Monterrey HIdalgo week16

Good week.
So we were in a bike shop the other day, well not a bike shop, but a little bike repair hole-in-the-wall, and we're just waiting for the guy to fix my bike. so we're waiting and waiting and all of a sudden i hear something random. On the radio, in the middle of the day in Mexico, "Come on Eileen" starts playing. I start freaking out haha! IT was so awesome! but it was a little hard to focus after, so I had to start singing hymns haha.
A lady named Karla came to church with us. We had like 4 people who said they would come and only she did. Well it was good. she felt comfortable and is going to get baptized this sunday.
We had Zone conference this week. It was the last of our President of the Mission, and e get a new one the 30th. I hope he's awesome. I'm sure he will be.
Well everything is good here. Its been pretty hot but I sweat no matter what so I don't even care anymore haha. Thank heavens for handkerchiefs!!!!! they make me look like i'm at least not deep frying haha.

Elder Hawken Monterrey, Hidalgo, week 15

Better week this week. 5 people said they were going to go to church. Guess how many showed up? zero. Yup, thats how it is here. They tell you "God first" when we ask them to go, and they assure us theyll go. Then when we go to visit them, they have their 3 year old tell us no ones home. Well, you're either home or a negligent parent for leaving a 3 year old at home!!! Haha My wonderful people..
Well we started using bikes this week. Because our area is pretty big, we thought it necessary. My comp is using the bishops till his comes from another area, and im using the one gear "mountain bike" thats been in the house for like a year. Its wonderful. But it really is a lot easier getting from one side of our area to another.
So here's a story for ya: we were out contacting lie usual, at around 6 or 7. We start talking to this lady and everything's going fine when all of a sudden a swat looking police van pulls up with 3 fully armored cops on the back. Some guy was walking by us with a bottle of beer in a plastic bag, and the cops basically attacked him. One grabbed the bottle and threw it; the other two threw him on the side of the van and asked him "¿andas borracho?" or Are you Drunk? Well it was more of just a statement because they didn't give him a chance to answer. They opened the back and literally threw him in. This all happened 3 feet away from us, in about 10 seconds. The funny part is that after when the three cops hopped back on the van, one looked at me and nodded like saying hi. i nodded back and they drove off. I'm pretty sure they weren't doing that as an assignment. I think they just didn't have anything else to do so they got 5 friends together and went drunk-hunting haha. It was great. After that like 10 seconds later a group of people gathered and watched the van pull away. I just said "Its okay, the Gringo is legal!" My comp laughed haha.
While we were teaching a lady, I learned something about humility. At the end of the lesson my comp told her to ask God specifically if these things are true and that Gods not going to help us if we just ask Him to give us what we need and end the prayer. We have to be humble and realize that we are imperfect and that we cannot do anything without the help of God. That is why we have to ask specifically for things we need, specifically for things to better ourselves. This shows God that we are aware of our imperfections and want to do better. God's not going to help us with things that we haven't realized we need help with. I thought of Ether 12:27. We have weaknesses to make us stronger, and only by God's help can we be made stronger, if we realize we are weak.
Anyway, thats about all here. Tomorrow we have our last zone conference with Pres. Toris, then we get the Gringo. haha but ya all is good here. :)

Much Love
JAmes

Monterrey, Hildalgo, Week 14

Good week. our 2 baptisms fell out, straight up told us they didnt want to get baptized. Wonderful! Well thats the mission life. Never stop trying though.

I recieved the package!!!!!! It was like opening a Christmas present. Ugly ties, hymns, other awesome music, RSVP fine point pens, tiny PMG and 600 packages of airheads. I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
We went to the temple again this week. I cant tell you how amazing those places are. They are truly the House of God. There is no other place like them on earth. The abundance of the Holy Ghost thats there is overwhelmingly peaceful. Even as soon as you walk in the doors, everything is just an intense silence. I noticed that today. I walked in, and its a literal sensation in the body, as if weve been transfigured into beings more tuned to the Holy Ghost. Somehow the noise of the cars right outside abut 10 feet is completely blocked out. Absolutely incredible.

I had a cool experience this week. Weve been teaching a 45 year old lady who wanted to know if there were prophets still on th earth. How perfect! anyway we taught her about Joseph Smith, and about Thomas S. Monson. she`d read and stuff, but would not pray to know if its true. She thinks all she has to do is read the bible to get the answer. Yes, it is good to read the bible, but which will be more effective: a self-interpreted answer from the bible, or a revelation from God, the Creator, who knows our souls? Each man interprets the scriptures differently, and that's why we need a prophet to iterpret them the way they are meant to be interperted; However, an answer from God can only be interpreted one way. What she doesn't grasp yet, is that she has to HUMBLE herself, realize that she needs an answer, and that only through God can she receive her answer. Then it popped into my head. If this is a 45 year old woman with so much wisdom, why can she not realize she needs an answer directly from God? That, my friends, is why God appeared to Joseph Smith at 14. He was not corrupted by his own ideas. He was in a spiritual confusion, and he knew it. So, what does he do? Asks God directly. He then saw God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ, who directed him in what he should do. He did not become a prophet at 14, but received the knowledge to be prepared to be. He was humble, and trusted in his Heavenly Father. It makes perfect sense. If only she would pray, she would receive the answer. Like Moses and the staff of the bronze serpent, the people were too proud to think that by looking at a staff that they could be saved, and they died. But those who trusted in the prophet Moses, and in God, looked, and were saved. It's not difficult, and doens't even appear difficult. But for some reason we make it so.

Anyways, DJ is in the MTC. Hes gonna love it! The Rat, Matrix pictures, listening firsthand to Apostles of God, man I miss it!

I love you all and am becoming more and more Mexican native every day. :)

Much Love
JAmes

p.s. write me : )

Monterrey, Hidalgo, week 13

Good week. We had transfers and yes, i got a new companion. Elder Sabaleta, and hes from Torreòn, which is just outside mission boundaries. Hes awesome. We actually planned and I feel like Im a part of the companionship now, not just trailing along. Were definately going to get work done here in Topo.
This week was the first week of the ward Hidalgo. We had about 120 assisting, which was way more than what it used to be. some of the members from Topo chico ward were mad that the name didnt stay as the ward Tpop Chico, because the Topo ward is older. Wow people. Its a flipping name. The church building is in the Hidalgo colony, so its only logical. But everyones fine now, and we got a lot of new cool members.

An interesting event happened in sacrament yesterday. The passers finished giving the sacrament and walked back up to the table, but there was only one cup left, and 3 of them. So one of the blessers pulls out 2 more little cups, puts them in the tray, takes out a glass of water and pours it right in. The Bishop looked over at the Stake Pres but he didn't say anything so apparently it was okay haha. I just thought of my ward at home...

One of the members took us to a Carls Jr for lunch one day, and as we were getting ready to leave, I heard above me a familiar voice, looking up, I see Billy Joe Armstrong in front of a column of fire or something. It was the new Green Day song. Thankfully it was the very end and I didnt catch any of it, but for the next like hour I was just wondering what the song could possibly be, but then I made myself forget abuot it haha. It was way funny.

Well DJ is heading to the MTC. "Own" at four-square, DJ, take tons of notes at the Devotionals, and Sundays at 930 before the church meetings they have in the Gym "Music in the Spoken Word" Where MoTab sings some awesome songs. I was fortunate enough to be there to see a bunch of white folks singing (well, trying to sing) gospel tunes, like African American slave tunes. When your singing something like that, you dont perfectly pronounce every word!! It was way way funny seeing MoTab get down haha!!!!!

Much Love
JAmes