How`s life? It`s already December! That`s nuts. I have been in Topilejo since August. Since Shayla`s birthday. By now I am guessing the 4th addition of her Christmas list has already been given to mom and dad. Hahaha. Love you sis;) Some people have Christmas lights up here now and I have seen some other Christmas trees. It still feels like it`s the middle of summer. My face is so burnt and I had a sun spot on my hand that finally went away after a month. But don`t worry, I put sunscreen on every day. Monday and Tuesday we had to leave our heater on all day with the door shut because it was freezing at night. But the sun still burns. It`s so weird.
On Monday night Elder Leyva and I taught the rest of the district in our meeting about having the faith to find people to teach and helping them. The district meetings and the meetings with the zone leaders on Sunday nights are some of the best things about the mission.
On Tuesday Hermano Carlos went with us all day and we got a ton of lessons with a member present which is always good. Hermana Angeles` grandson was in a coma with chicken pox so we prayed and fasted for him. He got better but he is still in the hospital. (We live in Hermana Angeles` house.) He is a cute little kids like six years old. We were all pretty worried for him.
In Mèxico, people have to have water brought to their house in big trucks called Pipas. They just unload the water into big tanks under the houses. On Wednesday, the drivers all thought they were funny and decided to go on strike. So nobody gets water! We saw like 60 year old ladies carrying two five gallon buckets each of water up the huge hills in Topilejo. Elder Leyva and I helped them and contacted them too. The old ladies here are beasts. But the strike is over now so its all good.
On Thursday we had to go to Correos de Mèxico to get my package! Thank you so much. Elder Leyva really likes his shirt and he loved Kristi`s jerkey. Tell her thank you. I love the package though, definitely good to have some candy not covered in chili powder. Haha. That night we taught Alvaro and Taide and their 5 sons and one daughter. It was our second lesson with them and we taught the Restoration. They accepted it really well. I hope they get baptized. It would help our branch out a ton. Right now they are praying to know if Josè Smith was a prophet. We also taught the boy`s we just baptized that night with their mom. We gave her a Book of Mormon and some reading to do.
Yesterday we didn`t have any investigators come to church. I was bummed! We went to pick them up and we didn`t find any. It was stake conference in San Pedro so that might have had a lot to do with it. Lazy bums. Presidente Chàvez was there and talked. I love that guy. His talk was straight power too. He could be the best teacher I have ever met. Then last night after the meeting with the zone leaders we watched the Christmas devotional. We watched the first part in spanish and the second part in english. I miss the Christmas devotional at home with the family, the pellet stove, and cookies and hot chocolate. Oh well. Their talks were all great. I am so glad I get to spread the message of Christ with the people here and tell them that He lives, and loves them, and wants them to be healed of all their problems. I liked how President Monson said, "Become more interested in people more than in things." I have prayed so much while I have been here to love the people and little by little I feel my love increase. The pure love of Christ is what makes people happy to live and we need to feel it for everyone.
For Christmas here some people believe in Santa Claus and other people have the Tres Magos. They are like the three kings and supposedly bring presents to the kids. The family downstairs wants to do a gift exchange and I drew a 12 year old named Christian. I don`t know what to get him. You will have to call me at Christmas or Christmas Eve at our house. We can`t skype or anything cool like that. Our mission president is pretty strict if you haven`t noticed. We can`t even drink coke! That would be enough to send some people home. Haha.
Alright that`s all she wrote for this week. We are going to the centro now to find some 30 peso ties. I had a dream I got robbed by two little kids last night so let`s hope that doesn`t happen. Haha. Actually I threw my cell phone in one of the kids face and ran from them. Anyways...awkward. I love you!
Elder Hubbard
Monday, December 5, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
28 Deciembre 2011! (He's confused!)
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
Monday, November 21, 2011
Hey Family,
His house
Tyler's Aztec Calendar
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
Monday, November 14, 2011
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.
Monday, November 7, 2011
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
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