7-5-11

Hey,

Thank you for the email! I am doing well, I had a great week! Sorry I didn't write yesterday! Yesterday I was busy all day, because it was the last p-day of the change we decided to go eat on the beach, it was really cool, and I took some good pictures! This last week that I had was a good one, and on Sunday we had a Baptism of Rogelia! It was awesome, and the spirit was very strong! Also this last week our mission president went home and we now have a new president, his name is presidente Leba! I haven't met him yet, but he will be coming to the coast, this Thursday! I look forward to meeting him!

Sorry this email is so short, I really don't have much time! But I am going to try and send some pictures of the baptism!

I hope you are doing great and that you have a great rest of the week! Thanks so much for your love and support!

Con amor,

Elder Stradling

7-18-11

Well my first week back in the city was pretty good! It seemed to go by kinda slow though, I think thats because I am still learning the area, and I have never been on this side of the city, so everything is new to me, and Im just getting use to everything, Our area is pretty small though, they say its the smallest area in the mission, and that makes it kinda difficult to baptize, but this week we found someone who we might baptize this Sunday if not the next! We have been contacting alot because when I got here there really wasnt any good investigators, and I forgot what its like to contact in the city, the people are so rude and ignorant! And to make it better, this whole week it has been raining non-stop, literally, I thought Id get a break from the rain when I left the coast, but its been raining here a ton too! Im sure my shoes are getting worn out because they get soaked every day! Then I forgot my umbrella in my last area, and its like 12 hours away, so I had to buy a new umbrella, because for the first few days I didnt have one, and I got completely soaked each day! So I decided to invsest in a new umbrella! And guess what the ward here is smaller than my branch was in my last area! Yesterday there was only 57 members at church! I guess its just because the area is so small, but the bishop told us this morning that they are about to make the area bigger, so that should be good! Other than that, nothing else has really happened thats too exciting! I have just been a bit more busy! Things are going pretty good as district leader, the only bad thing is that there are sister missionaries in my District, and as district leader everyone has to call me in the night and give me a report of their day, and the sisters, just keep talking and talking, I feel like loyd, in the movie "dumb and dumber", when he is at that bar and that lady just keeps talking and talking and he says ( will you just shut up!!, I dont care!!) But of course I cant say that to them! Oh well I guess it helps me learn patience! Well I really dont have much more time to write! We got caught up doing other things today!

I hope you have a great week, full of fun and success!

Con amor,

Elder Stradling

8-22-11

I am doing good and This week for me was good, and I haven't really been sick this week so that made it nice! The president made me go see some specialist, because he was worried that I was getting sick so much, so I went and they did some tests and the doctor gave me some new medicine that I have to take, I feel like an old person, because I have to take a ton of pills every day!! Thats okay though!! So On Saturday they told us the changes for this next transfer, and guess what, I am going to have my first american companion, his name is elder monson, they say he is President Monsons, grandson, but I think that's just a rumor, to try and scare me haha and He is new, so I will be training him! I haven't met him yet, because his plane doesn't land until later tonight, but they tell me that his is really tall, 6´ 10", and he played basketball for University of Utah, so I am sure he will be pretty cool, but it will sure be different to have an american companion, and more because he wont really speak Spanish, because he is new! But I think it will be fun, I think I am going to just speak Spanish with him, so that he can learn faster!! I will be staying in the same area though, but Thats okay, we have have a few good investigators that we are looking to baptize in these next couple of weeks!! Time has been flying by, this week I will already have 16 months in the mission, even though it feels like just yesterday that I only had 6 months! But oh well, I look to take advantage of the time that I have left!!

On Sunday we had our stake conference, and it was really good, the spirit was so strong, our mission president spoke, as well as two members of the seventy, Elder Toriz, and Elder Tenorio! They both gave really good talks, that were very spiritual, but also very funny! So I really enjoyed the conference! After the conference we took a picture with all the elders in the stake, with Elder Toriz, Elder Tenorio, and president Leyva! So I will try and send that picture today, as well as a few others that I took in this last week!

Well I really don't have too much more time to write, and nothing that exciting happened in this last week! But I hope that You have a great week and that you are doing great!!

con amor,

Elder Stradling

8-15-11

This week for me was really good!! We didn't end up having any baptisms and I got sick again, I really getting tired of being sick so much, and I keep losing weight, I now only weigh 189lbs pretty crazy huh? I weighed 265 when I left! On my agenda that I have, I always put a picture of the family on there, and people always ask where I am in the picture and when I point at me, they don't believe me because I guess I look really different now! haha, and they always say that I looked like a bully, because I use to never smile in pictures haha! They say I am like the bully from the tv show Malcolm and the middle, I guess that show is pretty popular here! And the whole WWE wrestling is a big deal here and they all say that I look like John Cena, and lots of them call me Elder Cena, I think mainly because they cant pronounce my name! But anyways I am starting to think that this whole me always being sick thing isn't too good for me, I just hope its not doing permanent damage to my stomach, but who knows! Even though I was sick this week and we couldn't work too much we still managed to find lots of new investigators and we put 3 baptismal dates with three people that we found this week, they are set to be baptized on the 28th of Aug! We also have about 2 or 3 other people that we are working with and we plan to put baptismal dates with them as well! We will see what happens in the next few days! Other than that everything is pretty much the same! Time just continues to fly by, we are already on the last week of this transfer, so who knows if I will still be in this area in 7 days! Because for some reason they like to move me around alot! Its okay though, Im use to it! I now actually kinda like it! This way I get to know lost of people and lots of places! But On wed we had interviews with the president, and he said he likes to keep elders in one area for 4- 6 months, so we will see what happens, I really dont think I want to be in one area for that much time, I am just so use to changing so much!!
So let me give you a brief summary of my week!

Tuesday, I woke up really sick so we just went out in the morning and worked a little bit but then we just decided to go home and rest, then in the evening we had out meeting with the ward mission leader, that went pretty good! Then after we went and taught a lesson really fast then came home for the night!

Wed- We had interviews and my district had to be there first so I had to be the offices at 7am, and me and my district were all on time, but no body who had keys showed up until like 730, oh well, its the Mexican style to always be late! I am use to it! The interviews went really well, but I was there until like 1pm because I had to wait for everyone in my district to get interviewed! After that we headed back to the area and went and visited Eddy, a young man that we recently reactivated in the past few weeks! He has really progressed, he now goes to church every week, and he bought a white shirt, dress pants and a tie, so they he can wear them to church! He now says that he wants to go on a mission! Even though he was baptized awhile ago, its really nice to be able to reactivate people as well! After that we went and visited a few investigators and visited a few members, to see how they were doing!! then we had an appointment with Maria, who we just recently baptized, that went very well and she is doing great!! Then after that we headed home!

Thursday- In the morning we went to teach an investigator, her name is Maria as well, to be honest id say half the women here, maybe not half, like one third of the women here are named Maria, from the Virgin Maria, there are some names Maria de Guadalupe, or Maria de Jesus, o maria de los Angeles! But anyhow, we taught here, and she accepted, but there was one problem, she isnt married to her husband, well I guess that would make it her boyfriend, but thats a really big problem here, for some reason no one gets married, I guess maybe its the lack of money, or just the lack loyalty! Who knows!! But we put a goal with her that she would talk to her husband to put a date for when they Will get married! We will see what happens! Then after that we knocked a few doors, but they all rejected us, oh well, life as a missionary! Then we went and ate! Then we Had an appointment with a few investigators and we found a new one, and we are planning on putting a baptismal date with one this week! Then after that we had a family home evening with a part member family! Fue muy bien!

Friday- Another sick day, but in the morning we had promised to help a lady in our ward move! So we did that, and it didnt take up too much time, we got done at about 2pm then we went and ate lunch, then after that I felt really bad so we headed home and I slept the rest of the day... pretty boring day!

Saturday- We did divisions with a few elders in our district, that went really well! We found lots of new investigators and we put 3 baptismal dates!

Sunday- I woke up throwing up but we went to church, and it went really well, but I just felt sick the whole time, but oh well! Then after church we went and ate with some members then we headed to the house of some of my converts, that live in one of my old areas! That was really fun to see them and how they have progressed in the church since that last time I had seen them!!


Well that's my week! I hope that you are doing great and I wish you a great upcoming week!

Love

Elder Stradling

6-27-11

This week flew by, I dont know where the time goes, by there are now only two weeks left in this transfer, even though I feel like I just got here last week, but I have been here a month already! Things are going pretty good, I am healthy and we are working hard, we were hoping to have 4 baptisms on sunday, but one of the families that we were teaching decided at the last minute to back out and they want to wait a few more weeks before they get baptized, which is normal, lots of people feel like they need lots of time to prepare, or they get nervous or scared, thats just natural, but we told them not to worry and that we will be patient with them and so now they are set to get baptized on the 10 of july! Although that was kinda hard too see those 3 back out of getting baptized, we were still able to baptize Benito,( its a different one) The two baptisms that we have had here in zicatela, have both been named Benito! Which is pretty funny! But Benito is about 38 years old, he is an amazing person, and has made so many great changes in his life! His wife and children were recently baptized about 3 months ago, but he initially didnt want anything to do with the church, but once me and my companion started teaching him, he realized that he needed to make some changes, he now is so spiritual, and has such a strong testimony of this gospel, we didn't even ask him to bare his testimony at the baptismal service, but he just stood up and starting sharing his testimony! It was a great baptismal service, and lots of the branch members attended so I think that helped him feel accepted! He has really been a great example for me, and it just amazes me how quickly he was able to change once he received his testimony of the church! As missionaries we invite people to pray and ask god if the things that we teach are true, And he did just that, and he received his answer! It really makes being a missionary easy, when what your teaching is true! I will try and send some pictures that we took before the baptism!

So other than the baptism nothing really that exciting has happened, last Monday, it was raining really hard, and I guess there was a hurricane warning, but it never hit us! I guess that's a good thing, but I am not really sure of the details, we don't really know whats going on in the world haha, They told us the day after that there was a hurricane warning, but it must not have been too serious! We have had to walk a ton this week, because our area is pretty big and we have to take lots of taxis and buses, but we both ran out of money so we have been doing alot of walking, and alot of fasting because we dont have money to eat! So I think I lost some more weight this week, lost of the members told me on sunday that I looked smaller, but who knows! Life of a poor missionary haha! But I guess this week will be the same, because we dont get money until like saturday, or maybe until the next monday! I wonder how much more weight I will lose haha!

Oh and guess what! I know its against the law and a federal offense ( or something like that) But here people dont really care about that kinda stuff, ( its just the culture) and they eat sea turtle eggs, and on Tuesday, a family made them for us to eat, it was really weird, they look like ping pong balls, but they taste pretty good, I guess you dont use them to make like a fried egg, or scrambled, but you just eat them boiled, and but even after you boil them, they dont get hard like chicken eggs do, so you just like peel part of the shell off, and you suck out the inside, it was weird at first but I got use to it! They gave us like 10 eggs, but we only ate like 3 each! Then they also gave of giant grilled ants! I took some pictures, I will send them!

Nothing else really exciting happened this week, just the disappointment of the family not getting baptized, their names are Adrian, he is the dad, and his two daughters, Vivi, and Yasmin, one is 19 and the other is 14, The problem was that we haven't taught their mom, because she is never home, so she really didnt know anything about us, so when they told their mom that they were getting baptized she freaked out and said no, and that they need to wait and learn more first, but oh well, we will just need to teach the mom, so that she understands as well, and then maybe we will be able to baptize all 4 of them on the 10th of July! Then We are hoping to have another baptism this sunday, but its not 100% sure, its a lady names Rogelia, she is a really great woman, she is about 48 years old! We will see if she will be ready by this sunday!

Well that was pretty much my week! I hope that you are doing great and that you have a great week this week!

Con amor,

Elder Stradling

4-20-11

So this week was good, I dont really have to much time to write a whole lot. So ill just talk about the important things that have happened. On wed we were able to get a couple married, the husband is a member but the wife isnt, she will be getting baptized either this Sunday or this next Tuesday, we arent sure yet because she wants her family who arent members to be able to come, so that they can see the baptism and that we can start teaching her family as well! The ceremony was good, we just went to the civil records ( I think thats how you say it in english) and they singed some papers and we took some pictures, then after they had a little reception thing that they invited us to, that was fun we just ate mole and chicken, which is what they always serve at weddings or birthday parties haha, not much of a variety around here. Then on Sunday we had 4 baptisms, there names are Julio, who is 16yrs old, Berenice 16, Karina 11, and Gorge 9. The service went really well, we had the young women sing a special hymn then we had our whole district come and sing while an other elder played his violin! It was a very good service, we have been teaching this family for about 3 months now, and the parents still say they arent ready so we just baptized their kids, hopefully that will motivate them a little bit! So on sunday they told us tat my companion elder Guerrero was getting transferred to salina cruz, which is the hottest part of the mission, and about 7 hours away from here. So he packed his bags on sunday, they told me I was going to be staying in La Joya for another transfer, and that my companion was going to be Elder Lopez, who had already been my companion about 5 months ago. So on Monday while I was at the bus station to drop off my companion, the assistants called me and told me that they were going to change my comp, and that it was now going to be an Elder Garcia, but he didnt get here until tuesday at like 5 in the morning, so I went and got him at the bus station really early on Tuesday. He is from Mexico city, and has 13 months in the mission, and even though he has more time than me, they made me senior companion, He is kinda mad about that, but we still get along really good and he is a cool guy, he plays like 7 instruments and was in a rock band before the mission, he also use to teach piano and so he says he wants to teach me, so that should be cool! Other that than nothing else is really happening, just hot during the day and rain storms in the evening!
I hope you have a great week

Love elder stradling

4-11-11

This week was good! I am feeling all better, I am back to my 100% and I was able to work all week! Although We didnt have any baptisms this week because the whole me getting sick thing and conference kinda threw a few things off schedule, but this coming week we are looking to baptize 3 people, it coud be 4 but who knows, because on wed we are going to marry a couple, and the wife isnt a member so the husband wants to baptize her, but we dont know if he will be able to do so by this Sunday or by the next one so we will see what happens, I guess the important thing is that she gets baptized! Things are going great here and time is flying by, we are already in the last week of the transfer, and it will most likely will be the last with the companion that I have right now, Elder Guerrero, because he has already been her for like 4 and a half months, and I will probably stay here for another 6 weeks but ya never know I could also get transferred as well! I am really happy with the companion I have right now we get along really well and we always make things fun even when things really aren't that great! People always tell us weird it is that we get along so well. I have been able to learn alot from him, he has some very useful techniques in his teaching style. Hopefully I will get another good companion for the next transfer! So this week we have also been looking for a house in our area because we live with 4 other elders and we have a to walk quite a ways to get to our area, so president told us to strat looking for a house, so far we havent really found anything good, because our area is really poor and the living standards here dont meet the mission requirements! Well let me give you the day by day of my week!

Tuesday- Was my first day out working, I wasnt quite sure how it would go because that morning I didnt feel to great but we really needed to go out and work because we havent gone to see lots of our investigators and other less active families that we are working with! So we decided to just go out and work! It went good we went and saw the people that we hadnt passed by for in a few days and they were really happy to see us, lots of people said they thought that we had left them and they said they were really sad, everyone told me how skinny I looked, because I guess I lost a few more pounds from the whole being sick thing! We had a pretty good day and we did lots and since we were so busy I didnt have to think how I was sick, so that was nice!

Wed- When I woke up I felt pretty much perfect so I decided that we would leave a little earlier than normal so that we could get in a few more lessons and visit a few more people that we had been neglecting due to lack of time! Its kinda sad how little time we have, because we have so many people that we are teaching so we arent able to give to much attention to those who arent really progressing! Then when lunch came we went to our appointment and the sister wasnt there so we went and ate with an investigator who has a little restaurant! Which was fine! Then we went and visited more people and taught a few lessons!

Thursday- Not really too much happened, just a normal day full of lessons and talking to people! the weather here is really weird, its starting to get really hot during the day then usually in the early evening clouds come out of no where and get us soaking wet then the clouds leave again and the sun comes out and then it makes it really humid, then by night time it gets a little cold and I have to use my blanket to sleep haha.

Friday-was a crazy day we had to get pretty much everything done in the morning and early afternoon because we had a surprise party planned for an investigator that we have because it was her birthday, so we had the party and its went really good and everyone had fun. The lady that we are teaching has 3 kids and one of her nieces lives with her, she has a daughter that is 15 the niece is 21 and the two sons are 15 and 20. So after we left the party because it was over, the 20 yr old son got mad for some reason and started yelling at the mom so the 21 yr old niece told him to be quiet and tried to defend her, and the the 20 yr old starting hitting the niece and then after he beat her up he beat up the mom, and so the 15 yr old girl called the police and the 20 yr old went running, so the niece sent us a text and asked if we would please come over, it was like 1030 at night, so as we were walking over to her house we saw the niece her name is yen, and she was walking towards of with her hands on her face, and when she took her hands off we saw that her face was all bloody, and she told us all what had happened so we walked her back to the house and we talked with them and helped them clean up their wounds, and they were scared he would come back so they asked us to stay for a little while because the police never showed up, the system they have here really isnt that great. So we were there until like 2 or 3 in the morning! It was really sad I don't know what kind of a person would hit his own mom, its just sad.

Saturday- we had a ton of stuff that we had to do so we stayed busy all day and we were both really tired and sad because of what had happened the night before, but we carried on and went threw the day, nothing special really happened just a regular day. Then in teh afternoon we had to go see a doctor so that they could do a check up to see how I was doing, so they did a few tests and took my blood again, and they said that I was all better and that I dont have any infection anymore!

Sunday- We had church and it went really good then after we got invited to another birthday party of one of the sisters that we baptized like month ago, so we went to that and they fed us mole and chicken, then after that we had to go eat with the bishop, so we were really stuffed after that! Then we had to go give the sacrament to some sick members in our ward who weren't at the church that day. Then we had an appointment with Jose Luis and the Julio and his family! Then we headed home and we played some Uno!