Peace, finally

Well an exhausting week... my new area is the end of a gulley - valley type thing that opens up into the main valley where the city is. Its just hills. Up and down. I feel like I'm climbing mount baldy everyday. They build their little concrete houses anywhere they can. It’s amazing. But I like it a lot. Even though every square inch is covered in concrete I feel like I'm out of the city a bit. It’s high up so the smog doesn’t affect us too much. Its humble people so all the cars are slug bugs and the busses. No McDonalds no Walmart, no atms, none of that stuff. The people are also a lot more willing to listen too. We taught 33 lessons this week but only 1 went to church... they love to listen but don’t like to act... its a little frustrating because I am go-go-go and they live a bit more relaxed… its my next lesson.

 My companion is a good kid; he has 3 months in the mish and is still pretty green. He's from Sonora so we get along good cuz we are "neighbors" he just doesn’t really teach good.

 This week I have found something that I haven’t felt my whole mission. Peace. There is something incredible about working the whole day, my mind never wandered home, I never worried about the future. It was awesome and I'm hoping to keep it up. The satisfaction... I've also been reading in “Teachings of the Prophet Spencer W Kimball.” It’s really good about why we are here on earth. I can’t remember it all but he said something about Christ becoming the Christ because he had absolute control over his body and that is part of our task here, to become absolute master of our bodies. I can’t remember what else but a lot of things struck me in that first chapter. Look it over in FHE.

 Anyway, being up high the sun has burnt me a bit, I've got a lovely tan line on my neck and my hair is turning goldish, I bath out of a bucket because there is no hot water... but its all good. "Thy trials and afflictions shall be but for a short time, and then if thou endureth well thou shalt be exalted on high". I'm glad to hear you all are doing well. Keep it up. I can only do as good as my family does. Dad, you are right, fear and doubt are enemies to faith. We can have questions but not doubts. The faith is made up of two parts, believe and do. If it misses one part it is dead.

 I love you and pray for you.

Elder Solomon

Transfer...finally!

Hey everyone, well I'm finally getting a change. Leaving Claveria after 7 months. I'm going to Ponderosa Cuautepec (see if anyone can pronounce that!).  Apparently its a super sweet area, tons of sisters who give you breakfast lunch and dinner, wash the clothes, give you new ones, what ever you want! It’s also really good for the work. Its in the Zone Tenayo which is sometimes called the "little Utah" because there are so many members and the work is incredible. I've been wanting to go my whole time here. I'm going to be district leader still, they almost moved me up to zone leader but decided to let me get some more experience first. I'm glad for that. Other than that not a whole lot going on. I'm jealous of your cabin trip. I would love a little fresh air for once. 

Well love you all take care,

Elder Solomon

chill pill

Screwed again by the stupid church email [he wrote an email then it was erased before he could send it...a common occurance and source of frustration]... I’ll see if I can write it all again.

Well Brigg and Sheldon in handcuffs…, imagine that! [Brigg and Sheldon we detained by the Sheriff for shooting bb guns at rabbits too close to a house whose residents were scared...hmmmm].  At least I almost made it till the mission. A bath? good one mom, tell me again in14 months. [Mom suggested taking a hot bath to calm an achy back] 

Well things have calmed down here a lot. The ward took a chill pill cuz it was stake conference. The visiting seventy chewed out the single adults pretty bad that they need to be married. And the family Campos came in suit and dress. The sister took another job. Their faith is awesome. The brother is around Alma in the Book of Mormon. I’ve been really impressed and studied a lot the parable of the sower  from the perspective of a missionary.  Obviously I want all the seeds placed in good ground, some ground needs breaking up and other needs weeding. I think of my converts in this ward and there are all 4 types. The kinds who fell by the wayside and were eaten by the birds because of their hardness of heart and/or lack of effort by the Sower (the missionary), the kind who sprung up quickly but because of the shallowness of the root when the sun, trials and tribulations come, he withers away, the other type who grows in good ground but the weeds (cares and vanities of the world) make it so no good fruit is produced. Then those who grow in good ground, are nourished and bring up good fruit fulfilling the "measure of its creation" .  This applies to us: we need to be constantly tilling up, nurturing and weeding our own ground.  And also it applies to our responsibility to help the others as far as our responsibility stretches. As Christ says, "He who has ears for hearing, let him hear". 

All is good in Claveria, My mind wants to die and not work but my body and spirit wont let it. I talked to the President and he said "Dont worry Elder, there is a reason there are changes in the mission, just hang on".  I just want to find some investigators for Elder Villegas.

Lift the feeble hands that hang down there is not a more noble calling that we can have. I watched the biography on President Monson and it was incredible. He said the no matter what, if the Lord needs a hand he wants Him to know that Tom Monson is willing. We should be the same, in our family even more so. Remember the family Campos: there is no room in our lives for judgment and we can never do enough, remember the talk from Elder Holland, the Lord answers prayers by means of angels, be worthy and willing to be the Lords angels and to be able to receive and act upon promptings. Let the strong lift up the weak. Anyway, stay out of trouble. 

Love you all, 

Elder Solomon

 

baptism drama

Wiped out!

Family Campos

AWESOME! hehehe

Well, quite the week! 5 baptisms and a lot of drama. Tuesday through Friday, knocking doors all day and the people aren’t there when you go back. We taught lesson 1 twice last week... Saturday was crazy. A lot of baptismal interviews and the baptism of the family Campos was a riot.

 The ten year old, the fat one, has such an intense fear of water I could not get him in at all. After about 20 minutes, we had him laying down, one brother holding his legs, another his back and me with one arm under his back, I did the prayer quickly and we just dunked him. He came out cussing swearing throwing a fit and didn’t want to leave the water! The dad was pretty mad because he hadn’t been baptized yet and wanted to be baptized! They all went in to the same room to change and came out with tears in their eyes, not because of shame like I thought but because of the intense spiritual calm they felt. The boy cooled down back to normal. The next day they were confirmed and it was a really nice experience as well. But we ran into some problems, the ward, especially, the ward council criticized the ward mission leader and me... a lot. They judged without knowing and they even told the brother that he needs to wear a suit to church and his wife has to wear a dress. It’s hard for me because the ward judged so hard and criticized so hard.  The ward mission leader wants to quit. And they have no idea of the conversion process of this family. (Probably because they refuse to help us in our work). Sunday after church we baptized Rodrigo… luckily the baptism was really calm. The only thing now is we don’t have any investigators! We have one more family and that’s it! We lost a lot last week and baptized a few. That’s whats stressing me out more than anything. 

We went to the temple today. (That’s why we have pday today) it was really nice but I still just feel all up tight. My back has been hurting as well. Ok, well now im just complaining, I really am happy but it’s hot in here.

 Love you all take care,

 Elder Solomon

Happy 20th Birthday

 Pretty dang crazy week here. Everyone in panic mode about the crisis, besides that they are wrapping up some drug wars in the north. Crazy stuff, the drug gangs had been taking over whole cities in the north and even one police chief quit he said it was a decision over life and death. But the arm was sent in and it’s pretty much taken care of.

 A good work week and Friday (my birthday) we had a leaders council of the mission, started at 9 in the morning and ended... at 8 at night and we only got through half of the program! I wouldn’t have time to tell you about the new system we have but the President has an inspired system and the results are breathtaking: even the worst of companionships have just taken off.  In our zone alone we baptized 11 last week and have 19 for sure with baptismal date for this week, which means it could be more. Its so incredible. I don’t even know how to describe the change, but after the council I went to the offices to pick p some materials and there was a nice little package sitting there for me so ya… it came on my birthday! Thank you so much, I love the shirts and cds. I almost peed my pants when I put in one and heard William Joseph... anyway after getting home late I woke up the next morning with the flu and one of the craziest days I've had, baptismal interviews, special interviews, 8 baptisms from one companionship (Elder Roylance, I was in the mtc with him) -So I was running like crazy even though my throat hurt like crazy- and putting a baptismal date with a complete family of four. They are the family Campos, mom dad and two boys of 10 and 8 years old. We found them three weeks ago contacting in a park at 8 in the morning, they had studied with Jehovah witnesses before so had a lot of questions, in our second visit the brother asked me if there is life after death and we taught the plan of salvation.  His next question was  "how can we get baptized?" We hadn’t even taught about baptism before.  They will be baptized this Saturday. 

It’s true that we don’t need to know everything but God gives us just what we need to know.  Now imagine if we wouldn’t have left the house at 8 that one day, we would have probably never found them. Now Sunday after church the members pulled a surprise. They had a little party for my birthday! A lot brought food and cake and we had a good meal and get together. It was so cool.  As Elder Villegas said, "When is the last time they’ve thrown a birthday party for an Elder?" I'm going to really miss the area, the very coolest part was seeing people the I baptized there, eating talking with members and having a good time, I really almost cried seeing that Hector Rodriguez is now a home teacher.  Seeing them pay tithing is something I could never replace. Then I feel sad for those that have already gone inactive... our efforts and the wards efforts are all in vain and I wonder what happened to that spirit when the were baptized and confirmed? At the end of the day we all our agency and we understand that, what we don’t understand sometimes is that other people have their agency. I've really understood what Moroni says when he says charity is suffered; we really suffer when others make wrong decisions because we love them.

 Well I love you all, congrats on the accomplishments, you guys are awesome, pray read and be of faith, the kind that takes you places. 

Love you all,

Elder Solomon