I've been having quite a hard time the past couple of days. My Spanish isn't working too well--in lessons I'm just tired and can't understand anything--not sure why. But I'm trying to work as hard as I can. It really wasn't that bad of a week, but its been a hard couple last days here in Kukulcan.
But there's one quote I've been living by and its, "Nothing will work unless you do."
So, keep pushing and everything will work out.
So I've been on two exchanges this week. The first was with Elder Nunez, and I can't remember what his area is called. But we went to this house with members for a lesson. The husband works as the agua man around the neighborhood. Down here people drive around with a big speaker and it says AGUAAAAAAA PURRRRAAAA--I can say it perfectly. Aguaaaaaaaaaa Purraaaa. (And some other stuff that I don't understand).
Their house was literally a tin shack. I've only been in one other tin shack in the mission, but this one was super bad. The front door was a bed sheet, and each room to separate from the other was with a bed sheet. We sat on buckets when we taught, and they have very little. So his wife isn't a member and is investigating the Church. We taught the Word of Wisdom to her. and she drinks coffee. So we committed her to not drink coffee anymore cause its super bad for you, and so she asked if we could take the coffee home with us so she doesn't drink it. So we did. It was so cool. Its honestly so cool and awesome to see people changing. You can see it in their eyes.
So that was Tuesday, and then on Thursday I went to Cielo Alto, which is where the zone leaders stay. So I was with Elder Raya there. Its a nicer part. And we went to this member's house. Let me tell you--he did not like Americans. They lived right outside of Tampa and just moved his family back to Mexico. We go over and he and Elder Raya are talking, and then he asks if I understand. He's talking so much smack about the bishop they had in Florida, and that we were racist and all this stuff. Once Elder Raya told me the story in English I was like, 'Wellllllllllllll, if you wanna get technical.........' I don't wanna tell the story over email cause some people have different views on different things, so I'll just leave it at that. haha
Well earlier that same day all of our appointments fell through. so Elder Raya said, 'Elder we need to pray'. So we prayed. and we opened our eyes and started walking. About five minutes later I said, 'Elder I need a restroom now!' So we walk super fast to the store nearby, and oh my....
The rest of the day we maybe got said yes to 3 times. Everyone was like, 'No, no, no, no'. One lady said no to us, and then we were like, 'Let's be here neighbor, and so we said 'buenas tardes''!!! And the same lady came out and yelled some gibberish in Spanish that I didn't understand, and I guess they just said they don't want it either, so we moved on.
It was honestly a day of testing our faith I think. Were we going to give up on the work, because people were saying 'No' to us, or were we going to keep going and keep pushing ourselves. We kept pushing ourselves.
Well I'm pretty excited for this coming month. We potentially have 6 baptisms.
Hermano/Hermana tec, lñuis, Josefony y david, y diego
Let me tell you a little bit about Estefony y David and Diego. So we tracted into Josefony the other week and she told us to come back this past week. So we went to the cita and taught them a little bit about the Restoration. We gave Josefony y David el liobro de mormons and I was like 'Diego needs one'. Anyways I gave Diego my personal one that the mission gave me to use for my personal study. I thought 'You know, this kid needs this'. They seemed super interested, and they participated a ton in the lesson which was super awesome. So I'm really exited to see where they go. They're a super young family with a baby. They're maybe 19 each, and Diego is 14.
Well the Puerto Rico Mission is shut down temporarilly due to the hurricanes destroying basically everything there, so we got 4 new missionaries from the Puerto Rico missions. In Puerto Rico they get cars and iPads. So when the missionaries came here, there was one that went home cause he needed these things in Merida, and Presidente said 'Sorry, we don't have those things'. So he went home. Kinda ridiculous. (probably an American ha).
I rode in the back of a truck this week, which was pretty fun. We were going pretty fast--like 40 or so--yeah that was fun
Oh my--I told you guys about Luis I think last week. So we had another lesson with him. It went so well. We taught about the Plan of Salvation. He came to church this past Sunday and went to all three hours--you don't see that much with members here, let alone investigators. But in Sunday School he participated and volunteered to read so much it was so awesome. I'm so excited to see him grow his testimony. Were planning on poppin' the question tonight at our lesson. And he'll most likely say 'yes'. That will be the same day as the Tec's baptism.
My companion has been super sick the last couple of days. Him and the other elder ate some bad food the other day when I was with Elder Raya in Cielo Alto. So he's been using the restroom a lot and our room with our hammocks at night literally smells so bad. Imagine someone not flushing and just letting it boil in the toilet. That's our room at night--I can't sleep when its like that
So we started a new challenge with members in our ward. We give each of them a Book of Mormon and by the next week they need to have it given to one of their friends that they think needs the Gospel in their life. Then the following week they need to have that person in their home to have a lesson with the missionaries. I think involving the members is one of the best ways to do missionary work. Knocking on doors is good at times, but its when members are helping and doing the missionary work that real missionary work happens and more people are brought into the Gospel. You get real members that way, ones that don't fall away from the Church
Yesterday I didn't feel good at all. I was sweating a lot more than usual, and then all of sudden I would be cold. So when we got home I checked my temperature and it was normal. Then I started to get a headache, and my stomach started hurting. So we met with the Familia Tec and literally the whole lesson I couldn't understand anything they were saying--the language was coming to me, and I had nothing to say. I honestly don't know why. But at the end, for some reason the quote from Saratov Approach came to my mind and here it is: "light always overcomes darkness".
Think for just a minute about what that means to you--really what does it mean? At the end Elder Olguin looked at me for me to say something and I basically said in my best Spaniush I had, 'Sorry for not speaking much tonight. I'm not sure why, but I just cant talk tonight. But I wanna share one thing with you guys.' And I told them the quote. And I looked them in the eyes and I said, 'What is that light?' I paused to let them think and I said, 'Its the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Its the light in our eyes. Its the Holy Ghost. Its Jesus Christ. Its everything we stand for. Its our life'.
Let me ask you guys something. What is your light? You all know what the True Light is. So my challenge to each of you individually is to find that light. There's one thing someone can't tell me that isn't true, and its that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church upon the face of the earth today. Nobody can tell me that that statement isn't true. And that's the light. So find the light if you don't have it in your life. Its as simple as inviting the missionaries over to your house and having them share the new light the world video. Read el libro de mormon. and with real intent with a sincere heart, ask God for yourself if it is true. And if it is, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and he translated the ancient record like he claims he did, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true and everything that comes with it is true.
And you know who you guys are. When I say this I mean if you think this applies to you, then it applies to you. If you're asking yourself, 'Is he talking to me'? Yes I'm talking to you. So please do it :)
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this--I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have.
Also, another thing that randomly just came to my mind. I feel I relate to the Mexican people so much. Coming from Tualatin to this place where the homes aren't the nicest (some are tin shacks which is just horrible) and somehow I relate with them. We're so similar, and I think that's so awesome.
I'll send some pics of me this week. I've been having a blast down here. Nothing too scary has happened yet. Just the cockroaches are huge and scare me just a little.
K--I'll start sending pics now.
Love you guys.
Peace
Elder Hall
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