para mi familia:
Here it goes.... Well, I got here yesterday at 9:00. I was interviewed right away by the president...both of us cried during the interview and I can´t help living in the advice that he gave us. So we have an entire day to say goodbye to everyone in the DF...Mexico area. I think that I´m only going to be able to go to Plateros and Tlalli.... it´s bad that I can´t go to Toluca since almost half my mission has been there, but I already left my information with everybody.
This week was not my best way to go out. I wanted to go home as a wet-back(but my back wet from the baptismal font), but it didn´t work out. Lourdes again escaped us. I thought about telling her that I was going home to motivate her more, but I think it wouldn´t have been the best thing to do. Instead, we tried to motivate her by the spiritual blessings. However, it didn´t work out. I don´t know why she keeps going to Ixtlahuaca with her family the day before her baptism when she knows that her family is completely against her getting baptized.
I called her yesterday afternoon to say goodbye. I called from a payphone and wasn´t able to say all I wanted...so I just said goodbye. I don´t think she understood what I was saying, because I had never told her how long I was going to be here. She just said "Wait, so you´re not coming back?" and I was like "No, I have to go to Mexico (DF) in an hour, and from there I will be going home," and then again she asked "but you´re not coming back?" and said "No, I wanted to say goodbye today at church but...." and then the time ran out...I gave a deep sigh and hung up, because I had no money to call her again. I trust my companion Elder González and his new companion Elder Pacheco will be able to help her understand why I have to go...and maybe it will be better that way so that she has a chance to sort things out so that she can finally get baptized.
Hurray for persistence! I thought we were wasting time with a family. We kept passing by, and Juan has been like "Oh, come by tomorrow!" we went by the next day and nothing! However this week we found them, and they told us that they were impressed by our persistence. Juan said that he felt that God was calling him through us. He actually has lived in Utah for several years, but never went to church. His wife is pregnant with a high risk of losing her baby...and he broke his hand this last week when they tried to rob him....and lost his job for it. So they´re going through some serious difficulties....but we promised them that the Lord would work miracles if they first showed their faith in him....they went to church!!!! So please pray for them, they are a great family and really showed a lot of faith. The sister went to church, even though they´ve been telling her that she has to be nonstop in a laying position....that means even to eat, take a bath, use the bathroom. But she went to church yesterday...so she has a lot of faith.
Well...I guess we´ll see each other in two days. I won´t spend too much time reminiscing....I don´t want to cry. Tomorrow we´re going to the temple as a generation and we´re going to have a great last devotional with president that night...and then Wednesday morning....going home!!! Love you so much!
Cariños,
Elder Blackham
ps.....I guess you won´t be able to tell me...but I´m really worried about snow...it´s 40 degrees here and I´m cold! Hmm...welcome home Elder Blackham! And then I´m going to freeze to death before being able to give my homecoming talk!!! Hahah!!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Weekly Letter: January 24-30, 2012
para mi familia:
Hmmm....I think I will get a chance to write you guys next week. Next Sunday after eating and baptizing, I think the missionaries from my generation currently in Zitacuaro, Toluca, or Metepec zones will be going to offices....it´s quite the list. Elder Decker, Elder Holm, Elder Lindstrom, Elder Gardner, Elder Sanchez,and Elder Bylund....and myself. So in the offices I´ll will be able to write you like I did when I got my last son...I think.
Well, this week did not go exactly as planned. On Wednesday we were going to have interviews with the president...but they got delayed twice! Finally Friday we were able to have our interviews. Later, Saturday, we had to empty and clean the font for the baptisms we were going to have on Saturday...with buckets. Wow! that was fun!
So yeah, one of our baptisms that we were going to have last Sunday fell through. Lourdes got sick last Saturday and went to Ixtlahuaca to check things out but wasn´t able to come back in time for her baptism...and with all the baptizing in metepec things that were going on, I think it would have been even harder trying to help her find the church in Metepec. So on Tuesday we visited her, and she said that she felt a whole lot better, and we asked her permission to organize a baptismal service for this sunday (or yesterday) she said that it would be okay, but that she didn´t have much time but on Thursday she would call us so that we could visit her that day. (we will talk more about her later)
Then that same day we visited Maria de Refugio, who said that she would be willing to be baptized the fifth of February...and that she would accompany us this sunday to confirm that date...so you can imagine my excitement right? I was like Yes!!!!! I´m going to baptize my last three weeks of my mission. Later, Elder Robledo did an interview for Jaseth to see if he wanted to get baptized, he said that he would like to later on. That same day my companion and he were able to commit Alejandra to go to church with her family to see if she would get baptized on the fifth, too...and then went with another family that lives close to us and commited them to the same thing....so I was pretty excited...huh?
That was when Friday happened. After the interview I called Lourdes because she hasn´t called us, and she tells me that she meant to call us and she wanted to talk to us that night....and I asked "okay, but how are things looking for Sunday?" that was when she paused and asked if we could go by that night. We went by and she said that she was really confused that she felt that she wanted more time....we tried to enter in her house to share something, but she said that she couldn´t at that moment. I asked her if we could pass by the next day and try to clear her doubts, and she said she was planning on going to Ixtlahuaca again, but that she was going to work hard to be home again at 7:00 pm....so we went at 7:00, and.....she wasn´t there. We called her again and she started saying the same things, I mentioned to her that time really wasn´t the issue because she had accepted a baptismal date the sunday prior and almost shouted with happiness. I asked her if there wasn´t something else that was getting in her way...but she wouldn´t answer....she was suddenly silent. I invited her to at least come to church and come prepared to be baptized if she felt so indicated....she didn´t answer....after a minute, the line died....and with it my heart sunk.
Then everyone - EVERYONE that had possibly commited to go to church fell through. We went with Alejandra and she said that she would not like to go to church or get baptized ever. So that was pretty heartwrenching. We called Maria de Refugio, and she said that she would return Sunday morning early...so there was yet hope going into Sunday morning.
But the next morning...everything fell through. Lourdes wouldn´t answer...and Maria de Refugio didn´t come back until the afternoon. So yeah, it was pretty tough....but other weeks have been worse. Tania, Mitzi and Eleni got confirmed so that´s good...because sometimes people have been getting baptized but not confirmed, and so it was good that they were able to complete the baptism....they seem really strong. I think they may activate the sister that gave them as a reference!
Well...time is short. We´re going to see if we can help Lourdes feel good about baptism this week, and we´re going to help Jaseth to feel good about it too!
Love you all!
Finishing Stronger than ever!
Elder Blackham
Sunday morning we called four or five times but she wouldn´t answer either.
Hmmm....I think I will get a chance to write you guys next week. Next Sunday after eating and baptizing, I think the missionaries from my generation currently in Zitacuaro, Toluca, or Metepec zones will be going to offices....it´s quite the list. Elder Decker, Elder Holm, Elder Lindstrom, Elder Gardner, Elder Sanchez,and Elder Bylund....and myself. So in the offices I´ll will be able to write you like I did when I got my last son...I think.
Well, this week did not go exactly as planned. On Wednesday we were going to have interviews with the president...but they got delayed twice! Finally Friday we were able to have our interviews. Later, Saturday, we had to empty and clean the font for the baptisms we were going to have on Saturday...with buckets. Wow! that was fun!
So yeah, one of our baptisms that we were going to have last Sunday fell through. Lourdes got sick last Saturday and went to Ixtlahuaca to check things out but wasn´t able to come back in time for her baptism...and with all the baptizing in metepec things that were going on, I think it would have been even harder trying to help her find the church in Metepec. So on Tuesday we visited her, and she said that she felt a whole lot better, and we asked her permission to organize a baptismal service for this sunday (or yesterday) she said that it would be okay, but that she didn´t have much time but on Thursday she would call us so that we could visit her that day. (we will talk more about her later)
Then that same day we visited Maria de Refugio, who said that she would be willing to be baptized the fifth of February...and that she would accompany us this sunday to confirm that date...so you can imagine my excitement right? I was like Yes!!!!! I´m going to baptize my last three weeks of my mission. Later, Elder Robledo did an interview for Jaseth to see if he wanted to get baptized, he said that he would like to later on. That same day my companion and he were able to commit Alejandra to go to church with her family to see if she would get baptized on the fifth, too...and then went with another family that lives close to us and commited them to the same thing....so I was pretty excited...huh?
That was when Friday happened. After the interview I called Lourdes because she hasn´t called us, and she tells me that she meant to call us and she wanted to talk to us that night....and I asked "okay, but how are things looking for Sunday?" that was when she paused and asked if we could go by that night. We went by and she said that she was really confused that she felt that she wanted more time....we tried to enter in her house to share something, but she said that she couldn´t at that moment. I asked her if we could pass by the next day and try to clear her doubts, and she said she was planning on going to Ixtlahuaca again, but that she was going to work hard to be home again at 7:00 pm....so we went at 7:00, and.....she wasn´t there. We called her again and she started saying the same things, I mentioned to her that time really wasn´t the issue because she had accepted a baptismal date the sunday prior and almost shouted with happiness. I asked her if there wasn´t something else that was getting in her way...but she wouldn´t answer....she was suddenly silent. I invited her to at least come to church and come prepared to be baptized if she felt so indicated....she didn´t answer....after a minute, the line died....and with it my heart sunk.
Then everyone - EVERYONE that had possibly commited to go to church fell through. We went with Alejandra and she said that she would not like to go to church or get baptized ever. So that was pretty heartwrenching. We called Maria de Refugio, and she said that she would return Sunday morning early...so there was yet hope going into Sunday morning.
But the next morning...everything fell through. Lourdes wouldn´t answer...and Maria de Refugio didn´t come back until the afternoon. So yeah, it was pretty tough....but other weeks have been worse. Tania, Mitzi and Eleni got confirmed so that´s good...because sometimes people have been getting baptized but not confirmed, and so it was good that they were able to complete the baptism....they seem really strong. I think they may activate the sister that gave them as a reference!
Well...time is short. We´re going to see if we can help Lourdes feel good about baptism this week, and we´re going to help Jaseth to feel good about it too!
Love you all!
Finishing Stronger than ever!
Elder Blackham
Sunday morning we called four or five times but she wouldn´t answer either.
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