only six months left

Hey, its been a crazy week. We´ve been running all over the place trying to find new investigators and help out the ones we´ve got. Angel is getting baptized this weekend. He´s super awesome, lessons are always super spiritual, and he´s been reading a lot. He´s also gone to activities with the young single adults and done service as well. That´s the good news.

The bad news has to do with his dad, who he came here to take care of because of his health situation. We gave his dad a blessing on Friday, and his breathing immediately improved. However, he was completely bedridden and they couldn´t move him to the hospital. Saturday at 8:55 he passed away. It was rough for Angel, but his uncle was with him. The bishop also made an appearence to help him out. We saw him last night and he´s doing okay now, and we prayed together and left him some things to read that can help him out and keep his mind on better things.

Andrea and all the little kids came to church with one of the primary teachers who picked them up, but Betsy and Patty (the mom) were no-shows again. It´s frustrating because Andrea and Adriana are constantly asking us when they can get baptized and yesterday asked for us to show them the baptismal font. It´s fantastic that they have such love and desires to do the right thing, but we´re stuck between a rock and a hard place because there´s not much adult support.

We also accompanied Juan Carlos to church, a 23 year old who is separated from his daughter and is friends with Guillermo, who is from Guadalajara and is serving in the Mission Cuernavaca. He´s progressing fast as well and wants to set things right with his family and with God.

In total there were 6 people in church as far as our counting is concerned, but with small children and less actives there were about 12. It was a miracle week, as forces outside of our control helped us find these people and help them in the right moments and prepared them to come to chuch and have a great experience.

There´s more to tell, but there isn´t enough time, sadly. I´ve written it all in my journal, because it´s been a crazy week, but those are the basics. President was thinking about taking us out of Providencia, but I´m pretty sure he´s changed his mind now.

That´s awesome that you helped out the sisters....that sort of help is so important and so useful. For us transfers are passed (they tell us) Monday night at like 9pm and we must be on our way to our new areas (directly) by 8am the next morning. Bus or taxi, depending on what´s going on, and zone leaders have to make sure no missionaries are stranded without companions for any given time, unless they´re traveling from city to city by bus.

yikes, there´s only six months left, and waaay too much to do.

Love you!
Elder Lund

Bus rides!

Hey! Today we´re going to Tala for district class. Bus rides!

There´s a family we´re teaching with lady named Patty whose kids are named Betsy (28), Enedina (23ish), Patty (11), Andrea (10), and Salvador (4). Betsy has two kids named Thomas (7) and Adriana (9), and Enedina has two kids named Irving (5) and Regina (2). They all live in the same house and there are no husbands. They have had lots of problems and trials, and are trying to straighten things out. The kids have all really noticed that when they read and pray and go to church and anything like that things get better. Also, Andrea is basically the boss of the group and takes care of all the little kids while the adults wander off in the store they run and things like that. She gets everyone up on Sunday morning and gets them ready for church, and she´s only 10! She´s totally willing to get baptized...we just have to make sure she´ll have the support of her family.

There´s also a 23 year old from LA named Angel who came to church with his uncle too. He seems pretty excited, so we´ll go visit him tomorrow and let you know what happens.

In general this week has been a lot of searching and praying hard, because we don`t have very many people to teach. We´ve been contacting and setting up appointments and getting references, but very few people (actually, almost nobody) has been there for the appointments when we come by. We´re working hard with faith though, and I know God will bless us with success. We just have to be patient and diligent.

We´ve been reading the missionary reference library this week, and I´ve learned a lot more about the pioneers. I´ve been thinking about the family history and whatnot a lot more too. It´s really cool, and it makes me feel closer to them and closer to the work.

Gotta go, Love you!

Say hi to everyone for me.

Hey, can´t write much for having to write a lot of other things, sorry :7

This week we found some families that seem great. There´s a lady named Maria de Jesus who was going to get baptized like a year ago but something happened and she had to go to the states, and says she feels like it wasn´t her time then but now it might be. There´s another girl as well (college student) named Lisset who loved the church on Sunday and has read everything we´ve given her. She even called us on thursday morning to ask for advice because she was in a debate about whether or not religion was necessary in order to follow God, and she told us later that everything turned out fantastic. The only downside is that she´s going back to Sonora tomorrow and she´ll be there for a month. We´re seeing what we can do to keep her progressing while she´s away.

We´ve found a number of other really interested people, but they don`t belong to our area. That´s okay though, because what´s important is that they hear the message. We´re really focusing a lot on finding people and helping out this one family of investigators (and one inactive) because the grandma (head of the family) was sent into the hospital Saturday and is getting surgery today, and so they´re having some hard times. We really are looking for ways to help them out. We´ve already helped them with other problems beforehand, and they have desires to know and do more. They recognize the need to change the way things are in their home.

Well that´s all I can share for now. Thank you so much for writing so frequently. It strengthens a missionary a lot to get news from home. Keep working hard in what you´re doing and praying hard as well. Search for missionary and service opportunities always, and keep faith in the Lord. Say hi to everyone for me.

Love,
Elder Lund

New area!

My companion is named Elder Novoa, and he´s from Hermosillo, Sonora. I´ve known him since I started the mission. When I had dengue, he leant me his suit coat because I was shivering to death when I went to the mission offices for my visa (more than a year ago!). He´s cool and we´re working hard in this new area. The zone is called Unión, and the area is Providencia. I`m still in Guadalajara. Actually, Providencia is to the west of my previous zone and directly beneath Belenes. I totally know this entire half of the city now. My zone also includes certain pueblos that are outside the city, like Tala, Ameca, and the famous and terribly apostate Tequila. Also, the mission president and his family live in our ward.

Actually, Elder Wilde is in Ameca, and his companion is Elder Barbosa (who I know from Independencia). Elder Guzmán is in Tala. Elder Cruz is here in the city in the area known as Estancia. I know everybody!...which makes me feel old.

Oh yeah, and I ate a grasshopper this week.

So general conference was awesome, and I have lots of ideas I want to put in practice in the zone and the area. It´s basically in the same position Independencia was in when I showed up in that it´s a very unsuccessful zone, but if The Lord did it once He can do it again. The plan is to build this zone into one of the best. We have the resources to do it, it just depends on how much we want it. Pray for that, please.

Time is out. We´re leaving the city and going to the district class in Tala today, which should be an adventure.

A couple thoughts: When do I need to register for classes? Also, I hear they are looking for people to be part of the Mystborn movies. Do you know anything about that? I hear it´s a good series and the author is a professor at BYU.

I love you all very much, and am trying my best to make the most of what feels like the apex of my mission here. I need to put everything I´ve learned into practice and spend a lot of time on my knees. There´s not much time left, and I want to do as much as I can.

Love you,
Elder Lund

...I plan on dusting off my hammock!

Well now we know everyones transfers except mine. There´s a new way of doing things, and I won`t be told where I`m going until Zone Leader Council tomorrow, where all the ZLs will be told their transfers at the same time. All I know is that I`m packing my bags. Crazy, no?

This week there were no baptisms, although we came close. There´s a kid named Ruben who is the boyfriend of a member and has been coming to church for the last year more or less (including seminary), but he`s never gotten baptized. We´ve been talking to him, helping him out with some things he needs to change, and answering his questions. He liked the idea of getting baptized this Saturday, but while we were confirming everything another member (who is rather troublesome) showed up and started mocking him, telling him that he doesn`t recommend it, and things like that, including that he´s glad he never went on a mission. Yeah, that was super lame, and that guy has caused other problems before (and continues causing problems). There is a baptismal date for this Saturday though.

Her name is Maria José, and she´s the daughter of Margarita, who is also our investigator. We´re teaching the family together, but Margarita doesn´t feel ready to be baptized yet although she wants to do it (because she`s an angry person), but Maria José is sure. She´s also excited about what she´s learned about chastity and the importance of having a temple, eternal marriage. For a 13 year old, she´s looking very far ahead. This family now has a number of friends in the ward and they´ve already changed a lot. It really amazes me how the gospel changes people. I`m sure the whole family will take the incredibly important step of baptism, the sad part is just that I won`t be here to see it. There´s also another investigator, Dahiam, who is super excited and will be baptized soon (she´s the granddaughter of another member and she´s 19 years old). At least I know I`m leaving the area and the zone in good hands.

We had a meeting yesterday to review how to fill out baptismal records (because apparently there´s been a problem with that) which was really long and detailed, but I learned a thing or two from it. We also cleaned up all the existing record problems in the zone yesterday. All set for the next transfer. There´s so much I`ve learned here, and so much that I`ve done and tried to do. Although it has been by far the hardest part of my mission, I`m very glad that I got to be here in this area and this zone. It´s amazing how God works that way, no?...and how often he forces us to mature and grow. There´s not much else to say for now, and I´ve gotta run...

...but I plan on dusting off my hammock!

Love,
Elder Lund