Week 7 / 3 Months -- Humility

So I've been on my mission for 3 months. HOLY COW!

 

To start off with the most important things, I got a new companion, and he likes going to the gym. And I like going to the gym.. SO WEVE STARTED GOING TO THE GYM! They president gave us permission so we just started lifting every morning for about an hour. IT IS SO AWESOME!

I have lost 30 pounds in the 7 weeks I've been here. Its pretty terrible.

 

So this week, I finally got humbled. On Thursday there was a HUGE power outage due to an earthquake and there was no lights. None. And this is when the thugs come out to play. My companion and I were walking home in the pitch black darkness when we were all of a sudden surrounded by 6 young Mexican men. They began to yell at us and took all of our stuff. I planned on keeping my watch and when they told me to give it to them, of course being prideful I said no. They asked me why and I told them it was mine. And I was raised in a house where if you want my things, we are going to fight. My new companion, Elder Tapia, being 4 feet tall and no more then 160 pounds was not fond of the idea so we took off my watch and gave it to them. I now lack a watch, money, and a desire to fight Mexicans. haha, they ended up just taking all we had and gave us a couple shoves but all was well.

 

In a great note we have gas again so we can take warm showers! woohoo!

So to end this week I have started a new hobby of hustling people in las tiagys. Basically like the swap meets here that happen everyday. I am collecting automatic watches that don't need batteries and what not and they are SO cool. So the first one I bought the guy wanted 1000 pesos for it. I ended up leaving with it for 40 American dollars. That's about 440 pesos. haha And then today a different guy wanted 900 for this other one, I told him I had 300 and It was yes or no. he said no and as I was walking a way he chased me down and begrudgingly gave me the watch. Pretty sweet! They are pretty much the coolest things ever but I cant wear them here! haha 

 

To end on a spiritual note, we had a lesson with a family and my companion knows I like working out and what not so he took a piece of bread and broke it into really small pieces. He then told the family we were teaching to eat the bread and for every piece of bread they ate I had to do 3 pushups. They began to eat. After the 1st time he never said anything more he just held the bread out. So fifteen minutes later and about 100 pushups down he told them to look at my face which was red and I was breathing rather heavily. He asked them why they wanted to make me suffer. They told them that he made them when he only said once to eat the bread. Its a great example of us. We make Christ suffer for our sins and we are so blind to his face and the amount of suffering that occurred for us to be redeemed. We should never partake of anything that will make Christ, or anyone for that matter, suffer. It was just a good example of how we need to know the consequences of all we do.

I love you all and think of you guys!

Thank you for writing me!

Hasta luego!

Elder WINTERS

Week 6

Hi Family and Friends,

This week was kind of the same. Did some missionary work. Did some crazy stuff. And had a great time doing it all.

We didn't have a lunch appointment one day so we took the lunch hour to walk in the forest to find food. We found cactus and aloe Vera. So we cut up some cactus and aloe Vera, made a fire and ate it. It wasn't very good but it was fun doing it. My companion kept trying to tell me it was good but I didn't agree. We told members of the ward this story and they figured we were CRAZY! I believe them.

 

So Elder Macdonald (My first companion) is in his house. But on his last night he wanted to have a huge fire on the roof so we talked to tons of people and got tons of wood. We were going to cook a full chicken and three pineapples!

 

Well... when we got home that night it was POORING rain! So as I was preparing the chicken, Elder Mac started the fire in the house.... And started smoking us out, we eventually had a roaring fire in our upstairs. Luckily all the houses here are made of concrete and cant be burnt down. So we just waited for it to burn out so we could take the coals to cook. After a while our entire upstairs was black and smelt like fire. He thought it was funny but I still have to live here. And we began to try to cook our chicken. IT WAS TERRIBLE! It didn't cook at all. So it was all for not. We ended up cooking it on the stove with some BBQ sauce and it was pretty okay. haha

But since he left I had to get a new companion for 5 days until we have changes, and our Zone leader left so I went with the other zone leader. His name is Elder Nicolas. He is 22 and he is super funny. I make him read in English every day and then make him practice. He doesn't like to do it but he just needs a kick in the butt and he will learn to like it. But he's pretty cool. So, I am in training, a District leader, and a Zone leader right now. Its pretty awesome doing it all. But Ill get a new companion tomorrow.

SO A LITTLE ABOUT REAL MISSIONARY WORK.

Here, we aren't allowed to contact on the street EVER! We got a letter from our president that says to not talk to people unless we have an appointment with them unless the spirit SCREAMS at you to do other wise. Well we were walking by a basketball court and my companion pointed out a black guy. And I felt like I needed to go play some basketball with him. We starting shooting around with him and turns out he knew English! He was very smart. He had a full beard and was 6 foot 5 but hes the same age as me! After a while of just him and I playing we talked about the church. It was so cool. He wants to learn more and play some more bball and said that my companion and I were the nicest people he has ever met. Hopefully he truly wants to continually grow. (HOPEFULLY NOT HEIGHT WISE)

We also received a referral this week from some other missionaries about a lady who just showed up at church and wanted to learn more. We had other appointments set up with Less active members but we felt like we should cancel them to go meet her. And so we did. Her name is Victoria and she has a daughter. Its been 5 days since we have met her. She has taken 3 lessons and has already set her date to be baptized. She truly is ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in her life. It is amazing being able to see the change in their hearts and eyes as they learn more of the truths of this world. 

I think I finally figured out how missionary work is truly out of Love. All I want is the best for my companion, my ward, and especially the people we teach. Its an amazing work we have the opportunity to do.

I love this Gospel. And the Church is TRUE!

I love you all.

Elder Winters

Week 5 -- 1st Companion is going home

So last update on Daffy, HE WAS MUY DELICIOSO. Literally tasted like steak.

 

This week we did divisions. Its where you spend 24 hours with a different missionary to see how the work and hopefully get good ideas or tactics from them. It was pretty fun. I was with a 4 foot kid from Guatemala named Elder Chacon. He kept pinching me throughout the day so I threw him in a trash can. He got stuck. Then I had to help him scurry his way out of it. He wasn't too happy but the pinching stopped. EXITO!

 

They have Red bananas here? They are very sweet and pretty bomb. We bought 6 kilos to eat this week.

 

A family in a ward has this book of the New Testament with one column in English and the other in Spanish, AND THEY GAVE IT TO ME! FOR FREE! They don't read very much and they know I want to learn a lot more so they gave it to me. Its the coolest book ever! We have some sweet members.

 

We met a guy from LA this week. He got deported 13 times and so he cant go back. But he's interested in learning more and wants us to teach him so we will see how that goes.

 

This week. During a family home evening, I did a Photo-shoot with a Wig and a Cat. It was so funny and the members were dying. I did some posses like it was a football, some like it was part of my clothing, it was just a grand old time. I'm finally developing a Mexican sense of humor!

 

A return missionary and I were talking this week and he asked me how long I had been here. I asked him how long he thought and he said 6 MONTHS! WHAT! Holy compliment! I told him 5 weeks and he could hardly believe me. The Spanish is getting better and better but I often find myself wishing I was fluent already.

 

Our water heater broke this week so every day is a cold shower at 7 AM. ITS TERRIBLE! I just know my wife will be more attractive if I keep doing it without complaining too much. 

 

Were kind of getting bored going and seeing the same people so we decided we are going to become friends with them instead so whenever we go to their house we have them teach us something new. Sometimes its how to cook new things or how to fix things in a house. Its cool because they feel smart, we learn, and we become closer. So its working!

 

One thing about Mexico, whenever you knock on a door, the kids are automatically going to lie to you no matter what its about so you HAVE to trick them into telling you what you want to know. Its awesomely annoying. haha.

 

Well my companion goes home in 3 days so we bought a full chicken and 4 pineapples that we are going to eat on his last night here. Like a feast. Its going to be SO GOOD! He's very excited. I'm kind of jealous but I want to learn more and more here!

Love you all! Please keep writing me!

Sorry this one wasn't too exciting.

Ill pick some fights for next week for you all.

Love,
Elder Winters

Week 4

MISSIONARY HUMOR MOMENT! I have found a new game, I like to eat hot stuff but my companion cant handle it at all. So I went and bought a lot of dried, super hot peppers, and I ate one in front of him and told him they were dried berries. He proceeded to eat a couple and after about 2 minutes was in tears. I WAS DYING! hahaha, I convince him to eat tons of hot stuff. And I tell the members he LOVES it! So they try to make our food as spicy as they can. He likes me... haha

 

So an update on Daffy (our pet duck if you aren't reading my letters). He is still alive! We gave him an extra week to eat more. We bought him 5 kilos of tortillas to eat to get bigger. THAT IS 11 Pounds! But we are going to go kill him right after I send this email. MWAHAHAHA. But seriously, hes going to be the pet that keeps on giving.

 

A guy tried to rob me and my companion so we started acting crazy and yelling at him in English, he didn't like that. So then he tried to grab my watch to take it from me. I gave him a little shoulder bump and strictly declared "NO" haha. He tried to get bigger with me so I took off my backpack and said "NO" again. The second time he got a little bit afraid especially since he realized it was 2 on 1 and he was only 4 feet tall. He proceeded to shake my hand, told me I had . . ., and went on his happy way.  My companion couldn't believe that this happened twice already with me and both times we came out victorious. He likes that I'm bigger then most of the people here, but not the fact that it just makes people want to try to act more tough.

 

We saw these two old dudes fight this week. They were drunk. It was HILARIOUS! People were running out of the woodworks to try to watch. My companion and I were just sitting laughing so much.

 

I got a piece of glass in my foot this week from a broken mirror, so my companion became a handy dandy doctor with his surgery kit and cut it out. All is well, kinda.

 

So there is no more rain! And that's nice. The last time it rained we had to sweep the water out of our apartment... what... that never happens in the states.

 

Everybody asks my companion why he doesn't have a Mexican girlfriend here, and when he tells them that they're so dirty they get so offended and call him racist. At these moments I act like I can't speak Spanish and try to read something. haha

We keep running into this girl, she's 21 and she's in love with my companion and I. She is a friend of a member and we tricked her into letting us teach her the gospel. I said I needed more help with Spanish and she could act like an interested investigator and give me feedback. Sooooo I had to teach her by myself. BUT SHE REALLY LIKED IT! Crazy right, I think she just likes us. But we have another appointment tonight. Its hard not having a crutch of a companion but it pushes my linguistic skills.

 

So my companion is District Leader.

 

Here, they don't put eggs in the fridge! Only outside! Its really weird. haha, but they don't go bad.

Our Bishop came up with a good idea to offer self-sufficiency courses at the church and go to the tents to sell the idea. 42 people signed up in 4 hours! We told them the missionaries will stop by to talk to them and they were all cool with it. So we have 42 new referrals! Its going to be a busy week.

 

Last but not least, the difference of Jesus we've been teaching this week is that He came to save us FROM our sins, not IN our sins. Many people believe it to be the other way around. How nice to know we have an opportunity of letting all our regrets go if we just have faith, a contrite spirit, and a broken heart.

 

ALL IS WELL IN MEXICO!

I Love hearing from all of you! KEEP IT UP!

LOVE,

Elder Winters