Tuesday, June 9, 2009

WEEK - 21 PACHUCA, MEXICO


Mexico City East Mission - I counted 164 Elders, 20 Sisters, 8 Senior. Total 192 Missionaries (click on photo to enlarge)
8 de Junio de 2009
HOLA HOLA! Que tal?

Whoa, what a week!! We had some great experiences, and learned a lot!
What is that saying in the Rasmussen house again? Mom’s always what?? Yeah, I know- RIGHT! I thought they were just kidding when they said it rains every day here during summer…they weren’t. Last Monday after Teotihuacan it was pouring.


Souvenirs from teotihuacan, I hope they get here!
And was I ever grateful to have those awesome boots Mom insisted I bring. Let’s just say the drainage system isn´t very good here…as in, the main street, Federalismo, has about two drains. So when it rains for thirty minutes it looks like a river! En Serio! (we´re a little downhill)


L toR: Elder Sander, Jamie Morales, Benita Morales and Trevor (Love those pictures in white ! ! ! )
Benita y Jaime- It really is a miracle that we found this couple. This is the hermano we found when we were walking and knew we had to come back to that street. Jaime has a kidney problem, and has to go to dialysis every other day. His wife, Benita, is a really nice lady. She was open to the message of the Restoration. Thanks to the testimony of her husband, and the promise that comes with the Book of Mormon she was converted. Her baptismal interview was Friday, and when we visited her a few hours before she told us she wasn’t sure about being baptized. We promised her if she read and prayed after we left, she could receive an answer. We waited for them at the Church, and when they came we asked Benita how her prayer went. She looked at us with a smile and said ¨Very good!¨ The next day we went to marry them in a city close by. The Judge is a friend of the missionaries and gave us a discount! We baptized Benita the next day…barely. She’s in the ward Palmar which starts at 11. We were there at 9 for Constitucion when the lights went out! We didn’t even think much about it until an hour and a half before her baptism when we realized- we need electricity to pull the water from the well to fill up the font! We thought of a bunch of things we could possibly do to fill it up. We thought of siphoning the water out, of calling a truck to come fill it up, going to another building…when one of the members said ¨why don´t we just break the well open? ¨So we did! Some one had a hammer and they broke the lock! Some young men ran home to get buckets, while we started with what we had. We ended up filling up big trash buckets with water to fill the font, it was quite a sight. I was pretty wet before we even started.
When the meetings ended we started the baptismal service. I was in the water first and I thought it was pretty darn cold, but Benita after said she didn’t even feel it! After I baptized her she was crying. I am so thankful to have this opportunity! It really is the best feeling in the world! I can´t describe it. I thanked Heavenly Father after for sending us this success, because really if we have any success at all it comes from Him!


Trevor is the one in the middle with bent knees . . . . making sacred memories ! ! ! !

And to top it all off- Joel passed the sacrament this week! We each gave him a tie because he didn’t have many.
Oscar, Joel´s brother, doesn’t really want to go to church. He’s never been, even though every Sunday we go by to wake him up. He really needs the gospel right now, we’re trying to help him the best we can but he doesn´t want to listen to us. I’m sure he will, we just have to maybe pour water on him to wake him up one Sunday! Oh wait, we already tried that! haha

The sister in law of the Bishop, Beatriz, finally decided with her husband that they were going to get married. So this week we’re going to help them too! Elder Sander says I´ll be a pro at marriages before I leave here. Beatriz has two boys that are really excited to be baptized too! Also this week we´re going to help Ana be baptized. I think I’ve told you a little about her. Ana doesn’t know how to read, and has a hard time remembering things. So we’ve been visiting her a lot to help her. Elder Sander even taught her a little to read! She was supposed to be baptized yesterday, but couldn’t come. Also this next week, Jorge Hernandez could be baptized. I don’t know if I told you about him. He’s in his 30s, a lawyer, his wife is very Catholic, and is AWESOME! He is one of the most spiritual people we have taught. He knows he needs to be baptized, but is worried what his wife will say. She’s traveling and won’t be back until the end of this month, so he wants to wait. We’ve been praying for him to make the right decision and be baptized this week.



Dad, I promised I´d tell you about our Zone Conference. I have my notes here…
Well I told you a little about McConkear. I don’t´know If I explained it very well to you, I was in a hurry. It’s a verb that missionaries made up, it means to teach with power, exhort, animar con fuerza (I think that’s encourage with strength) so that they do something- or be baptized. Our Assistant gave that lesson, it was awesome!
Pres. Bulloch talked to us about our relationship with our companion. We read the chapters with Alma and Amulek, and how they supported each other and how we should really support our companions.

I love the Book of Mormon! I know it’s true! Right now we´re reading about when Christ came to the Americas, and it has so much meaning because I´m here where I am! President Bulloch told me in an interview that this is the land where the Book of Mormon took place. Teotihuacan was so awesome, and I really felt that what Presidente said is true.
I read this in my study this week, it´s one of my favorite verses…(I think probably one of every missionary´s favorite verses)
3 Nephi 5- ¨Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.¨
That scripture has so much more meaning, when you wear a badge that has His name on it. I´m so very thankful to be serving my Savior and Redeemer here in Mexico. This really is the greatest work! Whenever it´s a little hard, all I have to do is remember who I represent, and know there are thousands of elect people, just waiting to hear the gospel! Thanks for all your support, love you.
Con Amor,
Elder Trevor Rasmussen

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