Alarga Tus Cuerdas Y Fortalece Tus Estacas

Mi Familia,

Thanks for the emails. Sorry I am writing late we had a baptism. It was likely my last but who knows what happens this week (haha). It was great to see you all on tuesday. It really made my week!

Emma got baptized this week. Her dad baptized her. For one reason or another she couldn't get baptized when she was 8 so that is why we were involved. We got to teach her and she is a very intelligent little girl. She has a bright future in the church.

On friday we had the ZL council in Tuxtla. The Utt's daughter gave a presentation about the early missionary efforts in England. She is a Church Historian. I got the chance to talk with her the next day at a baptism and she knows an insane amount of information. She asked me where I was from and talked to me about the Borden Building. She told me who the guy in charge was that made the chapel and what year. She said it is one of the best 12 chapels from its time period that the church owns from a structural standpoint. When I told her that I go to the building in Escondido she laughed and just said that it isn't a very special building. She has never been to the buildings she just knows a lot about them. Weird or cool? I don't know.

We taught the Hernandez family this week and we took the ward missionaries that speak Tzeltal and they explained more about the restoration. It was a great lesson and we hope that they keep progressing in the gospel.

We are working hard, I am trying to endure to the end of the mission. Things are great here. I love you. I hope you all have a great week.

Love,

Elder Riley Stevenson

Lo Que Dios Ha Unido, No Lo Separe El Hombre

Mi Familia,

This week was great. Carmen got married on tuesday and Saturday she was baptized. It was a great service. She is so happy and she is going to be so faithful to the principles of the Gospel. Everyone that has met her thinks that she will be a leader in the church in the future. Her family is very catholic but they are supporting her.

Baptism of Carmen, and her member friend that introduced her to the church, Alberto who is from Chiapa de Corzo

We also had some sad moments this week. We visited some recent converts on wednesday and they were fighting when we got there. They said they wanted to get divorced. We read some scriptures but had to leave because it was getting late. We also found one member drunk on Saturday. We hadn't planned to see him but we had the impression to visit him and found him outside of his house drunk. We prayed with him but we will likely not visit him until he stops drinking.

We found a family of 11 last week. On friday we invited them to be baptized. They are thinking about it. We are going to visit them on wednesday with two of the ward missionaries that speak Tzeltal because they don't understand everything we teach.

Friday (21) it was raining all day here. The Zapatistas marched into the city but it was supposedly a peaceful march. We got to keep working but just couldn't go near the center of the city where the park is. That was about the biggest news here from the mayan center of the world.

I hope you all have a great night tonight! I can't wait to see you all tomorrow. I love you!

Con Amor,

Elder Riley Stevenson

¿Qué Señal Habrá Cuando Todas Estas Cosas Hayan De Cumplirse?

Mi Familia,

Thanks for all of the emails, I am glad to hear that you are all doing well.

Monday night before the zone conference. The Box says Feliz Compleaño(s) Pue(s). That is just how Chiapanecos talk.

This week was great. We had the Christmas zone conference on Tuesday and it went very well. Elder Bernal and I talked about security and we learned about how we can receive more referrals from the members. Afterwards we ate fruit and stuff with a chocolate fountain and sang Christmas hymns. It was fun and the cold made it feel more "Christmassy."

Zone Conference

We went to the Registro Civil to see when they are going to be closed because we have an investigator that is going to get married. The last day they work is tomorrow. But the Oficial that works there already knows me because we have taken two couples to get married.

So she said that if we take all of the documents we can to it all that same day. We are running around because we are missing a birth certificate but some members are taking her to Tuxtla today to see if they can get it. We are hoping all works out well.

My table singing

Anyways I am going to be in the zone where there are a ton of Mayan descendants for the 21st. I am pretty excited to see what happens and what everyone is saying. This week seemed normal and no one has been talking about it.

The only Elders left from my Tuxlta District. Elder Granados, from my generation that is in my zone in Yajalón, and Elder Pérez, assistant to the President

Not too much more to tell. Things are going great - we will talk next Tuesday. Have a great week! Love you all.

The carnival in the Church of Guadalupe. We live right behind the church.

Con Amor,

Elder Riley Stevenson

Nosotros También Creemos, Por Lo Cual También Hablamos

Mi Familia,

This week was great. We had a lot of success, we found some new investigators and had a lot of lessons.

Víctor and Ángeles, the ones that are going to get married had a problem. The ex-wife of Víctor sent an apelación (don't know what that is in english) so it might take a little longer for them to get baptized. We are bummed but we are going to see them tonight so we will see why she sent it. She should have evidence that he is still living in her house or not sending pension (which he is). So we will see why tonight, because we are going to go see them.

Yesterday I had a good day. Not many people knew about my birthday (I prefer that) and we had a busy day. We taught 6 lessons. We ate dinner with an investigator that has a baptismal date for January 6. Her name is Carmen, and I think I have talked about her. Although I think the biggest birthday surprise is that Elder Bernal and I spoke in church on Sunday. They told us right before the sacrament. I spoke about the Godhead.

Tomorrow we have the Christmas multi-zone conference. It should be fun. The assistants told us it is going to be about 7 hours long. I have no idea what we are going to be doing for so much time. Should be fun!

The time is flying by here. I love this work and know it is true. I know that Christ lives and loves us.

Hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Con Amor,

Elder Riley Stevenson

Esto Enseñarás: El Arrepentimiento Y El Bautismo

Mi Familia

This week was great, I am having a great time with Elder Bernal here. Everyone was surprised that I stayed haha.

Sergio's baptism

This week Sergio was baptized. He is so happy. I think it is the biggest conversion I have ever seen. He was a gang member, used drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc. He was the last one in the family to get baptized.

Elder Bernal told me about the investigators we had that got baptized. I will attach pictures.

Baptism of Yami in Ciudad Hidalgo (After I got Transferred)

On friday we went to Tuxtla for a leaders training. There was quite a lot of talk about me finishing the mission as a zone leader. President said the members here in San Cris just can't let me go haha. I don't know how true that is. When the training ended Itzelt and Carmen (converts from La Salle) came to greet me. They gave me a birthday/Christmas present, a beautiful Mexican flag. I was really happy and surprised to see them. And happy because I was worried about getting a nice flag before leaving!

Baptism of Diana (left) and Carolina (right)

I also heard that another investigator in Tuxtla that I had got baptized (Alondra), and another one is going to get baptized (Alejandra, the daughter of a convert, Blanca Estela). That made me very happy.

I am doing very good here! Well I hope you all have a great week. I love you very much!

Con Amor,

Elder Riley Stevenson