26 Septiembre

Buenas Tardes!

I don´t even know how to spell buenas, buenes. Fail. So this week was a little bit slower.  We have some great investigators that love listening to us but they won´t keep their committments and aren´t progressing that well.  Every week we find new ones that always seem promising.  Topilejo had had like 1 baptism the whole year before we got here which should tell you a little bit about how well they listen here. One frustration is our branch.  There is almost no support for missionary work.  We watch all of these DVD´s about Preach My Gospel during companionship study and the missionaries in the states have all of these things to work with.  Members at lessons, cars, phones, ward mission leaders, bishops. It´s a little hard without all of those things.  In church yesterday I looked around and realized that the only men in the congregation were me, and two investigators. Haha.  This week we found out that we are not going to work in Ajusco any more after October 4.  Two more missionaries are going to be put there.  That will be better for us because we will spend less time traveling and less money too.   We had to find a house this week for them.  We found a perfect one it has two rooms and a bathroom.  Running water and everything.  No kitchen though.  The missionaries there might starve.  It´s pretty hard to find poptarts out here.  On Friday we had Zone Conference.  I really don´t know where that was but we took a taxi to get there.  The taxi drivers are impressive to say the least.  I think after my mission I will never get motion sick again in my life.  At Zone Conference Presidente Chavez spoke almost the entire time.  He is such a good teacher and knows the scriptures like Bruce R. McKonkie.  He was a seminary teach back in the day.  He talked a ton about how the world is getting more and more dangerous and there are Economic crisises and natural disasters.  He said he wants us to prepare to be good fathers.  He also in 20 years the church will have 100 million members.  I don´t know where that number came from but it sounds good to me.  Presidente also told us to do the right things for the right reasons.  Very important.  I love listening to him.  We will get a new mission president in June.  He rules with an iron fist but that is because a lot of elders struggle being obedient.  After Zone Conference we went to Ajusco to work the rest of the day.  It rained all day long.  We were walking to La Comida and I totally biffed it. Way hard.  But I got up and I didn´t even have mud on my suit. It was pretty crazy. I am so uncoordinated, but it might be because its always wet and my shoes are slick on the bottoms.  This week more fiestas started.  We had to quit early on Saturday.  It is a Catholic Holiday celebrating some Saint, I don´t know.  All I know is that in two days they baptized 1000 people into the Catholic church.  Only in Topilejo!! Elder Leyva and I want to go Samuel the Lamanite on them but that is frowned upon and also I value my life.  Saturday night we got to teach in the Castillo home who live right below us.  They have a man working for them who is indian.  He speaks pretty good Spanish but his wife very little.  We taught them part of the plan of salvation with as many pictures as possible.  I don´t know how much they understood but I can´t wait for the day when all of the descendents of Lehi receive the gospel in their language. You should hear them talk to each other. Que suave.   So we had two investigators at church yesterday in Topilejo.  Elder Leyva went to Ajusco.  I had to wake up this 15 year old boy to go to church.  He is such a good kid and baptism will be soon.  We gave a blessing this week to this poor mama that is suffering from depression and taught a Testigo de Jehovah.  That´s always fun.  We ate hot dogs three times this week. One with salsa verde, one with creme, and one actually on a bun!!! America is missing out on all of these ways to eat a Hot Dog. Not really.  Elder Leyva is a stud. I have never seen anybody iron jeans and a t-shirt like he can. He is from Trujillo, Peru which is like 4 blocks from the ocean.  He has told me that he will never come back to Mexico City. Haha.  Ocassionally we break out in USA chants Miracle style. He works way hard, loves the dance, likes to try to sing in english, and is really good at teaching with examples.  He has had one uncle as president of a mission in Peru and another as temple president so he has a good family.  He only has one younger sister, I think she is 17.  I am supposed to stay with him for another transfer but who knows what will happen because Ajusco is going to have other missionaries.  They might spilt us up.  The family downstairs, the Castillos, are so nice.  They are all women for some reason and all sisters and moms and grammas.  The great gramma is 100 years old, she has five daughters-Herman Lulu, Angeles, and Tibea. I don´t know the others. And then there is the daughter of Hermana Angeles who is Katea and has two kids, Paco and Fernanda.  Her husband works in San Diego.  She said to tell you high.  They love the missionaries and we can go down for breakfast, comida, or dinner whenever we want.  They never ask anything from us in return.  Really nice, loving, loud people.  Topilejo is straight ghetto.  I have never seen something so beautiful yet so ugly.  Everything has something growing green out of it but at the same time there is garbage and grafiti everywhere.  Not to mention anorexic dogs and drunk people.  Once I counted 12 ish dogs in front of us on the street.  They never come after us though. Our apartment is cold at night but I have some massive blankets and I sleep good.  My pillow is like a rock, I really want to buy a new one.  I am so thankful for your love and I always look forward to hearing from you!!! Have a great week.  This P-day was just another chill one in Topilejo.  We can´t play with our district because our district leader went to the hospital.  Alright I will stop rambling.  I love you!!

Elder Hubbard

19 Septiembre 2011

¿Que paso?

This week has flown by once again.  The time is going by so fast here.  How is everybody?? Thank you for all of your letters!! I still can´t send any hand written ones thanks to the non-existence of the US post office in Mexico.  I got some dear elders a week ago and I laughed so hard I cried.  First of all, Shayla.  Aunt Fest??? Really?  Get married already buddy. Haha. Chiste.  And I feel dad´s pain in his letters.  Forever 45...Haha. Anyways.

I´m not going to lie, nothing very exciting happened this week.  I thought the 15th of September was Independence Day.  All day long I thought this.  Until the next day I found out it was actually independence day. That was awkward.  But at the same time it, was like having two Christmases right in a row! Minus the joy and happiness.  This whole weekend was a giant party.  On Saturday night, the neighbors had a fiesta that had bumping music until 5 in the morning.  And all of the time these little kids are setting of these mini atomic bomb things.  The first time I heard them I thought somebody was dying.  We were walking one day by a Catholic church and some little kids were hiding. All of the sudden BOOM.  They set one off in the wall of the church.  This is not your average Fourth of July.

This whole week we didn´t go to Ajusco.  Only Topilejo.  We have 8 people that have said yes to baptism.  The only problem is we have to get them to stop working on sunday and come to church.  On Tuesday I ate rabbit at Andrea´s house.  It was actually way good and fresh.  It tasted a lot like chicken but had a lot more flavor.  Kentucky Fried Rabbit please. Wednesday I went to the area Cedral on intercambios again.  When I go there my companion is Elder Torres from Chiahuaha. We stay for like 2 hours at every appointment and it is not very enjoyable.  On our way back to Topilejo we fit like 35 people into an 18 passenger van.  That smelled worse that Priest´s quorum. Just kidding. But seriously.  On Thursday-day one of Mexican Independance Day- we had to get up at like 5 and go downtown to the offices.  Elder Reid, Beal, and Herman were all there.  It was so good to see them.  I love those kids.  We had to go to the consulate and sign our VISAs. I think now we are all legal.  I remember I ate 10 tacos al pastor afterwards. So good. The return trip to Toplilejo took a good 4 hours.  Presidente Chavez said we couldn´t work after mid day for our safety so we went home and I took a three hour nap. There are a lot of people here that need help.  But they don´t know that the only thing that will help them is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There are alcholics, sick people, poor people, and depressed.  The don´t realize that Heavenly Father just wants them to experiment keeping the commandments.  We just have to give Him the chance and He will bless us.  There is no other way to find peace in this live and there is no other way for eternal life in the world to come.  I get frustrated sometimes because I can´t fully express myself.  But I know that the Lord wants me to be a missionary and He wants His children to come unto Christ.  That is the only reason I am here.  We were going to baptise 3 people yesterday-a family.  But they didn´t come to church.  This week I realized that we need to baptize faithful members of the church, not inactives.  They need to have testimonies so they can go to the temple some day.   We have a lot of work to do this week.  I wish we had a car. Haha. Sorry about the no pictures this week.  I can´t get the computer to work.  Hopefully next weeks letter will be more interesting.  I have been in Mexico for four weeks! It is a ton better than the MTC.  I love you all a ton!!  If you send a package make sure to load it up with tape and Virgin Mary´s!!  Have a good week!

Chau,

Elder Hubbard  

12 Septiembre 2011

¿Qué tal familia?
I don´t have a lot of time to write this week thanks to a dumb survey that I just had to take for Predicad Mi Evangelio.  How are you??? Thank your letters. They are the best.  Don´t worry about using dear elder.  On Monday nights we always have a district meeting at 6:30.  I always write to you in a city called San Pedro.  That is where our stake center is.  My district leader is Elder Luna. He is a huge Mexican and I love the way he teaches.  This week as been really foggy and not rainy which was a good change.  When you´re out in the country the fog is creepy and the dogs get a little bit jumpy. I hate dogs.  I will never own one in my life.  So we started teaching a boy named Brian after church last Sunday.  Yesterday we baptized him!  He really liked the lessons and us and lives with members.  I got the opportunity to baptize him because they drew my name out of a hat.  I was lucky.    We helped more investigadores get to church this week.  We taught them the doctrine of keeping the Sabbath day holy and more came. Very cool.  Yesterday I had to give a talk in church! In Ajusco. It was about Charity and I think I did good.  The Presidente there is a big help to us. We eat at his house once a week.  He is really poor and such a good guy.  They give what they can.  He told me that I did great and that the gift of tongues is real. My spanish really isn´t horrible.  I can listen to most conversations and know what they are saying.   So I really have no time now after this garbage computer stopped working. Frustrating.  Elder Leyva and I cleaned our apartment all day today.  I don´t think anyone had ever done that there.  It looks brand new now.  So I promise next weeks letter will be longer and better.  Tell Tommy I say Congratulations and Viva Mexico.  The 15 de Septiembre is the Dia de Indepencia here so I hope you all eat some tacos for me.  I love you!!!
Elder Hubbard

Hola Familia y amigos!!!

This week flew by and was way faster than the first week in México.  I wanted to tell you that I can only email my family and I will have to figure out how to send letters to the rest.  Mom and Dad, and my family--you should email me every week so I can read them on Monday.  Dearelder is way to slow and I have to wait till I go to the mission offices to see them. 
Okay, so this week was busy.  Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are always spent in Topilejo.  Wednesdays and Fridays in Santo Tomas Ajusco.  It is like a 20 minute bus ride. On Tuesday, we taught all day with this member named Hermano Carlos.  He is such a boss. He knows every single person in town.  He has only been a member for a year but helps us out whenever he can.  With him at some lady´s apartment we at grasshopper.  Dried and fresh.  That was interesting. Haha. They tasted a lot like sun flower seeds and the legs were way hard to get down.  On Tuesday and Wednesday both we did a lot of walking and not so much teaching.  That is never fun, especially in these mountainous hills.  On Thursday morning we had to go to the mission offices to sign some papers for my VISA.  We didn´t know how to get there because neither of us know the downtown area but we kept meeting members and other missionaries that helped us.  We´re never left by ourselves even when we think we are.  On the way back a drunk crazy guy popped out of nowhere.  He starting yelling at me in Spanish and then in English and then I said that I couldn´t speak English.  He kept telling me to get out of the country.  It was way funny and pathetic.  He asked me if I spoke dutch too.  Weird. We had a really good lesson with a 15 year old named Mauro too.  He is getting baptized as soon as he gets two church attendances.  The problem here is everyone works during church.  We also taught three other people- the Hernandez family who will get baptized as soon as they go to church too. It´s frustrating.  Yesterday we had ten people say they would come to church and only two of them did.  We taught them the commandments this week and they are giving up smoking and drinking coffee.  They taught us the law of tithing, we didn´t even have to say anything. Haha.  I told the Castillos-the family that takes care of us-that everybody at home calls me Hubbs.  Now that what they call me but it sounds like Hobbs. It´s pretty funny.  We have another investigator who believes everythng and is in Alma in the Book of Mormon but has to work every Sunday. Uggghh.  Friday night the familia Castillo took us out to get tacos.  Taco al pastor is the best food that I have ever had.  It is like from pork I think, all different cuts of pork, and then pineapple on top.  I can pound down so many of them.  We filled out some registros bautismal on Saturday.  Sorry I don´t know what that is in english.  It was for that familia Hernandez.  Hopefully they will be ready by the end of this month.  We went to Andrea´s-the girl I baptized- house this week.   They were cleaning their pig pen so we helped them with that.  They are such a happy family now which is good to see.  Their mom needs to get married before we can baptize her.  Afterwards we went wayyy out of town to visit some investigators.  On our way a drunk guy asked us for money and I went with my go to- I don´t speak Spanish.  He asked Elder Leyva if I was from the CIA.  He thought I was a spy and also told me that I should leave or he would do very nice things to me.  Haha. I said, Buenas Tardes.  We had a great lesson after that though.  We taught the First Vision and the family said they felt a lot of peace.  We are going back there this week.  I finished the Book of Mormon again on Saturday and I know that it is true.  Now I am going to read it in Spanish to see if it is true in another language. Yesterday at church we only had the two people come.  The 15 year old´s name was Brian. After church we taught him a lesson and he is going to be baptized on the 11th! I can´t wait and I hope it works out.  We went to his house last night and taught some more.  There was also a man named Abraham there and his wife.  They want to be baptized but are leaving tomorrow and will be gone for a year.  The lesson was way good.  We just talked about priesthood blessing because Abraham had asked for one.  I did the annointing but I had to in English becuase I don´t know it in Spanish.  Afterwards we said he felt something start at his head and melt all the way down his body.  I thought that was cool. Everybody describes the Holy Ghost differently.  I mentioned I liked Cruz Azul and he left and came back and gave me an original jersey.  These people here are so giving and loving.  He played for Cruz Azul and is a coach there now.  It´s a sick jersey and I am amazed at how nice people are here even when they don´t have a lot.  This guy lives in a shack and he just gives me something for know reason.  I gave him the tie I was wearing in return and said he had to wear it to church, baptism, and to the temple. He agreed.  Yesterday morning I was in the shower and something bad happened.  The soap slipped out of my hand and landed right in the toilet.  It wouldn´t have flushed so I had to do work last night and get it. Haha. Who puts the toilet in the shower?  Today for P-day our district went downtown and looked around.  I bought a tie for like 4 dollars and also had some McDonalds thanks to the Shelly Fund! Haha. Thank you.  We saw Zocolo which is like one of the biggest national monument here and a huge Catholic church.  The feeling inside was eery.  Not like the temple.  The branch in Topilejo has like 30 people every Sunday and I haven´t been to the one in Ajusco yet.  They are both houses, not churches and very small.  I want to combine the two towns and make a ward.  We get 1200 pesos a month which is like 110 dollars I think. Most of it we use for the bus and I don´t know what else.  I need some stuff though.  Spanish here is harder to listen too but when I ask them to slow down I can understand most of it.  I still need more vocab.  A lot more.  They also have a lot of phrases here that you have to learn or you won´t under stand.  Like Qué tranza, it means What´s in your veins? but it just means What´s up.  Okay I have to go to a meeting now.  I was going to send more pictures but I hope you enjoy these.  Have a great week, I love you!

Con cariño,

Elder Hubbard

No email yet! But some cool photos!!

I think Monday's could really try my patience waiting for Tyler to email. These are cool pictures. I have no idea where they were taken. When I find out, I will let you know!!

Two letters AND PICTURES in one day!! Hurray!!

So apparently it is bad to take pictures during baptisms but we found out yesterday that is it.  I wanted you to see this one anyways. It could be my favorite picture of all time.We are going to baptize her mom as soon as we can get her married.  At every church meeting they ask me to direct music which I don´t know how to do it.  The songs are completely butchered.  I should probably learn how.  Shayla, the picture with the corn is for you.  Straight out of Nacho Libre.  It is grilled corn with mayonaise, lime, chile powder and cheese.  Suprisingly good but very gross to think about.  I have already eaten it twice.  The first time I thought I was going to throw up afterwards for sure but I didn´t even get a stomach ache.  It was so messy.  No wonder it is on his face the whole movie. Every night I sleep like a baby.  I have never slept so well in my life.  We walk so much. I love it. My pillow is a brick.  Our toilet is pretty much right under the shower head. Haha.  From Topilejo we can see Mexico City really well. On clear days we there is no end to the city in the distance.  It´s baffling.  My companion is always trying to speak english.  I can understand him better in Spanish.  It takes like five minutes for each picture to load so I will keep sending them but not very many at a time.

 

So far today I woke up and did some exercises in our apartment.  It is so cold in the morning.  We did some personal study and then had breakfast at Hermana Lulu´s (the lady that feeds us and does our laundry) She made eggs with potatoes and salsa.  I love it.  Better than Taco Bell.  I haven´t even seen a Taco Bell here. If I do I am eating there.  Then we went to San Pedro and met four members of our district.  We played some basketball. Me playing with 5, 5 feet tall missionaries.  Not very much fun.  They don´t even know who Jimmer is.  Then we played some fútbol which was also not that fun.  The altidude kills the lungs.  Now I am here in this little store off the side of the street that has more technology than I have seen in a week. I will probably have to pay a ton for how long I have used the computer.  I don´t think I´ll have time to write any more letters today but next Monday for sure.  I´m going to get some tacos now! I hope you like the pictures.

Con cariño,

Elder Hubbard

Finally!! It has been a long week waiting for this!!

Holaaaa!!!
I finally get to write to you! And in English! I have been waiting so long for this I don´t know where to start.  So I talked to mom and dad Wednesday at the airport and then we left.  The flight to Mexico City was way short.  I had a hard time believing we were in México.  México City is massive.  I can´t even describe it.  We started flying over it and all I could see were houses and more houses and businesses and more businesses.  It is insane.  We got off the plane and went through customs and I had no idea what was going on or what these people were saying but we finally find the missionaries who came to pick us up and left.  It was raining like always.  Every single afternoon it rains and every night is like the biggest lightning storm I have ever seen.  It is actually pretty sick.  We went to the mission offices and then to the mission home.  The mission home is like a temple on the inside.  It is so beautiful.  President Chavez and his wife made us our first Mexican dinner.  It was Salmon with rice or something and I almost guarantee I won´t be eating that for the next to years.  He and the AP´s taught us about the mission vision for a way long time which I didn´t get much out of because we woke up at three in the morning.  That night we slept at the Mexico MTC which is right next to the temple.  Everything is so short for me.  I hit my head on the doorway yesterday at church.  Tuesday morning we went to a stake center for transfers.  My companion is Elder Leyvas from Peru.  He is a great missionary and I can already tell we are gonna be good friends.  He has taught me a ton in the last week and he has only been a missionary since February.  Our area is called Topilejo.  It is in the outsides of Mexico City.  It is so green and beautiful.  I love it.  I am so glad I am not in the middle of the city.  Out here is packed too but not as much. We walk and take buses everywhere.  The drivers our insane.  Mom couldn´t handle Mexico City because there are almost as many dogs as people plus being on the streets is worse than Space Mountain.  We took the metro to the stake center tuesday and Elder Herman bulldosed into it because it was so packed and then so I would get left behind I grabbed his hand and pulled myself in.  I had to stand with my hands above my head because there was no room.  That is a could summary of Mexico City. Haha.  Here in Topilejo our apartment isn´t too shabby.  Our neighbors our members and feed us twice a day and do our laundry.  They are way nice.  All older woman.  Sometimes I am scared to death because there are like four of them screaming at me in spanish trying to get me to eat the food how they want it.  Haha..  When we got to Topilejo on Tuesday I went with Elder Leyvas to exchange a soda bottle.  I started talking to a man there named Lalo and he invited us to teach him.  My first contact.  So sweet.  Our first lesson was with a woman named Rebeca who is going to be baptized but has to get married first.  The problem with every one here.  Her house was like a chicken coupe.  All houses our way poor.  They always have metal bars and front doors too.  I will send pictures.  We contacted a ton that day and found a family with like 9 little girls and taught a lesson.  We are going back this week.  On Thursday I went to a pueblo called Cedral on an exchange and spent the night there with Elder Torres.  We did a lot of walking without teaching much.  On Friday we were looking for a contact and couldn´t find the house.  We had no idea where it was.  I knocked on a random door and it was the right one.  We taught one of our best lessons so far there.  I gave a Book of Mormon to a kid named Alberto from New York who was estatic to see an American.  I stick out here.  The little kids stare at my hair.  I invited a family to be baptized on our first visit.  We taught them about the gospel and I asked them to be baptized when they knew are message was true and they said yes!! The people here are so humble and friendly.  They will give me anything and each other anything.  Every house we go to they want us to have lemonade or jarritos.  So get ready for this...On Saturday I baptized a little girl! Elder Leyva is way nice to have asked me.  We went to a church in San Pedro like 20 minutes away because all we have is a branch and a little house for a church.  It took all day to fill the font and find baptismal clothes for the little girl.  I leaned over the font once and pulled a Herb Hubbard.  All of the contents of my front pocket into the font.  Haha.  She is a little nine year old and so cute.  She had the biggest smile on her face after I baptized her.  It was such a happy day.  I had to practice saying her name for like an hour to get it down.  But I ended up messing up somewhere in the rest of the prayer and had to do it twice.  Haha.  It was such a good take and I am so lucky to have had that opportunity.  Afterwards I had my first street taco.  It was so good.  All of the food here is.  We eat tortillas with almost every meal and just have different things for them.  I´ll tell you more about that in the weeks to come.  So I am definitely not in Fallon, NV anymore.  It is green not brown.  There are people not cows.  It is almost cold at some parts of the day not a billion degrees.  And it rains all of the time.  I have the third smalled mission in the world.  After temple square and Mexico City Northwest.  It was split while I was in the MTC.  I love it here! I have not been sick, I am preaching the gospel, and I have not been robbed which I don´t think will ever happen.  It feels so good to be out of the MTC.  I know that every single one of these people needs the gospel and I have it.  I can help give it to them.  The language is going so well.  I still have a ton to learn but I am getting much better understanding the natives.  If the conversation is about the Gospel, I am straight cash.  Elder Leyva helps me with the language all of the time.  Within the next month I think I will be able to understand every thing and speak most things.  Everything here is grafitied, people sing when they are selling things on the street, it is the weirdest sound. Thank you for letting me come and supporting me!! I won´t let you down. I love you so much.  If you have any questions just ask me and I will answer them.  The only people I am allowed to email is my family.
My address is
Misión Ciudad de México Sur
Av. Progreso 106, 3º piso
Barrio Santa Catarina, Coyoacán
DF, México 04010
México
or you can use pouch
I love you! I still can´t believe I am here.  I walk on the streets and laugh because it is so funny.  I now understand a lot more about life.  haha.  I will write every Monday!
Love,
Elder Hubbard (NOBODY can say Hubbard. Nobody.)