Piedras Negras, Coahuila

This week was good, but the zone leaders got sick one right after the other so we spent 2 days in their area. One of us stayed with the sick one and the other went to their appointments.
We had 2 kids at church Sunday that are going to get baptized this next Sunday. They basically contacted us. We always ride by their house and they always want to go with us to see what we do. They came with us to church and liked it. We hope thay can be strongholds one for the other so they stay active and everything.
We had 8 new investigators this week, but none of them came to church except these two kids. Its kinda hard when that happens but we have to be thankful for the blessings we receive. I love making changes every week and seeing the results. Ive thought of some more that we are going to do this week.
We were in a supermarket the other day about ready to leave, when all of a sudden I hear a familiar voice over the radio. None other than good ol Billy Joe Armstrong (thats the lead singer of Green Day). I was so happy to hear a new song by them! But about a minute in I got tired of it. Something about One Twenty One Guns or something like that. We didnt even stay to hear the end of it. I was so disappointed. The old punk Green Day is dead, I believe. Then again I havent heard anything else from their new CD. Who knows haha.
Anyway I love you all and have a great week! Eat lots of candy for me!!! They dont really celebrate Halloween here. They do a little because its close to the border, but not a whole lot. Ill never forget my days as Optimus Prime and Chris as Cap`n Planet!!!!!!

Much Love
James

Piedras Negras, Coahuila week 15

This week was good. We had Zone conferrence. Its so awesome to hear from the Mission President. His words help me so much.
I got to talk to my MTC companion Elder Andersen Wednesday for a couple minutes. It was so good to hear from him. He asked me if I was going to BYU-Idaho or not (We had had had this conversation many times before and hes been trying to get me to go since January). I finally told him Sure. So, I guess in another year and a little bit Im going to BYU-Idaho haha. He tells me its heaven on earth and that theres a lot to do musically. So if you guys could get started on my papers that would be great. haha.

This next week we are going to put some new ideas into action. This week we lacked a little bit, but are going to explode this week. Sometimes its hard taking criticism from others, especially when its delivered in a less-than constructive form, but we have to rise above it and ourselves and just get to work.

Some bad news- Sister Rhules’ mom isnt in my mission. The town where she lives is in the Monterey East mission by practically nothing. It might even be a bordering colony. But one of my Zone Leaders was Zone Leader there, and told me that its not in our mish.:( O well. It happens.

Take care and pray for me!!!!!

p.s. Chris- Check out a band called Panda. They are a Mexican Punk band. Also one called Allison. Theyre more emo I think, but could still have a good tune or two.

Much Love
JAmes

Piedras Negras week 14

This week was awesome. We found some great people and improved our way of working.
We had a terrible-awesome experience this week. We had 4 groups of people that said they were going to go to church Sunday. But, when we went for them, one by one they all bit the dust. At the last house, the most sure, they werent home. I felt so terrible. It was the third week in a row we had people assure us they could go to church and didnt go. I didnt know what to do. I just sat and thought for a minute. I began to feel better inside, calmer, and that everything was gonna be okay. but at the same time my mind told me, "Dude, you dont have anyone at church! What are you feeling good for!" Then my comp and I went to a grove of trees in between a couple of houses, kneeled down in our suits, and said a prayer. We prayed that God would put someone in our path that we could contact and take to church so the hard work of the week wouldnt go to waste. Faith is demonstrated by accion, so we started contacting. Our third contact was an inactive kid of 18 I'd met a time or two before, and he was talking with some of his friends. We just asked them if they could go to church for an hour. They looked at each other and said, okay. So we went to church, had testimony meeting, and before we left we got his address and are going to visit him Martes. I learned that God really does bless us for our hard work, but, its not always in the way we expect it. Were hoping to teach him this week and baptize him Saturday.
One thing Im always going to remember about this place is the mosquitos. At about 730 they come storming out, basically. My face becomes like a windshield wiper. You cant see the little buggers, but you can sure feel em. I cant open my eyes too wide or breathe in too fast haha. Its so gross. I have no idea why Im telling you this haha.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!!! I miss you and love you and you better take care or ill come home and beat you then come back here. Probably on a P day. Dont make me do it!

Much Love
JAmes

Piedras Negras, Coahuila week 13

Yup, still here in Piedras. Thought I was leavin, but here I is! I really didnt want to leave though. This place is amazing.
Genereal Conferrence was great. We only got to watch the session in the morning on Sunday. But stilll it was amazing.
We were going to take some investigators to the afternoon session, but after about an hour of trying to track them down and after hearing every pretext and excuse, we had to give up. We went back to the house to change out of our suits and I sat on my bed and had no Idea what to do. The second week in a row we havent had anyone at church. I grabbed my Book of Mormon and just opened it and started to read. I opened to Alma 42: 26-31. I read it and thought about it, and realized people have every right to accept or reject the message. All I can do is give it to them. It lifted my spirits a little.
Not a whole lot to report on this week. Im still here in Piedras with my Comp. All is well. Were going to work differently this week and hopefully get some better results, and baptisms.

Love you all!
JAmes

Piedras Negras, Coahuila week 12

Great last week of the transfer. It was freezing the beginnig of the week , but then Mexico realized again that it was Mexico and today its soooooper hot. :)

Last week we had a great district meeting. The Zone Leaders asked all the senior comps that if they didnt baptise this week if we were willing to be lowered to junior comp. We all said yes. That freaked me out a bit haha. But thankfully we had a baptism lined up and baptised the son of a family that was inactive. But some of the other elders didnt baptise so Im interested to see what really happens there. But Im really glad we baptised haha.
Im sorry i dont have much time but thank you family for my birthday package!!!! The ties are hideous! I love them! But maybe in the next package you could send me some pretty ones? that would be great. I need some more professional ones for meetings and such haha.

Anyway we had interviews and they were awesome and the mission president really knows me and wants to help me. My comp got bit on his foot the other night but dot worry hes okay. Today we made tortillas and ate chorizo. One of the zone leaders fell and scraped his knee the other day. The bishops family gave me a real nice card about how i was a great missionary! Yesterday we didnt have anything to eat because the sister we were going to eat with wasnt home and we had literally nothing in the house so we had to break the sabbath and bought hamburgers and coke. I love coke and hamburgers. Today we have transfers and I dont want to leave but im sure my next trasfer will be great if I go, and my son is great and learning fast!

Much Love
JAmes

Piedras Negras, Coahuila week 11

This week was great! We had 2 baptisms. We worked hard, and got some great results.

This week, we found an inactive family named Guzmán. Well, everyone in our ward is named Guzmán, (kinda like the Hepworths and Shifflets) so we found one of the lost sheep. His wife and children aren't members. We went to their house and explained about a baptism in the Lord's Church, and what the scriptures say is a baptism. Here its a bautiso, and bautismo. We explained it and she seemed to understand well. She said that they needed to go to church. We were like, "ya, that's what I said" haha. Inside joke. But... she really did say that and they went this week. All their family was there and welcomed them. We're hoping to baptize... no were GOING to baptize them this week.
Mexican Independence Day was the 16th. the 15th in the night they all gathered together in different places and did whats called "el grito" or the scream. They yelled "¡Viva México..." and then all the names of national heroes. Upon hearing the names I realized they were almost all the street names here, and in my last area haha. How original, But...you gringos do the same.

I bought a jersey of my favorite team this week, América, for 20 pesos which is like 2 bucks. New originals are like 5-700 pesos. Not in my budget. When I go home maybe, but or right now I can handle a knock of haha.

CONGRATS TO CHRIS!!! Mister Elder now. Get them papers in as quick as you can. Get out here! ¡Ven por acá!
Anyway, my testimony continues to be strengthened of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel. I love how people find it so hard to believe. But God does not see things the way we see them. Our minds cannot comprehend the things of God, UNLESS we ask him. That's why we have to obtain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, because if we try to comprehend it with our mortal minds, we will quickly be dumbfounded and reject it. Ask God. What better witness can we receive than one from the Creator, Our Father in Heaven? So simple, yet so many get lost in the doctrines of man that they don't even know who God is. We ask people all the time who God is and 99 percent of the time thy have no idea. NO idea. Its so sad. But for that exact reason we are here as missionaries to bring the world His truth. Going forth to all nations we preach the gospel of repentance and baptism unto the lost sheep of the Father. If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. That's what we are doing. How great is our Call!

I thought up a quick poem the other day while riding my bike at sunset:

Only a Being with Infinite Wisdom,
Senses Perfected, a glorious state,
Could create such a beautiful Telestial Kingdom,
There never could be such a perfect "mistake."

I hope all is well and expect everyone who reads this to write me a letter :)

Love you all and take care!

Much Love
JAmes