Hey
So this week was a blast!!! But to begin I didn’t receive changes in this cycle so I’m still in Neza. Which is fine.
The Cultural Event on Saturday was a blast. We left here at about 1150 to get to the metro and then left from there for about an hour or so ride out to the stadium. We went as a zone so it was a lot of fun. Everyone was looking at us all weird because it was like 6 Americans and 6 Mexicans. haha. We got to our destination and ate next to the stadium and then went and waited to go in. The stadium really appeared as a normal stadium, like QUALCOMM stadium in San Diego. As we waited outside the stadium we saw President Bulloch and all the other missionaries. We got our mission tie and the mission also gave us the white handkerchiefs for the dedication.
I got to see the rest of the Elders that I hadn’t seen since we got to Mexico and also my friend from back home who got called here and I hadn’t seen yet. This was his first cycle here so I’m only about a month and half ahead of him, but he’s doing great. All my buddies from the MTC too. It was a great reunion. I also got to see Derek, remember him? I went to Utah with him and Josh. He’s in Puebla and they participated. The event went great.
The only bad thing was that missionaries weren’t suppose to bring cameras, and some did. But oh well. We are going to receive a DVD of the event so that’ll be fun to watch in 19 months. The stadium on the inside was HUGE... and that’s an understatement. It holds 110,00 people, and we almost filled it with members and investigators.
President Eyring and Monson spoke in English and there was a guy that translated so you could’ve gone and understood. But the talks were awesome and funny. President Monson is so awesome. The dances were awesome and I want to learn them. hahaha. President Monson said in the rededication that the event was the best that he’s ever seen, and he’s seen a lot. When our moment came to sing we got to come onto the field. I was in the front row of missionaries right in front of President Monson and Eyring. As we came on the field the people began to cheer, and as we began to sing President Monson and Eyring stood and saluted us. They took out their white hankies and waved them at us. It was such a testimony to me of this work. The Prophet of the Lord saluted us. It was such a strong event. It was a blast. President Bulloch got to meet and converse with the Prophet. ugh...blast. At the rededication only the Prophet and Pres. Eyring spoke in English. But it was powerful. I really enjoyed both sessions and I’m excited to visit this Temple in the near future.
The week was rough. We struggled to teach and my comp is starting to slack a little. He’s taking his time to do things and taking unnecessary time with people. The first three weeks I wanted to see how he would do, and he did great. But the last three week have gotten progressively worse. So things are going to change. I wanted to see if he could pull out but he’s not some I’m stepping in. I hope that things will go smoothly but we’ll see.
I really appreciate hearing all the stories and everything that is going on in your lives. Dad, I know that you didn’t bomb your test and that you probably did fine. You’re just being hard on yourself.
I’m going to withdraw some money here soon, because we are going to this sweet tie shop in the next p-day so depending on the ties, .....we’ll see.
Mom how are the kids? is everything good with them? Oh and tell bro. Earl to send me an email or something, because I’d like to hear from him.
CJ, how was your trip? Did you guys play well? How’s school? and the ladies???? how's volleyball? got your p-blessing yet? Hope all is well. There are some things here that I see that I know you and me would be cracking up over just because I can imagine your comments about people ...and the dogs ...and the people again...and the crap they sell that they think that people want...yeah.
But I hope all is well and that the Lord has continued to bless you all.
Love
Elder Howard
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dusty's Email -- 11/10/08
hey there
This last week we did not help in the open house. But we went twice with investigator, and they loved it. Now the temple is getting prepared for the rededication in one week. We are not going to have a meeting with Pres. Monson and Eyring. We were all hoping for one with them but haven’t heard anything and the activities are this week. On Saturday we’re going to get to the estadium azteca at 3 and then leave around 930 or 10. We are also receiving a tie of the mission, so we are all pumped for that. We have 4 baptisms for this Sunday. So we can end this cycle strong. The next time I send a letter you will know if I’ve been transferred or not. we’ll see. I don’t know. My comp doesn’t know. But a lot of the Elders in the zone think that I’m gone.
The language is coming great the hardest parts of the language with the conjugations and changing this in this circumstance is all coming easily. I only need to continue and learn new words. I can carry on a conversation on the phone and in person without the help of my comp and everyone says that for someone with only 2 months in Mexico my Spanish is great, haha.
Dad, you made a comment about the whole Facebook and MySpace thing. I know for sure here we are not allowed to use them. In fact to visit another page besides the email you need permission from the President. But I know that rules vary from mission to mission.
I haven’t written any letters because I don’t trust the mail system where I’m at. I saw a person that works for the mail system going through people’s mail and opening letters and sealing them again after checking for things.
So this last week we continued to work and to keep our mind on the work of the Lord. I’ve begin to read “Jesus the Christ” again. I’ve read the first 3 chapters a couple of times, but this time around I have gotten more out of the first couple and I’m more interested. There is a ton of awesome doctrine in that book. I also bought the “Miracle of Forgiveness” in Spanish and plan on reading it after Jesus the Christ. I’ve almost completed my first time reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish from cover to cover. I planned out that I should finish about the 4th of December. That’s about 3 chapters a day.
Mom, you asked last week about the money we get from the church and whether it is enough. Those Elders that come up short, don’t know how to plan their money and that’s the reason they run out. Every month I have planned how I’m going to use my money and I always have some left over at the end. Many Elders use the church money to buy things that they should pay for with their own money -- jerseys, clothes, other things like that. So no worries.
All is well here. My comp and I are doing fine and are trying to find and baptize more people. But mainly we are staying obedient and trust that the Lord will provide for us. We are excited for the event this weekend and I didn’t know that it will be broadcast to you guys. I hope you guys do watch it and enjoy it, because I know some of the youth that have been preparing for a while to perform their dances and different things.
Love Elder Howard
This last week we did not help in the open house. But we went twice with investigator, and they loved it. Now the temple is getting prepared for the rededication in one week. We are not going to have a meeting with Pres. Monson and Eyring. We were all hoping for one with them but haven’t heard anything and the activities are this week. On Saturday we’re going to get to the estadium azteca at 3 and then leave around 930 or 10. We are also receiving a tie of the mission, so we are all pumped for that. We have 4 baptisms for this Sunday. So we can end this cycle strong. The next time I send a letter you will know if I’ve been transferred or not. we’ll see. I don’t know. My comp doesn’t know. But a lot of the Elders in the zone think that I’m gone.
The language is coming great the hardest parts of the language with the conjugations and changing this in this circumstance is all coming easily. I only need to continue and learn new words. I can carry on a conversation on the phone and in person without the help of my comp and everyone says that for someone with only 2 months in Mexico my Spanish is great, haha.
Dad, you made a comment about the whole Facebook and MySpace thing. I know for sure here we are not allowed to use them. In fact to visit another page besides the email you need permission from the President. But I know that rules vary from mission to mission.
I haven’t written any letters because I don’t trust the mail system where I’m at. I saw a person that works for the mail system going through people’s mail and opening letters and sealing them again after checking for things.
So this last week we continued to work and to keep our mind on the work of the Lord. I’ve begin to read “Jesus the Christ” again. I’ve read the first 3 chapters a couple of times, but this time around I have gotten more out of the first couple and I’m more interested. There is a ton of awesome doctrine in that book. I also bought the “Miracle of Forgiveness” in Spanish and plan on reading it after Jesus the Christ. I’ve almost completed my first time reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish from cover to cover. I planned out that I should finish about the 4th of December. That’s about 3 chapters a day.
Mom, you asked last week about the money we get from the church and whether it is enough. Those Elders that come up short, don’t know how to plan their money and that’s the reason they run out. Every month I have planned how I’m going to use my money and I always have some left over at the end. Many Elders use the church money to buy things that they should pay for with their own money -- jerseys, clothes, other things like that. So no worries.
All is well here. My comp and I are doing fine and are trying to find and baptize more people. But mainly we are staying obedient and trust that the Lord will provide for us. We are excited for the event this weekend and I didn’t know that it will be broadcast to you guys. I hope you guys do watch it and enjoy it, because I know some of the youth that have been preparing for a while to perform their dances and different things.
Love Elder Howard
Monday, November 3, 2008
Dusty's Email -- 11/3/08
Hey
This last week was one crazy week and it flew by so, so fast. We were in the Temple (at the Open House) almost every day helping out. It was such a great experience. We started Tuesday and worked from 8 to 5 there. First I was in the temple helping, then I was the person that was outside the celestial room that invited the people in. So I got to go in the Celestial Room a lot. It was awesome and the room is so amazing. Later that day I was helping to fill rooms when people arrived. We also went on Wednesday and Friday night. I helped out a lot with the people and talked to a ton of people about the church. We had to go on Saturday because the first Saturday they had 10500 people show up, and this past Saturday we had 12,000 come. It was incredible and this week is the last week so there is suppose to be even more.
So a story right quick. As I said we’ve been helping in the Temple and usually we worked at night because we are only about 30-40 min from the Temple, but we’ve been getting back at around 1040 at night, so we get home and go right to sleep. Yesterday my alarm went off and I rolled out of bed to turn it off. I was so tired and so was my comp but he was still laying in his bed, so I turned off the alarm and went to turn the boiler on, to warm the water up. As I turned the knob I wasn’t paying attention but there was gas coming from the boiler, and since I was tired it never clicked with me...so yep, that’s right, I lit the match and went towards the hole where you light the boiler and .....BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! grand explosion!!!!!!!
I was lucky and only have some second and first degree burns on my face and hand. .....just kidding.....joke.......hahahaha, well, that did happen but I got out of the way just in time and didn’t get burned. It was like in the movies, you know when the person jumps out a window right before an explosion and then it explodes and the fire shoots out the window, yeah that’s what happened here, but luckily I got out of the way and only felt a lot of the heat.
Mom, no I haven’t been robbed yet, and I hope never. A lot of that is because a lot of the Americans like to teach there comp. English in the streets and that’s a no, no. People think that if you speak English you are rich, and also a lot wear their expensive watches and bling. I appreciate the watch you guys sent me but I only wear it to Church and to special events because there are missionaries that want to steal it, let alone all the other people. I don’t speak English in the streets and I don’t wear anything nice.
You guys can write more in your letters if you want, we have permission to go in the mornings and printout the letters and return later and respond. This morning when I was printing off the letters and I was looking at the pictures and wondering why you sent pictures of a random kid. I was like what the heck. But after I got back home and read the letter and now I understand.
Sounds like CJ is still doing well though I haven’t heard from him in a while but tell him I wish him the best of success at State.
Dad, I don’t know what’s going on much in the US with the economy and the politics but I pray for it. It is fulfilling of Joseph Smith’s prophecy.
That’s pretty much it, we didn’t baptize yesterday, the one guy’s wife will not help him to get married, she refuses to help. So it’s a bit difficult. The other didn’t show up yesterday for her service. But yesterday was dia de muertos so no one was at church. Everybody goes to visit their dead relatives.
All is well here. love you all
Elder Howard
This last week was one crazy week and it flew by so, so fast. We were in the Temple (at the Open House) almost every day helping out. It was such a great experience. We started Tuesday and worked from 8 to 5 there. First I was in the temple helping, then I was the person that was outside the celestial room that invited the people in. So I got to go in the Celestial Room a lot. It was awesome and the room is so amazing. Later that day I was helping to fill rooms when people arrived. We also went on Wednesday and Friday night. I helped out a lot with the people and talked to a ton of people about the church. We had to go on Saturday because the first Saturday they had 10500 people show up, and this past Saturday we had 12,000 come. It was incredible and this week is the last week so there is suppose to be even more.
So a story right quick. As I said we’ve been helping in the Temple and usually we worked at night because we are only about 30-40 min from the Temple, but we’ve been getting back at around 1040 at night, so we get home and go right to sleep. Yesterday my alarm went off and I rolled out of bed to turn it off. I was so tired and so was my comp but he was still laying in his bed, so I turned off the alarm and went to turn the boiler on, to warm the water up. As I turned the knob I wasn’t paying attention but there was gas coming from the boiler, and since I was tired it never clicked with me...so yep, that’s right, I lit the match and went towards the hole where you light the boiler and .....BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! grand explosion!!!!!!!
I was lucky and only have some second and first degree burns on my face and hand. .....just kidding.....joke.......hahahaha, well, that did happen but I got out of the way just in time and didn’t get burned. It was like in the movies, you know when the person jumps out a window right before an explosion and then it explodes and the fire shoots out the window, yeah that’s what happened here, but luckily I got out of the way and only felt a lot of the heat.
Mom, no I haven’t been robbed yet, and I hope never. A lot of that is because a lot of the Americans like to teach there comp. English in the streets and that’s a no, no. People think that if you speak English you are rich, and also a lot wear their expensive watches and bling. I appreciate the watch you guys sent me but I only wear it to Church and to special events because there are missionaries that want to steal it, let alone all the other people. I don’t speak English in the streets and I don’t wear anything nice.
You guys can write more in your letters if you want, we have permission to go in the mornings and printout the letters and return later and respond. This morning when I was printing off the letters and I was looking at the pictures and wondering why you sent pictures of a random kid. I was like what the heck. But after I got back home and read the letter and now I understand.
Sounds like CJ is still doing well though I haven’t heard from him in a while but tell him I wish him the best of success at State.
Dad, I don’t know what’s going on much in the US with the economy and the politics but I pray for it. It is fulfilling of Joseph Smith’s prophecy.
That’s pretty much it, we didn’t baptize yesterday, the one guy’s wife will not help him to get married, she refuses to help. So it’s a bit difficult. The other didn’t show up yesterday for her service. But yesterday was dia de muertos so no one was at church. Everybody goes to visit their dead relatives.
All is well here. love you all
Elder Howard
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