December 16, 2013

HOLA…what’s up?

      This week was good!  Everything is going super good! I really like Bicentenario.  This last week was my first week here.  It was good to get to know all the new families and less actives and investigators. I could feel the spirit and love of everyone that we visited.  I can tell that this Rama (branch) is ready to work and wants to help with the progress of the church. Elder Montoya and I are planning a lot of activities to get these menos activos excited about church and the gospels blessing again. It should be great!!  We also want to do servicios to show our love and to gain more confidence with all the members.  I know that we will see progress and bautismals in this area.

     This last week we had an activity and there was so many menos activos that showed up…we also had like 3 or 4 investigators show up. It was great!  I’m grateful to be working with ELDER MONTOYA where I can learn from the experience he has and we can have success here.

     So to answer your questions…. Yeah my area is kinda small, it seems like. It’s not even a full ward yet… it is a Rama (whatever that is in English, I don’t know). But we have a President de Rama here not a Bishop. The ward on Sunday was really good. It was the primary program here so it was cute to watch all the little kids sing and stuff.

     They call this place the “promised land” because the most success in the mission is in Victoria.  Yes, there is quite a bit of less active members here so yeah we got good work to do.  We also have about 4 solid promising investigators here.

     So my companion is from Peru and he has a lot of time in the mission. He will finish the mission while I am his companion. He is in his last two changes. He is really super cool!!!  We are planning on working hard and having fun. That’s the goal:)

     So yeah, I’m pretty excited about getting to Skype. But first we have to find a computer where we can Skype and stuff.

      So I received on package from you. A Christmas package...but I have not seen the other two yet. Oh and tell dad that there are no making cookies here in Mexico. We’re lucky if we have a plug in stove in the house. But it’s a good idea:) I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t haha. but there are two really cute poor families that I want to do something special for. Like a Christmas package of some sort. knock and run… like secret Santa.

     Oh so Victoria, it is sooooooooooooooooooo super cold here. Like more cold than I had at the MTC it feels like. But it’s cool, I think I’m starting to get used to it so that is good. Oh and today for P day we are going to the batting cages. Yeah, baseball!!!  They have batting cages here! How chill is that:) You should look it up on google earth... It is pretty beautiful here for the most part.

     Thanks for all of your advice. I have a question for dad. What were some really good activities that you planned with the church when you we’re on your mission?

     Well anyway time is flyin fast see ya guys soon;) love you all so much and have a great week…loves yas.

     Elder Lawrence

December 10, 2013

HELLO family…

     So yeah baby... I got transferred and I’m now in the promised land of Victoria. Right now I’m looking at a guy and he looks exactly like Brother North hahaha. I just thought I would tell you that. So yeah, my time with Elder Garcia seemed so fast. I can’t believe that I already got changed. I thought I was going to be with him at least one more change but I guess that’s not what the Lord wanted. My time in MataRedonda was super great!! I learned a lot there. I love it there. But I think I just might get to like my new area more! It’s called Bicentenario (an area in Victoria).  It’s a little bit smaller than a ward haha... But I am looking forward to all the great experiences I will have and the progress I will gain here.

     I can’t believe how much snow is in Hurricane…that is crazy! It's super cold here in Victoria but there is no snow. I don’t like the cold to much but that is ok. So on the last day at church I didn’t know that it was going to be my last day. I got the opportunity to give a blessing to a sick member. She asked me.  We are really good friends with this family. It’s the family Gonzalez and the girl that asked me is named Tania. So we gave her a blessing and it was super good (I think).  I felt the spirit so strong and the words just flowed. I really felt like an instrument for the Lord and it was nice!! Later that night we told them that I was leaving and they cried and I gave them two ties and a picture and it was a really beautiful moment because this family is so sweet and they were such good examples for me.

    Well, I love you guys so much I hope everything is awesomely good at home.  I will talk to you guys soon love you all ADIOS:)

   Elder Lawrence

December 3, 2013

What’s up family?

      Sorry I’m writing a little late. Can you believe that it’s December!! How great is that? I just really love this time of year to tell ya the truth. There just always seems to be good spirit in the air. The weather has been pretty dang beautiful here in Tampico and all of the buildings are putting up their lights for Christmas. I guess you could say it’s really starting to feel more like Christmas. I do wish I could be with you guys during this time of the year because that is what it is all about. But don’t worry, there are a lot of good families here in MataRedonda that will take care of me…hehe I hope:)

     So this last week not too many people went to church.  I really think it was just because it was Stake Conference.

     You said something interesting... something about putting baptisms on the calendar. For me that is not my goal in the mission. For me I feel like re-activating a less active member is like a baptism. Because it’s about how many souls are we helping preserve to the end.  And for me that could be just as important as a baptism. It’s exactly the same work even though they have already been baptized once before.

     So in MataRedonda the work has been progressing. The progress isn’t too fast but it’s moving. Everything is getting more organized, so that’s good. One thing about here is that there is a lot a lot of gossip. Everyone talks about everyone. That is not good and we are trying to get rid of that problem.

      Last week I went on divisions with Elder Johns.  It was so cool to learn his area and meet some of the people in his area. Yesterday we ate Little Ceasars.   When I was on divisions I got to talk to a family that I met and taught when I had only been in Mexico for one month. I always see them. They love me...haha.  I don’t know how I always see them but I do.  It was fun to really talk some good old fashioned Spanish with them;) hehe.

      Last week we had some great times doing some service projects.  First we helped move a whole house. Then we put up cement for a second story to a house…it was good.

     Well, I hope that everyone has the best of weeks and remembers the true meaning of this holiday.  I know I will:) I’m glad to hear that Blake has a 4.0 right now, that is really good! Haha he must be saying his prayers every night or something.

   Thanks for all and adios from Mexico.

Love,

 Elder Lawrence   LOVE YOU

November 25, 2013

HOLA...

     Was this last week Thanksgiving or is it this week?  I don’t even know anymore… haha.  Nobody talks about Thanksgiving down here in the Bronx.  

     I’m way excited to Skype with you guys too…it should be lots of fun to talk to the familia. I hope you guys have some good stuff to say haha;) Can you believe this is going to be my 2nd Thanksgiving and Christmas in the mission…wow. How awesome is that hehe!!!

     So it sounds like you guys had a pretty great week this last week. I also had a pretty good week! But it seems like all these weeks out here in the mission are good because I’m always learning something new.  I have seen so many examples of good solid families and other families. There is a great difference when a family is living the gospel and when a family isn’t.

     So I think my companion is bi-polar.  He started acting way different for like a couple days and then returned back to normal haha it was kinda weird.

    So this last week was super good for us. We had a lot of success! 60 people or so attended church and 26 of those people were less active members. Isn’t that great?  It is so good to see the work of the Lord progress here in Martaredonda.  We also had our Ward Council meeting so that was good too. Everything is starting to get organized here and the progress is awesome. I am pretty happy about that! We have had so many good experiences here. Well, I always have good experiences. Lot’s of experiences…always.  I’m learning and growing so much...not only in my height but spiritually also hehe;)

    So a 16 year old girl that we teach got pregnant but the good thing is that she showed up to church this last week.  A 15 year old girl that we teach is getting married in December…can you believe that? It’s pretty crazy stuff here.

     There’s a lot of mud in the streets here because it has been raining and it has been super cold. I really don’t like the cold at all... haha.  Well anyway, I hope that you guys have an amazing week and do some fun stuff and read the scriptures.  I can tell you that if you do read the scriptures you will be blessed. I know there’s probably not that much time there but here in Mexico the people have endless amounts of time.

     Well this next week we have a goal to put some baptism dates. So we will see what happens. Have faith right? Well, I love you all so much!!!!  Have an excellent week! Adios

Elder Lawrence

November 19, 2013

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!

     So this week was super duper fast... like I really can’t believe that I am sitting here writing to you guys again. This week went pretty dang good. I hope that it went supa good for you guys too! We had the opportunity to contact so many people.  We also had an activity at the church that went good. It was definitely a success! The members really helped out with us.  It was more of a really big family home evening.  25 people went and we played missionary games and stuff. It was really fun. 

     This Monday we went to the temple also... I have been to the temple sooo much. I am lucky to get all these chances to go to the temple. I am super blessed…I guess that’s what that means haha.

      So we are changing our house because the water really doesn’t work that good there and the house is super small….it’s not a good house. So we will be changing this next week I think.

     I am enjoying the work here so much. I love seeing the progress… it is so great. The people here are the bomb haha!!! We got the chance to eat pan- cakes and they were pretty good.

    So I bought sunflower seeds the other Monday here. They now have those in the Walmart’s here…isn’t that great?

     Well,  I love you all!!!  I love the church…it is true!  Read the scriptures say your prayers and have an excellent week. Adios:)  

Elder Lawrence 

Doing a service project for someone in the ward

Elder Cisnado & Elder Miller & Elder Lawrence

at the Tampico Temple

November 11, 2013

Hey, what’s up family!!

     This week was pretty good in Martaredonda. Even though I was a little sick in the stomach. I had some stomach aches for a little bit and I threw up once and other stuff in the toilet that I don’t want to mention;) hahaha but nothing to worry about, I am totally back to normal and I feel good now.

     So there was less people this last week in church. That was a little bit of a bummer. Only 10 less actives went to church... well I guess those numbers are better than past areas that I have been in… haha remember Valles;) we had like 0 people that went to church I remember haha.

      So I’m excited for the Christmas package haha.  I hope that I’m in Martaredonda for Christmas. Yeah, it has been cold here lately. Lots of rain and stuff and I get super cold easy. Everyone in Mexico thinks I’m a vampire because I look like Edward or I did before I got my hair cut haha. They say my skin is super white and stuff, but I feel like I am super tan…hahaha who knows.

     Tomorrow we have our interviews with the President...so that should be good fun hehe.  That's why I got my hair cut.  We started up the Consejo de Barrio here this last week.  So we are now going to have Ward Council meetings and everyone is going to do their Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching. 

     We talked in church this last week and it was perfect… I feel like what we said really touched the ward. I talked about the Atonement of Jesus and Repentance and Temple work and blessings and my companion went by the spirit and it was really great. I thought what I talked about was good for the time of the year.

     Yeah mom, I always write Joe Tyler and Adam like every week. They are doing good.

Well, I love you all so much and I hope you have an excellente week. Love you!!!

Elder Lawrence

November 4, 2013

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!

      How is everyone doing?? I hope excellente!!!  Yeah, like you said it’s so crazy how fast the time is going. 14 months… wow, don’t tell me that haha! That makes me sound old in the mission. 

      I can’t believe dad is 49 years old!! Oh man!!  Now that really is old;) haha jk. Sounds like you had a really good time celebrating the birthday of dad and Halloween. I sure hope so! 

      Everything here in the mission is super legit.  Everything is going super great!! I really do love my area.  It is definitely my favorite area that I have been in. So my new companion is Elder Garcia.  He is way cool and we work really good together.

     This week we had 45 people in the church!! It’s a new world record haha. 16 of those people were menos activos that we are teaching and two were investigators. So we are doing really good here and our numbers are some of the best in the zone…but that’s not what is important. It’s that the people really are changing and the people that we are teaching really are having a change of heart.  It’s so beautifully awesome to see people change for the better.  I love being a part of this work…it is bomb.

     So right now we have 4 investigators that could be baptized before Christmas. They just need to go to church 5 times in a row. That is a rule. All 4 have been once. So I guess we will see what happens right:)  So the other day I had a very strong feeling when we were walking…a feeling that we needed to visit this family. So we went and visited this family…the family Carmen.  It happened that they had a kid that was super sick.  He was in a lot of pain. Well, he’s not a kid he’s an adult but he was in a lot of pain for his mouth that he had some sickness.  So we had a lesson with them.  I really felt like we needed to visit them to give him a blessing. So then I asked if he had faith in the priesthood and in receiving blessings and all that good stuff. He said…OH YES. So we gave him a blessing... then we didn't see him for about a week. They came to church this last Sunday. This Sunday was testimony meeting and Sister Carmen bore a really special testimony about the power of the priesthood, faith and those missionaries.  The doctors had told this guy how sick he was and is was in so much pain but now he felt good.  It was awesome to see the power of God and the Holy Ghost.  It was great to be a part of a miracle and to see how grateful Sister Carmen was.  So it is a dang good thing we followed the Spirit and went to this poor family's house.  Well that's one experience for ya.  I do have so many ya know haha! I am just full of these great experiences haha. But really it’s the truth.

     With another sister we visited we gave a super spiritual lesson about faith. Her name is Elizabeth. She was crying but it was more tears of joy. She was telling us how she is going back to church now and how she received her answer again. So it is so awesome to be a part in all these blessings and miracles. 

     So yeah, this last week was really good. We are going to clean our house supppppper good today!  Because a lot of bugs are biting us and we are getting itchy haha. Well I hope that you guys have an amazing week.  I love you all so much. Best family ever!!! 

      I’m going to attach the photo of all my companions that I have had. My new companion is the Elder on the very left. 

Elder Lawrence 

Happy Halloween

Last day with Elder Santeliz

 Elder Garcia, Santeliz, Rodriguez, Lawrence, Leon, Rodas, Martinez 

My new Companion Elder Garcia