July 27 in Aeropuerto, Veracruz City

Well, I'm back again! This week has flown by. Changes were last week and me and Elder Chamberlain will be together another transfer! That means I will have been with him for longer than any other companion. I'm super excited because we get along super well, he's definitely one of my favorite companions ever, and at this point, one of my best friends. We're also having loads of success, with what looks to be 4 weeks baptizing in a row! Looks like the chain will break after that for 1 or 2 weeks but then it'll start right up again! We've laerned a ton together and we keep trying to make each other better and better. 

This week I have learned a lot about grace. Grace is divine assitence or power endowed to us from God. It comes as a result of our efforts to do what's right. When we really truly do what we can to diligently keep his commandments, when we earnestly seek to become true disciples of Christ (when we seek to truly love one another with the love of Christ, which is charity) we unlock the grace of god, the windows of heaven, so that His grace may fill our lives and His blessings may abound. For missionaries, sometimes that means that we work as hard as we can, and if we're obediant, we find people to teach who want to learn. But for a normal person, this may mean that when we feel lost, confused, like we don't know what to do or maybe what MORE can we do, things just start to go right. 

The blessings of grace are avaible to all of us through obedience to the divine principles and commandments that God has given us (and to help us be obedient to them). I invite all of you to think about how grace could help you in your lives, and to do what is required to recieve it. 

I know this church is true, I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I wouldn't give up two years of my life for a lie. Maybe it's hard for you to understand how I can know these things, but if you chose to have faith, to believe that they could be true, then you will begin to understand.

Love you guys, until next week!

July 20 in Aeropeurto, Veracruz City

Well, this was another awesome week. We had another baptism this week, of the son of B.! His name is M. and he is super awesome. He's already read, like half of the Book of Mormon and he's only 13. He's super chill.

This week we will be having another baptism, of a woman named M. M and her husband, S, have been taught by us for quite some time, but we never felt like they were ready for baptism. Recently, the only problem is that S. has trouble obeying the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy. He doesn't work always on Sundays. It's usually every other week. But...for Christ, that's not good enough. Not working on the Sabbath is a serious problem in Mexico. The culture in Mexico is work and work and work. Tons of hours, with very little pay. It's horrible. They're slaves to it. God would love to liberate them, and effectively He has; He has extended his hand to all of us that are slaves of work to keep His commandment of the Sabbath Day, and He will bless us with everything we need. But being saved is a two person process. There must be one who is above, and he must extend his hand. But also the one who is beneath must reach. When Peter started to sink after walking on water, I don't think he just called out and said, "Lord, Save Me!" and then left his hands down by his sides. He reached out, he strained, and that allowed the Savior to grasp him and pull him out of the water. We are all like Peter at some point or another, and we can only be saved if we reach out and take His hand, through keeping the commandments.

S.realized this last night in a lesson we had with them. 

I'm super grateful to be out here and to be able to help these people. I know that the only way to walk through the storm that is this life and not sink is to keep our gaze firmly on the Savior, keeping His commandments, and when we fail, because we will, we must implore His saving grace and reach out our hands through repentance, so that He may reach down and save us with the power of His infinite atonement.

Jully 13 in Aeropuerto

Sorry I don't have a ton of time!

Well this week was great! Elder Chamberlain and I wanted to work a little harder, and so we put the goal to contact 100 people this week! In this mission that goal is INSANE high. and guess what!? we made it. At 8:45 Saturday night we made our 100th contact. We have seen the blessing of grace in the work through our diligence so much this week, more than ever before! Beatrice (not her real name) got baptized (pictures coming asap). Her son is getting baptized this week. The husband of Beatrice FINALLY came to church and felt the spirit really strong in her baptism! S. and M., another young couple that we're working with, got married! And a man named (A.), who we had stoped teaching about 2 weeks ago because he said he wouldn't stop working on Sundays, came up to us and said he quit his job so that he could keep the day of rest and be with his family and in his new one he won't work on Sundays! He's super excited as well!!! 

These are the blessings of grace that come from true diligence in the work, and it applies to everything in life. When God has seen that we have done all that we can do, he blesses us. With forgivness, success, or whatever he sees fit. The only condition is doing what we can. We know when we've done it all, and when there's still more left. I urge all of you that want to change something in your life, be it school or work or forgivness or personal change, to put God's things first, and do all that you can. If you're feeling lazy then get up and do that last bit. If you're afraid to do it, don't worry, God protects those who do what's right, he fights their battles, and whatever problem you face, you face because he wants you to grow. 

I love you guys I hope you all have a great week and talk to you next week!!!

July 6 in Aeropuerto, Veracruz City

Well, everyone, I've been here in the Aeropuerto ward for some time now, about 2 months, and I'm pleased to announce that we will finally be having some converts!!! After lots of work and effort, a person that has become a dear friend of mine has decided that she wants to be baptized. 

Beatrice (name has been changed)  is 30 something, has two kids, and lives with her second husband. She will be baptized this Sunday and her son who is 13 will be baptized next week. We found Beatrice forever ago but she didn't progress because she didn't come to church, even though she had recieved her answer that this was true. Her husband works 24 hour shifts every other day, and though he is a super nice guy, has never wanted anything with church. But Beatrice and their son have changed tremendously, and now her husband wants to come to Beatrice's baptism! We're going to baptize her on his birthday. We hope he feels the spirit and decides to follow them so that they can have an eternal family. 

One thing that I have been impressed with about Beatrice is her dedication. She doesn't have much money. She got offered a really good job, but the problem was that she would have to work every other Sunday. She came to us and asked us if she should take it, because she needed the money. We read the story of Nephi and the brass plates and obedience with her, and she understood.  God made the heavens, and the earth, and all things that in them are. Heavenly Father knows we have need of these things. Beatrice rejected the work offer. Then, another work offer came, with a very good income, but the same conditions: breaking the commandment of the Sabbath day. She rejected it again. And not too long afterwards, she was offered a job where she only has to work 3-4 days a week, and gets payed the same amount as she would have with those other jobs! Beatrice has developed a testimony of obedience. 

When life gets tough, if you will be obedient, then God will care for you through his commandments. But, like a little child that crosses a busy road against the wishes of his parents, when we are disobedient, the world may harm us. Be obedient. It is not a burden, but a blessing. Have the faith to stay true to the One who made you, who has stayed true to you since the beginning. Give thanks unto Him daily, observe His commandments, and He will go before your face, lifting you up, and providing you with peace beyond comprehension. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.