Semana 24....qué semana....

What a week.

We ate thanksgiving dinner at the Stake President´s house. All the missionaries in the zone which is a LOT of missionaries. I think we were like 30. It was the first time my companion had had cranberry sauce. 

I baptized again this week! I baptized the Grandma of the family i had baptized a week or two earlier. Really, she belongs in the ward Zaragoza, but i was the person who found her and started the enseñanza with her and she asked that I baptize her. And so the hermanas of Zaragoza and I share her. Tengo fotos pero ni tengo donde cargarlas a la computadora para mandárselas. Pues ni modo. Se las enseño en un año y medio.

The Cordova Moreno family: oh, it was GLORIOUS this week. On monday we planned to go back and find them. We had left them for a month because we just couldn´t find them in the house and they just couldn´t come to church. A few things happened that day that made us a little later than we had planned. Not a whole lot later, just barely. We came around the corner and saw that the lights were on, but a lot of the time they leave the lights on or she just doesn´t open the door if he´s not home at night, which makes sense considering our colonia. Well, I asked if we could pray really fast, and what companion is going to say no to that? So we prayed and asked that if it were the will of God and that if they were ready to progress again, that we would find all three of them in the house. Well we went up to knock the door and right before i knocked, we heard Hermano Felipe moving around inside and talking to Kitty the dog. I almost cried. We knocked, we went in and had a beautiful, beautiful lesson slash catch-up session. They had kept reading the book of Mormon and kept praying. They had also just barely arrived seconds before we turned the corner. If we hadn´t been delayed earlier, we wouldn´t have found them. I know that God led us all to the same spot that night because they are ready to progress and come back to church. Also, their friendshipper came back from vacation and started asking us about them at every opportunity, something he hadn´t really done before he left for Chiapas for three weeks. I believe it´s because the spirit’s been teasing him to get him to think more in this family.

Two problems: they weren´t there at the appointment that we set afterward and so my companion already wanted to drop them. (I convinced him otherwise and so did their friendshipper.) Second problem: ya me voy.

I´m going to Monclova where I´m going to finish the training of Elder Muñóz. I know I already met him once because I´ve met every single new missionary that´s passed through the mission offices since i arrived. And now I´m going to get to meet him again. I´m sad that I´m leaving. I really don´t feel like my work was finished. I feel like I met a LOT of really choice people that are going to accept this gospel and be baptized and sealed someday, but I´m not going to be directly involved anymore. The Cordova Moreno, Los Mendoza Peña, Ana y Hector (met them this week: SUPER buenos, a sister and brother that are just awesome and accept everything and have lots of questions. We knocked on their door and they let us in and that´s how we started), Marta Cortez (a woman unlike any i´ve ever met and who might be crazy but is one of my favorite people here), Laura Garcia (by the way mom, she sent me a facebook request: could you accept it for me? as well as one from Wendy Orozco Hernandez) and her entourage of neighbors and kids, Graciela, Miguel, Nadia Alvarez and countless people that we were still just barely meeting. And the Alvarez Lopez family. I´m glad that I got to know them and i´ll be back here in one year when they go through the temple. Oh, I can´t wait.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! We had an Independence Day party of the stake and every ward provided a dance number. We provided two. One of the hermanas that was really cool with lots of really huge skirts. And one of couples and the Alvarez Lopez couple danced! Oh it was so much fun!

Dos cosas bien grandotas de cambiarme para Moncolva: ya me quito de la casa que es stupid cold durante el frío. Segunda: ELDER MONTERO SE VA CONMIGO! we arrived together and we´re going to the same zone together. De hecho, él será mi líder de la zona. Nos llevamos muy, muy bien y creo que terminaremos la misión mejores amigos. But that means that to visit my favorite person from the mission cuando ya soy grande y exmisionero, I´ll have to make a special trip to Costa Rica because he´s "Tico" (costaricense). Oh darn.

One last thing: There´s a brand of Worcestershire sauce (Salsa inglesa) here that´s called "Jugo Maggie." I just about died laughing when I heard that and then had to explain why it was funny to my companion.

OOOOOH, no last thingy here: an hermana asked us about some of the things of the temple (she´s preparing to enter) and mentioned that her parents gave her the name of her mother´s temple name, but they never told her which it was. Then she told us her complete name (I´ve changed both names here): Jennifer Saríah. I just about died laughing again and she asked me why. "Creo que ya sé cual es el nombre del templo." "No me diga." "Okay." ....."Es Saríah, verdad que sí?" "...a lo mejor." They also put the temple name of the father on her sister but also didn´t ever say which it was (Also changed): Wendy Abraham. Hm.....oh the minor apostasies of these mexicans...(By the way, Apostasía is slang for anything that´s not 100% in line with doctrine or policy of which there is TOO MUCH here in mexico. but oh well.)

Es todo. Cuidaos!

-Elder Taylor

week ni tengo idea esta vez

well, this week has been remarkably unremarkable. Pero espero que jale mandarles algunas fotos...

i forgot to bring my notes so this letter will be rather short.

Hermana Julio Alvarez brought us to a reference's house yesterday and he bore his testimony in the street to the reference's father. This guy has no fear to share his newfound faith. He even said that we could give him a box of pass-along cards for his taxi. AND HIS MOTHER IN LAW IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! This is the señora that was always super open and supportive of us until we asked her if she wanted the missionary discussions in her own home. "Pues, ya me bauticé." and the sister missionaries have it worked out that they can teach the aunt as well in the house of the Alvarez Lopez family because more often than not, she's there instead of in her own ward. They live as close as you can to the divider between the two areas, so it won't even be a problem. Except now we'll have to be careful to not double schedule.

The aunt's son and i had a great conversation last night. He's seven.

First, i asked him if he wanted to be a missionary. And he very enthusiastically said yes. Then I asked him where. He said not China. He wants to go to Spain. Then he started asking me questions.

"Who is Jesus Christ?" So I explained it to him.

"Who is Jehovah?" So I explained that one to him too.

"Who gave God His power?" Well, that one stumped me. I actually have wondered that too. Did He have to be ordained to be God? Or does it just kinda come as you pass the pearly gates? Ni lo sé.

"Who is Jack?" My response: "Mande?" (Coahuilense for "Como?") Yep, it was a fun conversation. 3 for 4, not bad.

well, i just tried to send the pictures but i think the USB ports are just for pretty on this computer.

I think I've finally perfected the arroz con leche! Basically, i just needed to cook it longer. Actually, to get it to the right texture i would have to cook it even longer. It basically shouldn't even be rice anymore but goop.

I met a Gypsie this week. It was pretty interesting, she hailed us down and asked us if we were christians. So we explained to her what's going on, and she said we could come back. I'd heard there were Gypsies in Mexico (from Nacho Libre in the deleted scenes) mas no lo hice tantito caso. It's a history I'm going to have to research in a year and a half.

We went shopping today. My compañero was itching to spend money. Santa vaca, that guy can spend money. We went of course to the most expensive-looking stores in the mall (every single one, my charity was tested today) and santos humos, i don't think i've even seen things that expensive in the united states. Oh well, he found the perfect pants, i got to look at the pretty ties and we also wandered into a cheaper store in which i bought a couple items for the cold because it's been stupid cold recently y hay de cuenta que lo hará aún más todavía. I like the cold, but i like even more being able to go inside, drink hot chocolate and watch a movie. I can't do that right now. But supposedly the weather is really, really feo in January and February. I think I'll already be gone by then. Hopefully in Sabinas.

This is all this week! I had a scripture thought as well, but I don't remember what it was! Entonces, que les baste esto.

Que Dios Les Cuide a Cada Uno!

Elder Taylor

week 4 of cambio 4

Well, tomorrow cumplo cinco meses de la misión. casi la cuarta parte.

And I had my first baptism! A family of 5, and their story is pretty incredible, so i´m going to take a while to tell it. A ver si entendí todo correctamente.

Hermano Julio Alvarez is a taxista who spent a long time living away from his family here in Saltillo. His son got really sick and so he came back to live with them. María Angelina was living here the whole time, managing the family and when her son started deteriorating, she got angry at God and starting asking Why ME? They continued like this, working hard to pay for the medical costs and to support the family and from time to time attending different churches to try to find answers.

Then one day the Hermano picked up three hermana missionaries, two americans and one mexicana. The two americans were talking in English and the mexicana asked him if he understood, and he replied that yes, he did. He lived in South Carolina to work for a few years and so he did understand quite a bit of what they were saying. They asked for his address and then said good bye. THen he saw one of the hermanas later with a different companion. He saw them refuse a couple taxis and so he stopped and they said they´d been waiting for him. He told them about his sick son. They took down his address a second time and said good bye.

Then one day two elders (Elder Monterroso and Elder Taylor) showed up at their house and wanted to talk to the son, Carlos. The parents weren´t home, but the aunt was, so she let them pass the door and led them to the back room where Carlos was. So they said a prayer, sang a hymn and left a short message and left. But as they were leaving, they passed the mom who was just returning from work and asked to be able to come back and talk to Carlos another time. She said yes. And later asked her husband who had sent them. If she had been home when they had arrived, she wouldn´t have let them in. He told her that he had sent them. So that was fine.

One day the elders came back. Well, we came back, Elder Alcalá and I. The hermana led us back to the room and then made to leave, so we invited her to stay. We asked her the typical opening questions, How is your relationship with God, What is religion to you, things like that. She told us that she didn´t really know if God loved her and wanted what was best for her. So we assured her that He does. THen we made an appointment to return and left.

We continued like this, coming and teaching Carlos and María Angelina and at times Julieta and Wendi. We invited them to Church that first week. They came and brought Julio and the aunt and the aunt´s kids with them. They LOVED the church. So we came back. THey started keeping all the commitments as a family, reading and praying together. And Julio started being in the lessons and driving us home afterward. They set a baptismal date and the family accepted.

Then they came to church another time. THe Hermana missionaries started teaching her mom and her sisters. She started keeping commitments BEFORE WE MADE THEM. That has been the oddest thing about this whole thing. One day we were talking about who knows what and she said out of the blue that she didn´t care that we don´t drink coffee, everyone has to sacrifice (or something like that). We never had even mentioned the Word of Wisdom. One day as we were entering, a woman left with a large image of the Virgen of Guadalupe. We didn´t think anything about it until we entered Carlos´s room and noticed that there wasn´t a single image of any saint left in the room or in the house. We had never mentioned any of this. We gave the Lesson 3 (which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ) and she told us at the end about Enduring to the End without being prompted. We taught the law of Tithing and she said that the week before, she had felt in the church that she should pay it.

Then the last Sunday before the baptism, they didn´t come. They had told us that they would, but they just didn´t come. Up until about 5 minutes before the end of sacrament meeting. Apparently, the aunt had said that she would stop by to take care of Carlos while they were gone at church, but she never showed up. So they left Wendi in tears to take care of him and they came, crying because they were so late and had to leave Wendi behind.

The whole time we were teaching them (4 weeks!) Carlos kept feeling stronger and stronger and needed his breathing apparatus less and less. But about two days before the baptism, the weather turned horrid and we were afraid that he wasn´t going to be able to come. But the day of the baptism was sunny and warm. Also, from time to time the company cuts the water to the chapel. I don´t know why, it´s weird. I was afraid that this would happen and we wouldn´t be able to baptize him. We could baptize the others kneeling down or sitting in a half-full font, but him no. But we filled up the font, no problem (well, yeah there was a small problem but we got it fixed). Then we had the baptism. I baptized the parents and they both came up crying from under the water. Elder Carpio baptized the girls, and between us and Elder Montero, we baptized Carlitos. I got to be by his head during the ordinance and I got to see his beautiful smile as Elder Carpio said the prayer. Then I got to see his look of terror after the Amen. And I got to plug his nose. But afterward, he said he felt "Bien Padre."

Then we had the confirmations. It was a spiritual experience, and more than one person told us how powerful those confirmations were. The Hermana had her chance to tell the Relief Society her testimony (the subject was Missionary Work). Unfortunately, Julio had to go to work after dropping off Carlos after the Sacrament Meeting, so we didn´t see him until we went to their house that night. We went in, and that house felt different. It felt like the temple. He told us something cool too. He was driving that day through downtown and was about to turn down a street, but felt impressed to take a different street, which was weird because that street there´s hardly anybody that needs a taxi. But he said there was a whole bunch. So we taught them about the Holy Ghost and how he leads us in our lives.

This is really just a short portion. But I already have to go. I wish I could send you pictures but the computer doesn´t recognize my camera even with the new cord that i bought. So next week when we´re in a less chafa ciber.

Other note: we have another investigator that had a dream about reading the book of mormon. She said it was kinda spooky, basically and thinks it´s a sign that it´s true.

And I make arroz con leche now on almost a regular basis. Basically, it´s cook the rice to death, échele milk (or milk powder in my case), cream and lechera (sweetened condensed milk). More traditional is cinnamon sticks cooked in the water with the rice, but i don´t like having to pick them from my teeth. So i just put cinnamon and sugar and vanilla. And I eat it with banana. It´s awesome.

Vai!

Elder Taylor

week ni lo sé...

This week has been and will be fun I think.

First a question: when is thanksgiving? My companion asked me and i realized i don´t know how to figure it out.

Fun contacts this week: one lady we met on a street corner. "Hi, lady, we´re missionaries and we represent Jesucristo." "Puras mentiras." "Mande?" "Have you seen him?!" "No...." Then went on to rant about how she doesn´t believe in anyone or anything but God and the Bible, religion is just a bunch of Puras Mentiras because hell is here on earth, there´s nothing after this life.

Other lady, exact opposite: "Miren, ya soy salva, go preach to the people that need it." And went on to agree wholeheartedly and enthusiastically with every single word we said, up until Elder Carpio mentioned the Libro de Mormón. THen it was, "Well, God bless you but I don´t want to talk about anything but the Bible. Bye!"

I really love being outright rejected. It´s really fun and refreshing and doesn´t happen nearly often enough.

This was a surprise of being here in Mexico: we did not see anything celebrating Day of the Dead. Ni una cosa. We saw a whole lot of Halloweeners, "monstruitos." Also, here "Halloween" is the holiday as well as the candy. "Queremos Halloween"--as was chanting one little girl that was traipsing past us--means "we want halloween candy." But nobody celebrates Day of the Dead in town. Everyone goes to the Panteon, which also means that since it fell on a Sunday, the church was a little more empty than normal.

But, the Danzas (I´ll send a pic if i can) and preparations for San Judas Tadeo (I  don´t know when the day is) continue. One day we heard trumpets in Loma Linda and as we got closer we heard singing and guitars as well. Then we turned the corner and saw a mariachi band with a small crowd around a house and I thought, oh that´s nice, it´s somebody´s birthday. Then as we passed it, we saw the focus of attention. An idol of San Judas Tadeo. yeah...

THe investigators: THE ALVAREZ LOPEZ FAMILY ARE GOING TO BE BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! We ahd a lesson with President Rodriguez so he could meet them and advise us on how to baptize Carlitos. (Have I told you guys about him? If not...oh well. i'll do it when I send you pictures from their baptism.) But he basically told us he doesn´t have any idea how to do it. So it´s going to be an adventure. Basically we´re thinking it´s going to be four of us in the font.

We called them in the morning on Sunday to make sure they were coming and yes they were. Then We got to church, sat down and waited. About halfway through testimony meeting we ducked out to call them again. For some reason Elder Carpio insisted that I do it. So i did it and didn´t understand hardly anything the hermano said. In my defense, I don´t understand people over the phone in english, let alone in spanish.

Then about five minutes before the meeting ended, the hermana missionaries from Barrio Zaragoza beckoned us from the door and so we left and there were the parents of the family! But she was crying because they were so late. Apparently the aunt had said that she was going to watch Carlos while they all went to church. But she never showed, so finally they had to leave Wendy behind to watch him (she cried too) and the parents and Julieta came. So great that they feel such a desire to come to church! Not that i´m happy that they were crying.....

And then Hermana Lopez was called upon to describe how we got the Book of Mormon in Gospel Doctrines, and she NAILED it! Oh, that was exciting. THey are SO ready and SUCH a change we´ve seen in them. And we´ve only had four weeks really knowing them! All the other missionaries are jealous. (by the way, learned this this morning: "celoso" means both "jealous" and "zealous." That´s confusing. But it makes a little more sense that God is a Zealous God than a Jealous God.) Now if only they could meet the Cordova Moreno family so something could rub off on them...

And Laura! Oh gosh, we have one week with her. And her schizophrenic sister. and her daughter. and her neighbor. and all the neighbor´s kids. We basically have a block party whenever we teach them. But they are HILARIOUS! we watched The First Vision with them and only Laura could manage to make it a comedy and still maintain the spirit. "Miren, José parece a Taylor! Es que son güeros." But she´s awesome and when she´s Relief Society President, me quitaré la clase de sacerdocio y me pondré en la Sociedad de Socorro por las risas. But....couldn´t come to church this weekend because they went to the panteón.

Last testimony in church: an hermana got up to speak. I´d seen her around in the ward but had never really spoken to her more than a handshake and "como está." Morenita, media altura, pelo blanco and her eyes are kind of greenish brown, but that´s not too unusual. So when she started speaking, me asusté. Her accent was atrocious. afterward we talked. Turns out she´s from South Carolina, (her accent in english es igual, atrocious) and native american, but not Mexican. Estadounidense, no Mexicana. That was a surprise.

Elder Carpio and I are already pretty good friends. We had an......interesting experience during our planning session when he took 30 minutes to lecture me about something and then ended up deciding that what I had said was right. This actually happens on a regular basis. Well, not on quite a scale. I feel like Timón an Pumbaa. I say, "let´s do this for the lesson. I really think that--"(him:) "Oh I know! let´s do this!" "Ooh! I like the sound of that!" So at least it´s nice to know that we´re on the same brainwave. But all was forgiven when he spontaneously started singing Do You Want to Build A Snowman.

Apocalipsis 3:19-21 is my scripture thought. FOund it this morning. I wrote it down to write to you all but I don´t remember what it says. Something about Enduring to the End. I think. Pues, Léanlo ustedes mismos.

Watched the First Vision in French and Italian and Cebuano today. I understood absolutely nothing from the French, a little bit of the Cebuano and quite a bit of the Italian, more than I had in the Portuguese. They´re basically all just Latin with bad grammar and horrendous pronunciation on the part of hte French and Portuguese.

Bueno, es todo! Que Dios los bendiga y los cuide por donde vayan.

ELder Taylor

week 2, cambio 4

This letter is going to be short para poder escribir más individualmente.

Well this week has been interesting. Nobody came to church...but the Alvarez Lopez family still has their date set for the 8 of Noviembre. I´m super mega emocionado.

We had decided that we were going to drop the Mendoza Peña family if they weren´t there for the fifth time in a row on wednesday, but God must have something else planned for them because they were there. We had a great lesson and gave a blessing to the Hermano.

 Speaking of blessings, a few weeks ago I gave a blessing to a less active member in which I had promised her that the next morning she would have no trace of having had the bad case of the gripa that she had. But I never had a chance to follow up and find out what happened. But we saw her last night. She told me that she cleared up soon after that entonces and was completely fine the next morning. Híjole, that gives the jeepers. This priesthood stuff is real.

Also speaking of blessings, I had my first exorcism this week. Actually, I think it was my second but i didn´t know what was going on in the first one. I didn´t feel anything odd when we first entered the house, but when we stood up after the blessing, there was a marked difference. They opened the door to let the spirit (they swear it was female) exit and that was that. And then a black cat entered the house. That was weird. I´m pretty sure that bit is coincidence, but yep, this whole unseen world thing I´m pretty sure is real. And that gives me more jeepers than the priesthood.

Working with Elder Carpio has been fun. We get along really well, even if at times he bears a strong resemblance to Mr. Collins or speaks and understands a different Spanish than the rest of Saltillo. Fun conversation we had during planning after we´d set our lessons más o menos lo que enseñábamos ese día: Me: "By the way, Equis Miembro Recién Conversa and Otra Miembro Inactivo Desde Siempre are distant relatives." Him: "Oh! Then we should teach Otra Miembro Inactivo Desde Siempre about how Jesus Christ established a church." Me: "....what? I mean, sure we can do that. How is that related?" "Because...because..." Then he gave some reason that made no sense to me but not because i didn´t understand his words. Whatever. Other than tales ocasiones, trabajábamos muy bien juntos. Except our numbers all around have dropped significantly even though I feel like we´re working harder. Well, God just expects more.

On Saturday I heard tribal-like drums in Mirasierra. I thought, huh, that´s weird. But not worth investigating. Then I heard drums in Misión Cerritos as well. Um....What´s going on...Then I heard drums again with Mariachi music in Loma Blanca. And I saw what was going on. Men in very indigenousy dress dancing to the Mariachi with tribal drums. The Feast day for San Judas Tadeo is coming up. This is kind of weird. San Judas and La Virgencita are almost more important than Jesus and God the Father here. They´re Gods, they´re not just saints anymore. When I was called to suburban Saltillo Mexico, I was not expecting to see tribalism. But okay...

Things I´ve missed the most lately: Having a temple nearby. Boise. Free time. Oh gosh I´ve been missing having free time. I would love to just take a nap, watch a movie, read a book, look something up on the internet...yeah. Also I´ve been missing Costco Chocolate Cake. I don´t know why. It´s not something that we eat a lot as a family, but I´ve been craving it since day one.

That´s all! Bye!

-Elder Taylor