27 Jul 2015 - Dads Wisdom...

Hey Family,

This week was so great but a little tough. We didn't have a ton of success with finding new investigators but the ones we have are doing good! More than half of the lessons that we had planned this week fell through but I'm hopeful for the week to come. This is the week before the transfers so we're going to buckle down a bit more. 

I'm not sure why but all of sudden the drunk men have been very interested in us and they love to talk. It was funny in the beginning but now not really. Every time we see them, we book it. 

This week was really great to reflect on my progress as a missionary and to see the things that I need to change or make better. It was awesome because yesterday I was able to give a talk in Sacrament meeting about the Atonement and it may not have been the best talk ever written but I thought a ton about what Jesus Christ has done for me, but not only what he's done, but what he's made possible for me to become. I spoke about the enabling power of the Atonement and how we literally receive strength when we learn how to ''apply the Atonement.'' (Mosiah 4:2)

I feel great and pretty much the worst thing that you can do, talking to you Luke, on your mission is become discouraged. Because when we choose to give less of ourselves, when we're already promised to give everything that we have, we start wasting time that isn't ours. Be ye anxiously engaged in a good cause and learn to love it because you already know dad's going to make you do it weather you like it or not. ''You can go on a mission and be happy about it or go on a mission and be sad about it. Pick your poison.'' (dad)

But seriously all is good. I feel the opposition sometimes but I chose a long time ago for whose team I wanted to play. 

I'm still here in my first area so we'll have to see if I'm gonna stay here another transfer or what. Elder Rivera says hi. And haha one of our neighbors asked if you, mom, know how to beat-box. I was going to respond with a no but then I realized that its been a while since I saw you and hey, you never know. so let me know. 

Thanks for the pictures, I'll try to send more. 

Love you guys,

Elder Padilla

Our future missionary.

19 Jul 2015 - Guitars and Mosquitoes

Hi Family,

This week was killer. So the guy who plays the guitar told us the other night that he wants to be a missionary and he told us that he's been studying the Book of Mormon and Bible like crazy to understand the ''Word of God''. We're shooting for the last day in the month to baptize him but we'll just have to wait and see. But last night we were in his house and he had his guitar out after the lesson and he played La Bamba and I was singing as well as I thought I could and next thing wouldn't you know it, I was drawing a crowd like a light-bulb does to the mosquitoes here. The neighbors were like ''Hey that's not half bad'' and the family came out and we talked with them and the mom made us some hot tamales. This was a little piece of heaven because it was Sunday and our fridge was more bare than that man that walks around New York with the guitar. maybe I'll stay here a little while after these two years and join a mariachi band.

But hey, I'm syked for Mr. Craig and that he's interested to read. That's super cool. 

So we found a little family of three the other day and the dad of the family has my same name and loves to rap in English. He asked me what some of the words meant in one of the songs he likes but about half of them were curse words, hahaha. I just said, ''oh yeah. uhhh don't say that one.''  We taught about the family and they were super interested and accepted a baptism. We're looking at mid August with them but wow, the Lord really puts those people in your path that are ready.

Being a missionary rocks. 

Elder Padilla  

This is the after* haircut picture

13 Jul 2015 - Semi drive

Dear Family, 

This week was pretty sweet. We found a guy (19 years old) who has been driving a semi truck since he was 15. He let us hop in and it was pretty cool. We asked if we could stop by another time and share our message and he said sure. The people here are so great.

 We found another family and they gave us ever detail and ever bit of history there is to know about the gangs and drugs that exist in Mexico. I'm not exactly sure how we got on this subject but I think its because some big-time drug lord escaped prison and its causing a ruckus, to say the least. They call him ''Chapo''. but you guys can look it up. 

Last Friday our district had an activity where we invited the people in the streets to enter the church to see the inside and we showed a short video of Christ. It was super fun because we invited one of our investigators who plays guitar and he played and sort of drew the attention of a few people and helped us with the finding more people. Tonight we're going to have a family home evening with a family in another ward. Word on the street is the dad of this family can play guitar also. 

Love You guys very much

Elder Padilla 

   

6 Jul 2015 - Fun Fun Fun

Dear Family, 

The mission is going really great. We're teaching a pair of people and the wife accepted a baptismal date for July 31. She loves the church and we love teaching her. 

Right now I'm just enjoying the mission. Its so fun! We talk with tons of people and the other night we were practically preaching to an ocean of teenagers. Turns out my comp is super good on bike and he did some tricks and I guess it caught the attention of the neighbors. We talked about how life doesn't need to be hard when we stand up for what we know is right. 

They all have nicknames for each other and so when we asked what our nicknames were they said: '' ustedes son cholos (pandillero) de Dios'' hahahahha

Translate:

you are cholos (gang ) of God

P-Day Party

29 Jun 2015 - The Work Progresses

Dear Family, 

This week was so great, we've found a ton of new people to teach and we've really buckled down as a zone on our obedience. My comp and I are super psyched for the investigators and families that we're teaching right now because they're progressing a ton!!! Also, we were invited and from now on we're going to be working more and more with ward council so that all faculties of the ward can work as one, as it should be. Elder Rivera knows a ton of the historical background of the Bible and all that, so his biggest problem is teaching the basics. I had this problem too, wanting to teach everything I knew but we need to remember as missionaries that some of these people have never heard of these things in their lives.  

Being a trainer, more than anything else, has given me a new perspective. My companion is 21 but he repeats the words I say and he repeats the things I do. Its like being at home with Luke again. But its really helped me become someone more responsible and think before I speak. There's a section in Preach my Gospel chapter 10 that talks about listening. It talks about listening with our heart as well as our mind. It says that when we listen we won't have to think about the things that we'll have to say, but the Holy Ghost will put these things in our mind in the precise moment when they're needed. I'm so grateful for the companionship of the Holy Spirit as I walk and study and teach. That I can know that if I'm doing the things that the Lord has asked of me, I become the vessel for the Lord and the words and questions and feelings that He has prepared for each and everyone of His children. I feel so very blessed to be born into a family that has the everlasting gospel. Here, there's a ton of religions and a ton of confusion and I just think to my self and thank my Father in Heaven for the blessings and preparation I'd had to prepare myself to become a missionary. 

I feel very comfortable as a missionary and I'm truly enjoying the mission. I cant believe I've been out here for 7 months already. Time flies. 

I love you guys. 

Elder Padilla   

We used the powder of the cake to make pan cakes. Yeah, it was awesome. 

Found a spider.

22 Jun 2015 - New Trainer

Hey family, 

So these past few days have been pretty crazy. Yes, I'm a trainer now. Yes, I'm still the English teacher. Yes, I'm still the district leader. and Yes, I'm still in the same area since I entered the mission field. I practically said goodbye to the entire ward last Sunday so this Sunday will be a little weird. hahaha ''Gotcha, still hear.''  I honestly thought that I was going to be transferred but I guess there's still some work here to do.

 Its my second day on the job as a trainer and its soo fun!! My comp's name is Elder Rivera. He's so great! He's from El Salvador!!! He's 21 and he was baptized 2 years ago. He already knows English so we work really well together and can understand each other really well!! Its crazy to think that I'm the ''old'' one now! Its so great though! Hahaha we went straight to street contacting today after our district meeting and we contacted 2 buses!!! I keep telling him, ''the more fear you have, the more buses we're going to contact'' so I think he's learning hahaha poor guy!! 

The woman that we baptized in April is getting ready to enter the temple this Saturday and I'm so psyched!!! We gave her a present the other day when visited to have a family home evening. We gave her a framed picture of her baptism and she was practically crying and it was so special and I just thank my Father in Heaven for allowing me to be a part of this whole process! This week we're helping her and another recent convert to gather the names of their family members so that they can do the work for them. Its bittersweet because of the excitement that they have to enter the temple but the temple doesn't fall within our mission boundaries so we cant go ):

I don't have any crazy stories this week but gimme a couple days and we'll see what happens!!

Much love from your favorite Mexican!!!

Elder Padilla 

My beloved son

like my dew? my comp cut my hair on the last day of our transfer.