Christmas Week

24 de Diciembre, 2012

Well it's Christmas week! I enjoyed a nice skype call with my fam, and now I'm getting ready for the special Christmas activities here in the zone. I'm still in a trio with Elder Harrison and Elder Garcia, and we heard that we might be in this trio for a few more weeks.

Well since you guys got after me for not writing long letters, I'll try and write a little more this week haha.

I've got 9 months in the mission now, and the time is starting to pass by a little faster. I feel like after I complete a year it's gonna start passing by a lot faster. The last 3 months have passed by way faster than normal, but I'm still trying to keep myself from getting discouraged here.

There are a few families here who really love me haha. The Smith Family is probably the biggest one of them all. They thought that I left this last transfer, and they were all really sad. Before the transfer came they gave me this sweet belt buckle with a huge scorpion trapped inside. I'm gonna be sportin that baby for the rest of my life after the mission haha. So they thought I had already left, and for a few days they were really sad. Until one day we stopped by their house, and Sister Smith got really mad and happy at the same time, reprimanding me because I didn't tell them that I didn't leave.

I honestly don't have much to say right now. I think I'll have more to say after the Christmas activities. They are going to be awesome! We're going to watch a movie of the world! We are gonna watch The Blindside! And honestly all the rest is a surprise. But I can't wait!

I miss the snow! In Utah, there's a ton. Here in Mexico there isn't any snow whatsoever. I just really wanna throw a snowball and build an igloo haha. I'm gonna have to wait for 2 years to do that.

As far as the investigators, we have a few that are progressing. Martina and Esteban haven't gone to church in a few weeks, due to sickness and stuff, but they need to start going again. They also need to get married so they can get baptized, and they can't to that because Esteban might have to get divorced first from a different chick.

There's honestly not a lot of work here. We have been looking for all the inactives and less-actives, and looking for investigators, but we aren't really finding anything. It's tough, but we just keep going at it. We have been walking more than normal, as we can't really do much more. But we'll find something, eventually. I just hope my next area has a bit more work for me.

Just so you know, it doesn't matter how many times you ask me, I'm not gonna be telling you guys about my scary experiences here, or about the drug lords, or the scorpions, or the corruption, or any of that. I'll tell you all after the mission, as anything I say will get back to my mom and she'll have a heart attack haha. Just know that I'm safe, and God's got my back. You can't have a better bodyguard than that haha.

Well I gotta go. I'll write more next week when I have more stuff to say haha. Love you guys! 

Short letter ... sorry!

17 de Diciembre, 2012

So this is gonna be a short one.... sorry, no time. Transfers came, and Elder Garfias left. I'm still here in Jardines, Durango. But I took pictures!

These kids are my favorite! They cried when they thought I was leaving this transfer, but then I didn't jaja!

Well I'm in a trio again, for who knows how long. My comps are Elder Harrison and Elder Garcia. And I already know them both.

I'm pretty excited for Christmas! The 2 zones here in Durango are going to get together with President Flores and we're going to watch a movie of the world! And eat a ton! And my connections have told me that we're going to Vias del Oeste again! It's gonna be pretty sweet. There is a ton of stuff planned!

Well, sorry but I'm out of time. This is probably the shortest letter I have ever written. Sorry!

Getting Ready For Christmas

10 de Diciembre, 2012

Well, I don't have much time today so it's gonna be a short one. The weather still seems fine to me. I don't know why everyone is getting all coated-up.

I almost have a six-pack. Maybe in another month or two, if I start doing sprints like crazy. 

We found a family of investigators that are already prepared for baptism. They were taught in Juarez, and have been looking for the church building ever since they moved here. Now they just need to go 3 times, get married, and get baptized.

We just found out that Christmas here in the mission is gonna be awesome!

Martina and Esteban are doing awesome. They have already started to pay tithing, even though they're not members yet. They are still working on getting married, but after that's all over, they can get baptized.

I can't wait for Christmas. It's definitely not like Christmas in Utah, but still. There are about 3 houses in our area who have put up a few lights on the roof. I'm gonna miss the snow, and the cold, and the decorations, and all the classical stuff in the U.S. during the Christmas season, but the spirit is still kinda here. They try haha.

Pues ya tengo que irme. No me vayan a olvidar en èsta temporada navideña. Màndenme cartas, ei? ¡Adios!

Emergency Transfers....Again!

3 de Diciembre, 2012

    I've got transfers! Pretty crazy. I haven't gone through a single transfer in the mission without an emergency transfer happening in between. I'm staying here in Jardines 1, and Elder Garfias is going to arrive in Elder Mullenbach's place. The craziest part of it all is that Elder Garfias has already been my companion before! In my first area (Guadalupe) he arrived as my second companion in the field after Elder Lopez left, and now he's with me here in Durango again. That pretty much never happens in the mission, so I'm thinking they're gonna move me too in 2 weeks. We'll see what happens.

    All of my companions have told me that they have had the funniest experience with me as their companion. I'm pretty sure the world revolves around me for that very reason, and things are always happens to me that never happen to others haha. I'll just share a few of them that happened with Elder Mullenbach:

1. A drunk dude on a bicycle came over in the street and started talking to my companion, when he suddenly snorted long and hard like a pig and asked "¿què hacen ustedes?" (which means "what do you guys do?"). My companion explained to him that we're missionaries, and this guy interrupted him by snorting even harder and longer and said "horriblemente guapo" (which means "horribly handsome"). I just started laughing and my companion got up and walked away really freaked out haha. I walked with him, laughing for the next 10 minutes.

2. One time we were looking for an inactive member, and E. Mullenbach knocked on their door. This really weird lady answered and started laughing when she saw him. But her laugh was freakish, like a mix between a horse's neigh and an elephant's roar. He asked if this inactive member lived there, and she (all the while laughing in that strange manner) said yes, but that he wasn't there. My companion shook her said and said see you later, and she wouldn't let go of his hand. She then pulled on his and said (in a really creepy, whalish voice) "hablame en Ingles" (which means "talk to me in Inglès".) He pretty much freaked out and jerked his hand away and just left haha. I laughed about that for about 20 minutes.

    So a white pit bull attacked us the other day. It was pretty funny. It just came out of nowhere and bit the heel of my shoe. I didn't know what it was at the time, until it started barking at E.Mullenback. It ran at him until E. Mullenback ran away, and then it came after me. I just stood my ground and cocked my fist back ready to punch it, and it shut up and ran away. All bark, no bite in these Mexican dogs.

    I'm still having problems with all the girls here. They won't leave me alone. And the house owner's son isn't helping lol. One day we went into the store and E. Mullenback was talking to his mom (the owner) about the Restoration, and this guy (Jorge's his name) says (in Spanish) "hey, Mister Riggs, it's true you speak Spanish, huh?". I look over and he's with a girl, pretty good looking, too. I responded "yeah, why?" and he looks at her with a face that said "told ya so.". So then he started to tell me that she was available, and looking, and I pretty much said "uhu...... so...what do you want me to do about it?" And then he just got uncomfortable and stopped trying haha. That is, until he tried for a second time last week when I was on exchanges with Elder Harrison. Haha. And this morning the owner of the house gave us a curtain for the big window we have in the house. Apparently a ton of the girls have been getting together every night and watch me as I take my shirt off and walk around the house without it (as a normal guy does when he's at home, as it's more comfortable in the natural form). So yeah, the girls here are pretty crazy. It explains why they always stare at me and laugh when we get home at night haha.

    We're in the beginning of December here, and all the Mexicans are freezing, even with their parkas and huge coats on. I feel like the weather is perfect! I can just walk around in my normal short-sleeved white shirt without anything over it and I'm fine. I am guessing that by the reactions of the people here, it doesn't snow at all. I'm gonna miss Utah snow for 2 years haha.

    I had an interesting Sunday this last week. E. Mullenbach got sick and was puking all day and night and wouldn't let me sleep, and the Mission President's wife said we couldn't go to church, so Elder Olvera and Elder Harrison from Jardines 2 brought us the sacrament bread and cups.... unfortunately they didn't bring water, and we had completely ran out. I ended up taking the sacrament with some blessed chocolate milk! Pretty awesome. Best sacrament ever! haha

    Martina and Esteban (our investigator couple) are progressing like crazy! They have already committed to get married by next Monday, and have accepted all of the commandments and lessons very well. They have completely dropped everything that is against the word of wisdom and have accepted a baptismal date for the 15th of December! They can't wait to get sealed in the temple a year after that, and I am most excited about how they have so easily accepted that principle of the gospel.

    Well I gotta go, but I am pretty excited to get to work and start baptizing again. Elder Garfias is already here (I picked him up in the middle of writing this letter), and we have already gotten reacquainted, for the second time as companions. Until next week!