28 Deciembre 2011! (He's confused!)

Buenas Dias!!
Where is love?! Last week I had like 18 emails to read and this week like 4! What am I supposed to do for an hour? This week went by so fast! I already have been on my mission for 5 months! That`s crazy.  I get to go to the temple on the 9th of December and I get to call home when I want around Christmas. When would be good? Who is going to be there? How much will I cry?
Last Monday ended with our Junta in San Pedro. Every Monday night we have a meeting with the district to motivate us and to improve on the things we need to work on. Elder Leyva is the district leader so he is in charge. I have to help him prepare and give it too since I am his companion.  I usually love them. The Elders in Ajusco are having a hard time with the members wanting them to baptize anybody which is just a little bit weird. So we talked about how we could help them change. Here is a quote that Elder Leyva shared with us from President Monson, "Let`s tie the children of God to the post of righteousness with the chains of love." This is true. You have to show people that you love and care about them before they will listen to you.
On Tuesday I went to Ajusco with Elder Garza. He talks about his girlfriend so much but he is pretty funny so I forgive him.  All we did was look for inactive members to teach but we didn`t have much luck.  We ate La Comida at the guy`s house who they just baptized. He told me that he was baptized because he promised God he would change if his wife recovered from a sickness. She did and he didn`t get baptized so she got sick again and the same thing happened. After one more time of her getting sick, him promising to change, and her getting better, he was baptized. The missionaries didn`t even have to do much work because he was prepared.
On Wednesday we taught Mauro`s aunt Juana. She was a little embarrassed at church on Sunday because she didn`t know answers to questions and said she didn`t think she would come anymore. We taught her how to use the scriptures and comforted her and now she still wants to be baptized. But she didn`t come to church yesterday so I`m a little worried.  We also went to another Hermana`s house to talk to her inactive husband and son. They have to work every Sunday. It`s always the case here. We do so much work just trying to reactivate the members and for it is working pretty well so far. The branch is more full every Sunday.
Thanksgiving doesn`t exist here but I said Happy Thanksgiving to everybody anyways. We just worked all day and we had La Comida in Parres. It is another town that we have, I don`t know if you knew that. We went there and nobody was there so we went back to our house and ate with Hermana Lulù. She never fails us.  It definitely wasn`t a normal Thanksgiving, but I was happy to be in Mèxico.  We watched Finding Faith in Christ with a new family after that. It is a farming family of 8. They have five sons between 15 and 22. It was a really spiritual lesson and I hope everything goes well with them. The parent`s names are Alvaro and Taide.  I felt kind of like I was in the Wadsworth`s home during the lesson. Haha. We met the zone leaders in La Joya that night to have intercambios and I went to Contreras with Elder Vial.
So on Friday I was there with him. Elder Vial is so fun to work with. I hope I am his companion some day.  We had to go to to baptismal interviews and we only had three lessons that day.  They were some good new investigators but I will probably never see them again. How sad.
On Saturday we had three baptisms! A while ago I told you about a lady named Erika. She was depressed and we gave her a blessing and she felt way better. We have been teaching their family and their kids got baptized! Erika and her husband Luis Armando aren`t married so we are still working with them. It is so difficult here to marry people! I hate it. The kids names are Luis Armando, Sebastian, and Tomas. They are 14, 9, and 8. I baptized Tomas and Hermano Carlos and Elder Leyva baptized the other two.  I love these kids so much. We have had some good lessons with them and they are always happy. Sebastian was saying, "I`ve been born again" afterwards. It was pretty funny.  I can see how much happier they are than when we first started going. After the baptism I couldn`t resist and took them to pizza since I knew they wouldn`t eat much that day. It was a great day.
Yesterday they all came to church to get confirmed and just kept smiling all day. It was the primary program which I loved. Little kids are nuts here too. They sang To Bring the Worlds His Truth which was the best.  Oh yesterday I met a missionary who just got here from Lovelock! Elder Shirley. Do you know his family? I took a picture with him and sent it to you.  It felt so weird to talk about Nevada with somebody that lived there. Haha.  I don`t realize how much spanish I know until I talk to the new missionaries and they are just lost.
No mom, we do not have to do laundry. Most people here do it by hand or in washing machines from the 18th century. The aztec calendar has a huge explanation that even I do not understand. I just do my own interpretation of it which includes tortillas, and the lady that washes our clothes in the center of it.  This morning I cooked for the first time in 5 months! We made pancakes downstairs out of a bag! They were so good. I don`t think anybody else really liked them though. Haha. But yeah, we never cook, and we don`t have a stove, or anyway to cook.  Every door here is like a metal gate and the house have high walls with barbed wire and broken glass on the tops of them.  We just pound on the gates with pesos or chap stick and we yell Buenas Tardes. Then they say, "¿Quien?" and we ask for the person and they say, "No hay nadie." Haha. That`s my life. I love it.
Thanks for everything and to those of you who did write to me, more blessings for you. I still haven`t gotten the package but I am not worried. In the future you should send me some peanut butter, and make sure you send pictures in the package!  I miss you, and thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Hubbard

Hey Family,

 His house

Tyler's Aztec Calendar

How`s everything in the motherland this week?  I can`t can`t believe I`m not going to be in Fallon, Nevada for Thanksgiving this year. I`ll be chilling eating tortillas here and crying myself to sleep. That`s okay, I get to show my gratidude by being here. There is no holiday at all here in Mexico.
This week was good in Topilejo. Right now we have 10 people with baptismal dates. 6 of them are teenagers or children and 4 are adults. We have two families that want to be baptized but we`re having a hard time getting them married still so for this reason we only baptize the kids.  Elder Leyva and I didn`t have very many lessons or new investigators this week. We only had ten lessons.  We did find some really good people though. A guy that was taught by the missionaries in Mexico, and another lady who`s kids have drug problems that we are going to help. We have to make sure to finish our area here strong. 3 transfers is a while to be in one area and one of us will be here longer I think.  Once again the best part of my week was teaching a lady how to pray. She started crying afterwards and described the feelings of the Holy Ghost. That is always so cool to see. Another lady we taught named Juana - the aunt of Mauro- committed to being baptized on December 3, she is really good and came to church yesterday.  I have never given so many blessings in my life as I have here in Topilejo. Always for the sick and people can really feel the power and peace that blessings bring. People who aren`t members of our church want blessings all of the time.
My favorite thing to teach about in the mission so far is always the First Vision, and I also like teaching about temples and eternal families.
On Monday we got back from our District meeting at night and Mauro was downstairs with Hermana Lulu`s family. He gave us ties and thank you cards that were way nice. He thought we would both be getting transfered.  I`m having a hard time writing right now because Elder Call is distracting me. Okay I`m gonna pound this letter out now.
On Wednesday something kind of embarrassing happened to me so I`ll just tell Chavo and he can tell who he wants.
We got to have a service project finally. Elder Leyva and I always look for opportunities to serve the people here but most of the time they don`t let us. We sand and painted Paula y Ireis`s little stand to sell food. It was pretty fun and good to help somebody with physical needs.  That night we taught a family of five in their house. Everyone is going to be baptized eventually. I love their little kids, Armando, Sebastian, and Tomas. We have some good times playing fùtbol and learning the gospel.  They are supposed to get baptized this Saturday and the parents in a couple weeks after they get married.
Our house is just a living room, bedroom, and bathroom. We have a mini fridge with no food in it too. In the mornings it is so cold in the apartment during our studies. We only have an hour of personal study and one of companionship now since I finished my three first months. My bed is pretty bad and my pillow is a couch cushion. Tommy should bring a pillow to Mexico for sure, and all long sleeved shirts to block the sun.
My favorite scripture this week was Mosiah 18:30. It talks about how in the land of Mormon the people came to know their Redeemer. I came to know my Redeemer in the BOOK of Mormon and I will always remember it as a beautiful place. I know that it is true without a doubt. And that the Christ of whom it testifies is real.  Happy Thanksgiving!!! I love you a ton and miss you. Watch some football for me please.
143
Elder Hubbard

Hey family!

 The Elders Tyler is serving in Mexico City with the last night at the MTC.

 Love that chocolate milk!

How`s life?? Yesterday we found out cambios at like 10 at night. The whole day was like waiting to be drafted in the NFL draft or something. I was pretty pumped and a little nervous. It ended up that Elder Leyva and I aren`t going anywhere. Land of the dogs, corn, hills, and drunks for another 6 weeks! Haha. I was a little suprised but it`s all good. I`ll serve where ever I am asked. So the next transfers are the 27 of December. Christmas in Topilejo.
This week was really good. Topilejo is starting to be a powerhouse of members.  My favorite lesson this week was probably on Tuesday with Mauro. We taught him about the plan of salvation and baptisms for the dead. He is going tomorrow to the temple with the branch! I`m so happy for him. He also told us he wants to serve a mission. I am so happy to see how happy he is and how strong of a member he is. It is so sweet.  We contacted a lady the other day named Juana and went to teach her. We found out that she is Mauro`s cousin and has seen the huge change in his life and how happy she is so she wants to listen to us too. That is how important our examples to others is.
On Wednesday we had intercambios. I stayed here in Topilejo and Elder Garcia from Ajusco came with me again. We had one lesson in the morning and then his head starting hurting. After La Comida we called the doctor who told him to sleep for the rest of the day and get some medicine. So I just chilled and read Jesus the Christ. He went to the doctor the day after and found out his brain is swollen so he got told to sleep for three days straight. It`s crazy. I hope he`s okay.
On Thursday we found another family. We gave a blessing to a lady like a month ago and we went back to teach her family. Her entire family listened to us teach the restoration. We told them that they could recieve an answer through the Spirit and then she explained how good she felt after the blessing we gave her. I know that the Spirit is real because investigators that haven`t heard of it, testify of it ever day.  Their family all went to church yesterday and things are looking good with them.  I want to baptize a family so bad!!!
On Friday I stayed in Topilejo on intercambios with Elder Vial, the zone leader. We did work. We put a baptismal date on a 21 year  old named Eduardo. He is the boyfriend of a less active member. Elder Vial is my favorite to work with. We had La Comida in a house where they just left us there and we pounded down some chicken nuggets. That sounded weird, but it was a fun day. Plus it was 11/11/11 which I have been waiting for for my entire life.
On Saturday Hermano Carlos got a car from his work and drove us around in it all day. Correction, it was a hug bug. Everybody drives those here. It`s pretty funny. We had a lesson with a couple and watched the Restoration with them. Then we invited them to be baptized on the 3 of December and they accepted. Elder Leyva and I are going to have a ton this cambio.
So I am here for another transfer. The only area of our mission not in the city. I don`t mind that though. I heard one day in Mexico City is like smoking a pack of cigarrettes. So nasty. The family of Hermana Lulu was so happy that we are staying. They are like the most giving people I have ever  met. Okay that`s all she wrote for this week. Love to the 775. Haha.
I love you all!
Elder Hubbard
ps. I am going to start sharing my favorite scripture from every week. This week it`s Moses 1:12-13.

More Pictures from Xochicalco!!

Good morning!!

This week was crazy!! On Tuesday we had zone conference but it was three zones so a ton of missionaries. Elder Beal, Elder Herman, and Elder Reid were all there. It was so nice to see them and hang out for a while. President Chavez spoke for most of the time- like 3 hours. Every companionship in our mission got cell phones which is going to be so much easier to find people with a lot less walking. He also asked every missionary to prepare an english 2 minute talk for our juntas, pray and sing in english always, and talk in english in our houses. He really wants the spanish speakers to learn english. Praying in english is ridiculously hard, I struggled with it this week. Also, I had to give a two minute talk last night at the District Leaders meeting last night and it was nothing short of embarrassing. Haha.
I`ve had some pretty weird stuff happen to me this week. I was teaching a lady outside her house in the doorway when a truck stopped behind me. I turned around to look who it was and some guy just took a picture of me and drove off. Haha. One day I looked in the area book that has all of the old investigators to find to teach. I found a lady and her address and went to go visit her with Elder Garza on intercambios. What I failed to read is she is pschysophrenic. We got there and things started good and ended ugly. It is an experience I will remember for sure. Haha. I learned that Satan is really destroying families in whatever way possible and almost all of them were being used in the family.  We had tons of blessings after that appointment, I think Heavenly Father felt sorry for us. We had 6 lessons and like 7 new investigators. Elder Leyva was impressed when he came back to Topilejo.
We had some good good lessons this week. I made a goal to start asking people to be baptized whenever possible. We set a date with a family of 5 this week. They came to church yesterday and loved it too. I love teaching families more than anything else. This Sunday we are going to have ask another family too.
The young man that I baptized, Brian, moved to another town here close called San Pedro. I found out where he lived and passed the reference to the missionaries there. They went and found him and like 8 cousins who all want to be baptized! I love it when I feel like I am doing some good.
On Saturday we went to Xochicalco by Cuernava, Morelos, Mèxico. It was one of the coolest things that I have seen in my life. It was just a bunch of pyramids and ruins on the top of a mountain. They were made about 700 dc. There was a part where you could whisper and a person could hear you on the highest pyramid because of the acoustics. There was also a staircase with 33 perfect steps, supposedly to represent the life of Christ. I felt like I was in a Book of Mormon video there. If there was one event I could see in history it would be when Christ came to the Americas.
Yesterday we had an investigator leave church because she thought we were Catholics, I guess we have some fixing up to do. We explained our church and everything to her. Haha.
Dad, there are no toilet seats here, you are right. And it`s really inconvinient when the soap slips from your fingers in the shower and falls into the toilet.  Transfers are a week from tomorrow. I don`t know what will happen but I am kind of ready for a change of scenery.
Sorry this letter is kind of lame but that`s all I can remember. I hope you have a good week, I love you and miss you tons.
Love,
Elder Hubbard

Email Chatting! I love it!

 I have been "Chatting" with Tyler this morning via email. I love it!! He emails each week from a borough called San Pedro Martir Tlalpan. I googled to see what information I could find. The following link has some interesting information. In Tyler's own words, "Yeah it`s a town like 30 min from Topilejo. Ghetto like always."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tlalpan

Happy Nevada Day!!!!!

I am getting worse and worse at knowing how to start letters off so I`ll skip it and get right to the good stuff. This was kind of a weird week and we didn`t really get to teach a ton of lessons.
On Monday after I wrote we had the Junta and then afterwards Elder Leyva bought me some tacos for his birthday. I love tacos. The good thing is that they are so different than Taco Bell that I will still like Taco Bell when I get back. What a relief huh? Taco Bell is about as far from Mexican food as you can get.
On Tuesday we were contacting in the morning and talked to a lady who said her mother in law wanted to talk to missionaries. We went to her house and nobody was there so we left. We were walking along later and recognized a lady from the bus that we could not find her house. We talked to her and realized that she was the same lady who we had been looking for earlier. I guess we are meant to talk to her. We set up an appointment for this Wednesday and I`m pumped.  We had an appointment that morning with a lady that was really interested in listening to us. She read the pamphlet about the Gospel and everything. But then she told us that her husband got really mad and we can no longer teach her. It was so sad.  We found another lady on the street who got excited to see missionaries and invited us in to teach their family. We were all excited thinking they were prepared when the husband started naming the religions he hated and included mormons. That was weird, and awkward. We finished our lessoned and left. That guy didn`t know what hit him. Hermano Oscar bought us some more tacos that night. Haha.
On Thursday I went to good old Ajusco. The land of the hills and the Catholics. Nothing wrong with that. I worked with Elder Garcia from Canab, Utah. He has been on his mission for 15 months. It was a lot of fun. We walked the entire day and finally got our first lesson at 6 ish. Then we got two more after that. One of them we explained to a lady why it was important to be baptized by someone that has the authority from God. The Spirit was really strong and I asked her if she would be baptized. She said yes but we didn`t put a date. Elder Garcia was really good to talk to and I learned to be more friendly to the people I teach.  I bought him some tacos that night because in Ajusco there are no members and they starve.  There is also no hot water in Ajusco so we have to fill up a 5 gallon bucket and use something called resistencia-resistence to heat the water up with electricity.
On Friday morning we had interviews with President Chàvez. I love that guy. You should here is voice, it`s so funny. Buenooo....Haha. He asked me how contacting was going, studying, and the companionship. It went really well and I`m ready for transfers in two weeks. I am excited for a change. Afterwards Elder Leyva and I went to San Pedro to get the baptismal font ready. We have to turn on all the boilers and clean all the bugs out of the font. It`s a lot of work. Hermana Katia brought us some Domino`s to eat. Mexicans eat their pizza with ketchup and salsa. Disgusting. We baptized Paula-72 year old, her daughter Irais, and grandson Gerardo. We have been teaching them since I got here and we finally baptized them. Paula has a ton of faith-a ton. Irais had to quit smoking which took a lot of work. And Gerardo is just nuts. Elder Leyva baptized Paula. She was under for like 5 seconds and he was using all of his back to get her up. Finally she came up and used the railing on the side of the font to pull herself all the way out gasping for air. It was scary slash hilarious. Haha. I baptized Irais with no problem but with Gerardo I couldn`t say his name right. After like the 5th time messing his name up he finally said it and starting going down into the water! I was like "Who does this kid think he is baptizing himself?!" Haha. I finally got it right after that.
On Saturday I helped confirm the son of the Branch President as a member of the Church. That was a first. The family downstairs gives us breakfast every morning and dinner every night. Breakfast is usually eggs with tortilla or bread and chorizo too. Dinner is usually bread with chocolate milk or a sandwich or leftovers. There is roughly 13 pesos in one dollar and we get 1200 pesos a month. I get my money out at an ATM with a debit card. We have to use most of our money for the bus, food, and things for the house.  Right now we have about 12 progressing investitagors. The closest think to a ward mission leader is Hermano Carlos. I sent pictures of him. He just comes with us random days and we get lessons with a member present.
That`s all for this week. Once again we changed our P-day for this Saturday to go to the pyramids since our ride couldn`t go on Saturday. It is going to be sweet! Halloween here is called Dia de Muerto and people loving hanging dead people repilicas from their houses. It`s just great. It sealed Halloween as the worst holiday ever invented.
I am so glad to be a missionary. I love studying and preaching the gospel and I will be blessed the rest of my life for it. I know that Jesus is the Christ and I cannot wait for Christmas music. I love you!
Elder Hubbard.