Hi Mom!
🌊So I finally got to go swimming this week!🌊
It only took 443 days, 14.5 months, 9 transfers, 2 countries, and one patient but determined soul. The baptism was this last Saturday the 6th of November. I couldn’t be happier. The only other person who is happier is my good friend Mario! Love that guy. He was so ready from the get go. Now he is ready to continue his life under a new light!
My most memorable lesson with him was when Elder Rojas was like “we are going to test your spanish” so we call Mario up. As soon as he picked up my comp just throws me the phone and dashes out of the room. I’m stuck there on the phone expected to just send it with a lesson. So I start with a prayer and just go for it. Long story short the lesson ends with Mario in tears, me absolutely astonished out of my mind at what it is that I just accomplished and a lot of thanks to God for blessing me with that gift of tongues haha.
Anyways, this last Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. Mario made me so proud. He waddled up the steps (still recovering from his knee) to the pulpit to bear a sincere and solemn testimony. It was pretty sweet. So ya we basically spent most of the week preparing him for his baptism.
Also this week I tried a lot of different foods. The night before the baptism I had what’s called esquine. It’s basically a bowl of corn with butter, cheese, chiles, cream cheese, more butter, more cheese, and more chilies. It was pretty friggin good. And according to my comp it’s the only food he’s had in the mission that even compared to the food from Veracruz. I have no idea what’s considered good here. All I knew was my bowl of esquine was so good it hurt (it was spicy).
Then, of course, after the baptism we all celebrated. I got to have some pretty divine 2 for 1 street tacos (10 for 5!!!). And a pretty good crepe. I’m not a huge fan of them but these were pretty good. On the way home from tacos I felt prompted to stop by one of our old friend’s liquor store. He happened to be there so we got talking and he gave us some cokes. Then invited us to go for a hike this next Monday! Which I’m not going to lie has been an answer to prayers since I first set foot in San Pancho. Y’all may have seen pictures of that mountain here. Well that’s what we are gonna go hike next week! It twas a happy chat.
Also! We found another super awesome friend! Well, technically we met him last week but this week we were able to have an in person lesson at the church. We taught about prayer and before we finished like half the ward showed up to the chapel. So they graciously bore their testimonies of the church and how much it has blessed their lives. Which was exactly what our friend was looking for. We haven’t been able to get a second in person lesson since. But that’s about to change…
I have buenas nuevas! The mission is officially OPEN!!! 🎉🎈 That’s right, we can leave our houses now and actually teach people in the streets! I am literally so excited!! The work here is about to pop off! The mission in the States was just beginning to really open up before I left. Then I get to Mexico and find out we are still in quarantine. That was a bummer. But now it’s actually happening, we are free!!
P.s. last week facebook got completely removed from this mission because it wasn’t following the “mission vision”. But I think it’s mainly because missionaries here aren’t super obedient with it haha. So hopefully the opening will help alleviate some Facebook hungry missionaries.
This week twas a good one. I cant wait for what the next one will bring.
Till next time,
Elder Service
