Monday, October 26, 2009

Week 41 Ixtapaluca

BUENAS TARDES FROM MEXICO!!

Did you know in Mexico its okay to carry a lion and a tiger in a cage in the back of your truck? Haha! The circus was in town last week, so theyŕe carrying around all their animals. It was kind of funny, they put the tiger and lion asleep sometimes, we saw them when the car was stopped on the side of the road and people started to come and stick their hands inside the cage!! They woke up the tiger and it roared and smacked the cage! I guess some people dont value their hands!

Last week in the changes meeting, the new District Leaders had a meeting with Pres. Bulloch. Elder Bertin is a new District Leader as well! He talked to us about our responsibility, and that he and the Lord really trust us. He told us something that made me realize the importance of our job. He said that he is loaning us the keys that Elder Bednar gave him when he set him apart to give baptismal interviews. Im learning to really rely on the Lord as I take on this new job.







Its been so cold here lately! All the houses are made out of brick, and there's no heater so at night we are freezing! Poor Elder Martinez has never been in the cold in all his life! He wakes up every morning freezing to death. The volcanoes have snow on them, They look pretty cool! Ill send the picture of the “Mujer Dormida”, or the “Sleeping woman” If you look it looks like a lady sleeping! Haha, go figure!

Hey Brother Thomas told me Adam got his call! Tell him congrats, and that I'll help him practice his Spanish! Haha, can you tell him to write me an email? Gracias!

Yesterday, we baptized Adan y Viriana. Theyre two kids of an inactive lady. Elder Sander and Elder Mora had found them and tried to teach but they never could, so they left the teaching report in the Area book, we found it and taught them. These kids are great, and were so excited to be baptized.

We are teaching a family of four, called the San Andres Family. They are really awesome, when we taught them the Word of Wisdom, they gave us their last four cigarettes, dumped out their alcohol, and gave us their expensive coffee. They are really progressing, and it amazes me every time to be able to see the change in peoples lives. When people start to complete with the commandments and repent, you can see the Atonement working in their lives. It is a testimony everytime, that Christ lives and that he really is our Savior and Redeemer. I know it without a doubt, because I have seen the effects of his Atoning Sacrifice in the lives of many people. I know Heavenly Father lives, that this is His true Church, and that people can change their entire life when they put their trust in HeavenlyFather. This is the work of our Heavenly Father!! What a wonderful opportunity to spend two years of my life serving Him. Love you all,
Elder Rasmussen

Week 40 Ixtapaluca

Hola Hola!

Interesting Mexico Fact- Our Bishop is a graphic designer and a few years ago went to Europe and won for the best design for Readers Digest. Pretty cool eh?



Maddie! Gabriela wrote you a letter, shes waiting for your letter!!
“Hello, my name is Gabriela Mancilla Hernandez. My Moms name is Piedad and my dads name is Robert. My older sisters name is Fabiola. She is 21 years old. My brother is 16 years old, Im the smallest. Elder Rasmussen and Elder Martinez are visiting us in my house and they teach us the word of Jesus Christ. We are reading The Book of Mormon. They gave us a beautiful packet of family books for Church. Your brother taught us to make “Pan Frances” (French Toast) in Family Home Evening. They are nice. Your brother is very “pleasant” (??agradable, nice?) and teaches us things and guess what? We were baptized and confirmed and they took us to see the Temple in Aragon! WE hope that some day you come to México to visit us and stay in our home. If we have the opportunity to go we will visit you. I hope that you write me! -Gabriela”

Sister Piedad signed up to give us food yesterday. She said the only day available was yesterday, her birthday! It was very humbling, they cooked us one of the best Mexican foods called “El Hambre”. It is so delicious, but I can just imagine that it costs a ton of money. Piedad worked every day last week, cleaning all the houses she could just so she could give us this food. It was very humbling...and even though we were full from the French Toast we made for Francisco and Fernando (the two kids) we stuffed it down because we know what a sacrifice it was for them!

This week Fernando y Fernando, and Raúl were baptized. There are just awesome! Fernando y Ricardo (I just realized I put “y” for and..wow this is hard to write in English!) and their family are progressing and are reactivated now. Raúl is doing just awesome with staying away from smoking! Next week we have two kids of an inactive sister that wants to start coming back to Church. Theyŕe names are Viri and Adan.

We just finished the cycle so last night when we called Elder King our District Leader he told us we didn have changes, but that he did. Then he told me that I am going to be our new District Leader! Iḿ a little nervous, but ready to take on this challenge. I know if I put my trust in the Lord, he will help me be the missionary and district leader that HE wants! Tomorrow I am going to do my first three interviews!

Well, times up. I feel like I dont have as much time to write or say what I want to because I have to think about it so much! Haha, ADIOS!!
-Elder Rasmusse

Monday, October 12, 2009

WEEK - 39 Ixtapaluca

Want to know something random and crazy about where I’m at? There’s a VOLCANO called Popocateptl (or something like that, we just call it the “Popo”) And the other day it emitted ASH! Haha it was pretty cool. About 8 years ago it erupted lava, and the people that have lived here in San Buenaventura a long time were here to see it. They say the Japanese bought it, and are putting bombs around it so it will explode and they can get all the minerals that are just waiting inside! Haha I think that’s just a story though! Oh but don’t worry, if it does explode while I’m here then it will go towards the other side, towards Puebla. Whew! I know, I know, you were worried right?

Okay just a small investigator report, Dad asked me to do that and I forgot! It´s hard to type in English now. I wish you all understood Spanish so I could just type faster and not have to think so hard! Haha okay here’s the list---
- Piedad, Roberto, Beto, and Gabi- This family is awesome! They are kind of poor, and really humble and they do so much for us. They always invite us to eat even though we know they barely have enough to eat. When we try to refuse Sis. Piedad gets upset and tells us to sit down and eat! Fabiola still doesn´t want to come to Church, we’re trying to do everything! We just have to find the right way to help her. MADDIE! Fabiola wants to hear from you! She gave me a letter to translate and send to you, but I forgot it. If you write her a letter I can translate it, she wants you to be her “pen pal”, cool huh?
- Ricardo y Fernando- These are two kids, Ricardo is 10 and Fernando is 9. I don´t remember if I told you about them. We saw a man walking alone and we contacted him, he told us he was inactive and invited us to his house. They have a “papeleria” in the back of their house, we enter through a small door in their papeleria haha its kind of funny to see me squeeze through the two foot high door! Anyways, these two kids are awesome! They’re going to be baptized next week. Their Mom, Cecillia, is an Avon seller and gave me a cool watch! The people here really care about the missionaries.
- Beatriz and her kids- Beatriz is an inactive member. She has three kids that have the age of baptism. She was a miracle! She went to Church almost two years ago when Elder Sander and Elder Mora were here. They made a “registro”…whats that word….form? Investigator form? With her direction and everything. When we were praying for help to find new investigators we found this sheet with her name and direction! Her kids are awesome, and they have their date for the 25.
- Alicia- She was supposed to be baptized last week, but was in DF all week and didn{t come to Church. We´re going to find her and she´ll be baptized this next week.
- Raul- I told you about him! Raul is awesome, he contacted us in the street right after his wife had kicked him out. He asked us what we do, and what we teach. He accepted his date for this last Sunday, but he smoked. We gave him some suckers to pull out whenever he hast he temptation to smoke, and it really works! He is really excited for his baptism next Sunday because he knows Heavenly Father is the only one who can help him with his wife. We told him we´re not very good for giving advice about his wife and him because we´re not married! Haha


This is a picture of Maria del Carmen in the center with ward members
- Maria Del Carmen- She was baptized yesterday! Tonight she told us we have to come over so she can try “Pan Frances” or, French Toast. It´s becoming a tradition in our ward! The missionaries before would buy a cake for every person, but Pan Frances is more original, right?

Mom! Haha I thought of you the other day! We had to teach the Law of chastity to Fernando and Ricardo. I was trying to think of how we could teach it, we ended up teaching about movies and how we should be careful with what we see on internet and movies. I told them imagine that the movie is a like a cookie, that looks really good, but if you put a little bit of dog poop in it would you eat it? They made a face and said NO!! We compared that to movies and internet and I think the “cookie example” really helped, so thanks! Everything you’ve taught us we can use in our mission!
We went with our District to play soccer today. I was the designated “picture taker” because I´m so bad! Haha just kidding, my knee was hurting, and we’re an odd number so I sat out. After we went to a plaza in Ixtapaluca and found Chinese food!! It wasn’t quite like Pandas, but hey that’s okay!
EVERYONE! I need your help! My companion, Elder Martinez, hasn’t been getting letters from his family. His parents don’t use computers, and his brother is always busy so he never can. PLEASE send him some letters. Use Google translator, and send it to him! His email is-
eldermtzsolano@myldsmail.net

This is for everyone that reads this! POR FAVOR AYUDEN A MI COMPAÑERO!
Okay, well we have to take off. I love you all! I just want to end with a quick story. Our goal every week is to get as many people as we can to Church. Last week we had a ton of people that said they would go to Conference, but only 4 went. This week, we really worked hard. We prayed so hard for the Lords help. This Sunday we were blessed with fourteen investigators at church! It was a huge blessing! I know this is the Lords work. I am so blessed to be a missionary in the best part of the world! Mexico is awesome! The people here are so ready to accept the Gospel, and come unto Christ. We have seen so many miracles, and all of them have been at the hand of the Lord. Love you all,
Elder Rasmussen

Saturday, October 10, 2009

WEEK - 38 Ixtapaluca

Conference was great huh?!
We got there and they didn’t have it in English, so we watched it in Spanish! I understood just about everything, I know that was a blessing. I remember six months ago when I watched Conference in Spanish and only caught the part when they said “Temple de la Ciudad de México”! Afterwards we were able to watch it in English, but then the signal kept cutting out so we didn’t get to hear a few of the talks. But what I did watch was great!
Remember Maria del Carmen? She was supposed to be baptized this week, but she didn’t pass her interview so this week she will be baptized!! Wow, talk about miracles too! We were walking to an appointment and I saw a guy walking down the opposite side of the street, I felt like I should contact him so we did. He told me he was a member, but just hasn’t gone for about 10 years. He lives with his wife, his son and his grandson. His son is 10 and his grandson 9 and they aren’t members. When we taught them about baptism they said they want to be baptized! They’re baptismal date is the 18!
Another miracle, we have an investigator named Alicia. She is a referral from her neighbor that’s a member, she went last week to Church and liked it, and she told us this week she would be able to go to Conference on Saturday in the morning. When Saturday came, we left a little early and headed off for her house, choosing to take one of the many ways to get to her house. We were walking along and I happened to look to my right and I saw Alicia with her daughter buying stuff in the market! We said hi to her and asked her if she was ready to go. She hesitated a a little and then said “okay lets go!” So we went to the Stake Center, and since we got there early we went on a little tour. At the end of the tour we showed her the baptismal font, and talked a little about her baptism. We had shown her the family history library right before and so we talked a little about how her family can all be baptized and be a family forever. She said “ you mean my dad can be baptized too if he’s already died?” She was pretty amazed that we answered yes! We invited her to go to conference with a prayer in her heart to know if all this was true, and if Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. Conference in the morning was great! I know she felt the Spirit because when we left we asked her what she thought and she said she liked it a lot! We went to her house to teach her and asked her how she felt for her baptism next week and she said “Yes, I would like to be baptized” It truly was a miracle!
Wow, I agree with you! Elder Holland´s testimony was powerful! That was one of that talks that kept cutting out, we were kind of bummed but the part I did hear was GREAT! We are so blessed to be able to hear from Prophets and apostles. I feel so blessed to be able to bear testimony of the Restoration everyday! I’m so thankful for the Book of Mormon and I know that it is true with all of my heart. I know that the people we teach can know the Book of Mormon is true if they will just take the promise in Moroni 10 and ask with a sincere heart. I’m so thankful to be here in San Buenaventura! Our ward is great, the people here are so ready to hear the gospel. The time is going by way to fast! A year ago I was opening my Call! Crazy.

Les Amo!
Elder Rasmussen