Tuesday, August 23, 2011
5-2-11
This week in Mexico Oaxaca Mission was pretty good but also pretty busy! I now have been gone from home for a year, I feel like it has gone by so fast! And its true It really has gone by fast, it feels like ever since I got to mexico things just started flying by! Then once I started speaking spanish fluently It started going by even faster, I think because I am able to express myself alot better now and able to have fun in the work! This week we also were able to have one baptism, her name is Belem and missionaries have been trying to get her baptized for a long time haha, but we were finally able to make it happen, with the help from the lord!! Also this week Isabel one of my converts had her baby! And we also had a mission conference this week! Well there was a basic summary of my week now let me give you the day by day,
Tuesday- left early for my piano lesson that my comp gives me, then after that we had a few lessons then went to our lunch appointment, after that we went and taught a few more lessons then we went and visited belem to finalize the baptismal date because we really weren't sure what day it was going to be or if it would have even been this week, because their grandma just found out she has cancer and they have all been pretty sad, but we talked to them and we set the date to be friday! After that lesson we went and taught Gabriel, he is a 35 yr old guy who has some pretty crazy beliefs but we are making some progress with him! Then we went and taught Julios family, that went well, then we went and visited yen and her family!
Wed- was a pretty boring day but pretty successful we found a few more people to teach and we put a few more baptismal dates for this month! Then in the night time we had to go to the ward council meeting!
Thursday- My one year mark! Started out pretty slow because we had to go clean the baptismal font and get it ready for the baptism that we were going to have the next day, then we went and had a few lessons then in the evening we had to take the district leader to do the baptismal interview for belem! then after that we had a Little party planned for me, because it was my one year mark, a sister made us tlyudas, which are like giant quesadillas! Then we were going to burn one of my shirts but right when we were about to do it we got a call from isabel, my convert that is pregnant and really doesnt have any family, she said that she was in a lot of pain and needed to go to the hospital, so the sister took us over to get her and we got her in the car and we drove to the hospital, the sister that was there with us said it looked like I was the father of the baby because I looked nervous and worried haha, I guess I just have grown close to my converts, and we were there until like 1 am, because they said we couldnt leave because we were the ones responsible for her and that someone had to be there to make decisions for her if she wasnt able to talk, so we had to call our relief society president, and she came and stayed with her so that we could go home!
Friday- We had to wake up early because we had a mission conference at 7 and it was like an hour away by bus, so we had teh conference it was really good but we were both kinda tired because we had just had a long night! After the conference we had to go get everything ready for the baptism, then we had the baptismal service it was really good, my companion played the violin and teh spirit was very strong!
Saturday- we finally had time to go see Isabel and her new baby girl! I was able to hold that baby and it was amazing to hold a baby that was so young! It was weird because it really made me want to have a kid of my own, and when ever she will start crying, they hand her to me and she stops crying and goes right to sleep, everyone thinks that funny, and they always say the baby loves me the most! After we went and visited them for a little while and helped them get their little room that they live in cleaned up we headed to a few other appointments and we taught a less active family!
Sunday- Was a good day as well! Belem who we baptized got confirmed, and also we gave their baby a blessing! It was really cool! then later I was able to ordain the arronic priesthood to one of my converts, his name is julio and is 16 years old! It was the first setting apart ordnance that I have ever done is spanish, and in fact I didnt even notice but when I set him apart as a priest, I actually said the word priest in enlgish, but the rest was in spanish, Im not sure how I squeezed an english word in there but oh well haha! After church we went and ate and then went and visted Isabel and her new baby again! I was able to hold the baby for awhile again! I really love holding her! It just gives me a really special feeling that I havent really felt before in my whole life! Then when ever my companion holds her, he gets all scared and says that he isnt ready to have a kid!
Well that was pretty much my whole week! Not too bad!
Thanks again for your email and I hope that you have a great week!
I will send you an email later this week with information about the Mothers day call! Just make sure you change your plan so that your able to call mexico! Because if not I wont be able to talk to you! So I am not sure who you need to ask, just make sure that you do it before sunday!! Have the girls do it as well, I am not sure if you will still be with them for mothers day or not!
Love,
Elder Stradling
Tuesday- left early for my piano lesson that my comp gives me, then after that we had a few lessons then went to our lunch appointment, after that we went and taught a few more lessons then we went and visited belem to finalize the baptismal date because we really weren't sure what day it was going to be or if it would have even been this week, because their grandma just found out she has cancer and they have all been pretty sad, but we talked to them and we set the date to be friday! After that lesson we went and taught Gabriel, he is a 35 yr old guy who has some pretty crazy beliefs but we are making some progress with him! Then we went and taught Julios family, that went well, then we went and visited yen and her family!
Wed- was a pretty boring day but pretty successful we found a few more people to teach and we put a few more baptismal dates for this month! Then in the night time we had to go to the ward council meeting!
Thursday- My one year mark! Started out pretty slow because we had to go clean the baptismal font and get it ready for the baptism that we were going to have the next day, then we went and had a few lessons then in the evening we had to take the district leader to do the baptismal interview for belem! then after that we had a Little party planned for me, because it was my one year mark, a sister made us tlyudas, which are like giant quesadillas! Then we were going to burn one of my shirts but right when we were about to do it we got a call from isabel, my convert that is pregnant and really doesnt have any family, she said that she was in a lot of pain and needed to go to the hospital, so the sister took us over to get her and we got her in the car and we drove to the hospital, the sister that was there with us said it looked like I was the father of the baby because I looked nervous and worried haha, I guess I just have grown close to my converts, and we were there until like 1 am, because they said we couldnt leave because we were the ones responsible for her and that someone had to be there to make decisions for her if she wasnt able to talk, so we had to call our relief society president, and she came and stayed with her so that we could go home!
Friday- We had to wake up early because we had a mission conference at 7 and it was like an hour away by bus, so we had teh conference it was really good but we were both kinda tired because we had just had a long night! After the conference we had to go get everything ready for the baptism, then we had the baptismal service it was really good, my companion played the violin and teh spirit was very strong!
Saturday- we finally had time to go see Isabel and her new baby girl! I was able to hold that baby and it was amazing to hold a baby that was so young! It was weird because it really made me want to have a kid of my own, and when ever she will start crying, they hand her to me and she stops crying and goes right to sleep, everyone thinks that funny, and they always say the baby loves me the most! After we went and visited them for a little while and helped them get their little room that they live in cleaned up we headed to a few other appointments and we taught a less active family!
Sunday- Was a good day as well! Belem who we baptized got confirmed, and also we gave their baby a blessing! It was really cool! then later I was able to ordain the arronic priesthood to one of my converts, his name is julio and is 16 years old! It was the first setting apart ordnance that I have ever done is spanish, and in fact I didnt even notice but when I set him apart as a priest, I actually said the word priest in enlgish, but the rest was in spanish, Im not sure how I squeezed an english word in there but oh well haha! After church we went and ate and then went and visted Isabel and her new baby again! I was able to hold the baby for awhile again! I really love holding her! It just gives me a really special feeling that I havent really felt before in my whole life! Then when ever my companion holds her, he gets all scared and says that he isnt ready to have a kid!
Well that was pretty much my whole week! Not too bad!
Thanks again for your email and I hope that you have a great week!
I will send you an email later this week with information about the Mothers day call! Just make sure you change your plan so that your able to call mexico! Because if not I wont be able to talk to you! So I am not sure who you need to ask, just make sure that you do it before sunday!! Have the girls do it as well, I am not sure if you will still be with them for mothers day or not!
Love,
Elder Stradling
5-16-11
So this week for me was pretty good! Nothing really that great or exciting happened, so thats why this email maybe a little bit shorter than normal! So I have been in this area for about 4 months now! The area is called La Joya, which translates to the jewel! Some say its the jewel of the mission! But I am ready to leave, I have been her for awhile, I have made a lot of friends and have had the great opportunity to have a lot of success here as a missionary! The people the I have been able to baptize are very special and close to me! Its an amazing experience to be able to see the changes that the gospel can make in peoples lives! I have seen people with absolutely nothing, temporally nor spiritually, become people who see a purpose in their lives, who now see life differently, who now have goals, personal and as a family! I know that this gospel is true because I have seen first hand the miracles and happiness it brings to the lives of its followers!
So things for me are going pretty good, my companion right now Elder Garcia is kinda weird, but I'm use to weird companions! Just have to accept him for who he is, and see his strengths rather than his weaknesses! He has more time than me in the mission, but I am senior companion so that kind of bothers him! We have only baptized one person this month but we have another family that we are looking to baptize in 2 weeks, but they are kinda progressing a little bit slow and i think I will be leaving this area on the 30th of may, but I guess I dont really know for sure! I have already been here for awhile!
Well let me tell you about my week!
Tuesday,In the morning the mission president and his wife came over and checked out our house to see if it was clean( luckily it was) and they also said we needed to paint the inside and get some sinks fixed! After that we went and visited a few investigators that we have and we taught a few lessons! And there was some mothers day activity, because in mexico mothers day is always on the 10th of may! So we just started talking to all the families that were there at the little activity, and we found like 5 more families that we are now teaching!
Wed- we had to go to the central, because my companion had to go see some special skin doctor because he has acne. So we wasted a lot of time doing that, but I guess the good thing that came out of it was that we were able to go and eat at burgerking, because the members that were suppose to feed us, were out of town so they gave us some money to go eat! After we finally go back from the central, (which is like an hour away by bus) we went and visited a few people and had some appointments! Just a regular night!
Thursday- Was a pretty hard day, when we were at an appointment with Isabel, one of my recent converts,and while we were there we got a call from some members in our ward, they asked if we could come and give their grandma a blessing. So we ran over there and we entered the room and everyone was crying because there grandma was really sick, she found out 3 weeks ago that she has cancer. So I gave her the blessing, and it was really hard to say the things that the spirit was telling me to say, because it was evident that the spirit was telling me that she was going to die, so when I felt I needed to say certain things, I felt like I needed to speak in English so that the family wouldn't understand. It was a very powerful moment, it was probably the longest blessing I had ever given and everyone in the room said they spirit very strong. She later died. But the whole family although sad, accepted it how it was, and the family all had a very strong testimony in the gospel and the plan that our heavenly father has for us!
Friday- Nothing really that exciting happened, in the morning we got invited to go eat breakfast with some members! That was good! Then later we had a few good lessons. Then later in the evening we went to an activity that another ward was having, because they asked my companion to play the violin! Then after that some members invited to go eat hamburgers with them and then after they drove us home! Which was nice because we live like 3 miles away from our area!
Saturday- In the morning some repair guy came and fixed a bunch of stuff but we had to sit and wait around the house until he left! So we didn't get to go out and work until like 2-3 pm! Oh well, after that we went and taught a lot of good lessons! It rained the the afternoon, just like it does everyday here!
Sunday- We went to church and after we went and ate then we went and gave the sacrament to all the sick members that werent able to go to church! Then we had a few other appointments and then we headed home! Pretty boring day!
Well that was my week! I hope that you and the kids have a great week!
con amor,
Elder Stradling
So things for me are going pretty good, my companion right now Elder Garcia is kinda weird, but I'm use to weird companions! Just have to accept him for who he is, and see his strengths rather than his weaknesses! He has more time than me in the mission, but I am senior companion so that kind of bothers him! We have only baptized one person this month but we have another family that we are looking to baptize in 2 weeks, but they are kinda progressing a little bit slow and i think I will be leaving this area on the 30th of may, but I guess I dont really know for sure! I have already been here for awhile!
Well let me tell you about my week!
Tuesday,In the morning the mission president and his wife came over and checked out our house to see if it was clean( luckily it was) and they also said we needed to paint the inside and get some sinks fixed! After that we went and visited a few investigators that we have and we taught a few lessons! And there was some mothers day activity, because in mexico mothers day is always on the 10th of may! So we just started talking to all the families that were there at the little activity, and we found like 5 more families that we are now teaching!
Wed- we had to go to the central, because my companion had to go see some special skin doctor because he has acne. So we wasted a lot of time doing that, but I guess the good thing that came out of it was that we were able to go and eat at burgerking, because the members that were suppose to feed us, were out of town so they gave us some money to go eat! After we finally go back from the central, (which is like an hour away by bus) we went and visited a few people and had some appointments! Just a regular night!
Thursday- Was a pretty hard day, when we were at an appointment with Isabel, one of my recent converts,and while we were there we got a call from some members in our ward, they asked if we could come and give their grandma a blessing. So we ran over there and we entered the room and everyone was crying because there grandma was really sick, she found out 3 weeks ago that she has cancer. So I gave her the blessing, and it was really hard to say the things that the spirit was telling me to say, because it was evident that the spirit was telling me that she was going to die, so when I felt I needed to say certain things, I felt like I needed to speak in English so that the family wouldn't understand. It was a very powerful moment, it was probably the longest blessing I had ever given and everyone in the room said they spirit very strong. She later died. But the whole family although sad, accepted it how it was, and the family all had a very strong testimony in the gospel and the plan that our heavenly father has for us!
Friday- Nothing really that exciting happened, in the morning we got invited to go eat breakfast with some members! That was good! Then later we had a few good lessons. Then later in the evening we went to an activity that another ward was having, because they asked my companion to play the violin! Then after that some members invited to go eat hamburgers with them and then after they drove us home! Which was nice because we live like 3 miles away from our area!
Saturday- In the morning some repair guy came and fixed a bunch of stuff but we had to sit and wait around the house until he left! So we didn't get to go out and work until like 2-3 pm! Oh well, after that we went and taught a lot of good lessons! It rained the the afternoon, just like it does everyday here!
Sunday- We went to church and after we went and ate then we went and gave the sacrament to all the sick members that werent able to go to church! Then we had a few other appointments and then we headed home! Pretty boring day!
Well that was my week! I hope that you and the kids have a great week!
con amor,
Elder Stradling
5-23-11
I dont really have too much time to write a long email today, because thsi morning we went on a really long hike, we left at like 6 am and we didnt get back till like 4pm, it was really fun though, but also very tiring! Maybe one of the hardest hikes I have been on because there really wasnt a trail so we just walked straight up a mountain, and it was really rough trail! I ha dfun though, we saw a little waterfall and we explored a cave and there were tons of bats in side! It was pretty exciting! I will send some pictures! I am doing good, I am healthy and working hard as a missionary! This might be my last week in this area so I am going to work really hard this week so that it will be in good shape even though I am leaving the ward!
Sorry I didnt have time to write more, but I hope you have a great week!
Con amor,
Elder Stradling
Sorry I didnt have time to write more, but I hope you have a great week!
Con amor,
Elder Stradling
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