Breakfast for 18 please...
Elder Kneisly from South Carolina. God be with youtill we meet again.
Mom loves the Primary President, Anna.
The Vasquez family, 3/2/08. Victor in front,Guadalupe, Janette and Israel.
What? Do What? Just knock on the next door and finish tracting this street. Don’t stew over all the people that say, they are too busy, or another time, or I work 24 hours a day 7even days a week and I only come home to eat. If they only knew what we have to offer them they would be lined up at our door to knock. We can’t find a willing investigator behind every door, but there are many who have been prepared to hear, and when we find someone, the joy of sharing what we have with them is worth every hour of frustration and discouragement we experience. To see the beautiful transformation from suspicious skepticism, to curiosity, to genuine interest, to conviction, to joy, to conversion and real commitment, is a marvelous thing to behold. We moved into a new part of our area around the first of February, and we started tracting. Before we made the change we spent some time walking through different parts of the area. When we chose this particular part, we told the zone leaders of our plans, and they told us don’t bother with that part of your area. They said, “it’s old and has been tracted out many times.” We had heard that before, and we decided to give it a try anyway. Now after a month’s time we have found 4 new converts and several very promising new investigators. We feel confident that before too long we will have five or maybe even ten more new converts from just the first three streets of an area that is at least ten times larger than our own neighborhood where we found 9 or 10 converts. Now the same elders, who told us not to bother, are working the area too.
Since we have been here in Mexico we have changed the lives of twenty people, and touched the lives of many others. When I think about the impact for good that these changes will make in the eternal lives of generations past, present and future, it makes me realize what an important decision it is to decide to go on a mission ands actually turn in the papers to the church missionary department. We are so glad we decided to do this before we got too old to really do some good.
We are including the pictures of the family we baptized on the second of March. This family is the fruit of knocking on about 300 doors, and within that number of doors there is a potential for at least five or ten more baptisms. This work is a very therapeutic youthening labor, and it goes past so quickly. We know we will have many fond memories of these two years to share with our families and friends, for many years to come, and in the eternities.
The other picture is of our zone elders who all came to breakfast on Monday. We served them (all in our apartment at once) 5 dozen eggs, 7 pounds of chorizo, 75 slices of French toast, 3 gallons of milk, a watermelon, and grapes. Then we went out and followed up on some earlier contacts, taught some lessons, attended a family home evening in the home of a less active family, and came home to do dishes. We finally collapsed into our bed at midnight. We love this work.
Since we have been here in Mexico we have changed the lives of twenty people, and touched the lives of many others. When I think about the impact for good that these changes will make in the eternal lives of generations past, present and future, it makes me realize what an important decision it is to decide to go on a mission ands actually turn in the papers to the church missionary department. We are so glad we decided to do this before we got too old to really do some good.
We are including the pictures of the family we baptized on the second of March. This family is the fruit of knocking on about 300 doors, and within that number of doors there is a potential for at least five or ten more baptisms. This work is a very therapeutic youthening labor, and it goes past so quickly. We know we will have many fond memories of these two years to share with our families and friends, for many years to come, and in the eternities.
The other picture is of our zone elders who all came to breakfast on Monday. We served them (all in our apartment at once) 5 dozen eggs, 7 pounds of chorizo, 75 slices of French toast, 3 gallons of milk, a watermelon, and grapes. Then we went out and followed up on some earlier contacts, taught some lessons, attended a family home evening in the home of a less active family, and came home to do dishes. We finally collapsed into our bed at midnight. We love this work.
3 comments:
Those are some great pictures and some great memories. The picture of the missionaries with your guys on the stairs is really cool. Which apartment in that picture is yours? I bet those missionaries love you guys and will never forget you. I remember a lot of the senior missionaries from my mission.
I was writing to Andrew telling him about you guys and recalling that its been 8 months already. How is your spanish. I was saying to him that by now I bet your spanish is to the point where your starting to really use it. You still have 16 months to go and now you have the language. I know you will always be learning more and more but thats how it is with english to. Im really excited for you now. Time will start to rush buy. You have learned how to get around in Mexico, you have learned a lot of the day to day customs, enough of the lanugage to start to really use it, you have friends and people you can trust and love and go to if in some need and Bam still 16 months to go. Its going to be an awesome 16 months.
WE love getting letters from Andrew. He seems to be doing so well and to be so happy. I still go through times when its just hard to imagian that hes still not comeing back for a long time. But he seems to be doing really well. I look at it this way. He only has one more christmas in the field then hes home. That about the most optmistic way I can view it. everyone else is doing really well. Sam is in Hawaii. Her branch won a trip to Hawaii. She did not win a tip only the management team. But the manager said she was such a big part of their success that they arranged for her to go and their paid for everything. Long story there but she is in Hawaii and loving it. I think she is in some risk of never coming home. She told me she is looking for a job there.
Dani and Preston seem to be super happy and Sean is a HS Senior who can wait to graduate and show us that he knows everything and will move out of the house and into the world to streighten in up. Corinne is still working like crazy, but I think that is her nature. I dont think she would like an easy job, but I bought a lotto ticket just in case. And my new job is going to be interesting and challanging but Im going to like it.
Spring seems to be on the way. It was in the 20s when I work up this morning and now its up to the 40s and It suppose to get to the 50s by later in the day. I look forward to spring.
I spoke with Loren and Jennifer this week and they seem to be doing really well. They both said this is the happiest they have ever been. Loren said this is the most money they have ever made and that is really helping. He said in the past they were always robbing peter to pay paul but right not they have enough to always pay their bills and still have enough to do things like go to the movies or take the kids to dinner etc. Apparently they went to Lagoon three times this year and camped there once and had a great time. They love logan and the kids seem to be settling in well. They both talk about tithing like its a miricle and like its a brand new thing and they are amazed that it works for them. Im glat to hear it. They both sound happy from what I can tell. I dont reach them that often. I call about every 2 to 3 weeks but only actullly get them every other month or so. Loren now has his own phone, it was only Jennifer with a phone up until this last month and it was hard to get her. I think the phone Loren has is his employers phone but he said were free to call as often as needed and Im able to catch him now and then. So they seem happy.
Ruthie and Don are solid as a rock as always and so are all of the kids.
Love Cordell
Cordell...We heard you have been really sick with the flu. We hope this finds you feeling much better. You are getting older you know and most seniors get flu shots. Maybe you should think about it.
Our apartment is on the upper left with the door open. We hate to comment on your age but we have been in Mexico for 10 months. Are you showing symptoms of 1/2 heimers?
We surely appreciate the update on all of the family...maybe you could catch Billy and update us on him as well. That would be great. We do not hear from him at all. We hope it is because he is busy caring for the dogs and making lots of money. Remind him that he only has 14 more months of free rent and he needs to save for his future home...without the dogs! We love and miss you all. This is awesome work and yes, we do have enough of the language to do our own teaching and to get around fairly easily. Of course we always appreciate the help of the elders. They are all awesome young men. We would love to see Andrew´s e-mails, thank you for keeping us updated on him.
This morning Sister Castillo, the president´s wife visited with us for about 3 hours. President Castillo was interviewing some missionaries in our area who will be going home this weekend. We had a great visit and really appreciated her company. She told us who our new mission president is but we don´t remember his name but he is from Murray, UT. It will be interesting to go through the transition in June.
That´s all for now...we´ve got work to do.
Much love,
dadandmom
Mom and Dad
10 months went by pretty fast and yes Im sure I have at least halfhimers. I have not spoke with Billy in about month but he keeps himself really busy. Corinne spoke with him this week and he is planning a spring visit to Idaho. She said he sounded very excited about coming and visiting and that he seems to be doing really well. I know from his last visit when I spoke with him at length he said it is to hard to write or email because it makes him focus on the fact that he misses you and its not a happy thing for him. But he is doing well and I think there will be a pair of lookalike dogs that will be offered up to you as the origionals.
Here is the most recent email from Andrew. I felt bad for him. His first really difficult rejection. Sara is a investigator they went through all the discussions with. They tracted her out within days of Andrews arrival and she had committed to baptism the on the sunday before her date she didnt show up for church as she had in the past. That brings you up to date on Sara.
Mom and Dad
So I have some really bad news. Sara dropped us. So every thing was going fine and then we had a scheduled appointment for this past Monday and she called to cancel. In the message it said that she was busy that night and she was busy the rest of the week and she decided not to join the church. I was so angry. We were her friends. We knew her better then anyone else in cranberry. Elder hill has lived in cranberry longer than she has and he knocked on her door two month after she moved her. That was in October and we’ve been teaching her ever since. She gave us all green light then she pulled the carpet out from under us for no reason. So we went to our appointment any way to talk with her. When we got there all the lights were off except for a TV in the kid’s room. Both cars were home. So we knocked on the door and nobody answered but the TV turned off. So she was hiding from us. That was so stupid. It’s like we were nothing to her. We didn’t even deserve an explanation. We were beneath explaining. We drove by 15 mins later because we had nothing else to do and all the light were back on and she was standing in the window. We don’t plan on giving up on her yet but we are going to try but it doesn’t look good.
So that was really gay the rest of the week was blah. That really affected all aspects of my work. Expecting good things and then losing them is really hard. Heather did get confirmed this last Sunday that was really awesome. She is now the newest member of the cranberry ward.
So I wrote you a letter earlier in the week. On Monday. In it is a letter to you two and Sean. Did you get it? In there I asked about the taco soup. The box you sent had some ranch dressing mix in it. Do you add that to the soup? I wasn’t sure so I haven’t made it yet. But I really love the package you sent. Thank you. It was two bad you got sick dad. I haven’t gotten sick yet on my mission. And we are around sick people all day. Are you still working out? How is that going?
Sam sent me a letter saying she was going to Hawaii. And I heard it from you guys. That’s awesome. When I get home we should go there as a family. Dad sorry to hear about Sean acting dumb. I know that lots of times when he puts in movies he doesn’t actually watch them. He’s really just putting them in so he has a background distraction while he text people. That was really dumb of him to do but that might have been why he did it. I’ll keep writing him. So did you guys pick out a scripture for my missionary plaque because I completely forgot about it? Sorry. I look for sure this week.
We only have PMG for a study aid. And it is really good and I use it a lot but I want more. I would love a copy of the study guide you had. That would be way cool. And if you guys have the time to look I’m trying to get the church’s CES study guides for the Old and New Testament, The Book of Mormon, The D&C and the Pearl of Great Price. They would make study time more beneficial. They are cheap and I might just buy them as I study each section anyway. I just don’t know where to order them from.
Well I love you both very much. Tell everyone I say hi and I love them
Elder Andrew Rich
P.S.
Transfers are on Tuesday. I’m probably staying but elder hill is leaving for sure. President told him. So I’ll have a new companion on Tuesday.
P.P.S
When is Sean’s birthday? I need his and everyone else’s birthday.
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