for the thought.!!!! 

Ashley, I hoped my letter arrived, hold in there and just a little advice if your reading this, doesn't matter who we are, all of us can have a personal revelation with our father, our dad, our Father in Heaven. I've grown so close to My Heavenly Father here in my mission. I've also learned to bear a powerful testimony now, before my spanish stopped me from bearing it but I've learned to bear it with power and authority that no one can deny. I'm sorry if I haven't answered any questions or something, keep sending them and sooner or later I'll answer them all. 

Mexico is the best mission ever. It's not too successful and not to hard hearted but just right, the prophecy giving to nefi (Nephi) about the americas being a powerful house of the Gospel is so coming true, and I smile so much when I hear all the success that Eric is having with 20 investigators at church, that's so coooool. I wish I could be his companion and rip it up with him,  but i love you all and if you haven't already heard, they are building another MTC here in Mexico City, so I highly suggest everyone to prepare themselves to serve the Lord in the best work ever done. I'm so proud of my family and all the work and school and trust in the Lord they have, like Eric said; I have the best friends ever and I smile all the time thinking that all of us are serving the Lord together in our respective countries and the Eugene 5th ward is the  second coolest ward ever next to Contreras ward here in Mexico, jkjk no es cierto ( is not true). I love spanish and I'm so blessed to be speaking such a useful language, it only sucks that everyone else will be speaking Portuguese without me....:( jk. I love you all and will write soon

 Love, Michael  

 P.s. I got kissed this last week, I'm not going into it though............................

Oh I also forgot:

A miracle happened this week!!! Well mas o menos (kind of)... We were menos activo hunting or less active hunting and We found a house that look familiar. We took out the menos activo address book ( less active address book) and right then the guy that lives there showed up, he's about 77 and he let us in. He said that he'd been a less active for years but he knew that when he saw us that we were looking for him. We taught him and then asked if he knew anyone that we could invite the next time we come, (which is law, you have to ask that question to everyone every lesson) he said ''yeah just one second'' left and got his grandaughter, we chatted for a couple minutes and then taught her too, the spirit was way strong and we applied it nice to her needs. She then told us that last night she had a dream that she was in a church and something else that I couldn't understand about her family. She said that in the dream she was told that she needed to acercarse a dio  otravez, or i guess there really isn't a word for acercarse, but it means like grow closer to Christ again. We arrived that day and she said she knew that God was telling her something. She's going to churh this sunday with us!!!! I love miracles. 

Love you all too, Elder Ordway

Week 20

Ah man, an interesting week indeed. We didn't have any baptisms, and more trials than usual. I never thought that as a missionary I would have to deal with calling Judges and arranging marriages. 

   Here in the delegacion (delegation)  de magdalena contreras, marriage is free on valentines day. One of the biggest things that holds people back from marrying each other is the cost. It's like 1,000 pesos or something, and we had two couples going to get married the 14th and 3 of them baptized the 16th, but the delegation canceled the free marriage like  4 days before and so we had to tell them that there was another judge out of the state for 500 pesos. I was so tempted just to pay for it myslef. (jkjk) but one of the couple said they were cool, the other, welll...............we got dropped. So close to baptism and then Satanas (Satan) struck us hard. 

   It was hard to deal with and it put a damper on the usual sunday excitement. Then they pushed my talk back another week and felt no remorse. Ironically my talk is on Christ-like attributes specifically forgiving others; so that actually helped me deal with the 4 week wait on my talk. Then, one lady forgot to bring food to the church, (how it works, is people sign up like 2 months in advance for dinner and on sunday you have to bring it to the church because we have a meeting in another delegation like two hours away). 
The lady this time said  " oh how embarrassing.....oh well....maybe a saturday or something bye!" so we fasted again......  but now that's all the depressing stuff is out of the way. We finally bought food for the house and I bought a sick manchester United soccer ball. I'll send home a picture next monday. 

   We've been teaching English to these two sisters who are breaking like every single commandment know to the church, but they went to the church and learned and felt the spirit. We only had 3 this time, but I'm still way happy with it. I always think of how much harder other people's missions are like Tyler's and Eric's and soon to be Christians and it helps me stay humble. This week was pretty cool, finally someone pronounced my name right. We had comp exchanges for a day and I had the coolest Elder come... Elder felix who has so much animo, or excitement) We had a blast, We also went to Wal-mart and I finally bought really expensive peanut butter, it was like 50 pesos, but it never tasted so good. I made him peanut butter pancakes and he ironed (my non wrinkle-able shirt) haha. He actually just wrinkled it more by leaving marks, but the thought that counts. He's way awesome. 

   I've been addicted to the bread here, it's soo good, they just have a big old bread shop and have all these different types for really cheap. Also I've been addicted to street food, which is the ultimate get you sick fast, but it's soo good and soo cheap. Seriously I could live months off like 100 bucks here. 1 dollar for 5 tacos. It's been raining, thunder and lighting here, and people still are so giving. It's so true that even if people don't have anything they will give you all that they have. For example one investigator that we have, only sells potato chips on the side of the road, but won't let us leave without giving us water and chops with salsa and lime. I have to sneak the money into his pocket because I feel so bad.

    Elder Matyhis doesn't even like the new food of the week; fungus that grows on corn. People love it in tacos, but I just pretend it's olives because it's all black. I've been sick though for the last week or so with a bad cold. I don't let it show when I'm teaching, but I can't breathe through my nose. My poops are back to normal finally, I've been here for 2 and a half months and it took way too long. 

    Oh yeah, we were in a really awesome lesson about the word of wisdom and then the investigators mom showed up and (I'm only going to say this once) "the witch that she is" cast out the spirit and cast us out too. It was hard, but you know how them super Catholics are, praying to the Virgin Mary and all. Here in apostasy land people literally either hate us or love us. The members call us Angeles de los cielos or angels sent from heaven. and everyone else has ...well....other words special too. We have been eating good now. People are less afraid to give an American spicy food, even though I can eat twice as spicy as half the people here. nah jk jk. It's not true. People pride themselves all day long on how they have names for different chilis, and we also had the most delicious burgers I had ever eaten ever the other day. I never thought I would have to leave America to taste the best burger ever.

    I tried to part in my hair as well this week, which involved a lot and I mean a lot of gel, because everyone know how much my hair likes to stay flat and be parted. I'll send home pictures of it. We have one more week till cambios or changes and there is a really good chance that my comp is Gonzo, because he's been here for 18 weeks and that's a lot for an area. Which means I'm going to have to know all the streets and actually I learned that my area is way big, I though it was small all this time, but I learned that the areas in Iztapalapa are way tiny. 

   We are out of chosen investigators..haha...so We are working really hard with some catholics and druggies and what not. We need to find newbies though. We are teaching an ex girlfriend of an investigator and I don't think they like each other but are in the same ward area, so we will see. I'm interested in how everyones lives are, I got like 20 letters the other day. I don't know what happened but they all got stock piled, I was wondering because I went like 4 weeks without anything. We asked to go to the temple this tuesday and go through a spanish session. I'm stoked and we have really good numbers so I'm guessing that we are going to be able to go. I want to go in with all my comps and do a session, that would be so cool. 

  My shoes are doing good and the power only went out twice this week. You don't know why it does that, but it does... and I learned that mom, your salsa that you make, is exactly what they have here too, it's soo good and way mexican, if it makes you feel good about that. I've been showing my investigators pictures of my friends and family and actually most of them say that I look most like mom, which is weird, but cool. 

Keep sending the letters and asking questions. I don't know what you guys want to hear about. Weeks are faster and faster every week and I have plans to buy a ton of fruit and eat it all today. Tell everyone that doesn't get this email that I love them and feel bad that I can't talk real personal with anyone, but have plans to when I return in 20 months....... I love you all and hope to hear from you soon. 

keep up the blog going.!!!

                          Love, Michael!!!!    que dios les bendigas (God Bless)

Week 19

Hey everybody:

      I feel bad but I have to keep this letter short, only because my comp hosed me with time, but this week was awesome. We saw more miracles such as the fact that We fasted for a investigator and turns out that God heard our prayers because she's going to get married and baptized the 14!!! it's really hard to get people married here but on the 14th the marriage license is free, so everyone waits until then to get married. 

     We are having two couples going to get married and then baptized. We had a baptism and I got to baptize her, her name is Veronica and she was super escogido (Chosen). She accepted a baptismal date in 1 week, but turns out that we could only teach her one time before that. Our bishop really wanted us to get the one week baptism, because she already has gone to church a couple of times, but she had to have 2 interviews one of which was with the President. So after 2 weeks she was baptized. We have 7 investigators with baptismal dates and we should put 2 more tomorrow. 

   The best birthday present would be to either receive my christmas present that got sent or have all these investigators follow through with their desire top get baptized. We were teaching classes of Ingles (English) to investigators and it's going super well. Really, english is the worst language in the world. It doesn't make any sense and it's all memorization.
 I also realized that fruit here is super cheap. It's like a buck for a full pineapple. and actually I have a funny story about that. I bought a pineapple and the instant that I brought it into a investigators house, she grabbed it and said thank you Ordway!! for the present. (everyone here just calls me odwaey) I had let her have it and I bought a new one from the same person 30 minutes later. Our house is out of food again but people love to give us food and I had my first mango the other day and they are so good and it's not even mango season. We have a bunch of people progressing. I struggle with patience at times with my comp. We've been together for a while. and We don't have problems, but he suffers from pride issues hard. He's like the exact opposite of Harrison Jones, but I'm sure I'm speaking out of pride saying that.. we bought a 15 dollars worth of ice cream for like 1 buck 50. 

   The language was good this week. We played mexican monopoly with some other Elders and it's so much more fun, all the under-table rules and deals and everyone is trying to cheat, but if you can get away with it its legal (you just got to watch out for the banker).  We had a really good week. Elder Mathis had a leader meeting so I went with some other elders that break rules super hard. They both have 21 weeks left and were on Facebook and listening to lincoln park and stuff, but it's all good, one of them shaved his head into a mohawk. hahah. 

  Naw but things are going good. Tomorrow we are going to the centro which is like the strip in San Francisco. It's a huge place with tons of shops. Everything is cheap and there are ruins and museums and what not. Keep up the dear elders and don't forget to send stamps, because I can't write anyone anymore. I don't want to know how much american stamps are here. Everything american is expensive. It's to make sure that the economy here is good I  guess. Who knows. A lady forgot about dinner with her and in like 5 minutes she whipped up a mexican meal that was way good. I felt bad but she was awesome. We ate some good mexican food at the street stands and also bought 7 tamales here on the second of Febrero (February), because every does and they all carry around little baby Jesus' even like super ripped guys are carrying around a basket with a baby Jesus in it. Who knows why, but talk about apostasy. We had a super intense lesson with an investigator called America, we have two investigators called America, but I thought the roof was going to explode the Spirit was so strong. 

I got to go, but I love you all and will write more next week when my comp doesn't hose me over. just joking. 

Love, Michael

Week 18

Hey guys!

  I  really don't know how to start these emails anymore. It seems like I always start with hey guys...haha but this week was awesome. just so you guys know, I only have 1 comp...Elder Mathis...the other two are in our ward though, but they have a whole another area. 

   Me and Math have been contacting alot in the streets, taxis, busses, metrobus, and all that. We have a goal for 12 baptisms for march (what a coincidence with my birthday being the 12th) but I know we can do it. Our zone leaders said that we have the highest baptisms in the zone and the highest or one of the highest in the mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's so awesome, but I don't want it to get to my head because the Lord does everything for us. We had another 6 people at church yesterday and 2 confirmed. We only had 2 out of the 4 get baptised which is awesome believe me I'm so happy, and once again I got to baptize. I forgot her name for the first 20 seconds and didn't want to have to ask her again in the water, but all was good, she came up joking though. I didn't know what to do...but we baptised a lady and her 13 year old daughter.  
The service was awesome and my animo (encouragement)  goes up every time I get to witness a baptism, and it's so cool to have our zone meetings every sunday,  because I  get to see how this work is so perfectly put together,  to be able to see the Lord and all these missionaries working together.

  I love walking around the city at night; being able to just eat and do whatever you want. It's so lively. We watched the 2 mujeres( women) get confirmed and we have a load of investigators now with baptism dates. We have one lady this saturday and she is so chosen its ridiculous. She read all the way through the end of Mosiah in the week that we didn't see her. Normally we have to see these people and call the everyday to make sure they are doing good and that the devil hasn't gotten to them yet. It's like these are my little children and me and Elder Mathis are the parents taking care of them and teaching them everything they need to know about life. 

    A couple are going to get married on valentines day and then baptized 2 days later. His mom already did all the family history work for their family, so they will be sealed in the temple as a family for ever!!!. that Is the best feeling in the world, to know that the Lord has used me to help these people get sealed for time and all eternity. Missionary work is sooooo awesome. I wish my family and friends all moved here so I could do this for the rest of my life. I took pictures of our apartment and chapel so you guys can see it thanks to the advice of Christopher. The Lord is blessing us sooo much is too much really. I want to share these people with other missionaries so that we can all feel on the same level. The other elders in our district have the biggest area in the mission and struggle with their members and investigators, but our ward has had 10 baptisms in 2 months and 2 more this saturday. 

   I've learned again just how much Satan is attacking these people, those who aren't members couldn't see this, which really is a testimony builder of how much Satan is trying to destroy humankind, the super catholics seem to fight against us too. They will talk with our investigators and tell them terrible things about us and then we have to fight back. It really is just a big war that we are in. There is no other way of describing it as a battle of souls, but the Lord is increasing his troops and forces. I have so much a better understanding of how to help people progress and fend for themselves. I'm trying to be super humble. I've learned that the only person that can destroy a missionary is himself, and his pride. I've seen a bit of pride in me and maybe a little in Elder Mathis too and it's no good. This work would destroy itself from the inside with pride being the cause. One of our investigators named Carlos can't move or leave a bed, he's old and had a hip surgery. We taught him the first two lessons but then he got really really sick, he can't talk, swallow, move, or do anything. he can't open his eyes and we gave him another blessing. Actually that night I had a dream about him, that he was healed and we were playing frisbee, I have never been talked to through dreams before, but I think the Lord is telling me that everything will be alright if I have the faith sufficient. (or if I practice frisbee, one of the two)

  I had to write a talk for church yesterday, I spent 3 hours preparing this boss talk and then they didn't have me give it because there wasn't enough  time. I'm loving the dear elders and emails from all of you guys, keep it up really your helping me so much keep my spirits high. Although I make it sound all fun and baptisms, its still depressing a lot of times in the big city with all the crime and pornography everywhere, as far as the city goes. I felt pretty good this last week with the language. now that I've gotten through stage two of language I can understand cuss words and slang, I liked it before though that I knew them. 

  Some guy in a micro  dropped a coke and it splattered all over me all over my tie and white shirt, at first I was mad, but then I was filled with the spirit of love and it didn't bother me at all. We talked and I accepted a baptism date!! just joking!! I wish, it's not that easy to get baptism dates. We also have another investigator with a million and a half questions. I've never seen anything like her. She is 20 ;) and reads everything that we give her. She even said she knew it was all true without even praying or anything. She is scheduled for the 2nd of marzo (March) . 

   I'm glad to hear that everyone is keeping busy. Keep up the good work mom with the ortho and all that and I hope dad finds the fun that's is there with the scouts I know Jeff did. This next monday we should be going to the centro (downtown), which is the center part of the city with broken ruins and shops everywhere. I'm still slowly getting used to nopal (cactus ) and mole, which is chile chocolate stuff, luckily I didn't throw up in the baptismal fount because I felt sick after we ate enmoladas or enchiladas de mole. I sent a picture of it. Things really are amazing here. I have the best ward (second best) in the world and my bishop is finally content with our work, having one of the highest baptismal count in the whole D.F I would love to see some pictures or have some sent to me. I've been looking at the the pass out cards too long and the folletos (pamphlets) that I have all the pages memorized. Keep up the good work there in Eugene and I'll do the same here. Remember that God exists and all we need to do is trust every prompting of the spirit ever and we will be living the best life ever. I don't know if that made any sense. I  love you all and will be writing soon, hopefully I can write a few more letter today. i love you again.

 love Michael

Week 17

   OH man, the best week ever no joke, just like the last one and the one before that; but my mission only gets better which then makes me miss home more though. 

  Our apartment is freezing every morning. Yeah,  I'm in mexico but that doesn't mean anything compared to how high we are. Our gas ran out so we had to take freezing cold showers and our power has been out for a while. So there is nothing to eat but cereal which then makes you even more cold, but everything in our fridge is done for  I wasn't very thrifty this month. I only have 40 pesos for the next week, which is enough to buy some floss no joke, but this has been the week of miracles. 

  So first two of our investigators cancelled their baptism because the mom had to work. We fasted and she went to her boss for the third time to ask for the time off and she got it!!!!! with that, her son that didn't want to meet with us joined us at church with his wife (actually their not married, but everyone in mexico counts them as married) he loved it and wants to get baptized with his family in a week. He's already gone twice now so its totally possible. Also...another one of our investigators that we have only met with once wants to get baptized this Saturday. She's gone 4 times and knows better than me that the church is true ( just joking, but basically) We had a 2 hour lesson with her and taught her everything before church sunday, then she had the interview after church. that's 2 in 1 week baptisms.

   I have never ever seen such faith and desire to make a covenet with the Lord, but after this week we should have 5 more baptisms, but I believe were going to have to push 1 back a week or two because her husband doesn't want her to get baptized untill after she had her baby which is in 3 months.. no way.. not going to happen esposo (husband),  but we had a calm week with the dogs. nothing to say, except I saw another dead dog in the street. We had 5 investigators show up at church and 7 less actives come. I had a feeling( vision if you will) that one of my investigators had the preisthood and blessed his baby girl. we will see what he has in store. all i know is that the Lord is in charge completely of his work and that I'm nothing but a tool that's broken.  The Lord is watching over us and I can't see the blessings of being exactly obedient. I feel like samuel the lamanite in zarahemla and I have to preach the gospel to a huge city.

   I hope you guys could see on the google maps where I live. I wasn't actually allowed to do that I believe I could be wrong, but I got some dear elders from Christopher, Ashley and Dad,  and a letter from the bishop that was super nice to read,  and here about how much harder Erick's mission is than mine. I have a new testimony of electricity and how nice it is. I also miss warmth, peanut butter again, chase village, soccer (yeah soccer were not allowed to play it) but it's like my new favorite sport. I really enjoy how lively this city is all night and day, people are always in the streets and music is playing everywhere you go, and on the micros we have a new idea of preaching to everyone on there, but that takes more courage than I have.

   I learned a new cuss word today. I actually learned it from a native missionary that says it but really shouldn't. We had a nice zone conference again this week and I learned a lot about planning ahead. I wrote two letter and am going to send them home this sunday. One to Christopher and Ellie and one to Christopher Strub. I realized that this is the best mission in the world, but I think I knew it the whole time. People here are so ready , all we need is 5000 more elders to work because the city is so big. The language was actaully harder than normal this week, but I'm getting there.

   Things are said very weirdly and it's hard to think that way. l for example the verb to realize like I realized translates to spanish as I gave myself account. Even weirder stuff that my mind doesn't permit me to think about right now. My journal is so cool. It's like I'm writing a book and it's going to be published when I get home. I'm so happy to be on my mission with all of my friends and that the Eugene 5th ward can represent. 

 Congratz to Mckenna, she's going to return before I do...hahaha..... but that's ok. A less active started talking about Jehovas witnesses in church today and totally ruined the spirit in gopel doctrine class. Lucky Elder Jones in our ward "shut him up with a boss testimony about Joseph Smith" anyways I am wanting to write more but I don't know what you guys want to hear. I took a bucket shower for the first time and it was terrible,  but I really need to humble myself I  realized that even in my letters I'm way to prideful and it's not good,  but I love everyone of you and think about home all the time which I  shouldn't but I do anyways.

   I  love sundays and it's the best day of the week,  being able to renew my covenants is the best thing ever. really the Lord is so merciful. I also stated to realize how different our message is to the world, from Joseph Smith, to a prophet who talks with God, to baptisms for the dead , to 19 year old  guerros (warriors) in mexico, but that's what makes it so perfect. All I know is that God lives and works miracles in my work, I'm just glad to be apart of it. I feel bad that I'm not a better example and representaive of him. I love you all and will talk to you next week. 

love,  Michael

Week 16- 3 picture and a Link

Michael has shared a link with us. You can see exactly where he is. He was joking when he said he is right next to the jungle.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=2883+Bailey+Lane,+Eugene,+OR,+United+States&daddr=R%C3%ADo+Papaloapan&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=22.917923,-69.433594&spn=95.917539,186.152344&sll=19.308273,-99.268443&sspn=0.003362,0.005681&geocode=FSKNoAIdczWq-CnTemwkHuLAVDFf6A7v6lQ2gA%3BFdqiJgEd20QV-g&oq=rio+pa&t=h&mra=ls&z=3


Here are more pictures: