Cambios!

Monday, October 15, 2012 2:41 PM

So this biggest news of this week is cambios! I cant believe it has already been 6 weeks since I have been in Mexico, it has seriously flown by sooooo much! Elder LeFevre, my padre, was seriously a huge blessing in my mission and life, he taught me so much about being even more animated and helping those who we are teaching trusting us more, like you said mom, it is one of the most important part of teaching and communicating with people is gaining their trust, and he has taught me a lot about that. So my new companion is Elder Johnson, another gringo, from Idaho, somewhere by Boise. He has been in the Mission about 10 months, and he seems like a pretty cool guy. We haven't talked about each other a whole lot because I have been telling him about our area and all of the families that we are teaching that we just haven't had a lot of time to talk about life haha plus we have been speaking straight Spanish since he has gotten here, so it takes me a little bit longer to think of what I want to say. Any-who  life here has been going sooo good!! It is starting to warm up a little bit, except in the mornings, it is actually cold enough to wear that big jacket that grandpa got me almost most of the day, but with all of the walking that we do it gets warm pretty quick haha.

This week was a little bit different than most because we did not have a lot of time to teach because one, we had interviews with the Mission President, and we also had to do a ton of interviews for the 3 baptisms that we had this week. So first, the interviews with the President. So since we live like an hour and a half away from the Stake center, where the interviews and weekly district meetings are, we have to leave super early to get there. Well on our way there, we got a message that our interviews were moved to a later time, but we couldn't go back, so we spent alllll day at the stake center, from 10 until 4. But, it was really good because almost the whole time we had training from the APs and also got to talk to them about the mission and what not, but the interview with Pres. was actually really short, about 10 minutes.

Baptisms! So these three hermanas are seriously miracle baptisms again. The far left one, Martha, is the only one in her immediate family who wanted to get baptized this week. Her mom is really skeptical about the church, her dad doesn't want to even talk to us, and her brother has a novia (girlfriend) and doesnt feel like he is ready to follow the law of chastity yet, but we are working on him and slowly making progress, but their family is so awesome, so loving and welcoming. The other two are her cousin and aunt, Paulina and Marcela, They wanted to get baptized so bad, and they just absorbed everything we taught them. The mom, Marcela, said that after she came out of the water she felt a ´´tranquillo verdadero´´ or a true peace that she has been searching for her whole life. It truly is amazing the change you can see in people as they come up out of the water, even though I have only been here 6 weeks, I can still remember all of the peoples faces as they came out of the water, and the comments that they made afterward. It is truly amazing to see someone come unto Christ and enter into the gate of baptism. I cant believe how much time is flying by, I dont want it to end because of how amazing it is here!

Thank you for your letters and for letting me know how things are going back at home, it really is nice to hear from everyone in the family, brookie, tanner, dad, and of course you mom. It is really comforting to know that you are praying for me every night. I can tell the difference in the families here that do and those that don't  and the ones who do get baptized and stay strong. The retention rate is so so. We work a lot with the recent converts, trying to make sure that they come, but a lot of them have really bad economical problems, and it is said to not see them at the chapel, but again it is so amazing to see those who come for the first time that we have been working with for so long, like this one guy Ruben. He is a carpenter, and we go there often to see him and teach him (it reminds me a lot of our shop in the back and especially of three fountains, I love going there), and he isnt married to his ´´esposa´´.....yet. He finally came to church for the first time yesterday, and I seriously have never been so happy to see someone at church, I seriously jumped! He is such a kind hearted man, and he can speak a little English  and it was the coolest thing when we told him he could be with his family forever, he said ´´together forever, me like it´´, and it seriously was the coolest feeling ever. This really is why we are here, to bring families together forever. I love this work so much, and I love being able to be an instrument in God´s hands, and I am now the Lords missionary  to bring the world his truth.

So things I ´´need´´. one of my suitcases broke, ( the handle) and my umbrella broke as well. They should be covered by the 2 year guarantee at missionary mall, so that is why I am sending a picture of them, but I will have to do so in another email to you because it wont let me send more pictures.

I love you all so much, thank you for teaching me and helping me become who I am and who I need to be. haha i remember grandmas saying, who are now becoming who you need to be, yes I do pay attention ;)

With Much love,

Elder Noel

His house!

Martha, Paulina, Marcela