Mexico Week 13: Baptism of Lorena, Learning, and Testimony in Spanish

Dear...Everyone who gets this letter, 

Well this week was a very bad week number wise. Pretty much all of our appointments fell through and we had little success working and teaching. I feel like maybe the Lord is teaching us something. I want to figure it out so I will be praying and reading alot this week. I also feel like my comp is slowly dying. He is starting to get a little lazy. When our appointments fall through, he doesn't want to contact and he always wants to go visit the same member family everyday. We had a talk about it but of course he would not listen. I also had some ideas to see if we could get the members more involved but he just contradicts everything that I say so I will be just sitting back on that stuff this week and just do my job teaching and testifying of the truth we have. I also will repent for my bad thoughts towards him hahaha. 

This week was fun with the bicycles though!! Instead of walking the 30 minutes to the church building we get there in 5 with our bicicletas :) My legs and bum hurt though hahahahaha. That is so awesome that Kasey fixed the bikes! Mom, just get your bike fixed and you guys can take family rides together Sundays or something :) That is cool about the triatholon that you had too! I remember the two that I did when I was a Teacher and they were a blast! But we did it as a campout. 

So this past week Pedro, the man who walks to church for an hour, Baptized his wife Hermana Lorena that we have been teaching for 3 months hahaha!! Finally she got Baptized!!! You will see the pictures that I am uploading right now :)

Elder Lester, Pedro, Lorena, Elder Lumbreras

Also in my pictures you will see me and Elder Johnson eating something redish called a pitalla from a cactus. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good, hahaha. It was like a mushy dirty watermelon with alot of seeds hahaha. 

Elder Lester and Elder Johnson

Well Braxley your fortune is coming true because this morning I sent off letters to all you kids hahaha. I laughed so hard when I read that story lol!! I wrote a letter to all you kids individually but in one envelope so it gets there at the same time hahaha. I am glad to hear you are all doing well! I cant believe how fast the time is going but I am dying to see you guys!! Btw you guys get to call me May 8th :) I will get you info of when and what time :) I cant wait for that day!! 

Well I have enjoyed my studies this week and I learned in Alma 37:33-37 the Keys to Becoming a Successful Missionary (I think the scripture is right if I remember it). It talks about how we must teach Repentance and Faith, always thinking and looking towards Christ and using His Atonement everyday in our lives. I will be looking to apply that in this wonderful work of the Lord and hope the Lord will bless me with success the next 18 months!! I am like a new sister missionary now, hahaha. 

Pues, yo testifico que la obra misional es verdadera. Yo testifico que Jesucristo es nuestro Redentor y Salvador. El es La Piedra de nuestras vidas y solemente obtengamos salvacion por medio de El y Su Expiacion. Como podemos saber lo que tenemos que hacer para volver a Su presencia, leer El Libro de Mormon. YO TESTIFICO que El Libro de Mormon contiene la plenitud y es verdadero. Nadie puede entrar en los cielos a menos que lea este libro y medite la significa este libro tiene en su vida. Yo hablo sin temor por que se que mi doctrina, la doctrina de Cristo, es verdad. 

I miss you all and love you more!! Can't wait to hear from you, and you are all in my prayers everyday! I hope you are receiving many blessings!! 

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 12: Baptism of Omar and Loving Missionary Work

Hey there everyone! 

Well, I am in Huacaltzingo again, hahahahaha and with Elder Lumbreras :) I am actually glad but do hope it is my last change here because the work is so hard. I hear one of the hardest in the mission. I think the reason we stayed was because we lead the whole mission in new investigators found and we have about 7 who have accepted Baptism without a date, so these next few weeks we hope to have them progressing and Baptized!! Speaking of Baptism this Saturday is the Baptism of Lorena!! Her husband Pedro will Baptize her but I am so excited for her! Three long months with her and finally we are going swimming! Also yesterday Omar got Baptized and I performed the Baptism myself hahaha!!! It was a very special service! Also his best friend Antonio attended and he is interested in the lessons. Things are really looking up here in Haucaltzingo for reals!! I Love Missionary Work! 

 Elder Lester and Omar

Elder Lester, Omar, Antonio, Elder Lumbreras

So this past week was not very successful apart from the Baptism and the date we set for Lorena. We tried hard finding new investigators but no luck. We have been planning to teach with movies with some of our investigators like the Testaments, Restoration, and Charly, hahaha. We hope that will touch the hearts of some of our investigators. We had an investigator, Casto and Josefina, that totally rejected our message and said that they wanted to find the truth in the Bible and not in some other book. Well my companion and I just made a lesson plan for them about the teachings of our church that none other practice that are in they Bible. For example the three degrees of glory and Baptisms for the dead. Well we stopped by their house and after asking some questions they were interested again, so we are going to see them this week! We pray for success! 

So this week we get bicycles!! I am excited for that because we walk everywhere! It has also been raining a couple times this past week. Apparently the rainy season starts soon and it can rain up to 4 days straight without stopping!! I am excited for that. So these next two weeks here in Mexico are hard I guess for the work. These weeks are called the Semana Santa, or the Holy Week. It is when the Catholic Church here worships the death of Jesus Christ and partakes of the Sacrament. Apparently it's hard on us Missionaries because it's a tradition and alot of investigators say no until after the Semana Santa. We have already lost 4 because of that :( 

Well my reading in the Book of Mormon is going great! I am in Alma 30 and have learned alot about Missionary Work! I have been learning and studying how Alma and the Sons of Mosiah brought so many into the Gospel. I learned that they always testified and taught about Christ and His Atonement and the Plan of Salvation. I am sure that if we teach and testify of Christ each time, more people will receive us. 

Well I have no more time! I love and miss you all! I am glad all things are going great!! I will be writing you all letters personally soon so look for those!! :) Kasey I want to write you but don't have time today. I have homework for you though :) Study the Atonement and how to use it in your life! 

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 11: Baptims Scheduled and Elder Bunnies!

Hey there!!

So this upcoming week we are going to BAPTIZE!!!!!! Hermano Omar has his service this Sunday the 17th!! He is so ready and so willing to change. It's been way cool teaching him. Friday he has his interview and we will find out who will Baptize him. This week we also believe Hermana Lorena will finally get Baptized same day because now her husband Pedro is worthy to Baptize her so, we are going to check on Wednesday what she will decide :) I am way excited that we are going to Baptize in this change.

We have also been teaching a couple families who all want to get Baptized and so next change we will probably have 6-8 more Baptisms!! Who knows if I will stay. I want to and don't want to, but I will serve wherever the Lord needs me. By the way, it's raining right now, hahaha, just thought I would tell you that since I love the rain. Apparently the rainy season here is really crazy! It can rain 4 days straight without stopping and it starts in May hahaha!!!

So this past week at the party for our village was fun. We couldn't contact anyone because it was a Catholic party and they have rights I guess, but we went and I bought a little homemade bag thing to put my coins in so they don't fall out of my pocket.

I also bought a leather Aztec Mexico wallet which is really cool!! Only 70 pesos which is like 7 bucks, hahaha.

My companion and I each bought an airsoft gun for 25 pesos which is like 2 bucks. We have those for the investigators who don't accept Baptism...hahahaha just kidding. We also ate alot of pizza, really cheap pizza, at the party hahaha.

Also some members who are kinda like the missionaries family here in our area, won two little bunny rabbits like we have! One has light brown and white hair and they named it Elder Lester,  and the other has black and white hair and named it Elder Lumbreras, hahahha. They are so cute and remind me of Daisy. I sure do miss her tons!!

 So this past week my companion and I have really gotten along. We have like no problems at all. We have learned how to work together and the work is just more fun when you like your companion. He is a great missionary. I might be leaving this area though so we will see what happens this Sunday.

No really cool stories from this past week. We have been knocking doors, teaching lessons, and finally are going to Baptize. Oh wait I do have a story, hahahaha. So this morning we went to Puebla with Hermano Omar and his friend to play soccer with our zone. Well we were all waiting at Burger King, yes there is a Burger King here thank the Lord, and Elder Johnson, who I love dearly, not queerly, bought some Burger King. Well the lady put a tray of food on the counter and we thought it was ours because it looked like what we ordered. So we started eating the fries and then this lady came up and asked if it was hers and the lady behind the counter said yes....we were eating her fries!! We felt so bad while eating our food. After we finished we thought we should have given her our fries but it wasn't in our mind at the time. It was so so funny and way embarrassing, hahaha.

Food I ate this week:

Tacos Arabes

Pizza

Hamburgers (no we didn't grill)

Rice and beans

More Pizza

Cemitas

Chicken in salsa like 3 times

Tortillas (which I am going to learn how to make tomorrow!!)

And more pizza

Tamales (home made)

I love the food here. Well most of it, hahaha, some I don't, but I really haven't had anything I hate. Something I love besides tacos arabes are the tamales. Here guys just ride around on bikes with big pots of tamales. There are two that I have tried and love. One is called Horocho which is chicken and red salsa and it is wrapped in a banana leaf instead of corn. The other is Rajas which is just hot peppers. They are sooooo good! I love getting them with a torta which is really good home made bread so it's kinda like a sandwich haha. Only 10 pesos which is like 1 buck :) It's really good for breakfast :)

Well I have no time and have to go!! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you again! Have fun this week with everything!! I will be writing you individually soon :)

Love,

Elder Lester

P.S. For Mother's Day I think you guys call me.Yes, I did feel the earthquake, hahaha it was fun. It happened right when I was getting out of bed and I was like what is going on!!

I have a really funny story to tell you but don't have time today. Remind me in your email next week! Love you all!!

Mexico Week 10: Amazing Conferences and American Food!

Hey there everyone!

Well this week has been a decent week except most of our investigators changed their mind about Baptisms on the 9th so we are going to work for the 17th, the last day of the change. Lorena might want to get Baptized at the end of this month. We did however find a women who is interested in our message and we have an appointment with her on Wedneday. This week though I believe will be very hard to teach lessons. This week our little village is celebrating their birthday all week haha. No one will be in their house so we will be contacting alot.

Btw....there is a ton of Fanta down here including apple flavored which is amazing!! I don't know where I will be changed but I really want to leave my area. I think three months in one area is enough, haha. I really want to stay in the same zone, but in the city. I think I might mention it in my letter to President today.

Sorry it's really hard to answer all your questions, but guess what...in one month you get to call me!!! So I will be able to answer all of them then, haha.

Well today was the best P-day ever! We are here in Puebla because we stayed the weekend with our zone leaders. Yes we do sleep well :) I didn't pack a pillow but I bought a tiny one here, haha. I am fine though :)

Something I would like in the package is razor heads, if you could. They don't sell the ones I like here. The fusion gillete ones...I think they are orange. Anyways today is Elder Rios' birthday! He is one of our zone leaders and he turned 23!! So we bought him some of his favorite ice cream and a jersey of his favorite soccer team. He was so happy!! He is a great Elder and leader. After we went and bought breakfast. I treated myself to donuts since you can't find those in my area, haha, like I can find anything but cows and goats. I hear there is a Krispy Kreme in one area so I hope I serve there, hahaha. After we went and played soccer. I used my brand new Mexico jersey I just bought and I think because of that I scored two goals, hahahaha which are my first goals in Mexico!! I am slowly getting better at soccer. After we ate HAMBURGERS!!!!!!!!!! So delicious!! Then we played pool, hahaha, so great P-day today!! 

General Conference was amazing!! I got to watch it in English. I guess it is a rule that we have to watch it in our native tounge. So I got to take good notes but I can't wait until the Liahona comes out so I can study them even more. Between the first and second session on Saturday, Elder Johnson and I, he is in my generation and distict, went and bought DOMINOS PIZZA!!!!! My first pizza since the MTC!!! :) It was so good! But anyways Conference was amazing. My favorite talks in order 1) Elder Bednar and personal revelation (that talk was something I needed). 2) Elder Uchtdorfs talk in Priesthood which was amazing! 3) Elder Holland of course. 4) President Monson in Priesthood. I really enjoyed all the talks and learned so so much! I can't wait until the next one, haha, and by then I will have 11 months in the mission!! 

Oh, and our Zone Conference this past Tuesday was awesome! We all got to hear from President Rex and his wife which was awesome. We also learned alot about teaching skills and practiced, practiced and practiced some more. It left me with the spirit and I was so ready to work!!

Also this week I received my first case of diarreha...it's not bad but it's not fun either, hahaha. Once in a while I get a sick stomach but I hope all will end here soon. I keep drinking coke to kill whatever is there. I am beginning to like coke now, hahaha. 

Well not much else to say, hahaha. I just finished the Book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and I love that book!! I am excited to start Alma and receive more inspiration in my life. I love all you guys and your letters!! I can't wait to hear from you again! I can't wait to call you guys!!! Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester