WEEK - 57 Bye Ixtapaluca - Zone Leader

HOLA! Well, yesterday we received the changes. Elder Juarez and I are heading out of good ol´ San Buena! ´We've had a busy day saying good bye to everyone, and we have a bunch of other people waiting for us right now, so this is probably going to be short. This morning we went to Juan and Jessica's house to make... PAN FRANCES! (French toast for all you gringos ;) ) It was actually really good! We're keeping the tradition going!

Next Sunday our ward is going to have two baptisms. I think I told you a little bit about Sergio and Tatiana. Elder Valdez contacted them in the street, and they are so excited for their baptism! Its too bad I wont be here to see them be baptized, but I know they will progress in the Gospel.

I'm so grateful for my time here in San Buenaventura. It really has been a growing experience. I've experienced some of the absolute best times of my mission, and some of the hardest. I know this is the Lord's work, and I know that this is where true happiness is found. I spoke in Sacrament meeting yesterday. Elder Livingston was speaking before me, and right before it was my turn, the lights went out!! I had to shout my talk in the house of prayer! haha, oh well! I told the members to have the faith that the Lord has prepared their friends, family, neighbors to hear and accept the gospel. Just remember that, there is always somebody!

Sorry this is so short again, I promise you a nice long letter next week!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 56 Ixtapaluca

Hey Everyone!!

I feel like I haven't written in a really long time! Last week we went to the centro, and it was awesome! We went up the Latin American tower, to the Zocalo and got to see all the old buildings. It was a fun experience, Mexico is the BEST! (Sorry Trent!)


Elders Kartchner, ???, Trevor, Juarez, Alcantaro

The Zocalo - I think they are in the highest tower in the picture

Elder Juarez and I are working hard here in San Buena. We did Divisiones with our Zone Leaders this week, I went with Elder Valdez and my companion went with Elder Hunt. Elder Hunt is heading home this week! He's part of the first group of Americans to go home since I have been here! The mission went 17 or 18 months without receiving any gringo! So now they're going to start to go home.
The work is really progressing here! Our little house of prayer is stuffed! We have fit 250 members before! Be grateful for a big chapel! Imagine the hallway by the primary when church is over but in a narrow three story staircase, just to change classes! Its a fun sight. This really is a special ward! I gave the gospel principles class on Sunday, and it was fun to see some of my converts participating and giving some really great thoughts.


Wow, President Hicken is going to be our new mission President! President Bulloch said he called him and talked to him and his wife, I know that the Lord calls these men to be Mission Presidents by revelation. It is such a blessing to have a leader so inspired like President Bulloch, I'm sure President Hicken will be a great blessing to this mission as well. Sorry I have to make this short again, I was helping Elder Juarez and Elder Cruz set up their new email, because its in English!Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

PS- Juan Antonio looked up my name on google and found pictures of me with the Book of Mormon!Haha,he said I looked pretty funny!

WEEK - 55 Ixtapaluca

Hey Mom, we went to the centro today, because of the flooding there is a ton of traffic! We are reporting to president right now. Everything is OKAY in Ixtapaluca because of the flooding, it just makes going anywhere really hard! Love you mom! Trev We are grateful for even a few words, just to know he is ok. We heard of the severe flooding around Mexico and have been concerned. LINK TO IXTAPALUCA PHOTO'S: http://picasaweb.google.com/homebuyer.scott/TrevorMissionaryPhotoS?authkey=Gv1sRgCOrO5cGk67-O-wE&feat=directlink

Since it doesn't look like Elder Ras will be able to write today, we thought we'd just post some pictures. We thought the one of him in the rain fit today's predicament.

This is the sweater we bought for Trevor before he left. After a Mexican laundering it looks like it could fit Maddie!

Good thing he found a sweater on the 'offering table' at the MTC. He planned on giving it to someone, but at least now he has something to keep him warm.

Elder Ras and Elder Martinez with the San Andreas family. They have been so kind to Trevor. They helped both him and Elder Martinez celebrate their birthdays. We also were able to call Elder Ras for Christmas at their house.

It's good to know Trevor still likes to eat!!!

He has always gotten a lot of joy out of food!!!

Looks like a fun Zone Activity. They all work so hard, it is nice to see them get a break.

Elder Ras with MTC companions Elder Trevor Israelsen

and Elder Ethan Kartchner. They all look just great.

It is a joy to see them each happy in the work.

Sharing a taxi in his Pachuca days with Elder Mora

and the Zone Leaders.

Trevor loved his Zone Leaders Elder Tanner and Elder Jaramillo. Elder Tanner is from Gilbert too.

WEEK - 54 IXTAPALUCA

HOLA A TODOS!

Orale! Siento que ha sido un mes desde la última vez que les escribí!
Have I ever told you how hard it is to think in English, and fast?!
Wow Elder Juarez and I saw a miracle last week! We baptized a sister named Concepción Granados Carreto (I forgot my camera, I'll send you the picture next week). It was so great to see her be baptized, because she has wanted to be baptized since her kids were baptized about a year ago! She was so happy, and that makes me happy to see that she is rejoicing in being baptized.

This week we baptized Juan Antonio Quezada Mendez, Jessica's husband. They are so aweosme! Juan had to work hard to get work off for last Sunday and this Sunday so he could be baptized. I baptized him yesterday right after church, then after we all got on a bus and went to the visitor's center! It was such a great experience. We took the Reyes family (Sara, Sergio, Jessica, y Braulio), Gervacio and his wife Rosalinda, Juan and Jessica, and Concepción and her family. We saw the Joseph Smith video on the way there, and when we got there the sister misisonaries did the presentation of the Christus. Then they took them on a tour to see the temple, we watched a movie afterwards about families and the Restoration. Its the video they show in the mesa visitors center with the family and their grandparents. After they showed a movie about the Mexico City temple, and that was the coolest! After that we took them to finish the tour, then we all watched “On the Way Home”. At the end we sang “I have a family here on earth..” (I forgot the name in English!) Afterwards we went outside and walked right in front of the temple doors, the Reyes family is so excited to enter they can hardly stand it! Sara says she can't wait for December 6th to come. Gervacio is also excited to go do baptisms for the dead and be sealed to his wife in a year. I made Juan and Jessica promise they were going to enter on Feb 7 2011! Before getting on the bus we ate tamales and atole (like a hot chocolate, but with guayaba!) It was a great activity, and I know it helped the recent converts to have that goal in their mind. I can't wait to go to the temple with them!

Oh wow! I can't believe our ward is seeing so many baptisms! That's great! Just keep helping the missionaries out so they can keep having success, that is awesome! They're going to have to divide the ward with all these baptisms!

MAEGAN! Wow, I can't believe how grown up you are! When I opened the picture I had to tell the other missionaries to back off cuz your MY sister!! I'm glad you had a good time.
Hey Maddie congratulations on your perfect attendance! I missed your letter last week, but I'm glad it was worth it so you could have perfect attendance.

This Wednesday we have our zone conference and interviews, I'm really excited! It's going to be a great conference.

I know this is the work of the Lord, HIS work and HIS glory. We see it every week, and every day we are here serving Him. I'm so thankful for this chance to serve His children with all my might. I love you guys, thanks for all your love and support!
Hasta luego!
-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 53 IXTAPALUCA

Hey Family,
Long story short, I have to go right now to DF so our owner can sign a receitp showing we paid the rent. Sorry I can't write more, I'll write you next week. Love you,
Elder Rasmussen