Onward we go!

Faustin continues to appear interested and seems to be reading, but he didn`t go to church on Sunday. His son came in from out of town at the same time as church started, and he didn`t go to the other church service we invited him to. Tonight we`ll find out how he`s doing. Lately we´ve also been spending a lot of time with the area book, searching for former investigators that might now be ready to progress. The best one we´ve met is named José Angel. He´s an older man who suffers from renal failure (wiki it!) and has had a few dreams he doesn`t understand. He has a strong desire to know where the truth is, why he is still here, and a number of other things. The spirit is felt very strongly with him, so we´re working and praying hard to find out how to help him. He came to church Sunday even though physically he felt terrible that morning, and he showed interest in the Gospel Principles class on baptism.

Interviews with president were normal. He focused on using the area book and on constantly searching for new investigators. He wanted to work with us that day, but had to go to a meeting and so couldn`t. We`ll see if he stops by some day of this week to work in the field with us. Maybe he`ll even show up to district class.

Turning a year was a relatively quiet affair. I didn`t really buy anything special or eat anything special, but I did take a few commemerative photos. It feels really strange to know I`m halfway there.

Karina, the sister of Luz and Karol (who we helped the sister missionaries to teach) was baptized on Sunday, and she asked me to do the ordinance. I was more than happy to do so, and it was a very beautiful ceremony. They`re a wonderful family and they`re trying hard to do the right thing. I hope the ward takes care of them like they should.

We`re planning to make some thank you gifts for the members that have been helping out the missionary work as well as organize an activity to which members can bring investigators. Something Book of Mormon and time travel themed, probably. I`ll let you know how that works out. Onward we go!

Love,
Elder Lund

Yikes

Life is normal right now. We continue teaching, contacting, helping the district, and growing. I learn more each day and try to help my companion. So far the closest baptismal date is Faustín, who is planned for the 30th of October, who is essentially the Mexican "Albert Einstein", as my companion calls him. He is a marble sculptor and also is inventing a perpetual-energy machine...and yes, he has the crazy hair. He feels he needs to change his life and bring it in line with God before he gets too much older, and he enjoyed church this Sunday. Hopefully everything turns out alright, and hopefully we can find all the other people who are waiting for us and do not join the truth only because they do not know where to find it.

We also ate yesterday with a family of a mother and two sons (due to divorce). The 21 year old son is planning on going on a mission and the 18 year old is trying to decide. We all shared testimonies and had a very spiritual discussion about the blessings that come from missionary work. I`m very grateful for the opportunity here, and I know it is influencing things back home as well. It is honestly the best thing a young man can do for his family. I hope they come to understand that and go on to bless the lives of many other families as well.

Interviews are this week, and I think the Mission President is planning on coming to our area to work tomorrow afternoon...we´ll see how that is. I also turn a year on thursday. Yikes. It´s hard to believe I´m at the halfway point, especially because there is so much else I need to do and can do here. I plan on eating well and working hard that day, no more. That`s all I could ask for. I hope things are well at home...I need to take off. Know that I feel much closer to all of you now that I`m way over here than when I lived just downstairs. This is where I belong. One year more.

Much Love,
Elder Lund

I always learn a lot in conference

This week has had its ups and downs. Emiliano, a child from a different area that (due to complications) we ended up teaching, was baptized on Tuesday. He´s a good kid, and has a lot of youth left.

The down would be that right about the time of the baptism, my companion got very sick to his stomach. He ended up spending 2 days in the bathroom and I read the scriptures, ate pizza, and tried to be a little productive. I did manage to finish the Book of Mormon again (in Spanish this time) and clean up the area book a little.

We made an agreement with an investigator who went to church last week that if she came with us, we would go with her, so we went to visit Catholic Mass on Thursday. I won`t write any of the details, but there was worshipping of a little doll and blessing bottles of water involved, and I didn`t feel very good.

The one day we could work very well, we managed to have a great lesson with an investigator named Ramón who is reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and is very studied in the bible. He also went to conference on Saturday, met people he knew, and loved it. We also found a new investigator (a teen who isn`t living with his family) who came with his girlfriend to conference as well.

I always learn a lot in conference, and I`m learning even more from who the leaders of the church are then what they say. They`re such good examples of what we already know we should be doing. It`s something I`ve been thinking about since Elder Bednar´s visit. I listened to about 50% in English and the other half in Spanish, depending on if there were investigators there in the sessions.

Still no new house, but we`re working on it. There are a lot more options now, but we`re not sure we can leave this month. I hope so, but we´ll see.

Pray, read your scriptures, and go to church. That will always be the most fundamental.

Take care, and much love,
Elder Lund

Ups and downs

This week has had its ups and downs. Emiliano, a child from a different area that (due to complications) we ended up teaching, was baptized on Tuesday. He´s a good kid, and has a lot of youth left.

The down would be that right about the time of the baptism, my companion got very sick to his stomach. He ended up spending 2 days in the bathroom and I read the scriptures, ate pizza, and tried to be a little productive. I did manage to finish the Book of Mormon again (in Spanish this time) and clean up the area book a little.

We made an agreement with an investigator who went to church last week that if she came with us, we would go with her, so we went to visit Catholic Mass on Thursday. I won`t write any of the details, but there was worshipping of a little doll and blessing bottles of water involved, and I didn`t feel very good.

The one day we could work very well, we managed to have a great lesson with an investigator named Ramón who is reading the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and is very studied in the bible. He also went to conference on Saturday, met people he knew, and loved it. We also found a new investigator (a teen who isn`t living with his family) who came with his girlfriend to conference as well.

I always learn a lot in conference, and I`m learning even more from who the leaders of the church are then what they say. They`re such good examples of what we already know we should be doing. It`s something I`ve been thinking about since Elder Bednar´s visit. I listened to about 50% in English and the other half in Spanish, depending on if there were investigators there in the sessions.

Still no new house, but we`re working on it. There are a lot more options now, but we`re not sure we can leave this month. I hope so, but we´ll see.

Pray, read your scriptures, and go to church. That will always be the most fundamental.

Take care, and much love,
Elder Lund

I can feel changes...

Anything music related is more than well accepted here. I really feel there is a lot more I can do with my talents to further the work, and I just need to apply myself to it.

This week, we were looking at a house (because we really need to change houses now) and E. Ramirez saw some sort of light, and then a guy standing outside the house went into an epileptic seizure. We got him into the house and gave him a blessing. He was alright when we left, just sleeping. One of many spiritual experiences. I want to record more of those.

Also, this week we met a lady whose husband recently died. She didn`t seem to be too sad about it, but she did decide to gift me a complete suit with a really nice shirt and a tie. I was pretty surprised, actually. That combined with the two paires of used shoes I have been given lately is almost a whole complete wardrobe I have received out of the charity of other people. I`m sure they will be greatly blessed.

Bruno just doesn`t seem to feel the need for the gospel. He wants to improve his family and get closer to God, but he really doesn`t seem to feel the need to complete with commitments to do it. Hopefully that changes soon, but we´ll have to see. The other family seemed all good, except that they didn`t show up to church. I suppose it was a trial week. We`re gonna keep pushing forward though doing everything we can to improve, putting faith in Christ and that God knows what he`s doing.

Also, they`ve now sent another Elder to be companions with Elder Wilde, so now we´ll be dividing the area again, rearranging the beds, and letting the ward know we`re four instead of three again. It`s complicated, but I`m used to complications. It`s almost fun, to be honest.

I can feel changes up ahead, but of what kind and when, I don`t know. I can just feel that what I`m learning and experiencing now is preparation for something in the future. Whether true or not, I know I personally am changing. Hopefully in this period, we can manage to see a number of other people change their lives as well. It has been some time. It`s also a great experience to be a trainer. You get a whole different outlook on companions, missionary work, life and families...everything. I can`t wait until he has his first baptism.

Interviews and general conference are soon. I`m pretty excited, actually. There is no hunger for the word of God like the hunger you find on the mission. It`ll also be a great contacting opportunity, inviting people to hear a prophet of God. I`m also close to finishing the Book of Mormon again.

I`m glad everyone is safe. Take care, and enjoy every minute of family time possible.

Love,
Elder Lund

P.S. Elder Ramirez broke our water heater because he plugged it in outside of the water. It melted in his hands and almost burned his face off.

On the brighter side...

The week has been, as usual, quite interesting. Elder Brown left, putting me in a trio with Elder Wilde and Elder Ramirez (greenie). I also spent tuesday and wednesday in a leadership conference, where I learned a lot and participated a lot. Once again I saw videos of J Tyler and a number of others, and it was an overall good experience. However, it meant I didn`t get to see Bruno this week, so we really don`t know what`s happening with him. He didn`t go to church either.

On the brighter side, we met a family (a reference from the ward) that says that they want to get baptized and find where God wants them to be. The girl had a priesthood blessing (she has kidney problems) before we found out about them and is determined to be baptized. We met them briefly Saturday and they went by themselves Sunday (and they live WAYYYY out in the boonies) so this could be very, very good. We`re going to do everything we can to help them feel God`s love and find these answers to their prayers and doubts.

Independence day we couldn`t do anything, and had to be in our houses by 7pm. We were also prohibited from going to any independence related activities. We ended up making french toast though, which was pretty tasty. Apparently, at midnight everybody in Mexico gives a big shout. I didn`t hear anything, but I think everyone screamed louder and in more unison when Mexico scored goales in the world cup.

So tomorrow I complete 11 months. I don`t want to be halfway done with the mission, but if that`s how it`s gotta be, that`s how it`s gotta be. Hopefully I can do much more than match what I`ve done up until now. I`m also trying to figure out how to implement my talents more in the work and implement more of who I am into what I do. Ideas?

Yep, I keep in pretty good contact with everyone that writes me. I always try to respond to every email I get. Ashley seems to be having a good time getting a footing on college, and I know the job opportunities will come.

Well, time to split!

Love,
Elder Lund

Life as a trainer and DL...

I haven´t had a constant sunburn, but I`ve had something close to it. Every two weeks or so I go a day without sunscreen and that`s how I turn out. I don`t really peel though, which is nice.

Life as a trainer and DL in a district with lots to do and a house with lots of complications has been interesting, and fun at the very least. The trick has been trying to be efficient, work hard, and get things done when you have to leave the area at least once a day to take care of things. However, I`m getting used to the idea, and I just need to be prepared to jump on every tiny chance to do real in-the-field missionary work that I see. Also, things are just getting more and more complex. I`m not worried anymore though, I`m learning to roll with it.

Elder Brown, who is the senior companion for Belenes 2 (since we had just split the area and became 4 Elders instead of 2) is getting transfered, but no one is coming in his place. That means Elder Wilde becomes my companion again. So now I am a DL who is training an American and is in trio with another Elder in a big area teaching 2x the normal amount of investigators. I have the feeling this is going to be my definition of "normal" for the next year. Trust in the Lord, obedience, and hard work will bring about the necessary miracles. That`s probably something I`m being taught a little more...to trust in the Lord`s arm.

Bruno has taken a little stumbling block, as late Saturday night we found out he had a doubt about the death of Laban in the Book of Mormon, and as we were resolving it his crazy uncle who talked for 30 minutes straight about how all religions are the right one showed up, and Bruno was already way late to go pick up his wife. We didn`t see him Sunday, so we`re going to go with him as soon as possible. He`s a really good guy and wants to do the right thing, so we need to do everything we can to help him.

I also found out last night that leadership conference will be tomorrow and Wednesday, which means Elder Wilde and Elder Ramirez will be left alone for two days while I`m gone. I`m excited for the conference though, as I could use the boost and I plan to learn a lot and apply it. Like last time, it will be a lot of instruction...and odds are I`ll see Elder Christensen on the big screen again.

Other than that, the electric bill issue has been taken care of now, but we`re looking for a new house because we don`t want to have to go through that again in a month, and the house is small as is.

Mexican independence day is this week, and it`s the 200th anniversary as well...so that will be very interesting. There`s a big party at the church Wednesday night, but I`m sure we`ll have an early curfew that day. We have been contemplating making french toast or something to celebrate, since we clearly can`t be out partying and food makes everything better.

Enjoy the BYU game! Sounds awesome, and I would love to be there. As far as soccer jerseys, I like Real Salt Lake, 1860 Munich, FC Schalke 04, and the US National shirt.

I`m too young to become over the hill! I still have more than a month before that happens. The problem is that time goes by faster and faster the longer you are on the mission! Thank you for all of your love and support. I am learning and growing and trying to work hard and enjoy God`s work.

Love,
Elder Lund