Week 96 in Mexico, Week 19 in Sahuayo

Alright, so this is the last week.  To start off, we were in the zone leaders area Monday at night, because of the activity that I mentioned last week.  We stayed there until Tuesday afternoon, because of the district meeting.  After that, we had an activity with the YSAs Tuesday night.  It turned out pretty good, there were a couple more than the last week.  On Thursday, one of the families made us pizza for my last week.  It was really good.  Than Thursday in the afternoon, we had an activity with the whole branch.  Not everyone was able to go, but it turned out pretty good.  It was a talent night, and there were lots of members that sang, played guitar, and other things like that.  It was pretty fun, and everyone liked it a lot.  After that, it was Friday, my last full day in Sahuayo,  we were pretty busy, trying to visit people, and buy whatever I still needed.  After that Saturday in the early morning, we went to Guadalajara.  We got there at like 9:30, and we were waiting in the mission offices for a little bit.  We ate some tacos and stuff, in a mall, and we took a picture by a fountain.  After that we went to the temple, all of the missionaries that were going to finish.  It was really cool, because after the session, we went outside, and the members from my first area had been on their temple trip, and I was able to see my first convert, and some of the other members from my first area, everyone thought that time had gone by so fast since I had been there.  After that, we went to go eat tacos.  They were really good, and probably was one of the last times I'll eat tacos like that again.  The next day I went to church in my second to last area, and was able to see some of the other members that I had been with like 5 months ago, so that was really good.  After that  we went back, and I had my interview and stuff, and we had the last supper.  The food was really good, but I think we were all a little nervous so we didn't really eat that fast.  The next day we woke up at 1 o'clock in the morning, to get to the airport on time, and I was travelling all day, and got back home at like 6:30 p.m.  Some of the pics from my arrival are here, but now I'm home, safe, and I'll wait to see everyone May 8th, in church at 8:30 am! 

Week 95 in Mexico, Week 18 in Sahuayo

Hi everyone!  Hows everyone doing?  So far things here are going pretty good.  Actually, today we had a zone activity with the whole zone.  Its pretty sweet because all the areas are pretty far away so it was pretty fun.  We played volleyball, soccer, and baseball.  the only down side was that I fell on my ankle and it hurts a bit now.  We also went to go eat hamburgers and fries, it was really good.  So far things are doing good, in our area there are a couple things happening but we are alright.  

We also have been working with the members doing there FHEs and doing their home teaching, which was one of the goals from the zone meeting we had this week.  We also had an activity with some of the YSAs, but only 2 went so it turned into doing practices teaching with them.

OK, so here are some pics from this week.  We actually had to stay in the house 2 days, because of some things that were happening here.  There were some problems, and on the way back from a lesson in a little town in our area, there was a bus that had been flipped over, and it was blocking the way back home, so we went a different way in taxi, to be able to get back safely.  The pictures are of a mango we ate, it was good, after that some sunsets from the roof of the house.  There are also some pics of the new T shirts we printed for the zone, also so far things have been going good here.  We also got some pics painting the new store of the family that has the bakery.  So I have been buying lots of things here, I still need to buy some candy, and I´m also thinking of getting some other stuff.  

Elder Carey

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Week 94 in Mexico, Week 17 in Sahuayo

Hi!  We didn´t have water in the house for like 5 days, it didn´t get back until Thursday, because the owner paid for a truck to come and fill up the cistern we have under the house, and we have had water ever since.  There were a couple of days we were a little dirty, we showered like 2 times, not including Sunday in the morning, and it lasted until Thursday.  Besides that we had interviews with president Saturday, so we couldn´t go to the temple, but its alright because we would have gotten back super late.  I´m going to go with the president to the temple in 2 weeks so that's alright.

So basically this week we have been working quite a bit.   We had a sort of FHE with some of the young singles, and it sort of turned into a missionary activity.  Well everything else has sort of gone by quickly.  We´ve been a little tired, but besides that we have been doing good!

OK so here is a pic of a panoramic that my companion and I took, we were just sort of playing around, and we started to do this, it was pretty cool.  Also, Saturday night we had a family home evening with a member family and Alfonso and Oliver and Karina, Oliver´s girlfriend.  She is also listening to us.  She likes it a lot, and wants to be baptized, so we are working with her quite a bit as well!  Things are going really well, and I can't believe my time is almost up.  I love it here and am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be a missionary in Mexico.  

Elder Carey

 

Week 93 in Mexico, Week 15 in Sahuayo

Alright so this week was pretty good.  To start off, there isn´t any water in the house.  Supposedly there was a problem with the water plant,  so we don´t have any water.  The neighbor did give us enough to be able to flush the toilet, and wash hands and stuff, but all the dishes are dirty, and I haven´t showered today, and we are going to play Frisbee.

So far this week has been pretty interesting.  We went to the district meeting in the other elders area, just an hour away, but as you could see in the pic, I was able to get some sleep on the way back.  After that we had the activity in the night with the young singles, we played some games, and set up the calendar.  We also have been teaching some friends of Alfonso and Oliver, and also their aunt.  She is progressing pretty well, but they weren´t able to go to church Sunday, but we are going to go give the talks to Alfonso and Oliver so they can share the talks and stuff with their friends when we aren´t there.  We were also able to find someone else to teach, its a lady that attends an herb store with all natural health stuff.  She seems pretty interested.  Also we were able to go to another pueblo(town)  called Pajacuaran.  and we visited a less active member, and a drunk guy talked to us, well, mostly me, in English.  He also asked if I knew how to say house in Hebrew, and I just invented a word, and he totally believed me ha ha.    Mostly we are trying to get the young single adults to be pretty strong so at least there is one part of the branch united, but I think its working pretty good.  We might go to the temple with the branch this weekend, we still need to clear up some questions about traveling and stuff like that, but we are going to try.

Today we are going to go play Frisbee with the YSA's again.  Besides that things have been going pretty good.  I really liked general conference.  It was pretty good.  The priesthood session was really good.  There weren´t that many people that went during most of the sessions, but Sunday morning there were quite a few people.  We bought quite a bit of candy for the conference.  

Oh, also here are some pics that my companion took of me, if you can´t tell, I was a little tired ha ha.  The pics on the bus were when we came back from the district meeting, the other pic is from our studies one morning, sometimes its really hard to stay awake ha ha.  During the week we were able to have an activity with the young singles again.  We helped them organize a calendar so they can have lots of activities.  Also they are going to start with institute which should be really good.  We are pretty excited for them.  As you can see from the pictures we are working really hard, and are very tired.  Time is going by so fast, I can't believe it. 

Elder Carey

Week 92 in Mexico, Week 15 in Sahuayo

Hi everyone, so far this week was pretty good.  It was Easter break, so there weren´t that many people here but it was alright.  We had splits, and the other elders in the district came here for 2 days.  We also had a zone conference Friday.  It was really good, but it lasted a long time.  We got back to our area at like 10:20 that night.  They also gave us some pretty good food.  

All the young single adults went to a conference they had, and Saturday night they got back.  They all liked it a lot.  Alfonso and Oliver said that they had fun.  They also asked us if we could show them how to use the pamphlets to teach their friends and stuff.  Now they are excited to have more activities with the YSAs in the branch.  Actually tomorrow we are going to have a sort of game night, they really liked the last one.  So that should be good.  We are also working with their aunt still, she didn´t go to church, but we are going to visit here Wednesday to see how she is doing, so we are excited for that.  

So here are all of the pictures for this week.  The first ones are at zone conference.  The food was really good.  President and Sister Egginton came to church at our branch yesterday and took a few pictures of me and my companion.  It was Easter, and a very beautiful day.  My companion took a picture of me walking, and the last picture is of my companion sleeping in the morning when we went to the conference.  We were all pretty tired, and it was pretty funny ha ha.

Elder Carey

Week 91 in Mexico, Week 14 in Sahuayo

Hi everyone!  So this week was pretty good.  We started off the week contacting a referral from the US Monday night.  We were actually able to find her here in Sahuayo, which is good because she lives in a different city a little farther from here.  We weren´t able to teach, but we were able to make an appointment for tomorrow, so that should be good.  Tuesday we were here working, and well not much happened.  After that, Wednesday we had the district meeting, and we started splits, so a zone leader would be able to do the baptismal interview.  We got back late Wednesday, and Thursday we had the interview, which was good, because they both passed ha ha.  

Saturday we had Alfonso´s and Oliver´s baptism!  It was really nice.  I baptized Oliver, and my companion baptized Alfonso.  OK, so here are the pics from the baptism.  The first pic is from when we started filling up the box, after that my companion took a selfie with my camera, and the box.  After that are the pics from the baptism.  Oliver is the one with longer hair, and Alfonso has the beard.  There is also another young adult there.  He is their friend, and also a less active member.  So he is starting to go back because of his friends.  Alfonso and Olivier told him they are going to stop by his house every Sunday to take him to church.  Sunday we confirmed Alfonso and Oliver.  It turned out very nice.

Besides that, here they also celebrate Easter, and this week everyone is having vacations, but its cool.  They don´t do egg hunts or anything, so we will have to see how they are going to do things here ha ha.

Elder Carey

Week 90 in Mexico, Week 13 in Sahuayo

HI everyone!  How is everything going out there?  So far everything is going great here, its a little hotter now.  So today we are going to go play frisbee again.  We are sort of doing it everyother week.  The activity of Lehi's dream was pretty good, at first there weren´t that many people, but towards the end more people showed up.  My birthday went pretty good.  We ate pambazos for luch with a sister, they were really good, then some members made me this kind of cake.  It wasn´t the orange cake, but it was really good.  It was this kind of cookie in a bath of sweetened condensed milk and lime juice.  It was really good.

As far as I know they don´t celebrate Saint Patrick's day here. The meeting for my companions training was really good.  It was very different from the other meetings like this that I have been to.  It was more like a zone meeting.  And yes, our cup tower was the bigest the first time around.  Then after that, everyone sort of copied us to get big towers as well, but it was good.

It did get pretty cold here for a couple of days.  So basically this week, we had the zone meeting, which lasted a very long time.  We got back to our area at like 8-8:30 ish.  Then Wednesday, we went to Morelia, another city in the mission, actually, basically the only big city that I hadn´t been to.  It was super windy there, and when we left it was also a little bit rainy.  

So after that, on Friday, It was pretty good.  Quite a few people told me happy birthday.  Then in the night we had the activity, and at first there weren´t that many people, just the normal's.  So we called some people, and they started showing up.  At the end, we had the iron rod practice, and it turned out really good.  It was funny to see what people did when they were tempted and stuff like that.  I thought it was pretty cool.  

OK, so here are the pics for this week.  The first pictures is from the activity.  Alfonso and Oliver went, and quite a few other members went.  We bought some twine and some candies to be the fruit at the end.  It turned out to be really good.  There were a couple of members that just got stuck half way through.  I think it helped everyone realize how it is now a days. 

OK, So the pictures from this email are from Saturday when we went to go visit a referral, and my companion fell asleep on the bus.  Afterwards we are going to have to work with some missionaries there, because the referral is the mother of some of their investigators.  They said they don´t want to get baptized till their mom receives the lessons.  It is the only part of our area by the shore of lake Chapala.  She wasn´t actually there, but we found out that she is only at home on Mondays in the afternoon/night, so we are going to go check today.  So besides all that, this week Alfonso and Oliver are going to get baptized.  They went to church yesterday, and, they went with ties on.  So that was pretty cool.  They actually went to the activity, and they liked it a lot.  We have almost finished teaching, and their baptismal interviews will be Wednesday.  We are pretty excited for that.  Besides that, we are going to have to fill up the baptismal box, which should be another interesting experience.  Also, a self sufficiency course got started up yesterday at church, so other things are going on.  Usually every week, there are people that go to church, but not on the same Sunday, because some are sick and stuff like that.  But so far things are going good.

Elder Carey