La Cañada, Saltillo week 6

A New Song To Sing

Well, what can be said. Whatever it is, I can do it in 2 languages now haha. Here I am at a ciber (internet cafe) in Soriana (Mexican Wal Mart) with a slew of mixed feelings. I had to say goodbye to the lady who was like my mom in this area, and it was so hard! Never would I have imagined being able to connect with, or fully communicate with, someone who speaks Spanish. But here I am, the Lord brings to pass His great purposes.
Today I went and visited 2 converts in Monterrey, Daniel and Saul, that I baptized in March. They are two of my favorite people in the world. When I left, the were just beginning to learn the Mormon jargon but today they were fluently describing everything about the church. Daniel, the oldest at 18, is super excited about turning in his papers in March, when he completes a year in the church. I remember the first time I knocked his door. It was the first week theyd upped the contact goal from 150 to 250. I was terrified because I could barely get the 150, but to not worry or stress out my comp, I just played it off cool. With butterflies in mu stomach, and a heaviness in the form of a drastic change in work goals I didnt konw how to overcome, we prayerfully, and I appearing calmly and not worried a bit, began contacting. The 4th door in, Daniel came out. "here we go"I thought. "Were misisonaries from the Church of Jesus Christ and we help people change their lives. Is there anything in your life youd like to change?" "actually, yes." "MAy we come in and teach you how to do it?" And like that the seed was planted, and has grown into what is now a thriving testimony, and an anxious desire to serve the Lord. Only anyone whos been a missionary can know that feeling. I am so thankful that the Lord blessed us that day, and since then, and has helped me learn lessons like that about faith.
When anyone says to a missionary "planting and gathering" they think of spiritual preparation and baptism. But today I realized another meaning. In its basic sense, it is spiritual preparation and baptism. But then from that "gathering" we plant more seeds, which is then gathered as a young man grows his testimony and decides to serve the Lord. From that gathering again are planted seeds, which grow and are gathered as a family gets sealed in the temple. With each gathering of the crop, the seeds become more and more special, more prized, the roots grab deeper, and the resulting gathering is of the utmost beauty and importance. Almost an exponential growth from one to the other. In the end you have something eternal that began with one tiny seed, the curiosity and Spiritual impression to see who the two white guys are outside the door. We were simply instruments in the Lords hands, He used us as the planters while He took care of everything else concerning His vineyard. I am so grateful to the Lord for having been on this, His mission, in the exact and specific location He wanted me to be in. I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ, and even though my chapter is closed, the book reads on.
Okay okay who is this dude and whats he done with James? haha to get back to the good stuff...

Fotuism of the week:
"I aint never been hurt in football, knock on wood." looks at a tree, turns to his comp and says, "is that wood?"

Look for me on Facebook or write me at this address from now at mandoman333@gmail.com

Haha well in like 48 hours Ill be James again. Im on the brink of changing the world!!!!

Oh, heres a dream, a song to sing, a masterpiece in the making,
So, spread your wings, and though it seems something eternal,
You'll have to wake up from your dream
Because today, theres a new song to sing.

Much Love
JAmes

La Cañada, Saltillo Week 5

Christmas week was crazy. We went to Monclova, about 3 hours away, and had our Christmas conference. It was so great! I loved it! We did a sketch that was a parody of "Finding Faith in Christ" but we applied it to misisonaries. We were told it was the funniest of all haha!
This weeks been a little difficult. Everyone's leaving town or drunk haha. But we found some cool people that are progressing well, and are excited about the church.
Talking with the family was probably more a curse than a blessing. It got me super trunky haha (trunky means homesick, or a change of focus from missionary work to whats going on at home) but thankfully the next day I was out of that, and ready to work.
Sorry I dont have a lot of time but this next week is my last in the mission. Im really excited and am gonna throw it down!

Much Love
JAmes

La Cañada, Saltillo Week 4

This week was great. On Tuesday I got a bit of a cold and felt bad all day. At night I got a sore throat and a temperature. I was super happy about this because the next morning we had the Zone Conference. Wed finished the presentation but hadn’t practiced it to check the time length yet. So, with a sore throat, burning, but feeling cold, my comp and I went through it on Tuesday night, and the timing of it was perfect. Then, I asked Elder Dearden for a blessing so I would be better for the presentation the next day. Well, the next day I woke up, and my throat didn’t hurt a bit. I had a hardcore headache haha but that can easily be cured with Ibuprofen. My fever had almost completely broken too. It is amazing the things that happen with the Priesthood and faith. So I still wasn’t on my A game you could say, but we did the presentation, and we did really well, so said the assistants haha. I was just happy to be done with it haha. Not that I don’t like doing them but I was a little sick and just wanted to sit down and rest a minute, but it all went great.

Our mission President announced something crazy at the conference. When I first got here, we had a weekly goal of 150 contacts, the in February they changed it to 250, a big jump. Since then the mission hasn’t done very well in baptizing, due to the fact that everyone was more concerned about getting the 250 then getting good people. So, he announced that there will now be NO overall goal for contacts and that we would focus everything towards getting 12 new investigators a week. It scared me, because I knew this was going to make or break each and every missionary. There are a few in my zone that I know its going to break, and seeing the data on Sunday, I wasn’t mistaken. I knew many were going to take it as a break, not doing any contacts now that there’s no mission goal. But, at the same time, I like it a LOT more because now we can take time t find people, not just shoot in the dark and hope we knock on the door of someone who wants to listen. Now it will be more inspired, we can spend more time on people and not just on getting a number. I personally love it, and know we will have success with it in our area. It’s just a matter of getting everyone else to do it too.

Well, this next week is the Christmas conference, and half the mission is getting together in Monclova, and the other half in Monterrey. I’m excited to go and see all my buddies!

That’s all folks. Have a great day and a FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!! Love you all!!!!



Much Love

James

week 3 La Cañada, Saltillo

This week was a blast. My comp and I worked really hard this week and found a great lady who read the pamphlets and understood them well. she was committed to go to church, but didnt go. We went back to see why she didnt go, and her husband said she'd left with her mom and sister for the day. It is important to note that yesterday was the day of the Virgen de Guadalupe. In other words, another holiday to get smashed. Everyone was having parties celebrating the day of the "Queen of Mexico" Maria Guadalupe. We should have known that would have been a big problem for her to go to church haha.
This holiday is HUGE in Mexico. They have dances called matachines, which are people who dress up kind of like Indians and do ritual dances to the Virgin. Its an interesting part of the Mexican culture. Aside from that, the houses here have no yard, so the houses are literally next to each other. Well, the people in the house behind us were out back having a party with BLARING Mexican music. Mexican music is the music I'm least fond of in the whole world haha. so at about 11, all of a sudden some cool folk-english song comes on, then right after they played a CCR song, and to top it off, the best- "Imagine" by John Lennon. I thought of Mason the whole time, and how in 23 days ill be listening to it with him!!!! YAY!!!!!
We have a Sunday night tradition now that we call Sunday Snight Smores. We have 4 candles at the house, and Saturday we buy chocolate and graham crackers and mallows, and after reporting dates we turn out all the lights and make smores haha. Its pretty much the best thing ever haha!!!!
I was happy and sad about this week. Sad, because its the first time in a long time I've reported the "first four zeros" in my area, meaning 0 baptisms, 0 confirmations, 0 in church, and 0 baptismal dates. but, on the other hand I was really happy, because Elder Dearden and Fotu had 2 baps, 2 confirmations, 1 in church, and 1 with baptism date. I was so happy for him. Hes tearing it up in his area. Its so great!!!
Well, my feet are a little sore because we just got done Slacklining. Its like tight rope walking, but like a foot off the ground. Its soooo fun! Haha thats what we do now on Pdays haha

Anyways I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!!!!

Much Love
JAmes

La Cañada, Saltillo
Week 2

This week was fun! On Wednesday we had the Zone Leader Council in Monterrey, about 2 hours away. It was pretty fun. They told me to go like 5 hours early to get all my visa stuff worked out, but when we got there it turned out that I still needed some paperwork, so we couldn't do anything. We went back to the mission offices and hung out with the Assistants and the office elders. We made a football field in the grass, on the office property, so we could play at night with all the Zone leaders and stuff. We used rope clippings and just measured out the sides and corners. It wasn't too chueco (bent?), and it turned out all right. After that, my comp and I decided to go eat at about 2, before the thing started at 5, so we went to Subway. If that wasn't good enough, the funniest thing happened. They had some silly soap opera thing on TV, and we just ignored it, like usual. Then this show ended, and the commercial said, "coming up next- Dumb and Dumber". I almost cried. Thankfully by this time we were about finished eating, so we were about to go. The show loses all funniness when its translated haha.
Well, there's not really a whole lot else. I'm coming home in less than a month, but who cares about that. Ha. It doesn't even seem real. Next week we have our zone conference, then the next week is Christmas, then New Years, then I'm home. No way! But I just gotta keep on keepin on. Its not even that hard really. It just seems normal ha.
Anyways I love you all, and hope all is great. Until next week!!!!

Much Love
JAmes

La Cañada week 1

This week has been awesome. My new comp is awesome. Hes really chill and hes from Utah. Hes a rock climbing fanatic, and has got me super stoked to try it out. There are a couple gyms here in Saltillo were going to find and go try out.
The house is pretty much the funnest house in the whole mission. Me, Super chill and awesome Wilson, crazy fun Deardles, and super black Tongan Fotu. I randomly run into the other room and tackle Dearden before he goes to bed and we wrestle till were tired. We sleep a lot better haha. Deardles brought his guitar, Wilson has a tiny guitar, and we stringed a guitar the previous owners left here. We have 4 working guitars. And, Elder wilson has "Doubting Thomas" by Nickel Creek on a CD, and the other 3 hadnt heard of them, and fell in love with the song and listen to it over and over. Its kind of interesting how this all culminates my last transfer. 4 guitars, and Nickel Creek? I dont think its just a coincidence. I believe its a test for me. Im on my last transfer, perhaps Hes wanting to see what Ive become, what I see as most important. Are you a musician, or a missionary? One thing Ive learned in the mission is that music doesn't define me, I do. I want to be seen as who I really am, a special Child of God, a worthy priesthood holder, and an instrument through which the Holy Ghost can and does work. Not the guy who can listen to any thing and just play it. Who cares about that guy? Who would want to be friends with or date such a hollow person? Im not a musician. Im me! And what a grand realization its been for me! Music will always be a part, even a large part, of my life. I will always recognize and utilize this great gift God has given me. But there are some things that are so much more important than that. Thats why I love so much the great friends Ive made here in the mission, because they see me for me. They love the person thats inside, and I can honestly say there are few people who have seen me for me, because I was always hiding behind a guitar or a mandolin, and I never allowed them to see, nor did many make the effort to see, who I really was. Its so refreshing to have people, other than just family and a select few others, see me for what God intended me to be, and help me realize that I am a good person. Back to the point... Im gonna have to be careful with the music th last 5 weeks haha.
We had a missionary fall off his bile this week. Well, more like fly off a giant mound of dirt, and realize, in mid air, there was no landing ramp. He landed right on his hip. He was freaking out, thinkin his hip was broken. The mission presidents wife told him to drink a lot of water, to which a member responded no, because if he drank too much he could go into shock and get diabetes. What? Anyway, hes alright, but got pretty banged up, and dindt get diabetes. Well, as far as we know.
I love you all and want MAson and Chris and Amy and Becca to write me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much Love
JAmes

La cañada week 6

This week was crazy. Well, the beginning of the week was pretty normal, just throwin' it down with my comp in his last week in the mission. It was kind of hard, because it got me thinking too, "Man, Ill be there in 6 short weeks!" It was hard to focus, I'm not gonna lie, but with transfers it will be a lot easier.
We went to Monterrey on Monday to see some of my comps converts, and stuff. We left Saltillo at 5:30 am and didnt get back till 9 pm. A super long day! We just went from place to place, and I was happy because I got to ride the Metro again. I love the metro! Its just so fun! Also, we went to a place called the Macro Plaza, which is just like a GIANT GIANT HUGE GYNORMOUS BIG strip mall. We went to the electronic part, and I bought a 16gig thumb drive, for 30 bucks, brand new haha! It works perfectly!
So, we got transfers. Im getting Elder Wilson, whos 6 weeks younger than me. They say hes really cool, so Im excited. Also, we are living with the Elders from Lomas, another area, and the senior comp there left. He became a junior comp for being disobedient and lying about dats. He lived with the Zone Leaders, and still didnt wake up till like 7. I woke him up for like the first week and a half, then left him to himself to dig himself a deeper hole for not putting forth any effort. It was having a bad effect on Elder Fotu, the junior comp in that companionship. But the heavens poured out a blessing upon that area, and upon me. Guess whos coming in the place of that missionary? none other than ELDER DEARDEN!! I was SO happy when they told me!! Were going to live in the same house!! AAGGHH!!! This tranfer is going to ROCK!!!!
Well, Im officially on my omega transfer (alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, omega representing the end). I put a huge omega symbol on the front of my agenda, haha.
Anyway I love you all, and Id like to start a new thing, each week Im going to put a funny saying by elder Fotu. Hes from oakland CA and talks like a black man. This weeks is as follows:

"Man, Christmas be today next week."

That was him trying to say, "a week from today is Thanksgiving." Haha, all laughs from Fotu

I lvoe you all and take cares!!!!

Much Love
JAmes