9/9/13

Geez, I can't believe Grandma and Grandpa are already home! They can finally relax and take it easy up at the cabin for a while! Tell them I love them! I was thinking yesterday about how I've been here for a while, and how in 2 changes its already going to be christmas, I couldn't believe how fast time has gone by.

This week was super frustrating because we couldn't find anybody, they just were never home, and we walked and walked and walked, then knocked on a door (that nobody answered) then walked and walked again. And it felt like we hadn't taught  any lessons all week, but by the end we look at our numbers, and at all the good lessons that we actually had, and It was a great week! I've learned so much by training. Ive learned how to take charge and do what I know is right, and it feels real good. My companion is such a great missionary, and sometimes I feel bad about how hard I work him.. But you know how I am, When someone is giving 100%, I demand 110%. And he's rising to the challenge and I love it because it inspires me to be better too. He has almost come completely out of his shell and were having a lot of fun while we're working insanely hard!

The baptisms aren't coming this transfer as easily as they did last transfer, but we're starting to see positive signs. One problem is members. They love when missionaries go to their house and stay there for hours and eat with them and basically are just lazy with them, because they don't realize that if they're with the members, they're not teaching people. And I'm not lazy so we basically only go with members for the food, and if we are going to ask for references. So this transfer they think we're being lazy because we don't really go to their houses a lot. So they refuse to give us references or come with us to lessons. And they always say, why would I go with you to a lesson if you never come talk to me. And we always explain, we aren't called to go spend all day with the members. We're called to bring souls to Christ. And we don't do that when we sit in their house. So it's been super hard to find people and teach them without the members. But we, just his week, found 2 families that are super excited about the church, and I think are going to get baptized. But I just don't know when. One has to divorce his wife and marry his girlfriend, and that can take months. And the others have to work on Sundays until October. But I really don't care if I baptize them, I just want them to get baptized some day. And I feel like someday they will.

O I almost forgot to tell you! Some guy tried to rob us with a hammer. He came up to us while we were eating at a members hot dog stand and said Give me 10 pesos and acted like he was going to hit me. So I said I don't have ten pesos, and he told me to give him the money again. So I changed to subject to the Mexico soccer game that they played that night, but he wouldn't stop telling me to give him money. But he was super drunk and I knew he wouldn't hit me with his hammer so I just kept telling him to leave, but he kept yelling at me to give him his money. So I told him, hey man is that a police man? And he turned and looked, and ran away. haha I thought it was the funniest thing ever! But what was super funny is that like 2 months ago when he was just as drunk, he robbed 2 tiny little Mexican missionaries of all the money and their cell phone, and we didn't give him anything and got him to run away! It really scared my companion because he's not used to the Mexico yet, so I always tease him about it. 

Have a good week! and tell Kevin to smile a little!

Love Elder Lund

9/2/13

I had forgotten all about RSL! That's awesome that they're doing well! Here everyone is freaking out because Mexico is doing awful in soccer! I swear the whole country shuts down when they play! 

But this week was super rainy. I'll send you a photo later, but all the streets had like knee high water, so my little companion was almost waist deep! It was nice to get a break from the heat! But it's back up to full temperature now, so unfortunately it didn't last!

My companion is getting better and better every day. We're doing really well. We dropped more than half of our investigators this week, and are trying to find new ones. But I still think were going to baptize a couple this transfer.

This week we had 2 complete families that we we're teaching, but we just dropped one. That was a super bummer, but they just never came to the church.. We are teaching Carlos' dad, and I think him and his little brother will accept a baptismal date, but I don't know about the mom yet. She doesn't really want to listen to us, but with time I think she will settle down.

We also have a 16 year old girl that is getting excited about the church. The problem with her is her brother got baptized then went on a mission. But when he was on the mission he didn't change much, so when he got home he was still an immature kid. So she decided if he didn't change with 2 years, then she didn't want to spend her time in the church either. Also the missionaries before would just go hang out with her family, and do nothing in their house all day. But now that she has us working really hard, and really interested in helping her progress, I think she'll get baptized. She went to church for the first time in like 1 year on Sunday, and we're teaching her with the bishop's daughter.

I haven't talked to anyone from my last area. I loved the people and everything, and I'd love to go back, if I end up Zone Leader in the same zone, but really we didn't have a lot of progression in that area. and almost none of them have phones or computers, so it would be really hard, And since they have all basically decided that its not for them, I don't see a huge reason to write them. But they still haven't gotten baptized. Nobody.

Thats so crazy how Grandma and Grandpa are coming home already! And Camille has less than a year left! My companion counted my days, and I have exactly 12 less than 200, so camille already has 200 days! I literally had forgotten about time till my companion came. I knew I had 6 months, but I didn't think about like what month it was, or really register the weeks or days. And I've noticed that since he's always thinking about time, its slowed down the time for me a little bit. Hopefully I can get him off that subject, and help him get lost in the work, so I can re-lose my self!

Its been really fun to train, aside of the fact I can talk a little more in the lessons, it's fun to see someone so young in the mission so ready and willing to serve, even though he hasn't seen any big miracles yet!

Lately I've been dreaming in pure Spanish, but this week I had a dream where I was called by the prophet and he said that I didn't do every thing I

was supposed to do in my mission and I had to go home and go to school, and when I woke up I was so mad. I was still in like sleep mode, so I thought I was really going home! And I think it was right then when I realized exactly how much I love the mission. I knew before that I liked it, and I wanted to be here more than home, but I didn't realize to what extent. And I'm super stoked for my 500+ more days here!

Love Elder Lund

8/26/13

Buenas tardes! Como estan! This week was super fast. I feel like we worked harder than I ever have in my mission. It's super cool to be training, because you can start a missionary off right. There's a lot of bad trainers, and they start their sons off super bad. And then later they just get worse. But it's really fun. My companion's Elder Serrano. He speaks fluent Spanish and English because he's from Mesa Arizona. My compa started out super serious. But not in the good, serious about the work, kind of way. But as in the so serious he never smiled.. ever. So that was super hard to deal with because I like to laugh and have fun. But he's starting to come out of his shell. I think he just needs more confidence. But I feel like with more time he's going to learn how to be more happy and show emotion better! 

This week after we worked so hard it was a super bummer that we didn't have any investigators at church. We have 3 families and 3 different individuals that were super excited to come to church, but they just didn't come! Right now were about to head over with them and see what's up. But either way I still feel like were going to have a lot of success here.

It's crazy that we're already almost in September! The time just flies! But it still isn't even close to time to wish us home! haha I've barely even started!

This week I've been thinking a lot about the MTC and my first transfer in the field, and It feels like just yesterday, but when I think about all the stuff I've done and all the people and especially all the appointments and lessons, it seems like it's been forever. Last week I had a dream that I finished my mission and I was so bummed. I remember I was telling you that time went by so fast that I didn't remember anything from my last 8 areas. I remembered everything up to this transfer and everything else was too fast to remember!

This week we were teaching a family, and the dad is super strong Catholic. So naturally when he'd say something wrong I had the urge to tell him he was stupid and prove him wrong with a scripture. But I've learned that that never works. So I just listened to him and shared about the Book of Mormon, and he kind of just shut up and listened. Then we went back on Friday and he said he'd been reading it and thought it was true, but that he still doesn't want to change religions, because the church isn't important, only Christ is important. So I shared in Galatians 1 or 2:6-9 that talks about how if theres more than one gospel then it can't be from God, and he started listening, and comparing our bible to his. And he committed to read the whole Book of Mormon. Thats a commitment I'd never extended before! But it's what I felt like I needed to leave with him. And I really feel like he's going to read it and see if it's true. And what's cool is I know if he gets baptized than his whole family is going to follow him.

Well thats the end of my letter, Hope you had a fun time reading! haha

Love Elder Lund

8/19/13

Wow 6 months.. so fast! I can't believe it! It feels like forever, and at the same time like the blink of an eye. I'm super excited for this next 18 months! Now that i can talk almost completely fluent and all, its so much better. Also tomorrow i have to burn my 6 month tie! don't worry I bought a tie for 10 pesos in the flea market!

When I had my interview with the president he told me I would find a complete family with mom dad and kids to baptize during this transfer. And I kind of forgot, but I worked hard everyday the whole transfer. But during Carlos´s baptism his parents and brother came, and they all cried the whole time. And they said they want to get baptized too. It was the last day of the transfer and I found the family! Its so crazy how the Lord works like that, when we have his promise, we have it guaranteed if we do out part. We just don't know when it will be fulfilled. Thats one thing I've learned out here. You always find the golden investigators in the last 5 minutes of the day. Its the reward for working hard all day.

O also this week was transfers and Elder Perez left and I'm going to be training. I'm super excited. He arrives at the airport at 6 but I'm not going to pick him up till 8 in the morning tomorrow. So I'm super excited about that. It'll be nice to be with a kid thats super excited. After like a year or more it feels like the missionaries start to lose their excitement, so all of mine have been a little "dead" but I hope this new guy will be ready to work! We are going to have a lot of success I think! Were not going to baptize these next 2 weeks, but we have 2 families ready for 3 weeks, and a few individual investigators. Its so nice to always have people to go with. In Angostura, there were times that we had nobody for like 2 days, and we just had to contact, and that's super frustrating. But here was always have people.

These last days it was insanely hot. I felt like I was used to the hot, but holy cow.. It was ridiculous. They say from the 15 of August till the 15 of September is the hottest part of the year. Like they all say in the 16 of every year it starts to cool off, so I'm pretty excited for the 16! haha one month!

Right now I'm just super content. I'm always worn out, and tired, and hot, But I'm always happy. I don't know why, but I love it all. And there's not anywhere else in the world that I'd rather be than here in Obregon.

O also a member of the church went to Disneyland and brought me back a Mountian Dew! haha I'm going to drink it with my son tomorrow! I'm super excited for that! haha

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

Q&A from Grandma and Grandpa

Buenos Dias Suecos from Mexico!

So this week we did get to baptize Mayra. It was a pretty cool story but ill tell you about it in my email to my mom.

So for those questions.

1. About rejection, it really doesn't bother me. God is preparing people in our area in some way or another. We just have to find them. Here we are only allowed to contact people in the streets or knock doors if we have a "Strong" impression to do so. So the way I see it, when i get those impressions and I talk to someone in the street and they say no, its just a test of faith. Theres a lot of stories about how President Monson follows basically every impression that he gets from the spirit without thinking. And because he does this, the Lord trusts him more and more and gives him more and more impressions. So when we get rejected its a bummer because this soul really is super close to salvation and says no, but it means God's going to trust us more and give us more people.  So really it hasn't really bothered me.

2. My favorite thing we eat here is either Ceviche con Camaron, or Pozole. Ceviche is like a bunch of tomatoes and spices with shrimp or soy or fish, that you eat with toasted tortillas. And Pozole is this soup with garbonzo beans and meat and onions and who knows what else but they're so good! The craziest thing I've eaten yet is called menudo and it is like pozole but it either has cow intestines or like the cow skin. It sounds awful but I didn't know what it was and I ate it and it wasn't bad, then my companion told me later that it was cow skin, and I almost died! haha but its alright! Here there's also a bunch of hotdogs in the street. Every corner has like 2 stands. And here they're SO good! They put salsa and tomatoes and basically everything you could imagine on it and its amazing!

3. One good thing about my companion... Theres a bunch good about him. You learn so much from the companions you have. My compa is really patient with the people and loves them so much. He also has a super good memory, so we never get lost in the streets. That helps me out a ton, because mine is So bad, and trying to find a house on the other side of the area is pretty much impossible for me, but he just knows all the streets, so that makes it super nice!

4. My favorite doctrine to teach is definitely Faith. No matter what situation the person is in, when they discover the faith in Jesus and the atonement or the resurrection, they always feel something. They always have a million questions. And they Always fine peace. Of everything i feel like faith is the most important thing we can have in this life. I love to bear my testimony of times when faith has helped me. Every time we teach I feel something, and grow a bigger testimony as well as hopefully spark a testimony in them.

5. My study time is divided up like this: at 7:30 I study Spanish, then 1 hour of personal study, then 1 hour of companion study, then we work. But everyday I shower and eat really quick so I usually can find like 45 minutes in the morning before my Spanish study, to read whatever I want. And in the night I usually have like an hour to study what we're going to teach in the morning. I really love my study time. Its the most relaxing time of the whole day, and its in the air conditioning!

8/12/13

Buenas Tardias Familia!

I just wrote like more than half of my letter in Spanish, then realized and had to delete it all. 

haha.

We had our baptism on Saturday. It was really cool. On Friday we did the interview and all and it she seemed pretty excited, but her mom still wasn't completely on board. She had said yes but it was more like an "I guess" kind of yes. Anyway right after the interview we went to her mom's house and talked to her. And while we were talking Mayra ran in and started to like pass out and stuff and wouldn't talk or anything or respond. So her mom got pretty scared and asked us to give her a blessing. When we left we all felt like the mom would use this as an excuse to say no to her baptism, so my companion and I decided to fast. On Saturday in the morning when we were filling up the font, we decided to text the mom and tell her the things that Mayra needed to bring for her baptism, like a change of clothes and sandals. And we didn't get a response for like 45 minutes. And finally the phone buzzed and she said that they were about to leave the house to come to the church. It was the best feeling when knew that she was going to go through with it!

This week we worked crazy hard but we didn't have the numbers that we wanted. But I have realized that numbers really don't mean or show anything. If we are working as hard as we can we will have the baptism, and thats really all that matters.

This week we have a baptism for a 16 year old kid named Carlos. He's super ready, and really excited. He's going to get his parents to come, and I think we will be able to baptize them in the next few weeks. This ward is pretty cool, and their getting more and more excited with the baptisms that we're having and are going to have.

Honestly its super nice to see how after working SO hard in Angostura with only one baptism, and a whole bunch of frustration, the Lord's now giving us recompense. It really doesn't matter the numbers but right now we are finally seeing the results of all the work, and it feels really good.

John 14:27

Love you guys

Adios

Elder Lund

8/5/13

This week went by so fast it's ridiculous.. I have no idea where it went. We worked so hard. And on Saturday we have a baptism for a girl named Myra. She's 11 and going to be the first member in her family. But she goes to church every week and knows everything. She lives like 2 miles from the church and has to walk most Sundays but she goes to church and mutual on Tuesday. The next week we have 2 fechas but one is a crazy dude so it probably won't happen. But the other is a kid that has 16 years. And he's super cool. He's beyond ready to be baptized but we didn't think he would be ready for 6 weeks when we set his baptismal date, and he out of nowhere progressed like crazy. So we're really excited for them. 

Our mission president loves us like crazy, I don't know why, but he called us to tell us that he wants us to baptize every week because he thinks we can do it. I feel like its just a test to see if we really have the faith to do it. I feel like he's going to put me as a trainer or district leader this next transfer.. Who knows, but I'd be super stoked to do either one. But really I just want to keep doing the same. Because I don't have to worry about anybody besides my investigators. Right now we don't have a whole ton but we have enough to keep us busy all day every day, and I'm comfortable where I'm at now.

This week in the morning I prayed to find somebody and a house that I'd seen popped into my head. So in the night we went to the house to see if there was a reason. When we went nobody was home. So we talked to a neighbor, and he said that he was a member and had been waiting for us that day to stop by to invite him to church. I definitely learned that day that I need to follow every single prompting by the Holy Ghost.

So Mom I got your package on Friday, but it only had candy and the memory cards for my camera. Somebody took the USB and the watch. So today I'm going to just go to down town. Do you think you could just put some money on my card or something to buy a watch? ha I'd rather not wait another like 2 months to get one. But the candy was delicious! My companion told me the thing he loved about the states is the Twizzlers, and the next day my package came with Twizzlers! haha I've never seen anybody get so excited over something in my life! 

Oh and 2 days ago some people murdered 4 people like 3 streets from our house. But on the other end of the street, so super far away. But today they started looking for the guy that did it because yesterday was Sunday, so the day of rest, so they couldn't work. haha So they just started today! That basically sums up the police here. They don't want to do anything, but want to look like they do!

Love Elder Lund

He sent explanation for this photo :)