10/28/2013 2nd week in Camargo, Mexico

Well it's been an interesting week, and with that, it has been one of the Hardest weeks of my life. So on Tuesday Elder Whitney was sick, and so we stayed home that day for him to rest, so not much got done that day, then the rest of the week got worse. It started with the fact that we felt so good about the week. We got tons of appointments with people to come back, but almost all of them fell through. All of our amazing investigators that we have, they told us to come back at certain times and almost always they weren't there. Even like two or three times, one of the kids answered the door and we asked if their parents were there, and they left for a second, and came back and said no, they're gone, which pretty much is obvious that they just went and asked their parents.....but yeah. And then on top of all that stuff, I thought I had a bad infection in my mouth, and so I was worrying about that pretty much most of the time, and not focusing on the work. This week I actually cried a few times, thinking, how is this possible. It only gets worse too, because we are walking around each day for an average of 6 hours in the sun, so because of that and the not very much sleep, we usually have headaches, which makes it all worse.

          But then me and Elder Whitney were talking and said, we have to change this: On Friday night I prayed. I prayed a prayer like I've never prayed before. I asked Heavenly Father to change me, to heal me, to help me have the desire and the mindset to be able to be successful. I woke up the next day and I felt his help. During personal study in the morning I was reading the scriptures and felt at peace. I felt at peace in the work, and I just felt at peace overall. My mouth started to actually heal, and not hurt as bad. Things went a little better. We didn't still get much done on Saturday though, because we had meetings with the bishopric and other stuff like that, but I felt at peace. I felt a desire to do better.

          Yesterday on Sunday we also found out that one of our family's, Hipolito (the guy that sells churros) and his family, were waiting for another member family to pick them up for church, and they never showed up to pick them up for church. The family was so sad. They have 5 kids, 4 girls and 1 boy, and they're all really young, and they don't have too much. They don't have a way to get to church, so we have to find ways to get them to church. It was sad, but next week me and Elder Whitney are going to make sure to find a way to get them to church. I found a lot of peace talking to the family yesterday, because the little girls were laughing, and just having fun. We let the little boy play with our flashlights, and we were just playing with the little kids. I was pretending to be very viejito (really old), and I was talking in a shaky voice, and the little girls were just laughing, and then the little boy grabbed mine and Elder Whitney's fingers and wanted to show us something. It was good, and I found this peace that I hadn't felt in a while. It was a good overwhelming feeling, and it reassured me that I need to do better, because there are family's like this family that are waiting and need this gospel. But yeah, so I know that this next week will be better, because I'm going to make it that way.

          So other then the stories I just wanted to say all of the funny weird and crazy stuff I experience from my day to day life:

-I guess a lot of people are moving out of town in a month or so because it is so cold. People think it's cold right now, and it's funny because it feels hot to us.

-So I'm still planning on writing letters too, but I won't be sending them until maybe once a month, but that letter will have all the letters I wrote that month. This is because it is pretty expensive to send letters every week, so if I do it once a month it will be better for the budget.

-People put dogs on their roofs....don't know exactly why.

-Pretty much everyone has gates around their house, so to knock on doors, we actually use coins and tap on the gates.

-After you buy your food at grocery stores, you have to tip the bagger....I guess they don't really get paid like everyone else.

-We don't have bikes or cars, so we walk everywhere, which sometimes means we have to walk an hour and a half to get places.

-Our mission is a reference only mission....UNLESS the spirit says otherwise ;)

-Tortillas are served with EVERYTHING. Like it doesn't matter even if you have a sandwich for a meal, there will be tortillas too.

-We have a Zumba place right by our house which is interesting, because for about an hour during our study times they have the music blasting.

-Pretty much all of the teenagers like the American boys.....the missionaries. We've gotten giggles when we pass by, waves, and blowing kisses. And then all we do is wave back and keep walking....it's pretty much funny! haha

-People that sell stuff will put Super big speakers on top of their cars for advertisement. Those are super annoying.

-We teach an English class every Friday at 5:00-6:30 in the Church which is super fun! We taught the few people there last time head, shoulders, knees and toes! haha

-Everyone is surprised when I say that I have only been in Mexico for 2 weeks, because my spanish is good ;) I usually just say, Mi papa sirvió un misión también, y el sirvió in México, entonces, estoy siguiendo en sus pasos. Yo necesito ser come el! (My dad served a mission too, and he served in Mexico, so, I'm following in his steps. I need to be like him) haha but yeah, I guess my Spanish is really good so far! I still struggle with understanding people though.

-Also, I usually feel pretty safe for the most part, until all of a sudden we're walking down a street when a bunch police cars do a need for speed spin turn thing around the corner holding guns, and then jump out of the car while it's half moving and break into houses. Yeah, those are the times where it's kinda like a movie....but it's like happening right before my eyes.

-I haven't got the packages yet, but that's because I haven't been able to visit Chihuahua yet. We're doing that this week, so I should get the package, or packages, this week.

-For the most part, I am doing fine with money and food, but I haven't been able to buy as much food as I've wanted. Because of the fact we're so far away from everything that happens, we have to pay for travel and what not, so I have to keep food to a minimum if I want to live within my means. I pretty much have only enough for the week.

-It's fine if you sent to the other address, it will just be readdressed to the new address.

-So it sounds like the family is doing good! Keep on keepin on, and keep me updated with everything.

-For Christmas??? Food, my knee brace, and maybe tie(s) :) Anything else you want to send would be great, maybe put a little money on the card. I'm not very picky especially cuz I'll be here anyway, but yeah!

So yeah, it was a rough week, but I'm planning on having a better week this week! Just a little testimony in Spanish. Dad can translate:

Yo se que tenemos dificultades, cada día, y tenemos pruebas, pero Jesucristo está siempre allí para nosotros, y el ayudará si doblamos nos mismos a él. Yo se que el misión es difícil a veces, pero yo puedo hacerlo, y si yo lo hago, yo seré bendecido. Yo se que Jesucristo hizo familias para que podamos ser feliz en esta vida, y en la vida antes esta vida. Yo se que el don de lenguas es real, y yo he sido bendecido porque de eso. Presidente Jose F Smith fue un profeta de Dios, y por medio de Jose F Smith, Jesucristo restauró su Evangelio, su Iglesia, en el mundo otra vez. El Libro De Mormon es verdadero, y cuando leemos el Libro, podemos recibir paz y gozo, y yo he encontrado esa paz y gozo en mi vida, especialmente esta semana pasada. Y yo digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

I love you all!!!! And I'm happy to be serving the Lord in Mexico Chihuahua :)

-Elder Loveless

(Sorry it's so long, I missed a lot last week of what I was going to say.)