Mundo Nuevo, Piedras Negras, Coahuila week 3

This week was interesting. On Wednesday, we planned on sunday night to do some things that we'd seen that week that we could have done better, and we made plans to do them. But then our schedule got a little messed up. One of our Zone Leaders (other missionaries kinda in charge of us) came with us for a few days because his comp had to go to another part f the zone, which was 2 hours away. Well, this Elder has 3 weeks left in the mission, and was what we missionaries call " un póco muerte" or a little dead haha. He didn't really work the time that he was with us, which made it hard for us to work. Now I know that's no excuse, and sadly I see that, now that we COULD have kicked his tail into gear, but didn't. Anyway, ya it was a little hard....but this week is gonna rule.
Another setback (only to the numbers) this week was Zone Conference. Its the first we had with our new mission Pres. Hes so awesome!!!! His wife is just always happy and helpful and just awesome. I have a pic attached. Also this week , the zone leaders called us Monday night and asked if I could play a certain song for the conference. Luckily it was an easy one, and the zone leaders and asistantes to the President sang it. It was "How Can I Be" by some odd named somoan man haha.
Our companionship is absolutely outstanding. My first two companions were good, but this one, well it just feels like we're brothers. He reminds me a lot of Mason. Hes just always happy, always extremely courteous, and loves everyone. We just get lost talking about the scriptures and often times go over on our companionship study time haha. The only hard thing is that he has a guitar. At first it was a distraction, but now I've gotten a little more will power and can control myself :)

Everything is great here. Sweating like a... well a White Kid in Mexico, in the middle of summer. But other than that, the life is great.

One thing I read this week from an Ensign is a quote from Pres. Monson, "The Lord makes our supposed inefficiencies into obvious strengths." I dont know, I just really liked it haha.

Chris, I love you so stop being stupid.

Much Love
JAmes

Coahuila, Mundo Nuevo week 2

Good week. We had interviews with our new President of the mission, Pres. Romney. He is so COOL!! We had a really good talk and got to know each other a little better. Turns out hes a former CEO of some real estate company in Texas, and also helped franchise a chiropractic chain. So basically, hes retired and we'll leave it at that haha.

Saturday we baptized a guy named Hector. hes a friend of a member who got off his mission like less than a month ago. Everyone calls him "La Mole" because he looks exactly like the giant from the Princess Bride haha. Hes just a huge guy and my comp had trouble baptizing him haha but he did it.

We worked hard this week and found a couple of cool people. Im starting to get a hold of the Senior comp thing. ITs pretty difficult at times, trying to be a perfect example haha but Im making it. We came up with some really good ideas this week to be more effective and get some more numbers. Our numbers havent been the highest, but were going to try and do better this week.
Sat night our zone leader called us to see who we were going to bring to church. Theres one investigator, Angel, who the Zone leaders went to interview for baptism, but he didnt want to talk to us and told his neighbor to tell us he wasnt here. I knew he was there, I saw him, but when the Zone leader called, he told us to go to the impossible to get him to church. I chuckled and said okay. So the next day, we go to his house to pick him up for church, and of course hes sleeping. But they told us he was asleep on the roof of his house. I still have no Idea why. haha but here in good ol Mexico the roofs are all flat, so it was a bit easier for him haha. So what do we do? Two white kids start climbing a tree in suitcoats and everything to wake him up. It was a great sight Im sure. So we got him up and said Lets go! but, he decided to take a shower and everything so we got to church a half hour late, but he was there. The zone leaders told us to call when he was there, so they came and interviewed him and we put his baptismal date for next Sunday. It was a really cool experience of how we have to get out of our comfort zone and just do it. Climb up that tree!!. But ya a good week.
I have come to have a deep and abiding love for oatmeal. we found some packs in our house and made them the express way: water til it looks like good enough, then nuke it for 2 minutes, then another minute and so on until its oatmeal-y. We put peanut butter in it and it was SO good, but peanut butter is expensive here, which reallly makes me mad :( But oatmeal is so immensely delicious and easy and i think its cheap. Even if its not Im loading up on it haha.
I want DJs email and also Elder Andrews's (Andrewses? i dont know which is right haha) I really want to write them. im pretty sure E Andrews is still in our ward haha.

Much Love
JAmes

Coahuila, Mundo Nuevo, week 1

Well I got transfered from good ol Topo Chico/Hidalgo. Im now in Coahuila, which is the state next to Nuevo Leon, where Monterrey is . Im about 8 hours from Monterrey. Its a lot less busy here. Theres no mountains and the people are way chill. We are right now in a time period called the Canicula, which is about 60 days where the heat peaks, and since i sweat more tan 95% of humans, its a pretty nasty sight. But after a certain point its so much I cant even see the difference. Haha its great.
Well I was made Senior companion this transfer. They give a lot fewer senior callings than junior callings. Its not a grade they like to give out, I'll tell you that right now, hehe but ya im pretty overwhelmed. Apparently someone thinks I can teach good and speak good, which I have my doubts. But it comes from God, so apparently He knows something I don't.
Anyway, we met our new misión President. He's White and he's way cool. He speaks spanish about as good as me, haha. His wife knows no spanish so the Assistants had to translate for her. The Pres and his wife are so cool. I'm excited to see how they work here.
Sooo… we had an interesting experience this week. We were contacting and a 16 year old kid called us over ( but he had a mustache like thy all do so he looked 20-22) anyway he wanted us to say a prayer for him. We asked what was up, and he said that he wanted to kill someone. Sweet. He was on the verge of tears because he felt so bad, so i knew we weren't in danger. So we went into his house (a little shack) and gave him a blessing. He said he felt the desire go away. He felt really tranquil. It was really cool. Then he proceeded to tell us that someone else wanted to kill him too, and that he was from the mafia. Now i got a little worried. He said he was looking for him right then and he was walking the streets. So we immediately left and called the Leaders. They told us to stay away from him at all costs. Haha it was pretty intense but cool that the Spirit made him feel good. And don't worry, we're not in danger or anything. All is good.
Anyway Thank you all for your support and sorry I haven't been able to write home the past 2 weeks. Freak, but everything is good now.

Much Love
JAmes

Monterrey, Hildalgo, Week 18

Well I wrote a ton but the page closed on me so all is well. Im pretty mad but theres not really anything I can do. Next week Ill write.

Much Love
JAmes

Monterrey HIdalgo week17

Elder Hawken sent a note saying he is doing well but very busy!. He didn't have time to write this week.

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