14 Sep 2015 - re-dedication of the Temple in Mexico City

Dear Family, 

This week was so great! 

As a mission we were able to see the re-dedication of the temple in Mexico City and also the cultural session beforehand. It was transmitted to our various buildings so we were able to invite our investigators. Haha so you know how before you iron a shirt its all wrinkley, well ''to iron'' in Spanish,well here in my area, the people say planchar. And they people use it to say, for example, ''Oh he planched you'' to mean ''Oh he yelled at you or corrected your behavior''. Its like when the president has ''Special interviews'' with those missionaries that are doing  things that they shouldn't. So I tell you this because when our investigators went to the cultural meeting, they received the ''planch'' of a lifetime. hahaa because in the cultural meeting there was a part where it talked about the importance of attending the church and they felt really bad because in the past they were a little lazy about attending..hahha oh well.

Today I received my new companion, his name is Elder Reyes and he has one month more than me in the mission and he's from Puebla, Mexico. Hahaha he reminds me of Matt because you'll ask him for example, ''Can you bring me a fork please?'' and he'll look you right in the eyes and say ''no''. hahah but then he'll leave and return with the fork laughing and then he'll say in his English '' Elder Padilla, why are you crying?'' hahaha This guy..

We're super super psyched for this family that we're teaching right now. This Saturday we're going to baptize the father, Richard, and as a family they'll wait a year to prepare to enter the temple to be sealed. He's so spiritual, he just has a bit of trouble expressing himself.

Ha the people here are so nuts sometimes. The other day we went to the house of the sister whose husband died a few weeks ago. She's doing really well and also is preparing to enter the temple by the way, WHOO! But we entered the house to give some service and we receive a message. The message says'' Hey, I'd like to receive a Book of Mormon and visits to learn about how I can know God.'' We were like, ''NO WAY!!!!!'' so Elder Guardado calls him up and hahahahha my comp's face expressed everything hahaa. At first he was all happy and then he looked puzzled and then he looked sad hahaha

So this guy starts to talk and to my comp and tells him when we can visit and if it'd be possible if the ''handsome young man can visit'' haha oh man and then he tells my comp that he has problems and my comp says ''thats okay, we can help you '' and then he says ''I'm gay'' and then my comp says ''ok, when would you be free for us to visit'' and the he says ''can I be in my underwear when you guys visit?'' hahahaha my comp hung up and told me to erase the address he gave us hahahaha, we were sooooo bummed..

This week we were able to talk with a lot of new people and we found many that are ready to swim.

I'm loving mexico and can't believe Elder Smatt will be home in these next few months.

I love you all.

Elder Padilla

Ps. Ms. Cabello? I heard she really likes it when you talk when she's trying to talk. haha ;)

7 Sep 2015 - All Spanish all the time...

Querida Familia,

Hahaha se pasa con los elderes que andan por bici. Hay un Elder aqui que nos dijo que lo mismo pasó con él pero todos sabemos que él estaba mirando una muchacha y por eso chocó con un camión. haha

Me canse escribir en inlges. En verdad estoy olvidando muchas cosas de ingles. Y ahora español, no sé, es mas facil. Cada vez en cuando encontramos alguien que sabe un poco de ingles como ''Oh yes, very good'' o ''Hello, my friend'' pero hasta allí. Con mi compa, Elder Guardado, hablamos ingles en la casa pero es mas difícil que antes.  

Esta semana aprendí una lección de la vida. Había un desafio en nuestra zona que no estábamos encontrando tantos nuevos investigadores. Entonces hicimos un compromiso, como un distrito,  que ibamos a hablar con toda la gente en la calle que vimos e ibamos a contactar y compartir  algo con ellos. Tenía que marcar todos los compañerismos cada noche para dar suficiente seguimiento para que ellos pudieron trabajar con todo en respecto de este compromiso.  Y vi por la primera vez, el animo que nuestro presidente de misión y nuestro Padre Celestial tienen para la obra y para nosotros como misioneros y vimos como un distrito que podemos lograr muchas cosas cuando nos fijamos metas, pedimos la ayuda del Señor y trabajamos diligentemente a cumplir estas metas. En serio, esta semana pasada fue un otro nivel!! Y ahora todos tenemos investigadores progresando a bautismo. 

Algunas fotos de la semana.

 

p.s. Lucas, disfrute seminario. hahaha

Google Translate:

Dear family,

Hahaha he spent with elders who go by bike. There is an Elder here who told us the same thing happened to him but we all know he was watching a girl and so collided with a truck. haha

I get tired writing inlges. In truth I'm forgetting a lot of English. Spanish And now I do not know, it's easier. Every once in a while we find someone who knows a bit of English as '' Oh yes, very good '' or '' Hello, my friend, '' but there. With my companion, Elder Guardado, speak English at home but is more difficult than before.

This week I learned a life lesson. There was a challenge in our area we were not finding as many new investigators. Then we made a commitment, as a district, we were going to talk with all the people on the street we saw and we were going to contact and share something with them. I had to check all fellowships each night to give sufficient follow so they could work with all in respect of this commitment. And I saw for the first time, the encouragement that our mission president and Heavenly Father have for the work and for us as missionaries and we saw a district that can achieve many things when we set goals, we ask the Lord's help and work diligently to meet these goals. Seriously, this past week was another level !! And now we all have progressed to baptism investigators.

Some photos of the week.

 

P.S. Lucas, enjoy seminar. hahaha

31 Aug 2015 - A ton happened this week

Dear family,

First of all just want to say how proud I am of my only little brother who almost earned himself two tickets this past week. Luke you are the man. 

A ton happened this week. On Tuesday we got a call while we were studying in the morning that one of the recent converts that my comp baptized with his last companion was hit by a semi on his motorcycle. Elder Guardado spoke at him funeral and it was really sad, but to cheer us up the Bishop took us out to eat some pizza. 

The wife was super sad but it's times like these when we realize how blessed we are to have the knowledge that we have of the Plan of Salvation. 

The sisters in the ward had a baptism and it was so great. All the missionaries in the two wards that congregate in the Guamuchil building gathered to sing a special musical number at the baptism.

It went really well.

This past week, the elders in our ward found a woman that lives in our area that is super interested and they gave us her address and number. We went, We saw, We conquered. haha no, but she and her 13 hundred children like to listen and we're going to ask them to be baptized this Wednesday, fingers crossed. 

I'm really loving my mission and I'm learning how to be a better leader.

I love you guys so much,

Elder Padilla. 

  

24 Aug 2015 - On Bike for one day

Dear Family,

This week was super great, we had intercambios with the leaders of the zone and it was super great. I got to ride a bike so I was super psyched but then I had forgotten how long it had been since the last I'd ridden a bike and my back side was very hurt. I walked funny the next day but I'm better now. The bishop here just got back from his vacation to Utah, his wife has family there and he's an English teacher here in Guamuchil. One of the recent converts that the elders before us baptized, recently got a job at a Chinese restaurant and she works on Sunday now. Its not very helpful because we're teaching her husband but he went to church this past Sunday with his son and daughter. 

Not have much time with the computer but I'll speak with you guys soon.

Many love!

Elder Padilla