Sunday, October 19, 2014

10/13/14 Almecatla 1a with Elder Rivera

Hello and good afternoon everyone. I´ll start off with the news about transfers (start the drum roll...) My companion, elder rivera is leaving the area and I am staying here. So tomorrow I will be recieving a new companion. Elder Rivera was surprised when they told him that had was going to be tranfered, because he has only been in this area for five weeks, and he is entering into his last six weeks of the mission.

This transfer, I am already entering into my last 4 transfers in the mission. Time is going by super fast, but I have learned so much in the time that I have been in the mission. But I still have a lot to learn.

This week we had a good week. We had a lot of participation from the members this week. There are some members in the ward that really like to work with us, and some that really don´t do anything. This is a pretty good ward, strong in some aspects and weak in others, but the leader s of the ward are trying hard. Right now in the ward we don´t have a church building. a couple weeks ago they started remodeling the church building to make it bigger, because it is a little too small to hold the ward. So right now we are meeting in the house of one of the members. They put a huge tarp above their yard for the rain and the sun, and we meet in the member´s yard every sunday. It´s kind of funny. They are expected to take 6 months until they finish reconstructing the church.

Lately we have worked a lot with JC and his wife, Martha, and their family. J is less active and his wife  isn´t a member of the church.

Also last week I think I told you guys a little bit about A.,  she is the granddaughter of one of the members, 15 years old. At first she wanted to be baptized in March because of her birthday. We talked with her a little bit, and now she has decided to be baptized a little bit sooner, but not that much sooner. She now wants to be baptized in January. It´s a little bit frustrating because she wants to be baptized in 3 months when she could do it in a week, but I guess it is her decision, not ours. Anyways, at least she has decided to be baptized and to join the church, one day she is going to be a strong member of the church.

Anyways, things are going good and getting better in the area. we are finding new people to teach. I´ll let you all know about my new companion next week. Well, I love you all. Be good this week. Talk to someone about the gospel. Love you!

Until next week,
love
Elder Shane Davis

10/6/2014 Almecatla 1a with Elder Rivera

Buenas tardes everyone. I hope that you enjoyed conference. I learned a ton. Each conference I can say with more surety that the liders of the church are chosen by God himself, and through them He guides this church.

This week we had some interesting experiences and some miracles.

Last Monday we found two new investigators that are awesome! We taught them this week about the restoration of the gospel, and they really like the message. They got excited when they heard that there is a prophet in these days, and even more excited when they found out that he would be speaking on Saturday and Sunday. We have another appointment with them tonight. They are receptive and look like they are going to progress pretty well.

One interesting experience we had this week happened one day walking to an appointment. We were going to teach J.C,  a less active member and his wife and kids who aren`t members. While walking to the appointment we saw J and his 11 year old daughter,  also walking to their house so we walked with them. Then a guy walking in the street, who was obviously drugged made an inappropriate remark to the daughter... that was a bad idea. J got super angry, pulled the guy aside, and decked him right in the side of the head. The guy fell straight to the floor... That wasn`t probably not the most christlike way to handle things. J got scolded him when he got home.

And now a funny experience. We started talking a an old guy about the gospel. And he felt inspired to recite to us the 10 commandments, and the way he did it was funny."thou shalt love god with all thy heart, mind and strength. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. thou shalt remember the party, to keep it holy..." Apparently, one of the beliefs of the people here is to sanctify their parties... and even the catholic bible that is sold here says it. I am still left with the doubt of how they keep the party holy.

And, a small miracle. As you may know, in mexico, we don`t knock doors here to talk to people, we talk with them in the streets, busses, stores, etc. One day we went to the Atm machine to take out money, and there was a line of at least 10 people. We waited until we were about the 5th or 6th in line, and then we talked with everyone in the line. They weren`t going anywhere, so they couldn`t run from us. I think that the Lord used us to plant some seeds in the hearts of those people, because a few of them even asked us for pamphletts to read about the church.

So, the mission is awesome! I am learning alot from this great experience and I am sure that Kannon will be doing the same. Later this week they are going to tell us the news about transfers, who leaves and who stays. So next week I`ll let you guys know. But I love you all a ton!

Love,
Elder Shane

Sunday, October 5, 2014

9/29/14 Almecatla 1A with Elder Rivera

Hello everyone and good afternoon! I hope that all is well in at home!

This week we had an interesting week. We worked pretty hard but we didn´t have much success. Lately we have been talking with a bunch of people and many of them accept and then they give us their address so that we can talk with them in their homes, but when we go to there houses, they´re not there. So right now we have been having trouble finding and teaching the people that we talk with in the street. But I also feel like we have been working hard and doing our part in finding the people... so I know that if week keep working our hardest, the Lord will bless us with the miracles we need.

But even in this difficult situation we have been blessed with little miracles. Two of our recent converts have been very happy since their baptism, and now their granddaughter, also wants to be baptize. She is 15 years old and lives with her grandma because her mother was killed and while ago. At first she said that she doesn't want to be baptized until March because her birthday is in March... so we talked with her a little bit, and now she is going to think  and pray about when she should be baptized.

We are also starting to have a lot more support from the members of the ward. We have found a couple members that really like to work with us. We were able to do splits this week with two brothers in the ward and teach more people at one time, and we are going to keep doing that and encouraging the members to be more missionary minded.

Anyways, things are going good. I have learned a ton of things here in the mission. Time´s going by super fast in the mission! I only have about 6 months left until I go home!! six months doesn´t really seem like a long time to me, and I know that it will go by super fast (for me at least).

Thank you all for the letters this week. I hope you enjoy the general conference this weekend. I love you all and i´ll talk to you next week!

Love,
Elder Shane