TJ's Mission Blog

2008-03-10

HOLA!

Well with a lot of disbelief still, I’m writing to ya’ll for the last time. It’s hard to imagine that in just a few short hours I’ll be reunited with my parents in Mexico. It’s a flood of emotions and trying to write them is tough. For two long years, all I’ve done is preached the gospel to my brothers and sisters in Mexico, and it’s hard to think that soon I won’t be doing that anymore. The only life I’ve had for 2 years all of a sudden is going to change.

I have to admit I am excited. There are lots of things I’m going to be able to enjoy again. I miss listening to music, watching sports, swimming, seeing my family, etc. The idea of soon being able to do those things is exciting. But in the end, it just isn’t going to be like serving the Lord. I have received so many blessings, and it’s like two years just isn’t enough to repay him for everything. I was discussing that with my comp yesterday, and he feels the same. God always blesses us with more than we deserve. When we fall short, he blesses us. When we are doing well, he blesses us. I have been a personal witness of the Lords’ blessings in my life. I am forever in debt to Him.

I have also been a witness to the joy that the gospel brings into the lives of others. Being able to see their faces after baptism and see the change that the make in their lives is a joy that I haven’t felt ever, and don’t imagine feeling again. I was blessed to come to this mission in Mexico, where the Lord had many people prepared to change. I have been blessed to see many people change their lives and find hope in a desperate situation. My most prized possessions I’m sure will be the testimonies of people that I have baptized thank me for coming to their home and teaching them the gospel. I pray that soon I will be able to see a few of them enter into the temple.

Another blessing was the opportunity of coming to Mexico. I never thought that such great blessings would be waiting for me here. I bawled when I came, but because I didn’t want to go to Mexico. Now I’m going to bawl when I leave because I don’t want to leave. The people have treated me well, when they’re not drunk, and I have grown to love them. Getting home I want to talk to all the illegal/legal Mexicans in Texas to keep up on what’s happening here. Mexico really is the Promised Land that the Lord promised it would be. The people are starting to flourish and little by little the church is turning into what it should be. I have to admit that there are still a lot of things that the church needs to improve on, but I know that it will come along with time. The last few bishops I’ve had, except Moctezuma, I have felt safe leaving my converts in their hands. That is a big change from the first part of my mission. I was blessed also to get to know a lot of Mexico City in transfers. I was in all parts of the mission for at least a month. Now I just hope that when I come back the taco stands are still where I remember them.

I thank everyone that has supported me on my mission. I feel that all your support is one of the reasons I was able to last two years. It was definitely the best two years of my life, but the hardest two also. For my Savior it was worth it, because he thought I was worth the pain of death. I am grateful for this opportunity I had to serve and for the things I learned in these two years. So for the last time from Mexico I say Adios a todos. Amo a Mexico, amo a los mexicanos, y gracias por los mejores dos años de mi vida. Nunca les voy a olvidar y que el señor les cuide. HASTA LUEGO!

E. Williams

2008-03-03

HELLO!

Unfortunately this week was a bummer. I worked and we had some sucess until Sunday. To start off the mom and son who progressed last week didn't go to church. Who knows what happened with them. We ate with them on Saturday and we talked with them for an hour after, but come Sunday and they didn't show up. We'll see what happens.

The same thing happened with the other family of three. We saw them saturday, but they also decided not to go to church. So really things went down hill real fast.

Today I was able to go to Chimaluacan to say good bye to one of my converts, Rosa Isela. I promised her that I would go back and say goodbye so that's what I did. We were there a while talking. Her husband, I think, is more grateful that we showed up than her. It was pretty cool see them again. They were telling me about the progress they've made and everything. She had tried to kill herself several times, her daughter ran away from home, those kind of things. But since we brought them to church everything has changed. The daughter looked real happy and content and is doing real well in school. Her oldest son had also gotten married and she was starting to convert her.

That's pretty much all for this week. It's been a thrill the mission, and I hope that this week won't change a thing. Thanks for everything, we'll talk next week for the last time in Mexico. BYE

E. Williams

2008-02-25

Hey!

So this week we didn't have much progress with investigators. The family of three that we had been teaching didn't find it important to go to church this Sunday. So we'll see what happens this week with them. They looked real good, but all of a sudden they didn't progress.

We did find a new family of 2 this week who did progress and accept a date. It's a mom and a son. The mom is very interested. she hates the other churches she's been to, but liked the services on Sunday. her son also likes to go to church. his mom was a little sick on Sunday and they were going to leave on Sunday a little early, but he was begging her to stay. he's kind of cute. he's 11 years old, but wants to be very mature. he always talks about politics or 11 year old topics and sound very mature. But it looks like he's fitting in well with the other kids. Sometimes that's a problem and especially with these kids. they are pretty bad and don't accept new comers very easy.

The less actives that we've been working with received visits this week! that is a nice surprise. this bishop is doing very well. slowly but surely the ward is responding to him. he is proving that it's not who but how. he's a convert of 6 years and is a little shy. but is doing an excellent job.

That's about all for today. Theres not much going on. Just adjusting and working the best I can. Love everyone a lot. BYE!

E. Williams

2008-02-18

HEY!

So this week was a good week. Last week we were able to baptize a lady who had been waiting for 4 years to be baptized. She and her husband had been restricted in a lot of activities in the church because of their situation. But not anymore. She was able to partake of the Sacrament this Sunday and get confirmed. She was real excited to be able to finally have her rights in the church.

This week we finally baptized Alma. After about 2 months and a lot of setbacks she was finally baptized on Wednesday. She got sick last week, an infection in her eye, and on Monday she called and wanted to see us Wednesday to talk. We told her that it was also going to be her baptismal service that day. Well she showed up right on time and was baptized. She was also pretty excited to be baptized. We hope that now she can be a link to get her grandsons baptized. But once again Satan had to put his foot in the door. Sunday should have been her confirmation, but she had family problems and had to leave Saturday night. So we still got that one to get done.

We also were able to bring a family of three to church this week. If baptized on schedule, they will be the last baptisms I confirm on the mission. They were only able to stay for an hour, but were making plans to come back the next week. They look to be a very nice family. They are a young couple with an 8 year old kid. They are married, and just had some problems with work. So they have been a little prepared for us. I contacted him in front of his house two weeks ago and now looks very promising.

That's about all for this week. Thanks for all your support and letters. I hope everyone is doing well and I'm looking forward to being able to see everyone again. But first I got some responsibilities here.

BYE!

2008-02-11

HEY!

Sorry but first the internet didn't work. And now the computer I was working with doesn't want to send my nice typed and detailed letter.

But the rundown is that we were able to baptize the lady who had been waiting four years. She was real happy and content.

We had another baptism that got postponed until this week. I'll get that one updated for ya'll this next week.

Other than that, no body asaulted us this week. I'm pretty much normal again but my comp is really uptight still. We'll talk good next week. Hopefully this time the internet will be back.

E. Williams

2008-02-05

Hey to everyone again!

So this week was an interesting week. We went and started looking at a lot of inactive members, and for what would probably be the first time in my mission, I had more success with them than with investigators. I brought 8 inactive members to church, and only 3 investigators came. I never thought I would see that, and frankly it doesn't feel that good to see that. But that is still 8 souls that could come back to being active in the church.

We did experience a miracle though. Last Sunday we went to see a guy, who is a member, but is living in with a lady and they're not married. For about 14 years he has been with her, but hasn't wanted to get divorced. His partner isn't a member, but wants to be baptized a lot. So we went to help her. Basically the conversation was horrible. We set an appointment for Sunday afternoon, and between the services and our appointment, they had been fighting. But real bad because when we got there you felt it, and could see it. The guy told us that he still had hopes of returning with his 1st wife, after 14 years, and his partner told us that she was thinking about leaving. Well, us being experts in marriages, told them that whatever they did, it had to be quick. They had had 14 years to get things in order, and hadn't done anything. We told them that they had to take action, and it had to be now. He is restricted in the church, she's not a member, and they weren't taking action. I have given talks like that to hundreds of people, non-members and members, and nobody listened to us. Well Sunday he pulled me apart and asked what he had to do to get divorced and married. They decided that they wanted to make an eternal family and get married. But Satan isn't too happy. Already we have experienced several setbacks since Sunday night.

First, coming home from church on Sunday, we got robbed. This time they had guns. We were crossing a highway on a bridge, and they came up running, took out their pistol and told us to take out all we had. Well we complied considering they did have guns. But the guy got nervous and frustrated while he frisked me, because he missed my 200 pesos that I was carrying in my back pocket, the ring on my finger, and my backpack. He only took from me 7 pesos and my keychain. Evans did get robbed though. They took from him his belt, his watch, his backpack, his credit cards, everything. The good thing was that he left his camera at home. So we were a little air-headed the rest of the day. That night we went and got the papers that we needed to start the divorce, and we were going to give them to the judge that night. But the car of the judge broke down and couldn't come, so we had the papers. Normally all that I give to Evans because I tend to forget about it, but since he didn't have his backpack, I got stuck with it.

Yesterday we got permission to go to Pachuca to enjoy the fresh air. E. Austin also got permission and we went together. We went to the place where I went my last week in Pachuca where you can fish and then cook it. I caught two fish that weighed half a pound. Not bad for only having a stick and bait. Anyways, I took off my backpack to fish, and after two hours of fishing, my backpack wasn't there. Somebody had taken it. It had in there the papers and the camera of Evans to take pictures of Pachuca. So what the thief's forgot, in Pachuca got lost. Kind of ironic, but Evans feels like someone is picking on him. But at least now he doesn't have anything to lose, literally.

So that was my exciting week. This week we have two people scheduled for baptism. We're going to have a lot of work to do though. Thanks for your letters and support and hope that everyone is doing well back home. BYE!

E. Williams

2008-01-28

HEY TO ALL!

This week was another tough week. We can't find anyone to teach right now. And this week it caught up to us. The last few weeks have been similar but we had people who progressed. Now that everyone got baptized, we have no one to teach, and no one else has progressed.



We almost did have a baptism. It's a lady who we found when I first got here. We haven't taught her much, but she keeps coming to church. She came to the Relief Society activity on her own. There we talked to her, and she said it was going to be Sunday or the next week. Well, we all of a sudden lost contact with her. She left her phone with her grandson. So we haven't been able to talk to her, and she didn't come to the stake conference. But she's also a little blonde sometimes. We tell her at one hour and shows up at another because she didn't remember. And since no one stayed very late at church, she could have showed up and no one was there. But who knows. We hope to be able to contact her this week.



The stake conference was a good experience, even though I wasn't able to sit down a listen. This stake has 11 wards and about 100 members go to church every Sunday. It started at 10 A.M. the conference and people were still showing up at 11:30 A.M. There was no room to sit down. They put 4 TV's with closed circuit TV, plus the Sacrament room and the cultural hall full of chairs and still there was no room. So the missionaries got to stand outside and try to listen through the walls what they were saying. Needless to say about 1,000 members showed up and the stake center is way too small. This stake needs to be divided too, but no one pays tithing here. So nothing gets done.

That's pretty much all for this week. I hope this week to have more and better news. The interesting thing is that I am now officially in my last area with my last comp. It's my last cycle, and they told us last night that we don't have changes. So I'm here for the last 6 weeks of my mission! We'll talk to you next week!

2008-01-21

HEY!

So it’s incredible how time flies. I don’t really remember what happened this last week. It was a fun week though from what I remember.



We finally closed the deal with the family Urgel. It cost about 500 dollars, but it’s done and over. They were baptized Sunday after church. It was a nice service because the sister missionary who started teaching them came to see them get baptized and was able to share her testimony. It was neat because she hadn’t expected to see them baptized so quickly. I thought it was too much time. She was here during the change of presidents when Littlefield came here. So I reaped what she left this time. Oscar and Elizabeth were very happy. Elizabeth doesn’t like to show her feelings much, but she couldn’t hold back the tears. We confirmed them both right after the baptism because next week is Stake Conference. After their confirmation they were both crying and the whole ward too. I thought it was kind of funny because when the ward found out about their baptism, everyone said that they thought they were already members. Nobody knew that they hadn’t been baptized yet. But after 3 years of waiting, it’s finally done.



Other than that, once again there wasn’t much success in finding new investigators. We found 3 who came to church, but they are inactive Christians who decided they should go to church with us. But when asked about baptism, it’s not something they want to do. One of them isn’t married, and her husband isn’t too excited to get married.

We did have an old investigator go to church. Alma had come two weeks to church before, when I first got here. But she lives a little bit far from here. When we taught her, she was living with her daughter, but they had a little fight and she left. Anyways, she came to church on her own. She is programmed for this week. We’ll have to see how much we can teach her. She wants to be baptized, but is scared of water. She was telling her sister about the church, and her sister was trying to make us look like the devil. But Alma told her sister that she was going to keep going because she had felt something special. So Sunday we taught her, and she accepted her date, but the problem is going to be teaching her.

That’s about all. Down to 7 e-mails like all my family is telling me. I wasn’t counting at all… jaja Hope that everyone is doing well and we’ll talk next week!

E. Williams

2008-01-14

SO HEY EVERYONE!



This week in Mexico was a busy one. Unfortunately not much got done. We were working on a divorce, and getting them married and I became a law expert. It’s kinda fun. There is a new law that they passed here in Mexico that while in the process of a divorce, the couple can get legally married if the couple that’s getting divorced has more than 5 years separated. Well, there is a family that both parts, Mom and Dad, needed to get divorced. For 2 years they’ve been looking for a way to get divorced, but it’s real expensive and extensive. Well we found a way to lower the price, that’s quick, and we found a judge who was willing to get them married. So that’s what we’ve been doing the whole week basically. We got the divorce started on Wednesday, and on Saturday they were married. On Sunday they were going to be baptized, but the husband needed an extra step, which he took Sunday night, and this week on Sunday they will be baptized. Finally after 2 years. The first sister missionary that found them lives here in Mexico City, and is going to come to the baptism, the ward is excited, and they are real happy. It’s been a long road, but it’s going to get only longer now that they are going to be baptized. They’re son received the priesthood two Sundays ago and passed the sacrament for the first time last Sunday. So they are happy.



But a miracle occurred this week. Actually it is kind of just a funny circumstance. With the New Year and all that jazz, several families reactivated as one of their goals. One of those families has been inactive for about ten years. So they came back, and her daughter decided that she wanted to be baptized. They had been to church in other parts because all of the other family members are active in the church, and the daughter decided it was time to be baptized. Turns out we ate with them during the week and we were talking with the little girl. We asked her about her baptism, and if she was excited, and she was so excited she couldn’t contain her big smile. Then I asked how old was she, and she said 8. And then it occurred to me to ask when was her birthday, which turned out to be Saturday! So she was going to be 9 the Saturday before her baptism, which means that it was no longer a member baptism, but a convert baptism. So we got credit for the baptism. We did teach her a few things, and helped her be really prepared for her baptism. But in her baptism it was basically a member baptism.



All her family came to see her get baptized; she had her pretty white dress, refreshments, and it was our convert baptism. So miracles do exist. Jajaja.



Well that’s all for now. This week we should be able to really work. I know I said that last week, but I mean it this time! I hope everyone has a good week. BYE!

E. Williams

2008-01-07

HEY TO ALL!

I have to say it’s nice that party season in Mexico is all but over. Starting the 12 of December with Day of the Virgin, there are a lot of parties and a lot of busy people. But it’s not quite over until today. The convert that I have here, Jimmy, is having a birthday party today! How fun. But after that there are no more parties until Jan. 31st when I turn 21. scary….. This week was Los Reyes. It’s like the Santa Claus of Mexico. Christmas is the family gift exchange, and The Kings is Santa. But the kings come 2 weeks later symbolizing the gifts that the wise men brought to Christ. It would work well in the States to do it like that because of all the after Christmas sales. I didn’t believe that they existed, but they brought me some candy and a nice tie. So no I’m a believer in Los Reyes.

This week we did have success. Last week we found a family that for about 2 years has been investigating the church, but haven’t been baptized. This week we are going to baptize them. They are a very good family and are way excited to be baptized. They have a son, who was already baptized, and we activated them and Sunday he received the priesthood. He was excited about it and was happy that his parents will be able to be with him as official members of the church.

Also the investigator who got into a fight last week, well I think this week he also got into a fight. And the worse part is that two weeks in a row he’s fought with the bishops son. But anyways, I’ll look at the bright side because that means they did come to church. In this family there are 4 people. The Grandma, 2 grandsons, and a granddaughter. One of the grandsons told his mom that he wanted to be mormon and get baptized. His mom said that would be a good thing. The other grandson is the one in the fight club. The granddaughter came to church in her pyjamas. She just didn’t want to change. It was the day of Los Reyes and she just wanted to be in her pyjamas. So there she was a 5-year old girl running around church in her pyjamas. I love Mexico. The grandma also likes the church a lot. The only problem is she loves coffee, so we are going to have to take that away from her. The best part is they live right in front of the church. The church here is a whole block right in middle of the neighbourhood. They have about 3 weeks living there and we found them the 1st week. How about that for a quick change. The point is they can’t give excuses for not going to church. They just leave their front door and walk in the church. If all goes well they can be baptized this week.

That’s pretty much it for this week. This week we hope that things are now settled down again. The kids are back in school and parents are back to work so it should be the normal schedule from here on out.