Tuesday, March 24, 2015

23 Mar 2015 - Journal

Dear Famiry,

I'm running out of jokes and heard you guys went to a Japanese place the other night, its the best I got right now.
This past week I've been really determined to write in my journal every night all the blessings I've seen happen for us and for those we serve.

We've been praying for our investigators that have problems with there health and that are unable to attend church that they can feel the love of their Heavenly father through their trials whether they be physical or espitirtual.  I've seen lately the power of prayer and that our Heavenly Father is so willing to give if we are so willing to ask, and it didn't click with me until the other day when we were in a lesson with one our families that we found and I was comparing the experience that the mom had shared with prayer.  That its not just a one day thing, the more we pray the more we can show our desire to have those things we ask for and those things that we need. 

My purpose as a missionary is to invite others unto Christ and to teach with the Spirit.  It ends there but how we go about it and how we obtain that Spirit is essentially up to us missionaries.  When we choose to be disobedient to one of the rules that we have, we choose not to have the Spirit.  Having the Spirit is so essential in the life of a missionary because without Him we're not giving real life people the real life chance of accepting the gospel of Christ.  Without that Holy Ghost touching their heart, how are they supposed to feel that this is what God wants them to do? They can't. And it has been promised to everyone, anywhere (in Doctrine and covenants) that without the Spirit, you will not teach.

Something that I've really started to have a knack for is learning how to apply the scriptures to real life situations.  In the Book of Mormon and in the ministry of Christ in Mateo, Marcus y Lucas, I've not mastered, but rather started to begin to understand how to apply their words to my experiences.

On another note I think I'm lactose intolerant.  I've had milk and cereal about every morning this week and Jeremiah 4:19 explains well the pain I felt.  

Love you guys, glad the weather is a little better.
Elder Padilla

''Forsake not an old friend, for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine: when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.'' (Ecclesiasticus 9:10)

''The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'' (Psalms 110:1)

 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

16 Mar 2015 - Hard Work

Querido familia,
Nunca he trabajado tan duro en mi misión como lo hice en la semana pasada.  Tuvimos mucho trabajo, muchas citas y tantos contactos en la calle. He empezado a amar hablando acerca del evangelio con la gente aquí y en Martes pasada tuvimos intercambios con los líderes de zona. Elder Alvarez me enseño cómo a quitar mi miedo por medio las oportunidades que Él Señor nos envía para demostrar nuestra fe en Él. Enseñamos todo un camión lleno de gente y realmente no era tan aterrador.  Estoy agradecido por los dones y los talentos que he nacido con a lograr esas cosas que El Señor me has pedido a hacer.
Así que estas personas en las calles , llamados fariseos , básicamente lo que son es los viejos en los vestidos de cuentas como indios y bailan por dinero . Los sombreros que tienen son impresionantes. Ellos son de la religión católica , pero es una tradición aquí en Navojoa . Es realmente extraño pero divertido al mismo tiempo. Realmente quiero uno de allí sombreros , ya que sería un buen disfraz de Halloween. Y siempre se puede oírlos venir porque uno en de ellos siempre tiene un tambor que late en él mientras los demás bailan .Voy a enviar una imagen para ustedes para ver. 
El pasado Jueves a las 6 en la mañana, recibimos una llamada del Presidente Munive. Él nos dijo que tuvimos una reunión de capacitación en Obregón, que es una hora de distancia de nosotros, con los otros nuevo misioneros a las 9 am. En la reunión vimos un video sobre el principio de ' ' la práctica hace al maestro ' ' . De modo que practicamos la enseñanza de la restauración de la iglesia por medio del profeta José Smith. Y , por supuesto, de todos los grupos que practicaban , nuestro grupo era el que estaba ' ' clasificado ' ' por el presidente de la misión . Cada compañía se clasificó en una hoja para ver si se les enseña a todos los puntos de la doctrina en la lección de la restauración ! Nos matamos ! Yo estaba un poco nervioso, pero lo hicimos bastante bien.   

Tenemos muchas cosas a hacer entonces no tengo mucho tiempo a escribir. Estoy agradecido por ustedes y espero que el clima se mantiene caliente.

Les Amo!
Elder Padilla

Google translate

Dear family,
I've never worked so hard in my mission as I did last week. We had a lot of work, many appointments and many contacts in the street. I started to love talking about the gospel with people here and last Tuesday had exchanges with area leaders. Elder Alvarez showed me how to remove my fear through the opportunities that The Lord sends us to demonstrate our faith in Him. We teach a whole truckload of people and really was not that scary. I am grateful for the gifts and talents that I was born with to achieve those things that the Lord has called me to do.

So these people in the streets, called Pharisees, basically what they are is the oldest in the accounts as Indian dresses and dance for money. The hats they have are awesome. They are of the Catholic religion, but it is a tradition here in Navojoa. It is really strange but funny at the same time. I really want one of their hats, as it would be a good Halloween costume. And you can always hear them coming because one of them always has a drum beating on it while others dance  .I'll to send a picture for you to see.

Last Thursday at 6 in the morning, we received a call from President Munive. He told us we had a training session in Obregon, which is an hour away from us, with the other new missionaries at 9am. At the meeting we watched a video on the principle of 'practice makes perfect'. So we practiced teaching the restoration of the church through the prophet Joseph Smith. And of course, all groups practicing, our group was that was '' classified '' by the mission president. Each company was rated on a sheet to see if we taught at all points of doctrine in the lesson of restoration! We kill! I was a little nervous, but we did pretty well.

We have many things to do then I have little time to write. I am grateful for you and hope the weather stays warm.

Love you!
Elder Padilla



''Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.'' (Colossians 2:8) 


Genesis 9:8-16
8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

9 Mar 2015 - Rain Rain Rain

Querida Familia,
Esta semana pasada ha sido la más difícil de mi misión , creo.  En Martes literalmente llovió gatos y perros y  y nadie le gustan los misioneros en los días de lluvia , supongo porque estábamos caminando todo el día.  Yo tenía la oportunidad a usar mis botas un otro vez pero después 30 minutos de caminando mis pies se sentían como yo había caminado sobre vidrio.  En el fin del día mis pies tenían mucho dolor pero ellos fueron secas todavía. Yo no seguro si valió la pena pero fue un experiencia yo nunca voy a olvidar y yo he aprendido que próximo vez decidimos a caminar para todo el día, usa mis otros zapatos.
Ahora, estoy enseñando 4 investigadores Ingles y no he tenido la oportunidad a usar los libros de Ingles de Elder Garcia.  Las 4 personas sólo mostrarme sus tareas y juntos trabajamos a través de los problemas que tienen.  Con todo 4, yo he visto y pienso que el problema es los/las maestras/os de Ingles en las escuelas.
Así ultimo Domingo fue la conferencia de Estaca y recibimos una referencia de un miembro en nuestro barrio.  La referencia tiene 15 años y ella es una amiga de una de las jovencitas en el barrio.  Entonces, el pasado Jueves visitamos y resulta que ella es rica. Nunca he visto una casa más grande que esto , en México . Era como un panorama de una casa normal, muy largo y tiene un montón de pilares como el edificio de la capital en Washington DC.
La obra misional es sólo difícil cuando usted comienza a tener menos amor por la gente que usted sirve. He aprendido eso esta semana pasada y Lucas tengo un poco de sabiduría para compartir con usted.  Comience familiarizándose con Predicad Mi Evangelio y las escrituras que se enumeran en el interior.  Tambien empezar a practicar mirando a la gente a los ojos durante horas a la vez y no quedarse dormido . Esta habilidad le hará milagros en tu misión. Pero en verdad lenguaje corporal es muy importante para los investigadores a ver si usted realmente tiene interés en que las cosas ellos van a decirle.  Yo he oído que usted es un jefe con teatro y hablando enfrente de otros.  Entonces contactando personas no será un problema para usted, creo.  
Estoy bien y trabajando duro.
Les Amo!
Elder Padilla


Google Translate:

Dear Family,
This past week has been the hardest of my mission, I think. On Tuesday literally rained cats and dogs and and nobody likes missionaries in rainy days, I guess because we were walking all day. I had the opportunity to wear my boots another time but after 30 minutes of walking my feet felt like I had walked on glass. At the end of the day my feet were very painful but they were dry yet. Not sure if it was worth it but it was an experience I'll never forget and I have learned that next time we decided to walk all day, using my other shoes.

Now I am teaching English four investigators and have not had the opportunity to use English books Elder Garcia. 4 people only show their work and together we work through the problems they have. With all 4 I've seen and I think the problem is the / teachers / of English in schools.

So last Sunday was the Stake conference and received a referral from a member in our neighborhood. The reference is 15 and she is a friend of one of the girls in the neighborhood. Then, last Thursday we visited and it turns out she is rich. I've never seen a bigger than this in Mexico home. It was like a scene from a normal, long house and has lots of pillars as the capital building in Washington DC.

Missionary work is only difficult when you start to have less love for the people you serve. I've learned this past week and Luke have some wisdom to share with you. Start becoming familiar with Preach My Gospel and the scriptures listed in the interior. Also start practicing looking at people's eyes for hours at a time and do not fall asleep. This skill will make miracles in your mission. But in truth body language is very important for investigators to see if you really have interest in things they will say. I heard that you are a boss with theater and speaking in front of others. Then contacting people will not be a problem for you, I think.
I am well and working hard.

Love you all!
Elder Padilla




''And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.'' (Genesis 7:10)

''And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.'' (Genesis 2:18)

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

2 Mar 2015 - Stake Conf.

Querida Familia, 


Sorry for the Spanish-gram last time, Elder Garcia and I said that we'd write in only the language we were learning, hahaha his letter in English was about 3 and a half lines. Poor guy. 

Yesterday was stake conference and more than anything in both priesthood and general session the talks were about how the members of the stake needed to start helping us missionaries with the work. Our ward on average has 55 members attending church and its been difficult working with the members because they just don't have the desire to help. It's frustrating at times, but I feel like the meetings yesterday really were eye-openers!! It was a bit blunt but I guess that's what was necessary!

After the meeting we broke our fast at a member's home and dined like kings.  There's two types of tortillas that the people make here, tortillas de maiz y tortillas de harina. The tortillas de harina are rolled out in thin circles of dough and are still kept un poco doughy when you eat them. Hermana Isela, se llama, made about 70 of them and I don't how or why but I ate about half of them.  It was like the more she made the more hungry I got. 
After the meal we went to the house of Guadalupe. Guadalupe's daughter's boyfriend is Jose Manuel.  Jose Manuel is the 18 year boy that we're teaching and is the one who wants to become a missionary. He is always that her house so when we went over we asked him how his reading was going. He really likes reading about Nefi. After that I gave a lesson in English to his girlfriend. The number one problem in this part of Mexico about learning English in the schools is that the teachers never speak the language to the students. Also that they don't know what they're talking about hahaha.

I'm teaching about 5 of our investigators English right now and it's really cool, I kinda love it! Who knows, maybe I'll be an English teacher when I grow up. But yeah the books I use to help them learn English are the same books that Elder Garcia uses to study and they're full of gospel phrases and words, so it's like killing two birds with one stone.

Everything is going great and we're planning for 4 to 5 baptisms this transfer!
Love you guys!
Elder Padilla


''He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.'' (Isaiah 40:11)