Mi Familia,
This week was the shortest in the mission. I can't believe how fast time is passing! Things are good here in Ciudad Hidalgo.
This week wasn't as hot, or maybe I am just getting used to it. It is so hot and humid that you sweat just sitting. I am used to it though. I drink a lot of water. People are starting to decorate their houses for Christmas. It makes me really happy, and then confused because I wonder why it is so hot in this time of the year. Thanksgiving does not exist here, I already knew that but had hope that something special would happen. Haha - I ate frosted flakes for dinner. They were grrreat.
This city is actually really cool. Everyone knows each other, because it is so small. We sometimes ask our investigators questions about other investigators and they all know each other. Also did I mention the church building is so beautiful? It really is very beautiful.
Our investigators are great, but a lot aren´t married, and would have to travel to their home country to get the papers to get married. It makes things complicated but it is alright.
This week I learned a lot in my studies. Something that really hit me was Moses 1:39. It is a scripture that everyone knows but I learned a lot from it when I was studying. I love thinking about how it is God's WORK and GLORY to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. God wants us to have exaltation. It is His work, it is what He does, His passion, and I am sure and the scriptures testify that He doesn't do anything that doesn't help us get to that point, living with Him again. It is also His glory, it is what makes Him happy, it is what really brings Him joy and makes Him who He is: God. Knowing that the Godhead is one in purpose, and perfectly unified, it is also the purpose of Christ and the Holy Ghost. I also learned that at some point, in this life or the next, we will have to give up everything to enter into His kingdom. Nothing less is worthy to enter and live with Him. God helps us to do it and works without stop to give us that, but like 2 Nephi chapter 2 teaches, we choose.
I am so happy. I love being here and being a missionary. I know this church is true, I am sure of it. Next week I will include more details... sorry. I love you and miss you all!
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A La Región Del Sur
Mi Familia,
This week was a great one!! I love my new area. Ciudad Hidalgo is the most southern area in Mexico. I see Guatemala every day. It is on the other side of a river that you can walk across (not as a missionary of course). It is so beautiful here. The branch is great and the building is beautiful, and we don't share it with anyone, That is something I have never had in my life. My companion Elder Cubillos is great. He goes home December 29th so I am learning a lot from him and what he has experienced, I respect him a lot. He reminds me of Erik Porter soo much, so we get along really good, and it is funny because I know how Erik will be in the mission. It is very hot and that has been the hardest part of the change, a lot hotter than Tuxtla. It also rained on Friday super hard and the whole city floods. We walked in water up to my shin. We heard it was a hurricane that passed but I am not sure to be honest. The people here are great and it is a small town. Everyone knows each other. We do have other parts out of the city but I have only gone to one that’s called La Libertad. It is so much greener than Tuxtla which surprised me. The trip here was great and beautiful.
More about my area, instead of taxi or combi, there are tricycles that people drive around to take you to your destination. It is like Nacho Libre's, but it is just a bike, and there is a bench where the people sit. I will send you a picture so you can have a clearer picture. There are literally a few thousand in this little city. A member drove us on Saturday and it is super fun. I also rode one of our investigator's. In the last 2 years I am the second missionary from the USA here in Ciudad Hidalgo. The other is the missionary who just left, he got sick, and the last one 2 years ago also got sick here. I haven't felt sick here yet but we will see what happens. But its funny because in Tuxtla they are somewhat used to seeing white people and even more used to seeing white Elders, but the people here aren't. They mostly just stare.
We have a lot of great investigators too. We are teaching a woman named Teodora and her son Misael. Teodora paid her tithing on Sunday and Misael goes to seminary every day. We taught the dad yesterday but he works everyday but Sunday so it makes it hard to teach him.
The people are almost all from Central America. It is so cool to meet people from other places. A lot are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. They are great people and I love them. They also are having an open house for a temple in Guatemala, and I heard from a few members that is about an hour and a half away. I am so happy because it will be a lot closer than Tuxtla, about 7 hours in bus. The house is pretty and very big, we use about a third of it.
The culture here is much different from Tuxtla, I am already learning new words that aren't said in Tuxtla that they say here, and words that are said in Tuxtla that are not used here. Why is Spanish like that? It makes me wonder how weird I will probably sound to the people in San Diego. All of the Mexican Elders say they speak really weirdly here. Funny.
I am so happy. I love being here and being a missionary. I know this is Christ's true church and he leads it today. It is the same here as it is in all of the world.
I love you and miss you all!
Elder Riley Stevenson
This week was a great one!! I love my new area. Ciudad Hidalgo is the most southern area in Mexico. I see Guatemala every day. It is on the other side of a river that you can walk across (not as a missionary of course). It is so beautiful here. The branch is great and the building is beautiful, and we don't share it with anyone, That is something I have never had in my life. My companion Elder Cubillos is great. He goes home December 29th so I am learning a lot from him and what he has experienced, I respect him a lot. He reminds me of Erik Porter soo much, so we get along really good, and it is funny because I know how Erik will be in the mission. It is very hot and that has been the hardest part of the change, a lot hotter than Tuxtla. It also rained on Friday super hard and the whole city floods. We walked in water up to my shin. We heard it was a hurricane that passed but I am not sure to be honest. The people here are great and it is a small town. Everyone knows each other. We do have other parts out of the city but I have only gone to one that’s called La Libertad. It is so much greener than Tuxtla which surprised me. The trip here was great and beautiful.
More about my area, instead of taxi or combi, there are tricycles that people drive around to take you to your destination. It is like Nacho Libre's, but it is just a bike, and there is a bench where the people sit. I will send you a picture so you can have a clearer picture. There are literally a few thousand in this little city. A member drove us on Saturday and it is super fun. I also rode one of our investigator's. In the last 2 years I am the second missionary from the USA here in Ciudad Hidalgo. The other is the missionary who just left, he got sick, and the last one 2 years ago also got sick here. I haven't felt sick here yet but we will see what happens. But its funny because in Tuxtla they are somewhat used to seeing white people and even more used to seeing white Elders, but the people here aren't. They mostly just stare.
We have a lot of great investigators too. We are teaching a woman named Teodora and her son Misael. Teodora paid her tithing on Sunday and Misael goes to seminary every day. We taught the dad yesterday but he works everyday but Sunday so it makes it hard to teach him.
The people are almost all from Central America. It is so cool to meet people from other places. A lot are from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. They are great people and I love them. They also are having an open house for a temple in Guatemala, and I heard from a few members that is about an hour and a half away. I am so happy because it will be a lot closer than Tuxtla, about 7 hours in bus. The house is pretty and very big, we use about a third of it.
The culture here is much different from Tuxtla, I am already learning new words that aren't said in Tuxtla that they say here, and words that are said in Tuxtla that are not used here. Why is Spanish like that? It makes me wonder how weird I will probably sound to the people in San Diego. All of the Mexican Elders say they speak really weirdly here. Funny.
I am so happy. I love being here and being a missionary. I know this is Christ's true church and he leads it today. It is the same here as it is in all of the world.
I love you and miss you all!
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, November 14, 2011
Cuanto Sellares En La Tierra, Sea Sellado En Los Cielos
Mi Familia,
Hey-o. About 3 hours ago they called and I am being transferred! I am going to Ciudad Hidalgo. I am pretty sure it is the most southern area in the mission, and therefore the most southern area in Mexico. It is near Guatemala and the beach. It is super hot I think. I am excited to work there, but sad to leave La Salle. It is seriously such a great ward and I have seen a lot of great changes here. This week 118 people came to church, about double of what it was when I first got here in March. And the ward is just starting to go visiting and home teaching, so I know it is going to grow even more. I hope I can see such progress in Ciudad Hidalgo. My companion is Elder Cubillos. I don't know him but he was in the zone when I first got here. He has 21 months in the mission. I am really excited right now. I leave today at 3:45, and I think it will be about a 6 hour trip.
Well... Emma is getting married on Friday and baptized on Saturday. I am so happy for her. Yesterday I was able to bear testimony to her husband who has a lot of friends and family that tell him things about the church that make him doubt. But he said he was going to pray and ask God if it was the true church. If he gets baptized in these months I might be able to go to their sealing in one year.
Well I have to pack and get ready so I will write you next week with more info. I miss you guys! Also I am super excited that Dad speaks Spanish.
I love you all!!!!
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
Hey-o. About 3 hours ago they called and I am being transferred! I am going to Ciudad Hidalgo. I am pretty sure it is the most southern area in the mission, and therefore the most southern area in Mexico. It is near Guatemala and the beach. It is super hot I think. I am excited to work there, but sad to leave La Salle. It is seriously such a great ward and I have seen a lot of great changes here. This week 118 people came to church, about double of what it was when I first got here in March. And the ward is just starting to go visiting and home teaching, so I know it is going to grow even more. I hope I can see such progress in Ciudad Hidalgo. My companion is Elder Cubillos. I don't know him but he was in the zone when I first got here. He has 21 months in the mission. I am really excited right now. I leave today at 3:45, and I think it will be about a 6 hour trip.
Well... Emma is getting married on Friday and baptized on Saturday. I am so happy for her. Yesterday I was able to bear testimony to her husband who has a lot of friends and family that tell him things about the church that make him doubt. But he said he was going to pray and ask God if it was the true church. If he gets baptized in these months I might be able to go to their sealing in one year.
Well I have to pack and get ready so I will write you next week with more info. I miss you guys! Also I am super excited that Dad speaks Spanish.
I love you all!!!!
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, November 7, 2011
Fortalece Tus Estacas, y Extiende Tus Linderos
Mi Familia,
This week was really good. I am doing great here. On Tuesday and Wednesday a lot of people went to the cemetery to leave flowers and clean off the graves. It is tradition here. I went on exchanges and stayed in an apartment of Elders that live there close. There was so much traffic because they close off one of the busiest streets to sell flowers and other stuff. On Wednesday when a bunch of people go, we contacted and talked to people about the Plan of Salvation. They were very interested and it was a great experience. I also got some skull head candies. I took a picture but the computer didn't recognize my memory today, oh well.
This week Noé got baptized. He is the one that participated in the talent show a few weeks back. He was so happy, and his girlfriend and mom went to the baptism. We are going to start teaching his girlfriend and see if his mom wants to listen to us too. His whole family hides when we come over, but it is normal. The day we met him was a Sunday. We went to pass by the house of a few investigators to bring them to church. No one came and I felt pretty sad. We were in the combi and then when we got to the church Noé got off and asked if we were going to the chapel. The sister missionaries had met him and invited him to church. It made me so happy. I felt like the Lord blessed me for my hard work, even though it wasn't with the people I was working with.
The ward is growing more and more. The members tell us all of the time that they can't believe how hard we are working. I know I shouldn't brag but it makes me feel happy, and that I am actually making a difference. The members have been working with us more and have given us more referrals. The work is going great. This week they called a teacher to teach Gospel Principles. It is one of the biggest classes. It makes me really happy!
Emma is an investigator that I taught my first week of the mission, back in the middle of march. She hasn't been able to get baptized because she is not married. Her kids got baptized almost a year ago. FINALLY she is going to get married the 18th of this month. I am so happy. It is the saturday after changes so we will have to see if I stay more time. It is unlikely but I am not going to rule it out. She is so great. She has had a lot of trials but has such a strong testimony. We are going to work a lot with her husband. He doesn't see the church as something very important.
An older couple, or adult couple rather, got sealed this week. I don't know why but they love me. I don't know them super well. But anyways we were at the church for Noé's interview, and the reception was going on. It hadn't even started but they invited me in a little room to take pictures with them. It made me so happy. They are going to live across the street from us.
I got a Book of Mormon in Tzotzil this week. It isn't complete but it has a lot of chapters nonetheless. I have read a little and it is so sweet. We have the Book of Mormon in so many languages, but still have a long way to go. Here in Chiapas there are 5 main dialects and Tzotzil is the only one with a Book of Mormon, and it isn't complete. We have a long way to go!
We set a baptismal date for the 26th with the mom and daughter of the family Caballero Perez this week (the mom who was crying). The rest weren't home, but I think that they will also get baptized. They are already so much happier. I love to see the gospel help people.
Thanksgiving doesn't really exist here. So we are already seeing the Christmas decorations going up. It is the kind of thing I always wanted as a kid.
Things are good here. I am so happy. The time is going by so fast. Too fast. But I have learned so much. I know the Savior lives and loves us. He made it possible to return and live with our Heavenly Father again, we just have to do our part.
I love you and miss you all.
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
This week was really good. I am doing great here. On Tuesday and Wednesday a lot of people went to the cemetery to leave flowers and clean off the graves. It is tradition here. I went on exchanges and stayed in an apartment of Elders that live there close. There was so much traffic because they close off one of the busiest streets to sell flowers and other stuff. On Wednesday when a bunch of people go, we contacted and talked to people about the Plan of Salvation. They were very interested and it was a great experience. I also got some skull head candies. I took a picture but the computer didn't recognize my memory today, oh well.
This week Noé got baptized. He is the one that participated in the talent show a few weeks back. He was so happy, and his girlfriend and mom went to the baptism. We are going to start teaching his girlfriend and see if his mom wants to listen to us too. His whole family hides when we come over, but it is normal. The day we met him was a Sunday. We went to pass by the house of a few investigators to bring them to church. No one came and I felt pretty sad. We were in the combi and then when we got to the church Noé got off and asked if we were going to the chapel. The sister missionaries had met him and invited him to church. It made me so happy. I felt like the Lord blessed me for my hard work, even though it wasn't with the people I was working with.
The ward is growing more and more. The members tell us all of the time that they can't believe how hard we are working. I know I shouldn't brag but it makes me feel happy, and that I am actually making a difference. The members have been working with us more and have given us more referrals. The work is going great. This week they called a teacher to teach Gospel Principles. It is one of the biggest classes. It makes me really happy!
Emma is an investigator that I taught my first week of the mission, back in the middle of march. She hasn't been able to get baptized because she is not married. Her kids got baptized almost a year ago. FINALLY she is going to get married the 18th of this month. I am so happy. It is the saturday after changes so we will have to see if I stay more time. It is unlikely but I am not going to rule it out. She is so great. She has had a lot of trials but has such a strong testimony. We are going to work a lot with her husband. He doesn't see the church as something very important.
An older couple, or adult couple rather, got sealed this week. I don't know why but they love me. I don't know them super well. But anyways we were at the church for Noé's interview, and the reception was going on. It hadn't even started but they invited me in a little room to take pictures with them. It made me so happy. They are going to live across the street from us.
I got a Book of Mormon in Tzotzil this week. It isn't complete but it has a lot of chapters nonetheless. I have read a little and it is so sweet. We have the Book of Mormon in so many languages, but still have a long way to go. Here in Chiapas there are 5 main dialects and Tzotzil is the only one with a Book of Mormon, and it isn't complete. We have a long way to go!
We set a baptismal date for the 26th with the mom and daughter of the family Caballero Perez this week (the mom who was crying). The rest weren't home, but I think that they will also get baptized. They are already so much happier. I love to see the gospel help people.
Thanksgiving doesn't really exist here. So we are already seeing the Christmas decorations going up. It is the kind of thing I always wanted as a kid.
Things are good here. I am so happy. The time is going by so fast. Too fast. But I have learned so much. I know the Savior lives and loves us. He made it possible to return and live with our Heavenly Father again, we just have to do our part.
I love you and miss you all.
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
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