WEEK 33 - PACHUCA

Link to more photo's from Trevor in Pachuca:

http://picasaweb.google.com/scottmster/PACHUCADISK?authkey=Gv1sRgCNfHu97ywtKiDw&feat=directlink

HOLA FAMILIA!
How are you all doing? It sounds like everything’s going good! Tell Brandon I said hi! Tell him to write me if he ever gets a second.
The package came! I got it Thursday in the Zone conference. Two weeks is pretty fast! Wow thanks for everything! I thought you had sent me a bowl of mashed potatoes! I couldn’t figure out what it was, I opened it and THEN saw the Graham crackers! Thanks so much, its an awesome treat! The FHE book was like you read our minds! We saw it in a members home and wished we had it! Thanks! The ties are awesome too, I gave one to Juan Antonio at his baptism. Everyone was eyeing the pens, I gave the one pieced one to Elder Jaramillo, my zone leader that goes home this week! I gave one to Elder Mora, and Elder Tanner wants one too. Thanks for the watch! Its great! Thanks for everything, I really really have enjoyed it!

See more of Ramon's incredible story in week - 25 Bares testimony - week 28 Bapt, and story of a 12 yr olds missionary efforts ! !
Ramon was sooo excited to get his missionary tag! So were his brothers! Ramon wore his badge and the tie I gave him to Church! His brothers wore their ties too. Jude and Toñito want one too! I have one left, so I don’t know who I’ll give it too. They really liked it!

I don’t know if you remember when I did the magic trick you sent me. It's the one where the cards are all White, then they turn color, and then change White again. Well I showed it to Elder Mora and asked him how I could use it for the Gospel. We came up with this…
So I start out showing how all the cards are White. Then we say how when we´re born we’re completely free from sin. But we go through life and we start sinning a Little, and a Little more, and a little more, until we have a lot of sin. I show that all the cards are colored. But when we receive baptism, our sins are completely washed away. I take the deck of cards and put them behind my hand and act like the cards are being baptized. Then I show that the cards are all white again. Haha! Its so fun to see the faces of the kids! They are so amazed! The adults like it too, the y just don't show their awe as easily, haha. Pretty fun.

Well This week was a miracle. Juan Antonio, Mari’s husband was baptized! When Mari and Griselda and everyone was baptized last month, Antonio couldn’t be baptized. They told us he needed to wait but couldn’t tell us why he couldn’t. So we just kept on teaching him, and this week he was baptized! President told us it really is a miracle that he was baptized! This family is so awesome. In Antonio's baptism, Mari bore her testimony and said how their goal now is to go to the temple in a year! I´m so happy for this wonderful family! I feel grateful that the Lord permitted us to be the means of helping Juan Antonio receive baptism. This family is so different now, the Spirit in their home is even different! I pray this family will continue strong and faithful so in one year, they can be sealed together as an eternal family.

This week was our Zone Conference and it was soo awesome! Elder Tanner and Elder Jaramillo trained us on how to McConkear. I´ve explained a little about this verb, basically its a Word the Mexican Elders came up with. It means to help others to accept baptism when they are keeping commitments and everything, but don’t want to be baptized. President Bulloch wrote a thing called “Baptismal Invitation” and it is truly inspired. I tried my best to translate it and sent it to dad through pouch, so you should get it here soon.
Presidente Bulloch´s message was the best! He read a letter from a pair of missionaries in Pachuca. I haven’t really told you guys this, but Pachuca has this really nasty reputation for not baptizing. Missionaries in all the misión say “Oh, they don’t baptize in Pachuca. En Pachuca, no se puede.” This companionship was in an area for six months, and saw their Ward was suffering because the missionaries before were not doing anything. These missionaries worked hard, and started to gain the trust of the members. After a while they started to baptize and baptize. This Elder left Pachuca with 23 baptisms. In his letter to President, he said how in Pachuca, sí se puede. In Pachuca, they DO baptize. We talked about their qualities and the things they did good, and then compared it to Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. I left my study journal at home so I don’t have the scriptures, but it was great. President taught us with such power and authority, we all felt the Spirit so strong.
It amazes me how when people come to accept Jesus Christ, and His Atoning sacrifice, they come closer to our Heavenly Father. They start to change. They look different. They treat their family differently, they have a different aspect on life- an ETERNAL aspect. The Book of Mormon is true, when we read and study and mediate on the things in this sacred book we change, because we´re becoming more like Christ. I’m so grateful that we’ve seen these people change their lives for the better!

This gospel is true. I know it with all my heart. Thanks for being so supportive of me! Your prayers really help Elder Mora and I. Hey I was thinking, why don´t you guys put together a list of questions you want to ask me? I don’t think I’m explaining some stuff very well, so if you have questions just let me know.
Adios! Les amo,
Elder Rasmussen

Week 32 - Pachuca

Trevor and Elder Mora at the Pachuca soccer field

"Mission Title of Liberty" see Week 25 for details
Hola Familia!
Hope everything’s going well, sounds like everyone’s excited about going to school right? Haha, school just started down here and they’re not too happy about it! We just saw a tiger in the back of a truck! They’re still advertising the Circus before it leaves town!

Raúl was baptized yesterday! He was so excited, and afterwards he was smiling the whole time! We showed a slide show with “His Hands”, in Spanish of course. It was great, and the Spirit was strong in his baptism. We had a good turnout too! The room was full of people! This ward has gotten really excited since the Tavera Family got baptized. Now we just need to help them give us referrals!

This week a sister named Marisol has her baptismal date. She works in a place where everyone is a member. The family that owns it invited her to the Visitors Center and to Church twice. We know she has been prepared by the Lord, and is excited for her baptism this week. It just shows the effect that we can have on others as members of the Church. I tried to help the members of the ward see that yesterday in my talk. I didn’t think I was so nervous but Elder Mora told me I was! I shared the story about Raul and how a member simply shared his testimony and a Book of Mormon, and now Raul is the newest member of the Church. Wow, I feel so grateful that the Lord led us to him. In a year he and his wife can enter the temple! You can do so much just by being an example to those who aren’t members!
Saturday we did a thing called Celestial Referrals. We prayed for what streets we should go to and went to knock doors. When we were knocking nobody listened to us, or let us in. The last building we were going to knock a lady opened the door, I told her we had a message that would bless her and her family, and how the Church of Christ has been restored to the earth. She let us in, and the first thing we did was invite her to Church. This lady, named Janet, told us she would like to go. We taught her and said that it was very interesting and caught her attention. She went to church yesterday and left with a bunch of questions. When we went by last night we set her baptismal date for September 6, and she accepted! Heavenly Father is really blessing us with people who have been prepared to accept the gospel!
Remember Antonio, Mari´s husband? He’s going for his baptismal interview tomorrow, but he´s still unsure about whether he wants to be baptized.. We’re going to help him resolve his doubts, because he knows this is true! I think he’s just scared to accept it, but don’t worry we’re going to help him this week!!

Trent asked me some questions, if you guys want to ask me questions maybe this is the best way?
1. What is the weirdest thing you’ve eaten so far? - We eat the best food! The weirdest thing was “patas de pollo”, or chicken feet!
2. Have you had any more encounters with dogs lately? – yeah about everyday!! I’ve learned my lesson and now I carry a rock if they look like they’re going to chase us.
3. Has your love for spicy food increased or decreased since you´ve been in Mexico? – I don’t have a choice, its increased! We eat chile with every meal! I’ve even eaten part of a manzana, they say they’re more spicy than Habanero!
4. What percentage of your budget is used for ice-cream? Haha- Remember Belen and Diana? Me and Elder Sanders last baptism? Their mom has an ice cream shop and always gives us free ice cream!
5. How’s your Spanish? Are you starting to think in Spanish yet? – The people here tell me it’s good when I tell them I’ve only been here 5 months. I don’t know if they’re being nice or if they really think this white boy can speak Spanish! And yes I’m pretty sure I am thinking in Spanish because the other night Elder Mora said I sat up in my bed and started mumbling in Spanish! Haha

This week we have our Zone conference and interviews with President. I always look forward to that, I always learn so much!! I’ll tell you about it next week!

Well I have to go. Don’t forget to be an example to everyone! Missionary work is so easy, and we don´t know how many of our friends and neighbors are prepared and ready to hear the gospel. I’m thankful you guys are doing such an awesome job and helping out the missionaries!!
Con mucho amor,

Week 31 - Pachuca

HOLA FAMILIA!
The Lord really blessed us this week. We went to our District meeting last Tuesday, and we received about 10 referrals! We received one from other missionaries in our District, saying that this couple was “oro” or golden.
We decided we would go visit them with the Relief Society’s son at 7 o´clock last Tuesday. He helps us out a lot and is a great help. Anyways 6 o’clock came around and I had written down that we needed to meet up with him at 6, but Elder Mora had 7. We decided to go double check, and when we got there, the Relief Society President, Hermana Norma, was talking to two sisters, I didn’t recognize one of them, and the other we knew. As we walked in Hermana Norma said “Oh! Fallen from the sky!” haha… The sister I didn’t recognize was the sister who we were going to go try to find at 7! Her name is Yadira, and her husband’s name is Raul. They are a miracle! Yadira is an inactive member, and knew that her sister in law (the sister we already knew) was a member. She went to her sister in laws house looking for US! The sister in law took her to the Relief Society President and there she was when we walked in. (I hope I’m explaining okay, I’m writing fast)
Raul and Yadira took a trip to Oaxaca two weeks ago, because Raul is a truck driver. When they were there Raul met a member, and while they were working this member talked to him about what we believe, the Book of Mormon-basically everything! They talked all through the night one night about the Church. The member gave him his first copy of the Book of Mormon and Raul started to read it. Well they got back to Pachuca, and Raul told his wife they were going to church! They went to Church and that’s how we got the referral. This brother really is one of the children of our Heavenly Father who is looking for the truth, but doesn’t know where to find it. After Raul talked with the member in Oaxaca, he stopped smoking and drinking. We set his baptism date the first day there, but he told us that he might be leaving for his work in a few weeks. We talked about it after and decided between us we should put his baptismal date one week before. When we got to their house to teach the next day, he asked us FIRST if he could be baptized one week before he left! I feel so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed us to find this couple. Raul has read into 2nd Nephi already, and has felt the power that only comes from our Heavenly Father to change lives. I think its hard for us to realize just how hard it is to stop smoking! He stopped and hasn’t smoked once.

Heavenly Father really does prepare his sons and daughters to hear this glorious gospel. I feel so blessed to be a part of this work! I don’t know if it’s the same in the states, but we get the Liahona every month and for this month there was a talk by Elder Octaviano Tenorio about Success. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=08e38b707a312210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

It really impressed me, and I realized I can apply it to the work. He said to have success we need to have concentration, effort, and joy in what we’re doing. He shares some pretty cool experiences. Elder Mora was here when he came to speak to the missionaries. He said Elder Tenorio locked himself in a room and studied English all day and all night, only stopping to eat and sleep every now and then. Wow! I know if I have that kind of dedication the Lord will bless us with success.

The Bishop asked Elder Mora and I to give a talk in Sacrament meeting next week! I’m just a Little nervous. I pray the Lord will help me know what to say to the people in our Ward so they will WANT to give us referrals! I think I’m going to share Grandma and Grandpa’s story, and how they have always been member missionaries.

This past weekend we had Stake Conference. The people here in Mexico surprise me all the time. They are so humble, and know where their blessings come from. The Spirit was strong in the meeting and I know our investigators felt that Spirit testifying to them that what they were hearing was true.
This really is the work of the Lord! I know the Church is true, and I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know as the people we teach ask with a sincere heart they receive an answer. I know Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior and Redeemer. I’m so thankful to be here in Mexico! I love sharing the gospel with everyone I can meet. I feel so disappointed when they don’t want to listen, but it just makes me want to work harder to find those who really want the blessings now!

Love you all!
Con Amor,
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK 30 - PACHUCA

" Lo que persistimos en hacer llega a ser más fácil, no porque la naturaleza de la cosa cambia, sino porque nuestra capacidad de hacerlo aumenta." - Presidente Bulloch

Elder Rasmussen translation- "What we persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the thing has changed, but because our capacity to do it has increased."

I hope you can translate President Bulloch´s letter for this week, because it is awesome!! He is so inspiring, after reading his letters I just want to go out there and contact the whole world!... well I like doing that anyways but even more after I read his letters! He´s great. His letter this week talks about how we should always demonstrate our humility, and acknowledge that the Lord is always helping us, and without him we can´t achieve anything! I know that´s so true! We saw it again this week.



Juan Carlos- It really is a miracle that this man got baptized this week! His dad has been in three bishoprics, and is really active. All of his family are members, except for him! He has known the Church for most of his life, he even fasts and pays tithing! He used to smoke, but we set the goal with him to not smoke at all and he did it! I know that only only happens with the help of the Lord. It´s so amazing to see the change that happens to people when they turn themselves over to the Lord. Juan´s dad baptized him Saturday at 7:30! Elder Mora and I woke up at 5 to go fill the font! We were pretty wiped out by the end of the day. It was so neat to see Juan Carlos enter into his first covenant with the Lord. The Spirit was strong in the baptism, and yesterday was his confirmation. He actually looked different after- the look that someone has when they have the Spirit with them.

I dont´think I´ve told you this, after every baptism, I like to read.
Alma 29:10
10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.
I feel that joy every time I see someone being baptized. It´s hard to describe this joy, its the best thing I´ve ever felt in the world- pure happiness. That really is our motivation here. That same joy that we feel, we want everyone else to feel as well!

This week was really effective. Our District Meeting was about how to find more investigators. It really opened our eyes, we focused on doing all of the different ways, instead of just focusing on one. We went and visited Consuelo and did a fun activity with them. We gave them each a piece of paper and told them to fold it and draw themselves on one side. We all drew ourselves, Elder Mora and I drew ourselves looking really buff, and wrote "SUPER ELDER". We had everyone show their picture, then we told them to turn it over and close their eyes, then draw themselves again. Its really funny because you end up with your feet above your head, my tie was on my face, and yeah it looks really funny. Then we have them read Alma 13:24.
24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.
We share with them how when we have the gospel in our lives we can see clearly, and when we don´t, we look different and it doesn´t turn out so well. We shared that Angels are preparing many of their friends to hear the gospel and accept it in their lives. We have them write five names, and then we had Consuelo say the prayer to ask for inspiration to know who to send us to. We came out with 5 referrals! It´s a fun activity, and it helps them to feel the missionary spirit.

Hey if you really want to surprise a missionary, give them a referral without them asking! That's all it takes! you´ll make their day, I promise you!

Mari and Gris´s mom and dad aren´t so sure about their baptism anymore. They got talked out of it by their family, but Mari is excited to help them accept their baptismal date again, and I know they will. Your prayers would be great!

Hope you all have a great week! We´re going to continue working hard down here and doing the best we can with the Lord´s help. This really is our Heavenly Father´s work. His work and his glory! We´ve seen so many miracles, and just like President Bulloch said, when we give thanks for even the small miracles we´re demonstrating our thankfulness and the Lord is more anxious to bless us! I love you all, and don't´forget to let you light so shine! You´re the light of the World that the children of God will look to as an example! Love you all,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK 29 - PACHUCA

BUENOS DÍAS!


Wow, only in Mexico could you see a small pickup truck with a real Lion in the back with only a cage around it! Haha! It´s promoting the circus that’s in town, and yes there is a real lion outside of the internet with a ton of people around looking at it!



The baptismal picture last week, the people are… in the back Griselda, her husband Alejandro with their daughter Aleida, Maribel, her husband Juan Antonio and their son Antonio. Front row, Elder Mora, Alejandro (turns eight in September!) Jude, Pedro, Ramón, and that ugly looking “güero” at the end. Haha look at Ramón´s belt!! We didn´t have an overall so he had to use pants, but they were so big they were falling off of him! He was walking around with his hands in his pockets to hold them up! One of the counselors int he Ward saw him and went for some clear tape! If you look close you can see that his pants are taped up! Haha Ramón is awesome.  He bore his testimony yesterday again! He’s going to get the Priesthood next week! He went to their stake priesthood meeting last Sunday, we saw him walking in, he was so excited to be there!

Yesterday the familia Tavera was confirmed! (I don’t think I said that right…my English is suffering if you can’t tell…) The mom and dad of Maribel and Griselda came, and that was a real blessing! It’s hard to get their dad to come sometimes, not because he doesn’t want to but because he’s so weak he can hardly walk or move. This week we worked with their mom and dad. They’re separated, their dad lives with them and their mom lives across the street. We taught their mom (Estela Carrillo) and I know she felt the spirit in the baptism of her kids and grandkids because she told us before we could say anything “ I want to be baptized, just give me two weeks to get things in order.” She has a boyfriend that is kind of dangerous…he threatens her and stuff, but she’s going to give him a talking to, and be baptized this week! The dad of the kids (Mariano Tavera) also accepted his baptismal date for this week!

Juan Carlos is the son of one of the members in the Ward that never got baptized. He has a daughter that was baptized but he hasn’t been baptized yet. His baptismal date is this Saturday. The Lord is really blessing us. Last week four kids came to church. They said “ we’re looking for two Mormons with plaques!” The members showed them to us quick, and we met them. Turns out, they live right in front of the Church. The family lived in the other Ward and went to Church two times, but then they moved. The mom knows the Book of Mormon is true, we just have to help her realize that now she needs to be baptized!

Maddie, that’s so cool that you have sister McLean for your teacher! I remember you wanted to have her as your teacher before! Cool! Thanks for sharing your testimony with me Mads, you’re so awesome! You´re growing up so fast, and so is your testimony! Keep it up!
Trent I can’t believe mom let you drive to CA! Howd it go?? Hey hows misión prep going? I want to hear about it. Tell everyone I said hi, tell Bro. McConkie hola! Keep getting ready for the best two years of your life! Its hard to describe the joy that comes from being out here, the only advice I have is keep studying Preach My Gospel and the Scriptures! Keep it up bud, you’ll do great!

It hailed here last week! The weather in Pachuca is so weird! When we leave in the morning its sunny and a Little warm (I know, my blood must´ve thickened or soemthing, its only around 80 or 85!!) Then around 2 or so it might rain or just keep staying hot. Then in the early evening there´s a ton of wind and dust, and at night it get really cold sometimes, yup. Pachuca is different! But I love it here.


I can´t tell you enough how glad I am to be here. I´m so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord for two years, it really does go by fast!! Thanks for your letters and prayers, I know it helps us here. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, I know that through faith in Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost we can come closer to Him than we´ve ever imagined. I feel so blessed to see the lives of Heavenly Father´s children change as they learn to come unto Him. I´m so proud of my missionary family! Keep it up guys! That is the greatest thing you can be doing right now! I promise you! I promise you as a servant of Christ that as you continue to do so the Lord will bless you in a special way. I know it, because I have already seen so many blessings in my life, and the lives of others. Love you guys,
Elder Rasmussen