La Misión

WEEK - 103 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Jan. 17, 2011

24 months. A new langauge, country, and culture.Serving the Lord for 24/7. People swearing as you pass by, being spit on, doors slammed in the face. The joy felt when an investigator and their family decides to be baptized, and then after a year of constant effort, is sealed as an eternal family. The sadness when an investigator doesn't keep their commitments. The sweat and pain that comes from walking the streets of the biggest city in the world for two years. The smile on their faces as they leave the baptismal font. Working until 9:00 even when the members offer to take you home early, and then finding a whole family that will progress in the gospel. Coming to know Christ and His Atonement as you testify to everyone that He lives, and that He is our Savior and Redeemer.

These are some of the many feelings that a missionary feels. What I have done over these (almost) past 2 years has been the hardest, most rewarding, difficult, joyful, sweaty, painful, exciting, fun, growing experience of my life. I absolutely cannot describe the many, many lessons I have learned as a missionary. I can say though, that this is the Lord's work. That I know without a single doubt that He lives, and that we are nothing without Him. I know that I desire to serve Him all my life, and give Him everything I am. I have grown to love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and feel that I cannot go a day without reading from the Book of Mormon.

I love the Mexican people. I love their devotness and love they feel for our Savior. Even those who are not members know that they can't do it without Him. They desire to help their fellowman and have the sincere desire to become more like our Savior. As my companions and I have labored to find those who will not harden their hearts, but listen to the message of the restored gospel, I have seen miracles take place. I testify that miracles happen. When we have faith and show the Lord that faith by acting, that is when the miracle happens.

I know that if we don't share this wonderful and glorious gospel with all the people that we can, we will remember it in the last day. I know that as we open our mouth, the Lord fills it. There are so many that are desperate and searching for the truth, but don't know where to find it. I have heard investigators and converts testify that before they heard of the restored gospel, they felt a "hueco", a hole, or space inside of them. As tears fill their eyes, they smile and say they don't feel that anymore. There are so many who need what we have. I know they're out there.

I know that as we're diligent, the Lord gives us everything we could ever need in this life. This usually comes when we know it is hard, and we strive just a little bit more to give Him all we've got. Then the blessings come. I have been called to serve for 24 months. Not 23 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days. I am going to complete what the Lord has called me to do. And, as President Hicken says, there is no break at the end. The Lord will keep on requiring more and more of us.

I testify as a representative of Christ, that He lives. I testify that as we come to serve the Lord with all our souls, we can become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that the work of the Lord will continue to go on . As Joseph Smith said, “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; … the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

I love this work. I love our Heavenly Father. I love His children and desire to serve them all my life. May we all strive to find those who need these gospel truths, and be bold as we share it. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 102 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jan. 10, 2011
Hola!

My companion and I are continuing to see the blessings of the Lord in our area. We baptized a sweet sister named Genoveva and her 11 year old daughter Dayana. They are such amazing sisters, and the ward really helepd them feel welcome!

The Garcia family is progressing. This week the 18 year old and the 12 year old girls told us "We don't care what THEY do, cuz WE'RE getting baptized on the 16!" Then on Saturday in our appointment with the family, Antonio said "I respect my family's decision, whatever they want to do is okay. But I'm getting baptized on the 16th!" We also found a great sister named Paolina. She lost her daughter and her baby grandson in a carwreck last year, and my companion and a zone leader (in divisions) taught her the plan of salvation. She cried through the whole lesson. She accepted her baptismal date for the 23, and is really excited!

Remember I told you on Christmas about a family we taught in the really dusty poor part of our mission? They got baptized yesterday, and their five kids are getting baptized this coming Sunday! The Elders were really excited to tell me about them this week.

Today we went on a tour bus, we saw pretty much the whole city so that was fun.

I don't like to even think about this. I am realizing my time as a full time missionary is growing very short, and that makes me sad. I only have two more weeks to represent the Lord for 24 hours, 7 days a week. I want to give it my all. I want to get to the goal running. 24 months. Not 23 months and 3 weeks. 24 months. Grandma wrote me a letter in the MTC once saying how she thought a missionary would want to work the hardest those last few weeks of the mission so he could go home knwoing tha the had done his best. "Those few months could be the most successful of a mission." I don't want it to end, but I know it will. So I'm going to give it everything I've got.
Thanks for all your love and prayers.

Con mucho amor,
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 101 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-03T17:33:00.001-07:00

HOLA! Feliz año nuevoa todos!
I hope you had a great new year! Ours was...NOT quiet! Our neighbors decided to throw a big party and I slept pretty well from about 1030 to 12 and then I was woken up by all the millions of firecrackers for the next hour. It was alright though, some members brought us pizza because we had to be in the house at 600 that was really nice of them! The sister's son is in the mission in California. Those sisters always take special care of us! Mom I'm sorry the missionaries were rude, if I were there I would have said something to them!

WOW! Elder Walk and I saw a ton of miracles!!

First- Laura got baptized! Her boyfriend is the one next to her, Jo-el is from Nigeria and he's progressing towards his baptism as well.
Second- In the food appointment this week on Thursday we asked the Sister if she knew anyone we could visit, she sat there thinking for a second and said the usual- "Well, we've talked to that lady, and that lady, and that family... and nobody wants to!" Then she thought for a second and said "Actually there's two families I want you to visit.." They lived almost in front of her, and we went to visit them. One of the families listened to us but didn't want to go to church. We contacted Rosy and she was in her "estetica" (she's a hairstylist),she was cutting somebody's hair when we knocked her door. She stopped cutting and came running to talk to us. She is great! Her husband, and four kids are very elect. They all watched us with earnestness in their eyes as we explained the Restoration. One of the kids looked at us and said "Wow, that's the easiest thing to understand I've ever heard!" The Garcia family went to church this sundayand are progressing to their baptism on the 16.

Third- On Wednesday we were in the food appointment and when we asked the sister if she knew anyone we could visit- she said yes. She took us down stairs in her apartment building and Monica's son came out. He told us that she was showering and we put a return appointment. We didn't really think she would go to the appointment, because we never talked to her. We got a phone call from the sister at the hour of the appointment telling us to hurry over because Monica was there waiting for us. We hurried over and it was one of the best lessons we have ever taught. In two years, I think it was one of the most spirit filled lessons. And why? Because Monica came prepared for the appointment. After we started the lesson, she asked if she could share something with us. She said that after she got out of the shower, her son told her we had gone by, and so she KNELT DOWN and ASKED Heavenly Father if this was the way, "el camino", for her and her family. She said she felt a "cry", and she knew that that was what she needed to do. She shared with us yesterday at church that she has had a dream three times now that she is pregnant with a girl, that she feels is her and that she needs to "be reborn again". We quickly showed her in her Book of Mormon Alma 7:14-15. She started reading, got about two lines down and raised her eyebrows and said, "OOH...That's what it means!" She then looked at us and said, "Well, I think I need to be baptized then." Elder Walk and I looked at her , jaws open, and said "Uh-huh". Wow! The Lord prepares his elect. It was a great experience for us, and we were really thankful for the opportunity to meet somebody so elect. She needs to get divorced and married, but we're confident we can do it before the 16!

I am loving my time here in Mexico. Everyday I say to myself "The Standard of Truth", and as I do, I feel an excitement and fire in the bones that makes me want to go out and contact everyone! I love the work, I love Mexico, I love Heavenly Father's children. I want to give it my all every second!
Les amo un buen!
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 100 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

12/27/10

Feliz Navidad....feliz navidad...feliz navidad, prospero año y felicidad!

I hope everyone had a great holiday with all the family and thinking about why we celebrate Christmas. We had a great time at President Hicken's house, we had a small devotional directed by President Hicken. We sang Christmas hymns while I played, and it was a really great spiritual time. Then of course we ate some great food! Sister Hicken's food is so delicious. On the 23 we went to the Temple with half of the mission, we ate at the Temple, and then we had a talent show and President Hicken spoke to us. It was a great day!

It was so fun to talk (and SEE) you all! I kept telling everyone that seeing your family is so different because we haven't seen each other in so long. Pictures just don't do it! It was fun to show you my nacho libre mask and to see you while we talked. That was the fastest 40 minutes ever! Sorry I distracted you all while everyone else was talking, I kind of felt bad about that after, I just couldn't help it! Anyways, it was a lot of fun!

This week we are going to baptize Laura, the sister I was telling you about. She is so elect and ready to be baptized. Her boyfriend, Jo-el from Nigeria, only speaks english and is coming to our ward from far away. President Hicken said we might be able to baptize him, depending on where he needs to go to find an English speaking ward I guess! We took them to the Visitor's Center and they absolutely loved it! It really is a huge blessing to have the Temple so close.

Today we went to Teotihuacan with Alba and Eduardo, it was fun to go one more time. I really enjoy it, every time I feel like I'm in Nephite lands!

Not much time to write today. I just want to suggest that we do what Presidente told us in his letter today. We usually make a list of resolutions we have for the year. Presidente said we should put a list of four things for the year, and then as we complete one of those things we can put another goal or resolution on. That way we are constantly asking ourselves and the Lord what we can do better on. I know that if we do that, the Lord will guide us and can use us in His work. Les amo un buen!

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 99 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-02T19:25:00.001-07:00

12/20/10

Hola Familia-

What a great week! Zone Conference with Elder Tenorio, Temple with Reyes family, and a whole lot of miracles!!

Zone Conference with Elder Tenorio was just great. Sister Hicken talked to us about being disciples of Christ. She shared with us the story of the pioneer Henry Clegg. It was such a great story and she finished it by saying Henry Clegg wrote in his journal entry after all the hard times he had “Still Moving” (Sigo Adelante). We are starting this tradtion in the mission now, Sigo Adelante means we are still moving even though it gets tough. We have to have that faith and trust in the Lord. President Hicken’s talk was great. He shared with us how he went to the grocery store and saw a cereal that he hadn’t seen before that was called “Peace Cereals”. He said as he was eating the cereal he read the box and it described that all the profits from the cereal go to a foundation, and that was why it had the title the way it did. President asked us if we were a cereal what would our name be? We talked about that for a while and we talked about what we would want our name to be and how sometimes our name might be what we dont want it to be. Elder Tenorio talked to us about Mosiah chapters 12-16. We had to study them and then we had a discussion about it. They are really great chapters, and I felt that the central theme is on the Atonement. He shared with us on how to have more faith when we pray and how to really ask in faith. He read with us the story of Rebecca in the bible and shared with u show the servant did everything he could then prayed to the Lord asking Him that the first girl he saw would be the one. He shared experiences with us about that and said how we need to do everything on our part then we can expect and wait for the Lord to make up the rest. Afterwards I had my interview with him and that was quite an experience. It was short and simple, but just to be there with him and feel of his spirit was really awesome!

After the conference I ran over to the Temple to meet the Reyes family. They were so happy to see me, they were waving at me from inside the doors as son as they saw me. The session was great and the sealing was amazing. I was smiling so big and the Spirit was so strong. Afterwards they hug eachother as a family as the sealer told them to look into the mirrors at their new eternal family. I felt so honored to be there and to see them and to be a part of that special momento for them as a family. They told me they HAVE to go to the airport to say bye, I told them it would be at 5:30 and thy said “We dont care! We’ll be there!”

On Saturday my companion and I decided to put into practice what we learned from Elder Tenorio. We had two experiences, first- As you may know we have a rule that we cannot teach women wth just as and them. We had an appointment Saturday morning with a single sister and knew we had to take someone. We called everyone and nobody could. We prayed and asked the Lord to help us, to somehow make sure there was a man in the appointment. We got there and the first thing Laura said was “I want to introduce you to my brother who just got in from out of town.” We smiled and walked in and he was there for the whole lesson and wants us to send the missionaries to him in Tlaxcala. Second- We were working hard and all of a sudden we had some people cancel their appointment and we had a big space in our agenda before the next appointment. We didn’t know where to go, so we decided to pray. We found a somewhat quite nook by a big apartment building (really hard to fidn in Mexico City!) and said a prayer. We asked Heavenly Father to help us to find a family of three that could progress and be baptized. We said we would do all our part to find them through contacts and knocking doors. We went to work and the first man we contacted said he couldn’t listen to us but in that time his wife walked up and said we could contact her as well. She said that she couldn’t listen to us right then either and then we asked if we could introduce ourselves to her mom. She called her mom and her mom let us into her home. We got in and we asked if there was anyone else, and she said “Yes, my husband and my 11 year old daughter”!! Those three accepted their baptismal date and went to Church with us yesterday. This to me is a proof tha this is the Lord’s work and that He is willing to bless us with His tender mercies.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas! I can't wait to talk to you this week. As we remember Christ at this time, we should do all we can to be like Him, and to develop His attributes. I am so thankful for this time to serve and represent Him. I know and testify that as we do so, we come to know Him better and His Atonement.

Feliz Navidad!

-Elder Rasmussen

Please send to-

WEEK - 98 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

12/13/10

Hola familia, cómo estan?

My companion and I are enjoying another great week in the work of the Lord! We baptized Arturo yesterday. He kept saying how nervous he was, but

he was just really excited. Teresa cried during Arturo´s baptism as well, she was just so happy to see her son to be baptized! I'll have to send the picture next week, this computer won't let me load the pictures.

I have some great news! The Reyes Garcia family is going to enter the Temple this week! This Friday the 17 we have our zone conference with Elder Tenorio, second counselor in the area presidency. Then afterwards I'll be going to the Temple with this great family, of course, with Elder Martinez. I received permission from President Hicken to call them and they were just so, so excited! It has been really hard for them these past few months, but they've kept strong and have made it to the goal. Now the goal is to keep on going until the Celestial kingdom. I'm so thankful that we met this sweet family. I love them so much, I feel like they're part of my family!! What a blessing to know such wonderful sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. This is their message-

HOLA ELDER RASMUSSEN!

Estamos muy felices de poder comunicarle que por fin llegó el momento tan deseado por nosotros como familia ¡YA TENEMOS NUESTRAS RECOMENDACIONES PARA ENTRAR AL TEMPLO! solo nos falta las entrevistas de Jessica y Braulio que serán el viernes 10 de diciembre con el obispo y ya solicitamos fecha para el sellamiento será el Viernes 17 de Diciembre a las 10:00 am; Elder por favor contacte al edler Martínez para que nos puedan acompañar, les extrañamos un buen, pero en fin ese día podremos platicar de muchas cosas, estamos muy agradecidos de que Dios los enviara a nuestras vidas y sabemos que cada día nos llena de bendiciones.

ATENTAMENTE- FAMILIA REYES

"We are happy to tell you that the awaited moment has come for us as a family. WE HAVE OUR RECOMMENDS TO ENTER THE TEMPLE! Jessica and Braulio are going to be interviewed on the 10 and we already ahve the date for the 17 of December at 10. We miss you a ton, but we'll talk alot on this day. We're thankful that God sent you to our lives and we know that each day He fills us with blessings."

Great family huh? I'll send the picture next Monday.

We trained the new Elderes today. What a great group! Everyone of them seemed really excited to get out and work. In our training we talked about working diligently, and giving your all to the Lord. I told them that they need to take advantage of everyday and work hard. President Hicken stood up after and said "Elder Rasmussen knows that the time flies, he's on his last cycle!" Everyone just kind of looked at me all weird and said, "Really?!" haha, one Elder even said, "Wow you look pretty excited for someone that's going home!" I said, "Hey, hey, hey I'm not going home yet!" Everyone seems to say those kind of things when they know its the last cycle. Anyways, the training was just great. Elder Walk is a great trainer. He shared an experience with them of how we contacted Teresa at night, and shared a scripture in Matthew 10:39 about getting lost in the work. It was a great training, but President Hicken's was even better. He is so wise and he just gets us so excited to get out there and work when he talks!

I'd like to share with you what President Hicken shared with us today in his letter-

"May God bless you. Do good always. Be obedient with exactness. Keep being constant. I promise you that if you do it, God will be satisfied when you finish your mission and He will tell you in that day as he did to Enos. "Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. "

THAT is a promise from the Lord's representative for this mission. I know it is true that if we do these things, the Lord will be able to tell us this. Be obedient with exactness. Be constant.

Les amo,

Elder Rasmussen

Que Dios les bendiga. Hagan lo bueno siempre. Sean obedientes con exactitud. Sigan constantes. Les prometo que si hacen esto Dios será satisfecho cuando terminan sus misiones y les dirá en aquel día como dijo a Enós. Enós 1:27 Ven a mí, tú, que bendito eres; hay un lugar preparado para ti en las ^dmansiones de mi Padre.

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WEEK - 97 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2011-01-02T19:10:00.001-07:00

HOLA!

Wow, I think I’m on an even slower computer than last week! We’ve been in here for 45 minutes and I just got it working…oh well!! I’ll have to type fast.

This week we were pretty busy again with Leadership Training. This training happens every third month. We have this week and next week to work and then the 15 President Tenorio is going to be touring the mission. I’m not sure if we are going to go to that, but he is going to have an interview with Elder Walk and me! I’ve never been interviewed by a 70 before!

We learned so much from President in these trainings. He has invited us to keep a journal of the Lord’s tender mercies, and invited us to be more obedient. He has promised us great things, and I just know that as we are obedient the Lord will bless us. As I received the reports from the Zone Leaders last night, I read with them Alma 57:21-22. I know that if we are obedient with exactness to what President taught us, the Lord will bless us with more success.

This Saturday Hermana Beatriz entered the Temple! It was such a big blessing to see her there, she was so happy and when she saw me she wanted to give me a big hug then remembered she couldn’t. She told the sisters she was with “HE’s the missionary that baptized me!” They were excited as well. She said Gonzalo is working to enter the Temple this month, and that they are also working to change Pablo and Ariel’s last names so that they can be sealed to them. I sure hope that happens!! Brother Luis Perdomo wrote me and told me that the Reyes family is also progressing. He said that they’re having some marital problems, so please join with me in praying for them so they can make it to the Temple! Satan is going to do everything he can so they don’t make it!

We have a progressing investigator that is so elect! Her name is Teresa and her son is Arturo. She is so excited to be baptized this Sunday. Her son didn’t go to church because he said he had a bunch of homework to do. I hope he’ll get baptized with his mom. Elder Walk and I have really felt the Spirit as we teach this sweet sister. Alba and Eduardo went with us to the appointment and gave their awesome testimony of the Book of Mormon! They are so excited for Teresa, and are really helping her. It’s just great when the converts are friends to the converts!

HAPPY LATE THANKSGIVING! I gave a lot of thanks for all of you. I really am thankful for such a wonderful family! Alba and Eduardo made us a TURKEY! Alba really worked hard to make us turkey and even stuffing. It got to the time to cut it and we had no idea how to do it, and neither did Eduardo! It turned out really delicious! Mom, I loved the idea of the thankful basket! I’m going to start that in my journal. Thanks!

Thanks for the recording! That was just great. I can’t believe I’m going to be 21. ESTOY RUCO!

I’m sorry I don’t have much time to write, we have to get going because my companion isn’t feeling too great. Love you!

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 96 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-11-26T00:12:00.001-07:00

Nov 22-10

Hola

"And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God qualify him for the work."

This was really the theme of our Leadership Training this last week. President Hicken talked a lot about how we qualify for having the Spirit in the work. He told us that if we would just have an eye single to the glory of God, we would be qualified. He invited us to read D&C 4:5-7, and find the attribute that we need to work on. He promised us that we would find more success in the Lord's work as we did so.

It was just wonderful to be with President Hicken for this whole week. Elder Walk and I felt like the mission home was more of our home than our house. We were there last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday night. Then Wednesday and Thursday night we were in Pachuca with the zone leaders. They were two day trainings with two zones. This week we are going with the other half of the mission. We also just found out that Elder Tenorio, counselor in the area presidency, wants to come visit our mission the second week in December. They want to know why the MME is having so much success. That will be great to have that time to be with a 70!

I have to tell you about this, yesterday was the primary program for Casas Aleman. Valeria and Lalito were so excited! They got to church about half an hour early and were sitting in their seats ready to go. They both had on the future missionary badge I gave them. It was a very overwhelming feeling for me to see these two wonderful kids sing with conviction "How could the Father show the world.." and "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints..".

Valeria got up and gave her line with so much enthusiasm and belief. She said, "Jesus Christ teaches me how to live." It was short and simple but she said it because she knew it! What a great family. I love this family so much!

Medina-Martinez Family- at the Mexico City Temple- 11-3-10

Eduardo is going to be receiving the melquisedec priesthood here soon, and I think Alva is going to be getting a calling too.

Well, just a little about my companion, guess I haven't said much. We were talking the other day about what we did before the mission for work and we found out that we both have our real estate license! Pretty crazy huh? We decided we're going to have to open a real estate business.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST- I can't wait to tell you about this. We were with the Zone Leaders from Pachuca last week, and when we were there I saw the number for a Bishop in my first ward in Pachuca. I called him up to ask him about how some of the converts were doing. He had some GREAT news for me.

Picture taken at baptism in Pachuca over 1 yr ago

Beatriz is going through the Temple THIS Saturday the 26!! She is so excited, and her husband Gonzalo along with their kids will enter in December to be sealed!!! Wow, I can't describe my joy when Bishop Cruz told me that! Then he told me that Juan Carlos Trejo married a recent convert after he was baptized. He has already received his endowments, and they are waiting for her to hit the year so they can be sealed!! They were both converts that Elder Mora and I taught.

" 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

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 (our) prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me. "

I remember reading this scripture the first time we had a baptism in Pachuca, and feeling the joy of seeing my brethren truly penitent and coming to the Lord. I remember reading it after Beatriz and her kids were baptized as well. I was talking to Elder Walk about it and it is such a wonderful feeling to know that when we know the converts are going to enter into the Temple, we feel like maybe, just perhaps, we were instruments in the hands of God to "bring some soul to repentance". I remember I have always read this scripture throughout the mission, and I have always wanted to know and to feel that maybe, just maybe we were instruments in HIS hands. I know He did everything, every success comes from Him. THIS is my joy.

Les amo!

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 95 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-11-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

Nov. 15, 2010

HOLA!

Today we had our training with the new missionaries. Actually, we’re going to have the meeting right now in 20 minutes, so I don't have much time to write.

Javier in center baptized by member

FIRST- Javier was baptized yesterday. He is the Young man I told you about. We contacted his mom and turns out he had already been to general conference once. What a great Young man! He’ll do great. His friend (the one on the right) baptized him, he is a recent convert of Elder Cordova, the Elder on the right.

We married Leo and Karina this week. They were so excited to go to church but Saturday night Karinas grandma got sick and nobody could go to watch her. So she had to stay Sunday morning to watch her. I think they’ll either get baptized this week, or next week.

We contacted a wonderful family this week, Omar and Liliana. Long story short, THEY'RE ELECT!!! Omar had a dream that he was being baptized with his wife. She was only able to go to church this week, and Omar is going to go next week. We’re not sure why he didn’t go, but Liliana loved church.

Yesterday we had a wonderful stake conference with President Eyring, Elder Bednar and Elder Christensen. Elder Christensen was the mission president here about 10 years ago. Pres. Eyring gave a great talk on claiming our heritage, and Elder Bednar gave an inspired talk on revelation. It was a true blessing for our investigators to hear these Prophets testify of Christ.

Training new missionaries how to enjoy La Honda

A Little about our training that we did today. The new missionaries got here on Saturday and two of the four stayed with Elder Walk and me. They are excited to be here and it was a great opportunity to teach them how to contact people. I remember having that excitement and wonder when they told us that our goal is to have a baptismal service every week. Their eyes kind of light up and get excited to go out and baptize.

Elder Ras- Sis Hicken -Pres Hicken - Elder Walk

President Hicken’s training is always just the best! He taught us today that good missionaries are defined by their obedience and dedication, not by their positions. Elder Walk and I also trained about how to find the elect. It was a great experience!

I have some great news! Eduardo is going to receive the Melquisedec priesthood this next Sunday! Isn’t that great??! He has been a member for about a month!! Also, I called Pres. Alvarez from Ixtapaluca and he told me that he was going to interview Hermano Sergio Reyes, form the Reyes Garcia family. They are going to be entering into the Temple soon, they’re just finishing up with their Temple prep classes. Do you remember Areli in Ixtapaluca? She is a 16 year old that we married. She is the relief society secretary and just had another baby. Her husband Danny was just interviewed for the Melquisedec priesthood as well, I need to call Pres. Alvarez again to see when they’re going to start their temple prep classes. They also hit a year soon!

The work is going forward! The Lord is blessing the mission, and I love it here in “Ver-heaven”!

This week and next week we are going to be doing a mission tour with President to be doing a training that we do every three weeks called Leadership Training. It should be a great week!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 94 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-11-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

8 de noviembre de 2010

ANOTHER GREAT WEEK IN PARADISE!

“…his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

FIRE IN THE BONES- THAT is what I feel. I love this work. I can’t stop, I want to keep on going finding all the elect that are out there just waiting for the restored gospel in their lives.

Edler Ras and Elder Walk with mustache gifts from home

Well on Tuesday we had the changes meeting. My new companion is Elder Walk from Farmington, Utah. He is such a great Elder and I am really thankful for this time to work with him. He has an excitement for the work that I haven’t felt since being with Elder Galindo. Not to say that my other companions didn’t feel it, there’s just always been something different. He is the best missionary in our mission, and we’re both just ready to go out and find the elect!Elder Walk, and I were contacting people in the street last week when we contacted a lady that seemed very interested. We were going to say bye to her because she didn’t want us to go to her house, but as we were walking away she said “Here’s my son’s number, call him and we can set up an appointment.” We called her son later that night, and went the next day. Javier is an 18 year old that has just been waiting for the gospel! He has a friend that was baptized in the ward next to us that took him to General Conference. When the missionaries asked if he wanted us to go to his house, he said no. He wasn’t ready yet. When we visited him he said he was surprised that we had talked to his mom, because that meant for him that he really was supposed to listen to the missionaries. That same day at night we were contacting and we both saw a family go around the corner, our eyes lit up and went after them. They also said that we couldn’t go to their house right then because their baby boy was sick. As we were about to say bye, we both felt like we should put an appointment for the next day, they gladly accepted. We went the next day and Karina and Leonardo are so elect. They are very humble and willing to accept the gospel in their lives. She even told us when we took her to the Visitors Center that she had heard of the Church before, but she just “wasn’t ready”. Actually, her mother used to tell her as they passed the Temple that the angel on the top is called Moroni! My companion and I thought that was just great that our investigator testified to us that she had been prepared to accept the gospel. We are going to get them married this week.

11/7/10-Himilce de Jesus Peregrina Rosas e Ilse Maria Peregrina Garcia

A few weeks ago I was with Elder Lopez and we were checking the ward list for members. We chose an address and when we got there we met Himicle and Ilse. They told us that the family we were looking for didn’t live there, but let us in to teach them. They told us that they had never been visited by any religion and felt they needed it, (I thought in my head, you bet you need it!!) We baptized Himilce (pronounced- eemeelsay) and Ilse yesterday. What a great mother and daughter. They love the Book of Mormon and have testified to us several times that it is true. I’ve had experiences with them that I haven’t had with any other investigator. Ilse has often asked us at the end of the lesson if she can share a scripture with us from her study in the Book of Mormon or while she has been doing Personal Progress. WOW! Himilce really strived to stop smoking and was able to do it! She has also testified to us of how the Atonement has had an effect in her life and changed her. What a blessing to see this change!

President Hicken asked us to type up an article for the newsletter, and this is what we wrote-

Fixing Breakfast w/ Pres> Hicken for new Elders

Elder Isrealson enjoying some food

PODEROSOS MISIONEROS DE LA ESTE-

¨...Y éstos son mis pensamientos tocante a la tierra que os daré por herencia; porque será una tierra escogida sobre todas las demás... Y dijo el Señor: Poneos a trabajar ....Y sucedió que el hermano de Jared se puso a trabajar, y sus hermanos también¨ (Éter 2:15-16). Élderes y hermanas, desde los días de Adán y Eva hasta ahora, Nuestro Padre Celestial nos ha mandado que trabajemos. El trabajo es el fundamento del éxito. Es el secreto de cada misión exitosa. Si queremos llevar el fruto que el Señor nos manda que llevemos, tenemos que ponernos a trabajar tal como el hermano de Jared. Tenemos que tener la visión que hay miles de elegidos en cada área de la MME, y que cuando nos ponemos a trabajar el Señor nos bendecirá con un servicio bautismal cada semana. "GO TO WORK!! PONEOS A TRABAJAR!!”

-Elder Rasmussen y Elder Walk

Translation-

( 16 And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren…” (Ether 2:16) Elders and Sisters, since the days of Adam and Eve our Heavenly Father has commanded us to work. Work is the fundamental of success. It is the secret of every successful mission. If we want to bring forth the fruit the Lord expects of us, we have to go to work like the brother of Jared. We have to have the vision that there are thousands of elect in each of the areas in the MME, and that when we go to work the Lord will bless us with a baptismal service each week. )

When we found that scripture, we just loved it and knew that we could share it with the mission. It is a commandment from the Lord- he tells us to go to work, but will we be like the Brother of Jared, will they be able to say “and they did go to work”??. I sure hope so. That’s what we say everyday when we leave, “Let’s go to work!”

I want to tell you about some of the converts in the area. Brandon and Oliver blessed and passed the Sacrament last week. Lupita, Brandon, Oliver and Alba and her husband Eduardo all went to the Temple last Tuesday to do baptisms for the dead! They couldn’t wait to get in to the Temple, and when we told them that they could enter to do baptisms, they were just so excited! They loved it. THIS is why I’m here. THAT is what brings more joy than anything. Seeing those who have truly converted to the Lord and want to do His work with all their heart is what causes more joy. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to see this mighty change of heart. May we all remember that mighty change of heart we have had, and GO TO WORK in this our Heavenly Father’s work.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 93 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-11-03T22:36:00.000-07:00

1 de Noviembre del 2010

Hola Familia!

This week was great. Elder Lopez finished his mission strong and worked hard until the end.

I think the best part of all was that I was able to work with Elder Galindo! His brother finished his mission in the north-west mission today, with Elder Zach Johnson! Elder Johnson was changed from the west mission to the north-west mission. Anyways, he was Elder Galindo’s twin brothers companion. I was with Elder Gaindo on Saturday until today. He was so excited to see his twin brother and his parents. He is such a great missionary, I’ve never seen a missionary finish the mission so dedicated and working. I told him on Saturday that I felt like it were as though we were still companions! What a great way to finish the mission, working hard until the very end! I’m glad I could work with him one last time.

Tomorrow is "Day of the Dead", but everyone is celebrating it right now. They kind of combine Halloween with this day and from the 31 to the 2 they go around asking for candy and dressed up! Pretty fun! A typical Day of the Dead thing is a chocolate or sugar skeleton head that they decorate and put on the offering table for their ancestors.

Today we trained the new Mexican missionaries, fresh out of the MTC! I’m with an Elder named Elder Zamudio, from Baja California. We had a great training meeting, and the Spirit was strong. Tomorrow we have our changes meeting, and on Wednesday at 2 the new American missionaries get here. They have been delayed for a while, they are in California and should have gotten here in August! They’re 10 missionaries, so that is really going to help the mission. It’s kind of hard to explain, but the mission had missionaries leaving but no missionaries coming! Now we are growing and I think we’re experiencing some of those growing pains. I mean that in a good way. The very new missionaries that have only been out for a month and a half are training missionaries almost as new as them! It’s a growing experience for many, and it makes me remember how I felt when I was given the assignment as trainer. But I know the Lord blesses us, and all we have to do is be obedient with exactness, work hard, have the Spirit and the Lord will bless us abundantly.

It is just amazing to hear President Hicken train the new missionaries. He receives revelation in the trainings, and says something new that they need to hear in that moment. He is always positive. He casually made a side comment that ever since that day they were robbed they are trying to look forward and not backwards. He said something else that I don’t remember, but the point is that he and his wife are examples to everyone of faith in the Lord. If we could all have that faith, we wouldn’t worry as much because we would know who’s hands we are in. Today he also testified to the missionaries that the people in the street need to see that we have the Spirit with us and that we’re just not normal men, but that we are representatives of Christ. That had a deep impact on me, and I have been thinking about that as well. If the people in the street can recognize us as His representatives, the results will be really really different! In D&C 29:7 it says that the elect hear His voice and don’t make their hearts hard (literal translation from Spanish to English, not sure if that’s exactly right!) and in order for that to happen, we have to have the Spirit with us always! If not, the elect wont have a way of recognizing us as true representatives of Christ. I want you to know that there are elect in Gilbert Arizona. There are elect in Spain. There are elect in any part of the world, just waiting for the truth. If we are diligent, and faithful, and patient the Lord will bless us with the opportunity to find them and bear them our testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that if we do this, the Lord will bless us abundantly- even more than we can imagine. Always have the Spirit, and He will put the elect in your way. I know it!

Les amo mucho!

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 92 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-11-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

26-Octubre-2010

Carmona-Padilla Family,This is Hermana Lupita,her son,and her mom Baptism- 17-October Confirmation-24-October

Hey sorry about writing a little late this week. Yesterday we were with Presidente all day. We slept at the secretary’s house on Sunday, and on Monday at 9 we were at the mission home to plan the transfers. President really does receive revelation in every moment, and it’s a great feeling to see the Spirit telling him who should be with who. Elder Lopez and I tell him what the zone leader’s tell us about the missionaries, and he makes the decision. We finished at about 1 and headed to the offices so the secretaries could take us back. When we got there though, Elder Lucas the missionary in charge of the new Americans, told us that we are probably going to get 11 more missionaries! We never know when the Americans are going to get here, they have been in California for about a month or two and are finally going to get here. We went back to the mission home and planned for these new elders, and in total we should be getting around 25missionaries next week! It’s GREAT because our number of missionaries is going back up! When I got to the mission there were about 200 or maybe more, and now we’re at about 140 or less. This should really help the mission out!

Elder Lopez and I learn so much from Presidente. He has such faith, and is ALWAYS positive. It sounds like you heard already about their van being stolen. They had to go to the police station to put a claim in, and were there till really late. We had interviews with him the next day, and both President and Sister Hicken were completely calm. They have so much faith and are always positive. It would have been really easy for any of us to complain about having the van stolen, but he didn’t. From the very next day President was still very positive and happy! He and his wife are a true example.

Medina Martinez Family - showing 1yr to enter the Temple. Cousin & former MME missionary Dan Lopez on right came back to visit from Utah.

I have a great story for you! We visited Alba and Lalo this week, and Alba told us that earlier last week she heard her kids playing, and she started listening to them. First of all I guess I need to explain that their kids LOVE going to the Temple. They can see it from their room, and when the lights go out in their house they always check to see if the lights are on at the Temple.

Anyways, they were playing and they had put on their “Future missionary” badges that I gave them,

Lalito Medina Martinez 3yrs

Lalito (the 3 year old) was on the sofa with his hands out like the Christus statue,

Valeria Medina Martinez

Valeria (the 4 year old) said “Brothers and Sisters, at the end we’re going to give you a card like this (as she showed the card up like the sister missionaries do),and now we’re going to listen to Jesus.” Lalito, with his hands out, said, “ I’m Jesus, behave, and don’t fight with your little siblings.” Haha! I thought that was just great. Valeria wants to be a missionary!

Well Elder Lopez goes home this week. The Lord has truly blessed us these last few weeks. I have really learned so much from my companion, he’s helped me to grow and to help President more. I’m thankful for a companion like him.

Hope everyone has a great week! Thanks for your love and support,

Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 91 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-10-16T23:45:00.003-07:00

10-16-10

Hey Everyone!

Well today’s Saturday, and I wasn’t able to write for last week. So what I’m doing is sending pictures of my journal entries for those days, is that okay? I can share some of the experiences that we had though.

On the 9th we baptized Gerardo and Oliver. Gerardo is from Casas Aleman and Oliver is from Campestre (the Carmona family, his mom and brother and grandma, are getting baptized tomorrow).

On the 10 we baptized the Medina Martinez family. They are so great! Their cousin Dan Lopez came all the way from Utah to baptize them. He’s going to be here tomorrow for their confirmation. They had quite an experience. Lalo (the dad) didn’t want to get baptized, but Alba did. We went to their house last Wednesday and invited Lalo to read and pray. He did so, and when we came back to take them to their interviews, he said he was ready to go!

We took them to their interviews at the visitors center, and they loved being at the Temple. I don’t remember if I told you this last week, but they can see the Temple from their house!

Their daughter, Valeria, is so funny. When we went to the Temple for their interview, she was like “Oh! I can see that from my window at night! The other day the lights went out, but they didn’t go out in the Temple!” haha, she’s cute, and reminds me a lot of Maddie! Last night we went to visit them and they are so awesome! Lalo said the prayer, and it was so humbling to hear it. He gave thanks for being led to the truth and for the opportunity to be able to go to the Temple in a year. What a great family! I’m going to be saving so I can be here in a year!

This week we are going to baptize the Carmona family. Lupita, Brandon and their Grandma, Porfiria. Porfiria is 86 years old, and has diabetes. She can hardly talk but when she does, she makes it clear she wants to be baptized! She can’t go to church, but President said that it would be good for her to be baptized because her husband is a member, and that way they can be sealed. We are also going to baptize a sister named Blanca. She is a referral from her sister in McAllen, Texas. She is also very excited to be baptized. She has arthritis so bad that her hands are bent. But she makes it every week to church. We visited her yesterday and she is really excited as well.

What a blessing to be here! The Lord is truly blessing this area, and it is so humbling to see. Wow! Elder Lopez baptized a family in San Buena a year ago, and a week ago they went to the Temple, so we were able to go with them. A lot of the members from that ward were there as well, and they told me that the Martinez family is getting ready to go to the Temple. Can’t wait to be there with them. It was very special to see a sealing. Bro. Luis Perdomo was there, remember him? He told me he would help me out, and let me know how they’re progressing.


Elder Agurrie & Ras at La Honda. This is the restaurant where we take all the new missionaries. THIS is the meat for the tacos Al Pastor!

aaAAHHH ! ! ! ! The joys of Tacos Al Pastor ! ! !

Les amo un buen!

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 90 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-10-04T20:35:00.002-07:00

October 4, 2010- Another Great Week in Paradise!

Hola, Familia,

General Conference was inspiring as always, I learned so much that I can apply to the work. I really liked Pres. Uchtdorf's talk, that was great!

This week we baptized Alejandra Davila Torres, and Valeria a 9 year old daughter of a sister in the ward. Alejandra was so excited to be baptized, she is very elect. It was so amazing to see how the Lord prepares his children to accept the gospel. Eduardo and Alva are progressing. They have had some problems between them, we're praying that they can resolve these problems and decide to be baptized together. We're going to baptize Gerardo this week as well. He's 19 and is doing a great job at keeping the Word of Wisdom. He went to almost every General Conference session in a suit and vest! He used to have problems with drugs and smoking, but he has completely stayed away from it. Wow, what an example of the Atonement in our lives!

Last week my companion and I had meetings with President Hicken Tuesday, Wednesday and then Thursday was our zone leaders counsel. The week just flew right by! We spent a lot of time with the Secretaries. I don't know if I've mentioned that Elder Israelsen is the Financial secretary, so we have been able to spend a lot of time together and talk. He's such a great missionary and friend. I'm excited to get to work with him more. We have to spend the night at the secretaries house a lot because its on the other side of town. Last week we were in the offices quite a bit, and Elder Lucas, one of the secretaries, decided it would be funny to buy mine and Elder Israelsen's plane tickets!! He bought them in two seconds and said "Hey Elders, look what I got?" We kind of smiled weakly and we decided to make every minute count before we have to use that stupid plane ticket! It's not going to get to me that's for sure!!!


Elder Ras at his NEW dream Apt . . . Notice the Barbwire ?? ! !

President Hicken is such a great example. He talked to us about always being positive in the zone leaders counsel. He says that every week he gets letters from the missionaries and a lot of them are negative! He taught us that negativity is not from the Spirit and that it actually impedes our success as missionaries if we are being negative. He invited us to look for all the positive and be grateful so that we can have the Spirit with us. I had never thought of it that way before. I'm so thankful for this chance to learn from such a great leader.

Our new apartment has a built in stove, with built in natural gas tubes (normally we have to buy the tanks), it has CARPET and two bathrooms. It's basically a missionary in Mexico's dream apartment!

I'm thankful for your prayers, I honestly felt them all last week. I'm really thankful for my parents that put the example for their kids and teach us to consecrate everything to the Lord. It has made me reflect on if I'm doing that as a missionary. I have this short time to dedicate everything I am to the Lord, Am I really doing everything I can? Am I giving every second to Him? I want to be able to do this after the mission, but I guess I better start now huh? Love you family!
-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 89 Casas Aleman / Aragón Zone - AP

2010-10-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

27-SEPT-2010

Hola Familia

Elder Lopez and I have had a great opportunity to get to work with President Hicken more closely, and WOW have I learned a lot! Pres. Hicken is truly guided by the Spirit and I learn in every meeting with him. We do have quite a few meetings, but I think you have a different idea of what we have to do. For example, we spend most of our time in the area, but we do have several meetings. For example, with last week and this coming week we will or have had -1 training with new missionaries, - 2 Planning Sessions, -1 Training with Zone leaders, and -1 Transfers meeting. As Assistants our job is to, well, assist the President. We’re here to serve him and help him in all we can. We train the zone leaders, and are expected to set the example with baptisms.

Even though we are not in our area full time, the Lord has blessed us so much! Its amazing! Last Thursday night we were contacting everyone in the street and being rejected by pretty much everyone. We saw a family out of the corner of our eye and caught up to them to contact them. Whenever I see a complete family I get excited and want to run up to them. Luckily, I kept my cool and we got up to them and contacted them. Alva and Eduardo gladly accepted and told us that they’d be there at their house at 5. On Friday we got there at 5 and they weren’t there. We left a note asking them to call us, and my faith was starting to waver when we received a message at 9. It was Alva and Eduardo saying that they were really sorry that they couldn’t get there, but that they wanted us there the next day. We got there and found out that Alva is Elder Dan Lopez’s cousin! I told you about Elder Lopez, he’s from Utah. About two Mondays ago he visited his grandma and family and Alva was there. It’s amazing to see how the Lord prepares his elect. Alva was ready to accept the gospel, but just needed that extra push from Elder Lopez. I know they’ll progress! Elder Lopez from Utah just wrote me and told me that his cousin sent him a message saying that she went to church with us! She and Eduardo are going to be baptized on the 10th.

Another experience. We contacted a lady named Angelina on Wednesday night. We only had about 3 hours to work because of a meeting we had on the other side of the city. We contacted her and she said thanks but no. We kept on walking and for some reason we felt like we should contact a lady in a hot dog stand, which we never do. We contacted her, and she said no. We turned around to go and as I turned I saw Angelina hurrying to catch up to us with her baby stroller. She whistled at us and asked, “How much do you charge to visit people?” I’m sure we almost shouted “nothing!” and we went to her house, and she also accepted her baptismal date.

I gave a talk this Sunday. I used a part of Pres. Kimball’s talk of “Is this all we can do?” I think that would be the translation. I talked about how it really is easy for the members to just share their testimony to share the gospel with others. Elder Lopez talked about “hermandad”… fellowshipping! That’s the word. It was great. A lot of members afterwards came up the investigators and shook their hands and took time to talk with them. That helped them feel so much more at home.

Can you see how this is the Lord’s work?? Really we are nothing! We can’t do it on our own, and have to depend on Him. The elect are there. This is HIS work. I know that every single one of us knows somebody who is ready. Ready to accept the gospel in their lives and receive the blessings. If you don’t know what to say, simply bear your testimony that God lives, because “that is the greatest testimony in the world” (Pres. Kimball). This week, really pray for those opportunities, and the Lord will open doors. HE will do everything if we are willing. I heard Elder Tanner has contacted several people and offered the Book of Mormon. Remember, it’s easier than we think sometimes, just be an example and you’ll be blessed.

Enjoy General Conference! It’ll be just great! Les amo!

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 88 NEW CALLING . . ARAGON/MISSION OFFICE AP

2010-09-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 4:06 PM

Where do I start?

On Saturday at 10:15, President Hicken called me and asked "Elder Rasmussen, how long have you been out there in Neza?"

I told him 7 months, and how much I have grown to love the zone and the area. He told me that sometimes we have to have changes, then he said that day he had to send his assistant on a plane home and that he was missing one. He told me he was calling me to extend that calling to me. I said "Wow...I feel really inadequate" haha pretty lame huh? I guess I could have said something a little more faithful, but oh well. He said that when he was called as mission president he felt the same way, but that's when the Lord calls us. Then he asked me if that was a yes! haha, I said yes of course.

Yesterday, Sunday, I had to be in the Temple at 8:30 am because I went with Elder Lopez, the assistant. He goes home this next cycle (11/22), and I needed to go today to learn how to train the new missionaries because starting next cycle I'LL be training a new assistant and be the senior assistant?!

It's hard to describe my feelings. I've been really trying to be the missionary and leader the Lord wants me to be. My companion, Elder Lara, is just great. He has helped me realize some things I need to do better as a leader. And I plan to really put them into practice.

I know the Lord has given me this assignment, I just need to trust in him and do the best I can.

It reminds me of a talk by Pres. Eyring in April, he said-

"This is the Lord’s Church. He called us and trusted us even in the weaknesses He knew we had. He knew the trials we would face. By faithful service and through His Atonement, we can come to want what He wants and be what we must be to bless those we serve for Him. As we serve Him long enough and with diligence, we will be changed. We can become ever more like Him."

I know I have a lot of weaknesses, but I also know that if I am diligent and trust in Him and His Atonement, I will be able to serve Him completely.

I love this work, and I feel really privileged to be here in The Mission. I know there are miracles if we have faith in the Lord and then act. Thank you for your love and support.

Love you,

Trev

ps- I want you to know that Mondays are going to be a little different now. Sometimes we don't have time to write at all.

WEEK - 87 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

Sept 13,2010

VIVA MEXICO!

Hey everyone!

Wow what another great week! I’m truly enjoying being a full time missionary, and the best part is waking up everyday and knowing I have another day in the Lord’s work! It is an adventure, and the best thing. I’m so grateful I’m here in this wonderful country, with these people in this Ward. I really love them and their great attitude.

This Wednesday is the 16^th of September, and Mexico celebrates 200 years since the Mexican Revolution! It’s going to be pretty crazy around here, so we all have to be in the house at 6pm and we can’t leave until 12 the next day. They’re so patriotic! EVERY house has a Mexican flag flying on their roof. This time of year is known for the awesome food they have. PAMBAZOS are awesome. It’s a roll soaked in chile, fried on a pan then with potatoe and chorizo, lettuce, sour cream and cheese…yumm! VIVA MEXICO!

We were able to do divisions with our District Leaders this week. That was a good experience. When I went to Palmar I was able to visit Patricia. She is still strong and active! She reads the Book of Mormon all the time, and she told me that she talked to her nephew in Idaho (who is also a member) and he told her that he would come to visit when she goes to the Temple in a year! I also went with the Assistant, Elder Rhoten. He’s been a great leader and friend to me, he taught me a lot on the divisions and I’m grateful for that.

I received a letter from the Reyes Garcia family from San Buena. I’m going to translate it and share it with you.

“Elder Rasmussen-

Hello Elder, thanks for the letter. We hope that you are well, thanks for writing us to know that you are okay. Well we really miss you and are waiting anxiously to enter the Temple and feel a great joy in our hearts. “ Jessica goes on to say that she went to EFY and has plans to go to Bene, the church school here in MX City. Braulio her little brother is going to be baptized soon. Sergio and Sara are working in church with their callings. Jessica finishes the letter like this, “We’ll see you in the HOUSE OF THE LORD, thank you for coming into our lives. In 5 months I’ll be in Bene and at 21 years I’ll be in THE MISSION, and I’ll be a sister who will take more precious souls to our Heavenly Father .”

They’re doing just great! President Hicken gave me permission to call them to make sure they start their preparation classes! I don’t know what’s going on in their ward, but the Bishop still hasn’t interviewed Braulio for baptism and he’s been 8 for a few months now. They are so excited! In December you’ll see a picture of us!

Elder Lara and I are having a lot of success. We had 10 investigators in Church yesterday, and we feel privileged to see the Lord’s hand in this work. He is truly blessing us. I know that if we have success at all, it comes from him! This week we baptized Dario Hernandez Marquez. He was sooo excited! It was fun to see. In sacrament meeting they announced that he was going to be baptized and when they did he stood up really excited, without them asking him to. We baptized Gilberto, Elizabeth’s nephew, and Brayan a 9 year old from a less active family. We have had to teach this family as if they were investigators, and it’s been a great experience to see them coming back to church after years of being inactive.

Maegan- Great work with missionary work! I would suggest to keep on encouraging your friend to read AND pray. I don’t know if you’ve done that, but one thing I’ve definitely learned in the field, is that if they NEVER read and pray, they’ll NEVER know. Help her to understand that she needs to take Moroni’s promise. I suggest that you do it as well, so that your can testify with power that this promise is true. If you do that, she’ll want to have that same answer. Remember EVERYTHING depends on whether the Book of Mormon is true or not. EVERYTHING. Keep it up Maeg!

That’s all for this week! Les amo un buen!

-Elder Ras

WEEK - 86 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

México, Distrito Federal, México

6/SEPT/2010

HOLA FAMILIA!!

Wow, a lot happened this week. Last Tuesday we had our zone leader’s council, we basically went over what we accomplished in August and put goals for September. Our zone has a huge goal, and I have faith we can complete it for this month. On Thursday we had our zone conference with La Perla. Elder Bertin directed, and Elder Lara and I gave our training. We used parts of the Best Two Years for our training, and everyone liked that. I was kind of nervous, but I know Heavenly Father helped me because I wasn’t nearly as nervous as the first time I trained in a zone conference! Afterwards we ate tacos al pastor (yuuummm) and root beer floats! There’s a dollar store here in Mexcio city that sells root beer. Of course it’s not A & W or anything but hey its root beer!

Today we had our zone activity. We played football in the morning while a brother from Pantitlan Ward, named Hermano Juan, made us “Gringas”. They’re flour tortillas with a ton of cheese and AL PASTOR meat in the middle! (yuuummmm!!) We watched the Best Two Years and then we went bowling. Everyone liked the shirts we made, and I hope it helps them stay excited to meet their goals for September. We have some missionaries that are going home this cycle, and it seems like they’ve lost the desire to keep finding people to baptize. It’s really sad, and I think we can do all we can to help them, but they have to decide to do it. I know how I want to finish my mission, and I’m going to try so hard to be able to do it!!

My companion and I found a new family this week. Elizabeth and her kids are really humble, and accepted their baptismal date. Even though she worked all Saturday night, she went with us to church yesterday. I know she’ll be baptized! Elizabeth (Seyka’s daughter, Yulirsa and Victor’s mom) is active and helping he kids. Victor is the Deacon’s quorum president, Yuli is the counselor in the Young Women’s organization, and Adolfo and Victor pass the sacrament every week. Fabiola was confirmed this week, and they will be able to enter the temple in a year from September 5^th! Dulirza is having a hard time right now. There isn’t anyone to stay in her tortilleria so she has had to stay and work it for a while, and Brandon is also having a hard time. I would appreciate your prayers for him!

Our ward is doing a lot better!! I’m so excited to see the change in the members. We did our play again but there were only about 30 people, not the turn out we wanted but the ones who went loved it.

I’m so thankful to be here! Time is flying by, so I’m trying to take advantage of every second. President Hicken encouraged us to never never lose a day in the mission. This is the Lord’s work, I know He has prepared many to accept the gospel. I know that in every part of the world there are elect. I encourage you to keep on with your missionary efforts! Sometimes the members here tell us that they’ve already invited a ton of people and that nobody accepts. We just assure them that they’ll receive the blessings and to keep on working hard in the Lord’s work!

Les amo un buen!

Elder Ras

WEEK - 85 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-04T22:57:00.004-07:00

Hola Familia! 30-Ago-2010
Hey Familia!

Silvia Valdez Bolañoa, 29-Ago-2010

This week was just great. Elder Lara and I baptized Silvia and Gabriela. Sivlia is an older sister that lives next to the chapel, she has cancer in her stomach I think but it has affected her leg and her hand. She is very humble, but ALWAYS beaming with her toothless "sonrisa"! She was so excited to be baptized this last week.

Gabriela Hernandez- De La Cruz, 29-Ago-2010

Gabriela is the daughter of an less active sister that hasn't been to church in years. Elder Galindo and I taught them in May, and one day I was with Elder Lara when I felt like we should go visit them. Right when we walked into their street they were leaving, we ran to catch them and they gladly accepted to go to church! Gaby was baptized yesterday, and today we went to marry Adela and Dario. Dario is going to be baptized this Sunday. The Lord is truly blessing
We have our zone leader's council tomorrow in Aragon. On Thursday we have our Zone Conference with La Perla, where Elder Bertin is zone leader. My companion and I are going to train the other missionaries on the scripture that is in Genesis 4:9. In Spanish it's, "Soy yo acaso guarda de mi hermano?" We're changing it to "Ser Guarda de mi Compañero"/ Be a Keeper of my companion" It should be a great training, and we're excited to have this chance.

Elders Ras & Galindo - Baptism of Elizabeth 5-23-10

We are teaching Elizabeth's nephew, Gilberto. He is 12 and accepted his baptismal date for the 12. Elizabeth, Seyka, Yuli, Adolfo, and Victor are active, and go to all the activities. We are going to do "Te Hallaré Mi Querido Amigo" (I'll find you dear friend) one more time, but this time we are hoping to have more investigators to come. We are hoping the members will want to come now that they've heard that it was great!

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I'm soo glad I took piano classes! I'm thankful for Sister Barton and the persistence of Mom and Dad to help me keep practicing! I play almost every week in church because nobody knows how to play. This Thursday in the Zone Conference I'm going to play as well. Maddie, I hope you can start to play! If not I'll teach you okay?!

Well Not much else going on, Love you guys so much! Thanks for all your love and support. I'm so proud of Trent, he's doing a great job.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Ras

WEEK - 84 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-04T22:54:00.005-07:00

23-Agosto-2010
Hey Everyone!
Wow, what a great week! We had “Leadership Training” this whole last week, from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 until 3.

First of all, Leadership Training. Dad mentioned that Trent had the same training, and YES it is the same training that the Church is using in the whole world. Basically, they summarized Preach My Gospel into 8 lessons to help the missionaries be more efficient. President Hicken taught us so much. I learned so much from what He said, and from what the Spirit taught us. There was so much, but here are just a few things.
-Kneeling down at the end of the lesson to say the prayer- This is something that Hermano Barrios in the MTC encouraged us to do, but I never really put it into practice. A few months ago, I was studying and had the impression to start doing that. I commented it to my companion, but we never actually did it. In the training we had, we learned that we should kneel down with the investigators to say the last prayer. As Elder Lara and I have done that, we have actually been able to feel the Spirit testify to the investigators that what they are listening and learning about is true.
-“We teach people, not lessons”- This is something that I learned in the MTC, and I am finally putting into practice. We learned to really teach to their needs and not just teach the lessons. We’re not robots here to teach the same thing over and over again without the Spirit. That’s why we have Preach My Gospel. I remembered an experience that I had a few months ago. I was on divisions or “splits” with another missionary, and we went to an appointment he had made with a sister in the street. We got to her house and as we were talking with her she told us that a few years ago her husband had died and how she was looking for peace. I thought to myself,” My companion is going to know to teach the Plan of Salvation” but he surprised me when he took out the pamphlet for the Restoration. I told him that we should teach the Plan of Salvation and he said that it would be better if we just taught the Restoration. That sister never listened to those missionaries again, and never went to Church. I feel like if we would’ve taught according to her needs, she would’ve listened to us more and even gone to church and been baptized. It’s a sad experience, but it shows the importance of teaching the spiritual needs of the investigators.
President Hicken is such a great man! I am so lucky to be able to learn from him and apply what he teaches. He has a vision that is really high for the mission, and I know we can achieve it with the Lord’s help.

Fabiola was baptized yesterday by her husband Jose! The Lord is blessing Elder Lara and me with a lot of success, this is really what we need to help the zone. I am learning new things every day and every week, I LOVE THE MISSION!

Fabiola, Jose y familia 8-22-10

Jose baptized Fabiola yesterday!! He was so excited and really nervous, he wrote the baptismal prayer down and was repeating it over and over. Fabiola when she went for her baptismal interview showed us her hand afterwards. She had written a ton of notes to herself on her hand because she thought the baptismal interview was going to be really hard!! She was just so excited and I know that excitement to keep the commandments is going to affect her daughter and son- Joanna and Luis. OH! I almost forgot, JOSE is the Elder’s Quorum Secretary!! WOW! He is so excited to do that as well! Brandon, Dulirza’s son, is going to be a ward missionary so he’ll be working with us a lot!
We married a lady named Silvia today. She is going to be baptized this Sunday. She lives in the street right next to the Church, and loves going! She is very humble- VERY humble. They live in a very small cement apartment. She has stomach cancer, and I’m not sure how but it has affected her hand and her leg and she has a very hard time walking. It is humbling for me to see the excitement in her eyes, and desire to be baptized.

The Lord is blessing us with success. We really didn’t have much time to work in our area this week, but the Lord provided. For example, we were blessed to be able to take 15 investigators to church. That was a huge blessing. We had a bad experience though, that I think we can all learn from. We took a new family of three, a complete family, they go to a Christian church but decided to go with us yesterday. We appreciated their step of faith to see if the church was true, they had read the night before, the Book of Mormon and were praying to know if the Church is true. We got to church and sacrament meeting (the last of the three hours) was so noisy and irreverent. The members were getting up and leaving the whole time and then they’d come back in. This family was sitting in the front, but they heard so much noise that they couldn’t really concentrate. At the end they came out and basically told us “Thanks for helping us come, but we didn’t feel anything. We are going to go to our Christian church, so thanks but no thanks.” Wow, I felt so sad because this is a complete family! After, another investigator said “I came to Church to sit down and listen and learn, but no one else here shows that respect. They were all getting up and leaving during the whole meeting, I didn’t feel anything! Why should I come all the way over here, you two just go to my house and teach us, because I don’t like it here.” I felt so bad for her as well. I think we can all learn something from this. REVERENCE is soo important, and its something that this ward knows nothing about. I hope we can all learn about that!

Mom and Dad, that’s great that Pres. Riggs is inviting everyone to take part in missionary work. Part of my talk yesterday was trying to help the members feel that it really isn’t that hard to be a part of the work. It can be as simple as just sharing your testimony, or talking about the church. You could give away a Book of Mormon with your testimony written in it, or ask the missionaries for a pamphlet to give as well. It really is so easy, and there are so many miracles that can happen. Alma 13:24 teaches us that the Lord IS preparing these people to accept the gospel. Just pray to know who they are, and He will help you. I just know it.
Thanks for all your love and support, les amo un buen!
-Elder Rasmussen (el mexicano!)

WEEK - 83 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-04T22:49:00.003-07:00

16-Agosto-2010
Hola familia!

Everything's going great here. I received my new companion, his name is Elder Lara. He's from Merida, Yucatan and is from my "generation". We both started the mission the same day. He is a great Elder and the Lord has already blessed us with a lot of success. This is his first cycle as a zone leader, and has been a district leader for about 8 cycles (one year!). Time flies!

Well some exciting things have happened this week. We had our zone leaders council with President Hicken. It was just great! He is an inspiring leader, and has such a high vision for the mission. He wants us to put high goals and elevate the vision. He taught us about "I will go and do" and I learned about going to work with a plan and with the Spirit. We talked about Grandpa and he was telling me how great Grandpa was with the missionary papers. He told me he hopes he's still doing that because he was so good at it! He said Grandpa was always on the ball, and that he never had to worry about anything with the missionary's papers! He loves Grandpa almost as much as I do!

This week we have our "leadership training", and by Trent's letter it sounds like that's why he was with another companion. Leadership training is for all of the leaders in the mission. It's going to be this week from Tuesday to Friday! We are going to be traveling to the Temple everyday for our training. It should be a great experience that is going to really help out our mission.

Elder Ras and Hermano Jose

Wow! Yesterday was great! JOSE blessed the sacrament! He came all ready in a white shirt he had just bought and a tie too. He was so excited, but I think he was more excited because his wife, Fabiola, came for the second time and their kids Joana and Luis came as well! Fabiola is going to be baptized this week, and of course, Jose is going to baptize her! That will be a great experience!

Yesterday Dulirza gave a talk on faith, it was just great! The ward sister missionaries went to help her out, and Elizabeth gave a talk on Prayer! She really put a lot of time and effort into it. She bore a powerful testimony of how she prays when her son goes to parties. It has been great to see this little ward grow and see how they really can help the converts stay. I can see how they are putting a bigger effort in. They are seeing that we as missionaries are willing to put time into missionary work, and they are doing their part to make sure they stay in the Church. Almost all of the men and young men we have baptized have the priesthood.

Rodolfo was confirmed yesterday and is going to receive the priesthood this week.


*Mariana Ortega and sons, not sure which one is Brandon* *or Rodolfo*

Mariana is just great! She wants to enter the Temple so bad, and told us that in one year she will be there! She told us earlier this week that she wasn't going to be going to church for the next three weeks because her work starts in three weeks and she needed a temporal job. She found a job but said she would have to work on Sundays. We were kind of bummed out but told her if she needed to do it that was okay. (She's a single mother and her son just had a bad motorcycle accident). We went to eat with her on Thursday and she told us "Well I decided not to go to work! Actually I quit! I'm just barely starting in the Church, I can't stop now!!" The ward sister missionaries have been going to visit her everyday, they're doing just great! Arenal is going to end up being one of the strongest wards in our stake soon, because the members are working!

Next Sunday we are going to give a talk, they just barely told us so wish me luck!!

Also a I remember a few weeks ago you asked me if the houses in one of the pictures was my house and it's not, they're just houses in the area. Our house is really really nice! Also, I'm going to be sending Tyler's scripture case next week. The sister that makes them lost it and had to do it again! Oops! I didn't pay again though, don't worry.

Love you! Thanks for everything. The work is progressing here, and I'm really excited to be with Elder Lara. I was saying all last cycle that he was going to be my companion. I think we'll probably only have one cycle together, but we'll make it count.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 82 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-09-04T22:46:00.004-07:00

Hola! 9-Ago-2010
Hey Everyone!
Wow what a great week, again! We baptized a man named David yesterday. He and his girlfriend are heading to the US soon, and so he came to church and said he had this desire to change and do better. He used to do drugs and other things, but he has really changed his life around. Another great chance to see the Atonement in the lives of these amazing people.

Well today I don't have much time to write. We received a call from the Assistants' asking us to go to Aragon (where the Temple is) to pick up one of the new Mexican Elders. I'm with Elder Lopez from Utah because both of our companions finished the mission. That made us kind of late and so here we are trying to write really quick.

NEWS ABOUT THE AMERICANS- Okay so here's the story about what happened with Elder Reed not having a visa at the end of his mission when it was time for him to fly home . It's really not as bad as you all think... well it's bad but not so bad. When we come to the mission, we have a visa for about a year and a half. When that time is up, we have to ask for the visa again from the government. Well it turns out that somebody in the church offices here in Mexico didn't do something right, and they didn't get their visa renewed on time. So the missionaries that were going to leave, didn't have their visa and if they try to leave it would create a ton of problems for the Church and for the visas. So they are all back in their areas again. Elder Reed is in our zone with three other gringos, they go home hopefully sometime this week with the rest of them. It's pretty crazy, but its not anything like not letting them go home because of the state they're from. I don't think they even see that!
Funny story, this week I got in a taxi and the taxi driver asks me, "Where you from guero? (whitey!haha) Arizona??" I was like "Uhh, no, why do you say that?" I guess everyone is still upset about the law, I really don't know what's going on over there so I have no problem saying I'm from Utah.

Well I'm really sorry I can't write more, we have to go. Tell everyone I said hi and please send this to Trent. It sounds like he's doing just great! I know he will be an incredible missionary.

WEEK - 81 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-08-04T10:57:00.003-07:00

Hola Familia!!

Elder Ras here in Mexico City! Everything is just great here! My companion and I baptized Mariana’s son this week, Rodolfo.

He is going to do awesome! When we confirmed Jose, his wife attended also! That was the real miracle!!! Dulirza went to go talk to her at her work and she shared with her how her son changed after going to EFY, and the miracle in their family. Jose’s wife, Guadalupe, must have felt the Spirit because she decided to go to Church, and afterwards we saw that she had changed her attitude towards us. She decided to go with us to the Visitor’s Center and she loved it! We saw “The Family is Ordained of God”, and she really liked that. We are going to do a Family Home Evening with them tonight and program her for her baptismal date for the 15 of August.

This week we moved to a better house, because the other one was kind of falling apart. The water got in through the window and got one of my suitcases wet where I had a lot of my books and letters and things I wanted to keep!! Oh well! We moved to the new house and it is great! The best part is that the balcony has a great view of the international airport!! When we finish everything and before going to bed we watch the planes for a while, just because its so fascinating to see how they take off and land. We’re a pretty funny sight!

a valued treasure . . . . even in Mexico ! ! !

Relaxing for a moment at a members house . . . . . no wonder you are walking and talking in your sleep ! ! !

typical street to do contacting in Elder Ras's area

The Lord is really blessing us!! We contacted a lady named Guadalupe, and she is golden! She was in the original open house of the Mexico City Temple, and told us about the peace she felt in the celestial room, and told us she thought then that she wanted to be baptized! We contacted her, and invited her to Church, when we arrived a few minutes late to pick her up, she decided to go without us and get to church on her own! And she did! Wow! She's going to be baptized the 15 of this month.

Well I love you guys and hope everything is well!

Make a missionary's day, give a referral!!

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 80 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-08-01T19:52:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!

This week was just great. We did our play, “Te Hallaré Mi Querido Amigo”/ I’ll Find You My Dear Friend. It turned out awesome! Our ward has had some struggles in the past, and they aren’t very united. So we decided to do this play. My companion was the narrator, and I was one of the actors. It came out great! A lot of the ward members went and a lot of my converts cried. A few came up to me and said “Hey! You made me cry!”

I don’t have much time today. We went to the pyramids because my companion has never gone and he is going home in two weeks. It was really fun! I’ll have to send pictures next week.

We baptized Jose Raya this week, he is just great! He told us he has been looking for the true church for a long time. He gets to church by himself every Sunday, and is really progressing. Now the challenge is with his family! We would appreciate your prayers for them!

I went to Palmar Ward yesterday to do some baptismal interviews, and there was Patricia my convert walking in right when I got there! She is so awesome! She has got to be the strongest 85 year old I have met!! She is strong in the church and always there way before sacrament!

I told you last week about Brandon. He is progressing even more! Last Monday he was leaving school and was with his friends when the police came and accused him of robbing a cell phone, they grabbed him and started beating him up with a frozen water bottle. His mom, Dulirza, told us that he came home really upset and crying because he didn’t understand. He had just been baptized and then this happened. We talked to him on Friday about the priesthood and his confirmation and we committed him to takeout his big diamond earring and to not be with those people that get him in trouble. On Sunday he came with a big smile on and without his earing! The part that made me even happier was when I heard him say he wants to go on the mission. My other convert Victor and his brother Adolfo also are ready to go on a mission! What a great blessing to see this mighty change of heart in these youth.

This is the Lord’s work! I’m so thankful to be here and to be a part of it all. He is pouring out his Spirit on this area. I love you and appreciate your prayers!

-Elder Ras

WEEK - 79 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-30T10:43:00.003-07:00

Monday
7/19/10
Hola Familia
I didn't explain the new cycle thing very well. The church is changing everything so that the goals are by months. The changes meeting and the time that everyone goes home and comes will still be six weeks.

President Bulloch did such a great job at preparing the mission! President Hicken told me in the interview with him that he has felt accepted by EVERYONE. WOW. He also said something that kind of hit me hard. He looked at my picture in his folder that he has and saw that I go home in January. He looked at me and said "Well, you're on the last run. This is like the cherry on the top of the ice cream sundae, it has to be the best part!" He invited me to make this part of my mission the sweetest and best part of the two years. We have an elder in the zone that goes home with Elder Chavez and he is kind of "dead" as we say. Pres. Hicken was kind of sad about that and that's when he told me all of this. It hit me the other day when I was talking to Elder Bertin, that we hit the 18 month mark this week!?! WHAT!?! I just hit 15 months! haha, it goes by way to fast! I want to make sure that this IS the cherry on the top!

Its sad to think about how hot it is back at home! Tell Uncle George I'll gladly be his bi-lingual supervisor!! I want to keep on speaking Spanish when I get home and plan on doing something that allows me to speak both.

THE PACKAGE WAS GREAT!! Thanks soooo much! The chocolate covered honey comb was a hit here! And the sour patch were gobbled up at church by young and old! As well as the caramel!! Haha! I have really learned something here being among the Mexican people. That everything is better when you share! They give EVERYTHING. They are so willing to help complete strangers. What a blessing to be here!!

Well the Lord truly blessed us this week. Brandon and Vania were baptized! Brandon went to EFY and had a change of heart. Durlirza had so much faith, she had been saying to me for about a month that she knew that when her son went to EFY he would want to be baptized. We baptized 6 of our Heavenly Father's children yesterday. What a great blessing! Mariana had some family trouble, but she told us that she didn't care, that she was going to be baptized because she KNEW it was the right thing to do. This week we are going to baptize a man named Jose Raya. Its overwhelming to see the Lords hand in our work Mom!!

I love you so much, and I am thankful for such great and loving parents!! You have taught me so much. I love you!!!
-Elder Ras

WEEK - 78 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-13T10:54:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone!

Well I don't have much time to write today. We got back a little late from the centro.

Elder Chavez, Jared Mora, Elder Ras

Remember Elder Mora my second companion? He sent me a message saying he was coming back to visit from Torreon, so we met up and he went with us today! It was fun to see him again and remember all the memorable times we had.

This past week a family called me from Palmar, here in Neza. They were inactive when Elder Hilario and I got there and we helped them get active again, and this past week they entered the temple. We also baptized their son, it’s the family Ruiz, remember them? They were so excited and it was great to enter the Temple again and see this family so happy!

1st ZL Conference with Presidente Hicken

We also had our zone leader counsel with President Hicken. THAT was just great! President Hicken is such a powerful mission president. We all got there and we started exactly at the hour and as we sat down he said “If Pres. Packer were here, this meeting would have started 5 minutes ago!” I learned its always good to be extra early! We didn’t do a shout afterwards, Presidente asked us if we could imagine the twelve apostles doing a shout after such an important meeting. We looked at each other and said “Well…no!”. The things in the mission are really changing- actually they're changing in the whole world! Now there aren’t cycles, we are going to go by months. Also, there is only going to b a zone conference every third month, along with the interviews. The Church is introducing a type of “Preach My Gospel” for the district meetings as well, I think it is to train the leaders better. It was a great meeting, and I learned so much!

Well things are going great here in Neza. Elder Chavez is a good guy, and we are working hard. We put a goal of 12 for this “cycle”. We’ll have to change that so it can be a monthly goal. Just a little update on our investigators.

We are teaching a lady called Mariana and her son Rodolfo. I think I told you about her last week. She knows the Book of Mormon is true already! A companion at work gave it to her and she has already read a lot of it! She told us this week that the day before she met us she had prayed to be guided to the right church. When she met us she knew it was an answer to her prayers!! Wow! She is elect, and ready to accept the gospel. We are going to baptize her and her son this week. Seyka gave us a referral of one of her friends, Diana. She needs to get divorced and married to her husband but she’s willing to do it! Her cousin is Daniel and he wants to be baptized this week. Diana has two kids, Fernando and Itzel that also want to be baptized but they will have to wait and be baptized with their mom.

The Lord is truly blessing us with success! We also found another man named Jose Raya. We visited him last week, and he said he would go to church but when my companion went t his house last Sunday he wasn’t there. When we went by again on Saturday he said he really was there but his family had said he wasn’t because he was in the yard working!! He really wants to know if the church is true, and he has kept all his commitments! WoW! This is the Lords work! I’m so thankful to be a small part of it, and I'm thankful Trent has this chance to serve as well. It is the most rewarding service in the world. I’m trying to take advantage of all I can, every minute and every second to serve the Lord with all my might!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 77 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-12T05:52:00.002-07:00

HOLA FAMILIA!

Wow, a lot of things happened this week, and I have a lot to tell you!
First of all, Elder Galindo and I got to the changes meeting and President Bulloch called a zone leaders meeting. He said that Elder Galindo was going to receive a new assignment and was going to be transferred to Azteca/Anahuac! My new companion is Elder Chavez from Acapulco. He goes home this cycle, so I won't be companions with him for very long. I miss Elder Galindo, but know that Elder Chavez and I will have a lot of success.

Our Zone Conference with President Hicken was awesome! When President and Sister Hicken got to the church we all stood up and welcomed them. They are so amazing! President Hicken is really powerful, and Sister Hicken is one of the nicest sisters I have ever met! President Hicken said a couple of times that he was sorry for his Spanish because it had been sleeping for the past 40 years, but he sounded great. He hardly has any accent at all, he speaks better than me! He talked to us for a while about focusing completely on the work and not thinking about anything else but the Lord's work. Sister Hicken shared her testimony in Spanish. It was a short conference but it was wonderful. Afterwards we all shook their hand, and when I got to them they said "Oh, we only have you for one month right?" I guess they confused me with Elder Reed who leaves this cycle. When I said I was the Juber's grandson a light shone in their eyes, and were so excited. President Hicken said my Grandpa was the greatest man ever! He said that Grandpa always was one step ahead, and that when he would go to ask him something Grandpa would already have it. I said, "Yup, that's my Grandpa!!"
I have some pretty exciting news. At the conference I saw an Elder that has been in Pachuca in my first two wards, Palmar and Constitutcion. I asked him about some of my converts. He said that Beatriz is going to church every week and getting ready to enter the temple. And then he told me some exciting news about Benita and Jaime.

I remember when we found Benita and Jaime, and I'd like to share my journal entry with you from the day we found them.

20 de Mayo del 2009
"I don't have much time to write. It was so amazing to see the Lord's hand in our work today. We went to a pharmacy and Elder Sander saw an old investigator from Pachuca Centro. He talked to her but didn't say anyting to her friend that was talking to her. Later on in the day we were knocking doors in calle 12. We knocked on a door and it was the Sister we saw in the pharmacy! She let us in, and I think it was only because she had seen us earlier that day. I call that a miracle.
Second, Friday or Satruday of last week we were walking in Palmar and Elder Sander and I both heard a voice say, "Hermanos!". We turned around at the same time, but didn't see anybody! We memorized our location and said we'd have to come back to knock those buildings. WE went today, adn taught a younger coupl who I think will progress. As we left we heard music from CCR blaring from the very top window. WE knowcked all the doors in that buidling and when we got to that apartment, a man opened the door and wihtout a word from us said, "Come in! Come in!" He's been inactive for 15 years, he's disabled and his wife isn't a member! I todl him the Lord had led us to his home and wnats him to come back to Church. I have no doubt he is the one we were supposed to find! This gospel is true, this is truly the work of the Lord. If we are listening, He is eager to guide us!"

Benita Polacios Lozado was baptized on June 7, 2009 and confirmed on June 14, 2009. Jaime Vazquez Morales and Benita Palacios Lozado were sealed in the Temple of Mexico City on June 19, 2010.

This Elder told me they had been sealed, and so I asked President for permission to call them and congratulate them. It was such a special feeling to hear Jaime tell me excitedly that he and his wife had been sealed!!! They told me that they didn't tell me about it because they didn't have email to be able to email me.

Wow, that made me so happy! THAT is why I'm here- to be a small instrument in the hands of the Lord so that they can get to the celestial kingdom. I'm so happy that they kept on going and made it to the temple. Now, when I work every day I think of them, and picture these people in white for their baptism, and in white for when they're in the temple.
I also relearned an important lesson that I learned when I was a greenie. "..this is truly the work of the Lord. If we are listening, He is eager to guide us!"
I know that the Lord IS willing to guide all of us in this work that is so important. I am thankful to be here and to serve the Lord for this very short time.

Remember, He is eager to guide us, if we are listening.

Con mucho amor,
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 76 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-12T05:45:00.001-07:00

28-Jun-2010

Elder Miller went home this week, so Elder Galindo and I have been working with Elder Dan Lopez from Utah. He's a great Elder and always has a positive attitude. My companion and I are grateful to have a district with such positive Elders. I'm glad you got the stuff I sent you through Elder Tanner and Elder Howard. I thought the pens were kind of cool, I bought them at the pyramids. The bracelets for Mom as well. Actually everything I sent! I bought two little masks, like the one I sent to Grandma, but my companion and I gave it to President and Sister Bulloch. They really liked it. They said they didn't have one and that it was small enough to take with them. Dad, when I saw that axe I thought of you and Fathers day! Hope you liked it!

This week they told us if we had changes or not, and neither one of us have changes! Elder Galindo just hit 7 months in this area! Pretty crazy huh? We're going to be together another cycle or two! We really like our area, but are having some challenges that we have never experienced in other areas. Remember a few months ago when it rained so hard that it flooded? Well Arenal was one of the worst colonies to get hit with the flooding. ALL of Arenal flooded, and Elder Galindo with some of the other ward members helped to take blankets and food to people stuck in their houses. He said that the "aguas negras" (black or sewage waters) were up to his chest! They went rafting from house to house with their blankets! Anyways, I'm telling you this because you would think the people in this part of the city would be really humble right? But they are really stubborn! It's been kind of tough for my companion and me to find new investigators, but we know we just need to work hard and depend on the Lord and the miracles will always come. We've seen it over and over again!

That's great that you got to see Elder Tanner and Elder Howard. They are awesome! I´m thankful I got to know them here.

Tomorrow is the last time we'll see President Bulloch in Mexico. On Saturday we are going to have a zone conference with President Hicken! He's going to have a busy day! I was really sad as I read President Bulloch's email today, but I know it is part of the Church. Last Tuesday he gave an amazing talk on how it is necessary to have a change. He talked about John the Baptist and how when his disciples told him that Christ was having more followers he says that is necessary for him to decrease and for Christ to grow (John 3 I think?). President Bulloch drew two lines on the whiteboard. One with his name on the top with an arrow going down, and with Pres. Hicken's name on the bottom with an arrow pointing up. It kind of hit us all there in that meeting that this is a necessary thing. Sure we will miss President Bulloch a lot, but the Lord has called President Hicken to preside over this mission. Pres. Bulloch taught us that when we accept Pres. Hicken, we are accepting the Lord. That's what I intend to do.
I'll tell you next week how the conference went.
Les amo mucho!
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 75 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-12T05:37:00.001-07:00

I don't have much time to write this week, but just wanted everyone to know that I'm alive. The mission is the best! My companion and I are having a lot of success and the Lord is truly blessing us. Tomorrow we have our last multi zone conference with President Bulloch. We're in charge of the musical number so we'll see how that goes!

Mexico is in the world cup and everyone goes crazy if they win or lose. The whole city stands still to be able to watch the game!

So here's my plan, I'm going to send the stuff I want to send home through Elder Tanner and Elder Howard. They are both going to AZ and can take the stuff. I'm sending a tape recording that I've done over the last few weeks, it's kind of silly and pointless but hey we're missionaries! haha! I'm going to record some teaching appointments and just some of the things we do every day. I'm also going to send my memory card home. It's full of pictures and videos and I didn't have time to rip everything off so I'll just send the whole card.

I bought Elder Tanner a tie today. It was one for 200 pesos or three for 300 pesos, I thought it would be smarter the three. I gave Elder Galindo a tie since he'll probably have changes this cycle.

Well Mom, my time as a missionary is going SOOOO FAST!! I complete 17 months today. Not that I'm counting, but I realized today what that means, that in one month I'll only have 6 months left, 4 cycles!! AAHHH!!! That makes me so sad, but more willing give my all for the Lord. I want to give him everything I am, and not leave anything behind. This is HIS work, and I'm here to give 100 percent of my life, not 90 or 80. Like President Bulloch said, I'm called for 24 months, not any less.

You and Dad have been such a support for me. I'm thankful the Lord is blessing you and know he will even more.

I can't tell you how happy I am. Sometimes I get stressed out or worried but I just need to remember who's work this is. The Lord has helped me so much and built me up. I know I'm not the best missionary in the world- I don't know all the scriptures there are to know to have discussions with the Jehovah's witnesses, I don't even know everything there is to know about the lessons. I study and do my best, strive to seek revelation and that's all I can do. I guess I just need to remember what Elder Bednar said, "Just be a good boy, obey and honor your covenants and the Lord will make up the rest."

He told us about Peter when Christ was walking on the water. He told us to "Jump off the boat and walk on the water!" I just need to put my faith completely in the Lord!

Hasta luego!

Elder Ras

WEEK - 74 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-06T13:14:00.001-07:00

14-Junio-2010

Wow, time flies! I remember last June when Elder Sander was going home! I can't believe it. I want to make sure I'm taking advantage of every single second!

This week was kind of hard for my companion and I. We worked hard every day, contacting in the street, knocking doors, visiting members for referrals and we didn't see the results of our labors. We didn't find any new investigators all week, and that kind of bummed us out- until we realized if we were discouraged that wouldn't help us at all. The Lord is really blessing us! We have had success every week this cycle. I know He'll continue to bless us.

Yesterday Alberto was baptized. Hermano Meza the brother who gave the referral baptized him. He was so excited and so ready. His wife didn't let his kids go to church so they'll be baptized in two weeks. Elder Galindo and I don't have any progressing investigator to baptize this week, but we'll find somebody! There's always someone ready!

We did divisions or splits with the District leader Elder Hunt. He and his companion are in my first area in Neza, Palmar. I went with Elder Garcia, Elder Hunts companion. We went to visit some of my converts- they're doing great! Patricia, remember her? She's doing awesome! She goes every week to church and gets there an hour early! She is strong and ready to keep going. Pretty good for an 85 year old right? Fernanda Padilla is doing great as well. She has been going to church every week. The Ruiz family (we baptized their son Alejandro) is active and getting ready to enter the Temple. Since Elder Hialrio and I baptized their son and helped them get going in church, we are going to be able to go to their sealing as a family! That will be great!!

Well everything's going great here. President and the other Elders are heading off next week. Everyone's excited/anxious/sad that President Bulloch's leaving, but ready for President Hicken. We are pryaing every morning at 7 that President Hicken will receive his visa!!

Les amo!

Elder Ras

WEEK - 73 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-07-06T11:41:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone!

We had our zone activity today, we went to the wax museum and the Ripley s Believe it or Not. It was a lot of fun and we’re sure the missionaries enjoyed it.

All you need now Elder Ras is the sombrero and you will look Mexicano

Our zone baptized 12 children of our Heavenly Father yesterday! There are 9 companionship's in our zone, and our goal each week is 10, but this week we passed it. The Lord truly blessed us.

Baptism of Yulirsa Mexicano Ortigoza

Elder Galindo and I baptized Elizabeth’s daughter Yulirza. She was so excited to be baptized this week! She has always wanted to be baptized since her brother was, but she was too young when he was baptized. Their family is great! Zeyka (Yuli’s and Victor’s grandma, Elizabeth’s mom) tells us we’re her boys! Haha she always wants to feed us. It was kind of funny on Saturday she gave us each a bright green tie with yellow squares on it. It’s not the prettiest tie you’ve ever seen, but she wanted both of us to wear to church on Sunday. We both wore it on Sunday and everyone was laughing at us! It was pretty funny, but hey, she’s our mom! We couldn’t not wear it.

We are teaching a 35 year old man named Alberto. He is a taxi driver and a referral from the Meza family. The Meza family always helps us out (we wash our clothes with them on Mondays). They gave us the referral. We went to their house to teach and Alberto gladly accepted his baptismal date. He went to church last week by himself and this week he came with his 12 and 8 year old boys. He is battling with cigarette but he has the faith to do it! He knows that he needs to stop, he used to smoke a box of cigarettes every day! Sometimes 2! I know he’ll do it, but he’s going to need a lot of help. We’re praying for him. Oh there’s also another miracle! His wife when she found out he was going to be baptized kind of got upset and definitely didn’t want to talk to us. This Sunday we went by their house to pick up his kids and she came out and said that next week she’ll come with us. I sure hope so!

Last night I guess I got up about 2 or 3 in the morning and with my fist I hit my companion in the back!?! Today when I got up he told me I had done that and I had no idea! I guess I still sleep walk. Normally I wake up because when I get off the bunk bed I wake myself up, but that didn’t happen this time! Oh well! Maybe I should take some drugs to get to sleep?!

This week Elder Galindo and I saw a lot of miracles. We worked really hard during the week, but almost everyone turned us down. We do a lot of contacting in the street, but that doesn’t seem to be working out in this area because everyone either lies to us or when we get there to their house they don’t really want anything. We might try knocking doors or visiting the members more. We’re in the Federal District (DF) so just about EVERYONE works during the day. Its so hard to find members at home during the day. But the Lord is blessing us, I know all the success we’ve had comes from Him!

Sounds like Trent is settling in well at the MTC. I remember the goals they put with us to pray in Spanish the second day! I was looking at my MTC journal entries and I remembered all those good times we had in the MTC. My MTC district is doing great here in MX. Elder Israelsen is a new District Leader this cycle, Elder Kartchner is also a new District Leader. Elder Spencer is still in our zone, and Elder Bertin is the zone leader in the zone right next to me. Everyone is doing great and having a lot of success! I don’t like to think about how much time I have left in the mission because it goes by way too fast, but I’m starting to realize that my time left here is growing shorter and shorter. President Bulloch is a great example of working hard until the end! I want to be like that and work my hardest until the very end! He told me that he was called for 36 months and not 35! What a great example he’s been to us.

Elder Galindo is a great Elder! I don’t think I’ve bragged about how great my companion is. He is really humble, and so ready to work hard. He teaches great and has taught me a lot. I feel like he’s my senior companion! We are always having fun, and really make a great team. I hope we have another cycle together but he already has been here for 5 transfers (7 months).This is his fifth, so he’ll probably have changes next cycle.

That’s all for this week. I want to write Trent! This work is the BEST! I’m so thankful for a brother serving as well. This is the Lord’s work, we see His hand every week in the work. I know every bit of success we have comes from Him. And if we think we are doing anything for our own we are completely wrong!

Les amo un buen!

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 72 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-06-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

31 de mayo de 2010

Hola! Elder Galindo and I had a great week. It sounds like things were pretty exciting with Trent heading out and everything. That’s awesome that he could go with the Udalls! What an exciting week for everyone. I know Trent – I mean Elder Rasmussen, will do awesome! The MTC was a big part of my mission.

Well last Tuesday we had our District meeting, ate, and then went to the Mission Home for the zone leaders counsel. It was so awesome! It was the last zone leaders counsel for President Bulloch. We got there with the other zone leaders at exactly 8 pm. We got there and ate pizza, then we studied the scriptures with President Bulloch- that was a great experience. Then on Wednesday we got up early, and Sis. Bulloch had quiche ready for us to eat! It was great. After breakfast we started the counsel. At 1 President announced that it was time for lunch and you’ll never guess what we ate! We ate Taco salad!! It was so good! It was kind of funny though, because for us that’s “Mexican food” right?? Not one Mexican Elder knew what it was!! They were like “ensalada de taco, que es eso?!” It was so yummy.

After lunch we finished with our trainings, and then President Bulloch spoke to us. It was really sad to hear him say good bye. He has been such an example to me. As we heard him say that he wants to reach the goal running and finish strong, I felt the Spirit testify to me that our mission President has done just that- and that I should do the same. I want to be just like that. I’ve had great examples of finishing strong all my life- Dad, Grandpa, Uncle George- I’m so thankful for you. I have that desire and want to completely pay my “tithing on my life”.

President Bulloch told us that Mexico is taking a long time with the visas, and that President Hicken hasn’t received his y et! So we are doing what we did in the MTC- praying!! The whole mission is praying for him so he and Sis. Hicken can get here on time. Pres. Bulloch also told us what is going to be happening in this cycle. This Wed. we’re going to have our LAST interviews with him, then the 22 we are having our last zone conference with them. Two days after, Elder Tanner, Elder Howard, Elder Winters, Elder Miller, Elder Draper, and about 9 other missionaries are heading home! The next week Pres. Bulloch will be here for the cambios meeting, and then on the 1^st , as Pres. Bulloch said, “President Hicken is the man!”

Dad asked some questions- There weren’t any transfers in our zone, except for one companionship. We have a new Assistant now, his name is Elder Rhoten he’s a good Elder and will help us out a lot as a mission.

- In the Neza/Pantitlan Zone we have 9 companionships. The Neza Stake has 4 companionships, and the Pantitlan Stake has 5 companionships. Our goal each week as a zone is 10 baptisms.

- Responsibilities as a zone leader are that we have to take the baptismal records ever week to the temple where the secretaries have their district class. We are in charge of making sure the districts are doing well. It feels a lot different being a zone leader because you¡’re in charge of so many Elders!

Hope that helps dad. We’re working in the colonia Arenal right now. You can look it up and you’ll see a big “fraccionamiento” of colored houses, we live in the brown ones right next to the school. It’s a nice house, I’ll have to take pictures.

Well we have to take off right now. Things are going great here in Arenal. Elder Galindo and I baptized Elizabeth’s son yesterday, and this Sunday we are going to baptize her daughter. The Lord is really blessing us, appreaciate your prayers! Love you.

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 71 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-06-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

24de Mayo del 2010

The meeting with Elder Bednar last week was just great. We learned so much, it was such a great experience to sit there and learn from an Apostle of the Lord. Our mission has really been blessed! On Tuesday we had the “cambios” meeting, there were a lot of changes! Elder Tanner is training in Tecamac, Elder Christensen is training as well. They are going to be great trainers! After the cambios meeting we went back for some investigators and then went back to the Stake center for a special fireside with Bishop McMullin. We took Dulirsa, and Seyka with her daughter Elizabeth and her kids. They really really liked it. Bishop McMullin gave a great talk to the new members, investigators, and inactive members. They all talked about after how they felt the Spirit. I think the conference really helped them!

Yesterday we baptized Elizabeth, Seyka’s daughter. The computers here don’t have a memory card port so I’ll keep looking for an internet that does. Elizabeth is awesome! She used to smoke a whole box of cigarettes every day but now she doesn’t smoke at all. She is a real example of how the Atonement has a powerful effect in the lives of the investigators. Her kids names are Yurlisa, Adolfo, and Victor. Adolfo was baptized a long time ago, but his siblings weren’t. They want to be baptized too, but haven’t gone to Church yet. So they’ll be baptized within two or three weeks.

It sounds like the Temple dedication was great! I wish I could’ve seen it. Arizona is really being blessed with Temples! I can’t wait for the Gilbert Temple!

Trent’s last week at home! WOW! I can’t believe it! Sounds like you were all really busy getting ready for the open house. Trent is going to be a great missionary! It seems like he received his call forever ago! I bet he’s ready to get out there and show España what Elder Rasmussen has got! I’m excited to talk to Trent in Spanish! Haha that’ll be fun. Mom I know you can do it without us there! Everyone here says “oh your poor mom!!” I know you can do it Mom! I’m praying for you.

The weather reminds me a lot of Arizona…or maybe I haven’t been in the heat for so long that a little heat makes it feel like a lot! It has been really hot lately, in our house it gets up to 90 degrees! (We have a clock/thermometer) And there is no air conditioning and the house is made of block so it gets pretty toasty, even at night. In about a month the rainy season is going to start, and if I thought it rained a lot in Pachuca, it rains even more here in the DF. I’ll be getting good use out of those boots.

Elder Galindo and I are doing great. This last week was a little hard though. Almost everyone told us “No” or they either lied to us about their address or they just weren’t there. We found a really cool family but on Sunday the mom lied and said that her family wasn’t there when we knew they were. Elder Galindo is a great positive Elder. We decided that even though we’re obeying and being diligent and giving it our all sometimes the Lord is going to try our faith and we just need to learn from that and grow.

President Bulloch is such a great leader for us. In his letter today he said he wants to reach the goal running! He has been here for three years, that’s a long time! I want to be a missionary like that- a missionary that runs to the goal! He has set the example for the mission, and he’s truly prepared us for the change of mission president. Everyone in the mission understands that President Hicken is the man God has chosen to be the mission president in the East, and we will sustain him wholeheartedly. What a blessing it has been to serve with some of the greatest leaders. I am so thankful that I was sent to the MME, and I know it was for a reason. This is the greatest work ever!

I love you family, and hope all is well!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Ras

PS- MAKE A MISSIONARYS DAY- GIVE A REFERRAL!!

WEEK - 70 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-06-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

24de Mayo del 2010

It sounds like the Temple dedication was great! I wish I could’ve seen it. Arizona is really being blessed with Temples! I can’t wait for the Gilbert Temple!

I love you family, and hope all is well!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Ras

PS- MAKE A MISSIONARYS DAY- GIVE A REFERRAL!!

WEEK - 69 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-06-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

5/17/10

WOW! Where do I start?!

Well Mom, Grandma, don't worry! We did get there on time! We met up with our zone in the Pantitlan metro station and headed to Aragon. We got there plenty early, we had to be there at 9. We got there at 9, and President Bulloch started by talking to ALL of us. He told us that this was a very special moment that the Lord was sending to the MME. He told us that we should remember this day forever and especially remember what Elder Bednar told us.

We entered in as a mission to the MTC. We sat down and waited for a while, and when Elder Bednar walked in we all stood up. We sang "Called to Serve" to start, and then Sister Bednar stood up to speak. The first thing she did was call Elder Bertin up to the stand so that she could give him something his mom had sent him. Elder Bertin was Elder Bednar's home teacher before the mission. When Elder Bednar saw him he gave him a big hug and so did Sister Bednar. She told Elder Bertin to think of the biggest lesson that his mother had taught him. He said obedience is the key. He said that his mom always taught him to be obedient. Then Sister Bednar told us we should always be the kind of missionary our mothers thinkwe are. She talked to us about the importance of personal and companionship study. At the end she bore powerful testimony of Elder Bednar's Apostolic calling. There was a special Spirit there right from the start! She read D&C 84:87-88 and told us to imagine out mothers with us reading that with us. She did that with her son before he left and she testified that this scripture is true.

Elder Bednar stood up after Sister Bednar. He started talking by telling us about the silly things that we do as members sometimes. He told us that we as members as soon as we see someone on the stand we think we have to write every single thing they say because if we don't we're not going to learn something. He said that we are so worried about writing that down that we don't let the Spirit into our hearts to testify of the things we are hearing. So he said there was only one thing he wanted us to learn and to quit doing and that was to stop trying to write down everything. (I was going to record his talk, but the I remembered that in the MTC I saw a recorded talk by him and he said that was the only rule. Before he got I remembered that and turned my camera off!)

Then he talked to us about how we as members sometimes pray but don't act. He asked us if we've ever heard a prayer like this..."..help all the people that aren't here this week to come next week...." .He told us that if we pray like that we aren't praying in faith or acting. He said the prayers should be "Heavenly Father, there are some people here missing today. We are going to go and do everything we can to get them here next week. We are going to do everything Father, we just need one thing- help us to be inspired so we don't all go to the same house!" As missionaries sometimes we say "send us success! We're going to stand on this corner and contact, send them to us!" That was when Elder Bednar started to go into agency. WOW! He taught us that there are things to act and those to be acted upon. If we say a prayer like that as missionaries, we are aren't agents unto ourselves but we are waiting to be acted upon.

He went on to say that we also do something in the Church where we as teachers ask a question trying to get a person to guess the answer in our head. He said that that person no longer has the opportunity to act and is no longer an agent utno themselves. He applied this to us as missionaries. We must get them to act so that they can come to the conclusion that the gospel is real. Nothing, NOTHING we say will get them to be baptized. If they are baptized for what we say they will not stay in the church.

After Elder Bednar talked for a little bit, he passed the time over to Bishop McMullin. He spoke to us and answered a few missionarie's questions. They asnwered questions for a little bit and then we finsihed with the testimony of the Bishop and his wife, and Elder and Sister Bednar. The power of the Spirit in the room was amazing. It was overwhelming. The Spirit was there, and taught us! I hope and encourage everyone to read the talks that we were assigned to study beforehand. Listen to the Spirit, let the Spirit guide you in your daily life. President Johnson the area president said that THAT is the most important lesson a missionary can take home.

Elder Bednar told us that the meeting we had today was the most important meeting in all of Mexico. I know that is true, and I know I heard an official representative of Christ today. I testify and give my witness as a representative of Christ that this is the true Church. That God does live. That there is a Prophet on the earth today, even Thomas S. Monson. I love this work, and I love the Lord. I'm so blessed to be here!

Love you all,

-Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 68 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-06-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

5/10/10

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY- IN MEXICO! Today is official Mother's day in Mexico. So from Mexico City, FELIZ DIA DE LAS MADRES!

It was great talking to everyone last night! I'm so glad we could finally get everything worked out. We got to the baptism on time, and it was great! Seyka was sooo excited! It's exciting for us to see an investigator so excited to be baptized. She told all her family about it. Her daughter and grandsons went, and they really liked church and the baptismal service. We're going to work with them a little bit to see if they want to progress.

Everyone is growing up! It's hard to believe! Maegan sounds so old, Maddie too! Seth set the record for the Eagle! Sounds awesome! I can't believe Trent is leaving so soon. Trent, I hope you like your badge. When I went to the MTC I know I would'0ve liked to have a badge on! I'm a missionary, I should've had a badge. Could you get me Sam's email address?

Elder Bednar is coming!! Elder Bertin told me that he knew he would be coming sometime while we were here. We are so excited. We are in charge to make sure everyone in the zone gets there on time. It will be a great time to be with this special witness of Christ and learn from him. We are so blessed! President Bulloch started our zone conference off by saying that the MME (Mexico City East Mission) is being richly blessed. When he announced that Elder Bednar invited OUR mission to go, he told us that this is such a huge blessing for us. He said that HE never got to see an Apostle on his mission, and that his sons didn't either. It will be a great experience!

Zone Conference was great. Something funny I forgot t tell you about. An Elder in our zone, Elder Pastrana, had his appendix taken out about a week ago. He was feeling kind of bad, and he was on a diet. President told him " I hope you feel better, becasue we're going to be eating tacos "Del Guero"!!" He went to the doctor the day before the zone conference, and the doctor cleared him to eat whatever he wanted, even fatty al pastor tacos! President in the zone conference said that Elder Pastrana had been blessed!! haha, I told you they're good tacos, and that everyone likes them! Apart from that, the spirit was strong in the conference and I know the missionaries felt that special spirit there. We baptized 12 children of our Heavenly Father as a Zone this week! We are 8 companionships, so that means we did more than what we're expected to do. I hope the missionaries can remember how it feels to have success, and strive to achieve it every week.

Well I really don't have much else to write you. I recorded for you, but the internet we're at doesn't have connections for cameras.I'm glad everything is going well at home, thank you for your love and support- this is the best time of my life and I'm so thankful to be here in the best mission in the world. We have a great opportunity to learn from Elder Bednar this coming week- I am going to take advantage of it and learn and apply all I can.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Rasmussen

WEEK - 67 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-05-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

Lopez Cruz family- Hermelinda is the mom, Carlos is the dad, Lupe is their daughter and Abigail is their granddaughter

Hey everyone, sorry I didn't get to print off. Things have been so CRAZY getting everything ready for the Zone Conference this week.
I'm going to talk to you guys form the Stake Presidents house at 7:00 on Sunday. Elder Miller is going to talk at 5:00, so I'll go at 7:00 OUR TIME. and 5:00 your time then.

The stake presidents daughter speaks English, they also have free calls to the US. So she's going to call you guys and confirm the number and everything and that way you can call her to make sure It's okay. What do you think?? She might call today. Just in case their home number is 57567037.

I'm going to write the letter now, hope these Mother's Day arrangements work for you guys.
Elder Ras

AHH! The Lights went out in the internet cafe and I couldn't finish typing! I don't have ANY time to write now, sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good thing we're talking this Sunday, love you!!

-Elder Ras

WEEK - 65 Neza/Pantitlan Zone (Senior ZL)

2010-04-26T01:47:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone-

This week sure was different. Elder Miller (that used to be a secretary) was with us all week. His companion went home so he stayed with us all week. Another missionary is going home so he is going to have a companion from now on. So I had my first gringo companion- for a week!

Elder Galindo and I saw a ton of miracles this week! We have a whole family working towards their baptismal date for the 25 of April. The Lopez Cruz family is awesome! Hermelinda is the mom, Carlos is the dad, Lupe is their daughter and Abigail is their granddaughter. They went to see Elder Millers baptism on Sunday and liked it so much. They are ready to be baptized this week!

I think I told you last week about Claudia, the sister we were going to baptize on Sunday. She was all ready to go and then Sunday we went to her house and she wasn’t there! She wasn’t baptized this week, so we’re going to have to see what’s going on. When we were trying to find her yesterday we were using a payphone, when we found out the phone didn’t work we were looking for another one when a lady in a “tortilleria” (tortilla store) told us “Hey Elder I’ll give you five pesos if you want to call from the other phone!” We didn’t recognize her and forgot all about the 5 pesos and instead introduced ourselves. Turns out Yulirsa is Candi’s mom, Candi is a member of about 4 years but hasn’t gone in a while. Candi’s younger brother used to go to church with her but after a while they stopped going. We invited them to church and everyone went but Yurlisa. Yurlisa told me she has wanted to be baptized for a long time but couldn’t because she was living with her husband that didn’t want to get baptized. They are going to be baptized in a few weeks. You see how the Lord just blesses us?! Isn’t this the best work ever!

The internet café we’re using today doesn’t have a place to put the memory card so I guess I’ll have to send pictures next week!

We went to the Zone Leaders counsel this week. It was great! It is so great to be there with all the other zone leaders planning for the next cycle. President Bulloch wants EVERYTHING to be ready for when President Hicken gets here! He told us that when he got here it was really really hard for him. The missionaries were just really tough on him, and didn’t want to let him lead the mission. He warned us that Satan is going to try really hard to get the mission to disobey so that the missionaries rebel when President Hicken gets here. I know the mission will be ready for this big change. But I know President Hicken will bless our mission so so much! This is the best mission in the world. We are led by a man who honors our Heavenly Father and is led by the Spirit! It really is the best.

Answers to the “tips to make your letter better” (haha!)

“Describe the foods that you eat. What do you eat at each meal? How is it

prepared? Etc.”- Normally the sisters give us a bowl of soup- a lot of times its vegetable soup, or a soup they call fideo. A lot of times they give us rice that is the best! Then they give us the meal. We have eaten a lot of chicken- so much chicken! A really famous food and really easy to make is a piece of breaded chicken breast, salad and beans. They always serve it with a bunch of lime and salsa, and of course corn tortillas- they can’t eat without their tortillas!

“Describe grocery shopping. What is shopping like? How is it different from

shopping at home? What sort of things do you buy when you go shopping?”- Grocery shopping is different. There is a grocery store called “Bodega Aurrera” where we normally go shopping. A Bodega is like a storage place, and it literally looks like that inside! Its kind of set up like Costco, but not as nice. It’s like a big storage that they turn into a grocery store. We usually just buy cereal to eat for breakfast and cheap formula milk that they sell because real milk is expensive. It’s really not that much cheaper here either!

“Describe how, when, and where you do your laundry.”- Today we went to the Stake President’s house to wash our laundry. We stick in their washer and then hang it up in the house to dry. We usually do it early in the morning but because we left early today, we did it just now.

Trent, that is crazy about the volcano! I think you’ll be just fine though. We have a volcano right here and when it spits out a bit of ash nothing happens, so don’t worry! I can’t believe your’re heading off soon! I know you’ll do great! The Lord has prepared people in that area just for you to teach and take into the waters of baptism. You’ll do great, I just know it!

Sam is already taking off! Wow! If you could send me his information that would be great. I’d like to email him or write him. Uruguay is awesome! I think he’s going to be in President Bullcoh’s son’s mission too! He’s a zone leader there right now and is teaching them a lot of the traditions we have here. That will be fun!

Today we went to the Zocalo. They have an exhibition right now on the history of Mexico- it was awesome! It made me proud to be a Mexican! Haha Next week we’re going to see if we can go to Teotihuacan because Elder Galindo used to be in that area so he knows where we can find all the stuff they sell but a lot cheaper! Ifyou want something more of what I have sent you I’ll be able to find it really cheap. We had a fun preparation day, and now back to work!

I just want to let you know I’m so thankful to be here. I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else! President Bulloch inspires us to do the best we can. Today he told us “Do the best that you can” and I plan to do that. I want to work so hard so that they have to carry me off of the plane! I want to be tired everyday from working so hard! I love this Church, I love this work, I love the people that I’ve been called to serve.

-Elder Rasmussen

Ps- Elder Galindo is going to send a picture of me, President Bulloch and Elder Galindo doing a sign with our hands. It’s the “Neza” sign because Nezahualcoyotl means “hungry coyote”!! So we took a picture with President Bulloch and then I suggested we do the Neza sign, he said yes and we did it right there! It was really funny!