Monterrey, Topo Chico week 8

This week was pretty good. We got a lot of contacts, but only like 5 of them were home or wanted anything to do with us, but thats missionary work haha. Elder Quiñonez got 2 wisdom teeth pulled this morning and cant work till wednesday. Im not exactly sure what Im gonna do, either go with another companionship or a yoth from the ward, but well see. I was reading in Alma this week in chapter 44. Whe I read verses 12-15, they struck me really hard. This lone soldier, whos a literal nobody, strikes down the sword of the opposing leader, scalps him, and screams to the army to give up or die. Ownage. Haha hes only got these 4 verses and is never heard from again. Thats kind of the same as missionary work. Ive only got 2 years and afer that, I will be rememberedonly by those I baptized and maybe a select few others. This is my 4 verses. Im just a soldier, a nobody, but I have the right, the power, the authority from God, to scream to the enemy, give up or die. Okay, not literally, but I can fight in the cause of bringing salvation to the children of our Heavenly Father, with a voice that will shake heaven and earth, and a testimony that nothing can kill, and a desire that none can take away. Every day I think to myself, "Elder Hawken, youve only got 4 verses. What are they going to say?" Theres no time for them to say, "he didnt get up on time everyday", or, "he went back to the house because it was too hot". No, no time at all. Ive only got 20 more months to scream and fight, and I will scream and fight everyday. Okay, whew. now that thats over haha. We are going to have 2 more baptisms this sunday. Ones a girl of about 12 whose family was inactive, but comes now. The other is the boyfriend of a girl in a family that also was inactive but comes now. Hes 24 and had a lot of questions, which is awesome because that shows that he really wants to know. Were way excited and ready to work in May. I hope everyone is doing good. The swine flu hasnt struck me yet haha. Were gonna have to start wearing masks, as if people werent afraid enough of missionaries before haha. but ya thank you for your prayers and God bless!!!
Much LoveJAmes

Monterrey Topo Chico week 7

Yup, im still here. Neither me nor my Comp got transferred. But its all good. This week was a little hard. We didnt do a whole lot of contacts because Im still a little skittish to initiate a conversation in a language ive been speaking for 4 months, and Quiñonez... well, you know. So yesterday we had to do 56, which we did, and it wasnt hard at all. It makes doing 30 a day seem like nothing. We didnt teach a whole lot of lessons either. we taught 12 with a member present because this awesome member that has 17 years goes out with us almost every day. I try to be a perfect example, Like the elders in Pueblo were, but Quiñones makes it hard sometimes. But hopefully he’ll look back and see that at least I was a good example. We had Stake conference this week which was cool. I didnt get to see all of it because all the Elders had to help fill the font with water from a well outside because the drain wasnt plugged right and the water wasnt staying. so we were creative and put a plastic bag and a rock over it. Hey, it worked haha. Pres. and Sis. Toris (the mission President and his wife spoke. Pres Toris is a lot like Jake. For the Priesthood session sat. night he didnt stand at the pulpit and talk at us, he had a mic and was walking up in front, to keep our minds busy i think. But ya hes so awesome. His time is up at the end of this transfer the 24 of MAy and we get someone from Texas. Im kinda happy that well have a gringo so I can talk to him better haha.
Everything else is going good. THANKS TO MASON FOR WRITING ME!!!!! DJ and Chris are still no-shows. ¡Gracias a mis amigos fieles! haha. But hey all is well here in Topo Chico. do they have Topo Chico mineral water in the US? its got a yellow label. I live 3 blocks from where its made. Topo Chico. Siempre Cae bien. haha.
Much LoveJAmes.

Monterrey, Topo Chico Week 6

Well, my first transfer is done here in Monterrey. Tad bit rough, but hey, the work goes on. Not a whole lot happened since my last post. Except the baptisms. Remember the 3 young kids that we were teaching? They finally decided that its what they wanted and we baptized them saturday. I did one and E. Quiñonez did the other 2. It was a way cool experience to baptize someone... in Spanish! Haha it was great. Then on sunday we baptized another lady whos like 75. Her son baptized her but it wasnt like a deathbed repenntance thing, she really wanted to do it and was excited. It was very cool too. The other day we were teaching a man and at the end I was to say the prayer. He was wanting to learn english, so he asked me to pray in english. Wow. That was hard. (twss :) ) haha man! I couldnt remember how to do it! well I could but it wasnt as easy as before. I mean i did it but I kinda had to think about how to do it. Im approaching that point where I can neither speak english or spanish, and Ill be in real trouble then!! We were contacting in a Pulga, which is a flea market, and ther was a tent with movies. I just glanced in, amd saw Dragonball: Evolution. I asked my comp, how do they have it when its not even in theaters? but then I realized were in Mexico and its pirated. I really wanted to send one to Chris but then I realized it was in spanish haha. They also had Fast & the Furious 4 and seriously any other movie thats supposed to come out in the next like 3 months. Oh, Mexico. After we went to the temple wednesday, we went to the plaza in the city and ate. Thats what those pictures with triton and the water and stuff are. Then that night we played soccer right before our District Meeting. The ZL's asked what we did today and I told them we went with another companionship and ate at the plaza. His eyes got wide and immediately went and talked to my companion. I asked the other if we did something wrong. Apparently this place is really bad and theres like prostitutes and drugs and stuff and its forbidden for missionaries. I felt like crud, but I didnt know. My comp didnt really care and still believes he was justified in doing it. Haha some things never change. But transfers are tonight at like 9 and I have my fingers crossed. But whatever the Lord gives me Ill take gladly. ¡Les amo y gracias por todos de sus oraciones!Much LoveJAmes

Monterey, Topo Chico week 5

Disculpeme I dont have a lot of time to write, so I gotta be quick. This week was good. We had divisions again haha. Every week. and guess what I m doing on friday haha. But this week I had a cool experience. My compa and I ate on Monday with our investigator youthfriends right before our district meetng. when we finished we had 10 minutes till the meeting, so I conjectured that the church wasnt too far away. When I aske my comp said that it was 20 to 30 minutes away. and I asked why we didnt leave earlier and that we were gonna be late. He just said in broken english I Dont Care. I jut felt really depressed because hed been showing a pattern of behavior like this and I just couldnt take it. I said a deep weeping prayer in my heart for help. Thats all I said, help me please Father. That night, while planning he basically repented to me. He said he was sorry for being a bad example and that he was going to change. This took me by suprise big time because I hadnt told anyone this. Now this might be because we had interviews with the Mission President the next day and he didnt want me to spill the beans haha, but yesterday and today we worked way hard and theres been a chage in him. ITs amaizing the power of God and its so true that the hardest times come right before the mirales. Today we went o the temple in Monterrey, thatswhy I didnt write Monday because our Preparation day was switched to toay. I didnt get to go through and do a session but I did get to do baptisms. This temple is the most beautiful Ive ever seen. Definitely at the top for marriage haha...
Anyway more stuff Monday. Love you all.
Much LoveJAmes