June 21st 2010

¿¡HOLA MI AMOROSO FAMILIA, COMO ESTÁN!?

Aicarai, sounds like you are all tuckered out! Hope you all enjoy returning to home and resting for a bit. That story is hilarious, I wish I was there to see it all, hahahaha.

Ya, Alex is honestly having a super hard mission so that I can see it and not complain, and tell others to do the same. One of the areas in the district is having a super hard time, and I told them, hey, at least your not in the borders of Thailand where they had 0 of everything last week. They responded, 0!? How is that possible!? I said, I have no idea, but count your blessings. Thanks Al!

Congratulations Mark for graduation! Bet you´re super excited to move on with the next part of your life/education! I want to see that picture, sounds delicious. Tooth cake.

Well, I hope all of your Fathers Day went well. For us, every single person we know as we walked by, Elderes! Ven y comer tomales de elote con nosotros! Or, Elderes, tomen refresco, no tengan prisa! Aqui esta pazoli, coman, coman! I literally vomited descreetly in the house of an investigator because we just had waaaay too much food, and we can´t say no or they get offended.

Also, I forgot my camera, but the rainy season is here! I have a picture of us before we bought umbrellas, where we were outside for like, 2 minutes, and I am dripping wet, and the streets are now rivers. It´s pretty intense. But at least the heat is mostly gone now. The problem is that there are a lot of dirt roads, and dirt+rain=dirty clothes. And shoes. My poor, poor shoes. But I´m super happy you bought me such great ones Grandma and Effie, and Dad! Waterproof has saved my life.

Armando Sisneros is still doing awesome. He told us one day this week, I want nothing to do with drugs or alchohol anymore in my life, he stood up, went in to his room, took out all of his stuff, and dumped them in a water basin. He is going to work with us in the evenings to stay even farther away from them, and take lessons on how to paint from his neice. This gospel is amazing! I found out that he actually distanced himself from his family so that they didn´t have his example in their lives, and that his wife also kind of hates him...but he now has a hope to see them again. I know that this gospel is true. It changes lives! I see it in the eyes of the people we teach, those who are searching for something they know is out there, but have no idea where. ITS RIGHT HERE! I want to scream it from the rooftops, that you don´t have to worship a dead God! He LIVES! He is waiting for us to come unto him and feel his presence, but we have to take the first steps to go there!

Armando also introduced us to his nieces, one who was critically depressed, and didn´t leave the house for 4 months. Now I can see that she knows she has something that can help her. She has hope in her eyes, and smiles and laughs. I am so amazingly privileged to be here in Mexico, and help these people discover the hope that their Father in Heaven wants to give.

Well, I think that´s all for this week. I´ll send pictures next week, I promise!

Adios familia!

Elder Joseph Newell