Monday, March 30, 2009

WEEK - 10 PACHUCA, MEXICO

From: Trevor Rasmussen

Date: 2009/3/30
Subject: BIENVENIDO A MÉXICO! parte 1
Hola hola!!
Well I made it here safely, it sounds like you know a little already about whats going on. But I´ll tell you anyway!
The Airport was...fun! Haha, I didn´t get to write letters like I said I would, it was a little crazy. So you´ll have to apologize to Sam and Sister Seamons for me not replying to their letters. I was going to, but the airport was a little crazy.
After I hung up with you I went over to our gate and there were only about 15 missionaries, and that was ALL the Americans! The missionaries were sitting around talking and I thought that looked boring so I found an older guy sitting by himself and tried to talk to him in Spanish. It was pretty cool, his wife came over later and we started talking. I taught the first lesson, gave them a pamphlet and a Libro de Mormón. They were Pentecostal, and really believed in Christ. So it was easy for them to accept a lot of what I taught them. I got their "datos" or address, and then said goodbye. Well we got on the plane and guess who I was sitting by? The older couple! It was so cool. So we talked for a little but then everyone fell asleep!
We landed in la Ciudad safe and sound. Mom, when we landed I was wondering if you were watching us! Haha. Well we went through customs, one of the elders had a hard time understanding what they were saying, but we finally made it through and found the Secretaries. They went to the airport at 9 pm when we were supposed to be there. Turns out, the Church travel department said they would call and tell our President that we were coming the next day, but what they really did was EMAIL them! So nobody got the message until after they had been at the airport for a few hours. When they found out it would be the next day, they went home then came back and didn´t get to sleep.
President and Sister Bulloch were up all night too!

We finally got to the Mission Home, put our suitcases down and went inside. We met the President and his wife and had an awesome non-mtc breakfast! haha, They gave us some training, including how to do the "abrazo" Its a thing the men do down here. It starts with a handshake, right arm over their right shoulder, two pats, then another handshake. He had us practice because our companions were going to do it and he didn´t want us to put our head on the wrong side and hit their head! Pretty funny. Well after that we all had interviews with the President. He is so awesome! He asked me why I am serving a mission, and told me about my companion. He told me to watch out for getting discouraged, because that´s how satan gets the missionaries.

After the interviews, they sent us off to sleep for an hour. We left the mission home at 12 with an awesome sack lunch from Sis. Bulloch. We got to the "temple square" that was so cool! Its the temple (even better than I imagined) the MTC, the Visitors center, a stake center and some apartments. That´s where we do Cambios or changes. Everyone was excited to find out their new companion. Presidente had us sit on the stand in front of everyone, and after all the announcements they started announcing the changes. Elder Mays leaned over to me and said "I think I´m about to hurl!" haha It was pretty nerve racking, just because we wanted to know who our companions was!

They finally called Elder Sander and me and I felt alot better, I dont´know why any of us were nervous. Elder Sanders is from Uruguay. Get this, his "papa" or trainer was in the same district as Hermana Nash when they were in the MTC. Elder Folao, (from Tonga picture that a tongan speaking spanish! Elder Sander said he sounded Colombian!) showed him pictures of the MTC and Elder Sander recognized her later in pictures with his family in Uruguay! Small world eh? Elder Sander trained another Elder who trained Elder Howard, so Elder Howard is Elder Sanders nieto or grandson. I know mission lingo is weird.

Well we got on the bus after cambios and after about 2 hours arrived in Pachuca. Everyone says its mas tranquilo than the D.F. so don´t worry, not that there´s anyone over there in our house that would. We got a taxi and found our apartamento. We walked in and the smell of dust and dirt hit us like a ton of bricks. The elders before us left it a mess, complete with trash from christmas, dishes piled, and dust everywhere. The bathroom looked like it hadn´t been cleaned forever! haha so the first night we started cleaning. We´re finishing up today, because we haven´t had time this past week.


Photo's Dad found on the internet of Pachuca (till we get some from Trevor)




Below is a link to a GoogleMap of Trevors mission area and his area in Pachuca, zoom in to see a closeup.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=114054482221229652040.0004666afc317de7d9100&ll=20.228125,-98.888067&spn=1.837441,2.463684&z=9



Pachuca is awesome! I´m in Av. Insurgentes and Constitucion. Dad wanted to know where I am, I dont´ exactly know. But those are two streets. Our area is a kind of triangle. We go from Blvrd. Luis Donaldo Colosio east to Emiliano Zapato, and from Blvrd Del Minero south to..well I dont know the street. but that gives you an idea.

From: Trevor Rasmussen
Date: Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Subject: Parte 2


We started off the week with proselyting and door contacting. The Elders before us didn´t leave us much to work with. They hadn´t really filled out the area book or many investigators so we set to work. Elder Sander is a really hard worker, he walks way faster than I do! I thought I walked fast! He brings a whole new meaning to walking with purpose.
We did alot of contacting this past week. We found a lady name Francisca and her 15 year old daughter Yessica. They seemed interested, we went ot their house and taught them. We even committed them to come to church but saturday rolled along and they didn´t want us to come anymore. That was really hard for me, but I´m realizing you have to move along. There isn´t time to waste if they´re not sincere and really wanting to change. In Preach My Gospel it says our job is to teach the doctrine clearly so they can decide to change their life. Well we found a few more people but same story as Francisca and Yessica. On Friday we found a lady named Teresa. She got kicked out of her house for some reason, not sure why. We contacted her in the street and she invited us to her one room cement house. I mentioned the Book of Mormon at the beginning and as I was teaching she kept asking so what about the Book of Mormon? It was cool to see her interested in reading! So we commited her to read and come to church. Saturday we stopped by and she said she´woudl be ready for us to pick her up the next day. We came by but she was no where to be found. So we´re going to stop by tonight.
The mission standard is to have 1 person baptized every week in each companionship. We figured to do taht we have to have 8 progressing investigators and 16 at Church each week. We only had 3 at church this week so we´re alittle behind but we´ll get there! I think the Lord is trying my faith. I´m realizing how big a part of their conversion we have to be, I have to be able to teach clearly and that makes me want to study even harder so I can be able to teach them. Alot of people are willing to listen to us but not many want to change their lives. So we justhave to look that much harder!!

Everyone was so tired that first day at the ¨Mission Home that we all forgot that I had a bunch of stuff in everyone elses suitcase! I left my coat and one of the bags of stuff with Elder Spencer, my ziploc withthe bedding with Elder Bertin, and my ziploc of Pday clothes with Elder Kartchner. My zone leaders are going to get it this week, and itmade me thankful that Mom made sure I had two of everything! Pday clothes arent that big of a deal cuz we stay in our white shirts and everything on Pday. I think I may have brought a little too much, or my suitcase just weighs alot. Oh, the mission just changed its policy on Ipods and nobody can have them in the mission. I left mine in the Mission home the first day so dont buy a charger!

Well my Spanish has come along way already, I can see how much the Spirit has helped me to learn in just the past few days. It was really hard to communicate at first. I still dont understand some things, they talk so fast here! I´m learning alot and the Spirit truly guides us.

Well I have to go, I need to write the President. We report each week on our key indicators.
Thanks for all your support and prayers! I really appreciate it. This Church is true, I gain a stronger testimony of that everyday.
Te quiero!
Élder Rasmussen (aquí es Élder razmuzehn)

No comments: