"Did you not tell them they were the Lords chips?"

It was the end of August and I was still back in the area of Las Fuentes.  We were 6 missionaries riding on a rickety old Mexican bus, heading back to our areas after a zone conference.  I was happily sitting in my seat with a long awaited birthday package on my lap and a few letters in my back pack.  My comp and I were chatting with the other four elders about the talks, capacitaciones given during the zone conference, what would happen in the next transfers, and if I was going to share the candy that was surely in my package.

The roads in Mexico aren't exactly roads, and they are placed in really strange areas.  Wherever there isn't a house, they'll put a road. At this moment we happened to be traveling along the edge of a mountain (Tijuana's full of them).  On one side, mountain.  On the other, sudden drop off.  But that's normal in Mexico.  The roads might be crazy but the drivers are highly skilled.  However, all of a sudden our light conversation was interrupted when the wheels hit some rocks.  The bus began to loose control and people began to shout out.  My heart began to beat faster and rise up in my chest.  For one split second I thought "this is it."  It felt like it took several minutes, but in only a few seconds the wheels caught grip of the ground once more and we continued on our path as though nothing happened.

I soon forgot about it, but as we stepped off the bus one of the Elders brought up the subject.  He said that in such situations, casi nunca (almost never),  the bus can get control again.  Usually they go spinning off the edge.... not to sound too dramatic.

But this bus carried 6 servants of the Lord.  He wasn't going to let anything happen to us. 

 I love being a part of miracles.

Transfers

Today we had transfers.  Now that I've finished training Hna. Pacheco it's time that I move on to another area.  And after 6 months in Las Fuentes I'm ready for a change.  So today, the president paired me up with Hna. Cabrera and sent us off to Agua Caliente.

Q: But Hna. Lance, after 6 months serving in one area how do you now feel leaving it?

A:  Good question.  To be honest, mixed feelings.  40% Relief, 30% Excitement, and 30% Tristeza

Q:  Interesting combination.  Could you explain more?

A:  Sure thing.  

Relief because after 6 months in the same area you've reached a point when you've tried everything.  Walking down the street you pass by at least 10 people that you've contacted and been rejected by.  Everyone is an ex-investigator, and those crazy members never seem to change.  It's releaving to know that I've done my part and now someone else can come in and help with new ideas.

Excitement because now I get to BE that new person.  New territory.  New faces.  New members to work with.  I can give new ideas and perhaps help the area progress more.  And like in every area I've had before, I can become a better missionary here.

Tristeza because I have to leave Fuentes...

Q:  Intriguing... after half a year in Fuentes you're still sad to leave it?

A:  You bet'cha!  That place became my home.  I literally walked down every street in that area... or to better put it, climbed every hill.  I learned a TON about how to be a better missionary, disciple of Christ, and even more important, I grew to know my Savior better there.  There is a reason I will forever call Las Fuentes my Gethsemane.

Not to mention the members.  Sure, there were a few wackos and algunas que are "Sunday members" y nada mas.  But there were several who really became my family.  Converts that I've been able to help grow and have seen progress.  Less actives that were starting to gain their testimonies again.  As to the investigators, they are always hard to leave.  I've worked so hard on some of them to help them gain a testimony. For example:  I started teaching Rosalio and Lupe with Hna. Bautista.  About 4 months ago.  They were progressing mas o menos.  Read the BOM, loved our visits, but never went to church.  Then Hna. Pacheco came and they went on vacation to visit family in Chiuauah (I think that's how you spell it).  A month latter they came back and called us saying that they wanted us to stop by again.  So we started teaching them again... but Rosalio had a lot of doubts.  He like to listen to us, but thought that being strong in his faith meant that he shouldn't doubt his Catholic upbringing...... long story short, yesterday we went to visit them and Rosalio said that he wanted to be baptized.  I nearly cried..  I can I leave them now?

But here we are.  New area.  New start.  Lots of hills... Wish me luck!  

Tender Mercies

Time to share a little missionary wisdom:

Usually, when RMs share their missionary experiences they share the most spiritually pumped moments.  The times when people break down crying, emotions are high, and miracles are popping up like daisies.  Something that's worthy of 100+ likes and 67 re-postings on Facebook.  It creates a pretty picture of missionary work, but as I've said before, a little morphed.  Unlike daisies, mission miracles are more like tulips in a parking lot.  There is a lot of digging required, water, and protection from passing cars.  And then hopefully you get one, beautiful, blooming flower.  It's worth the work, but exhausting.

So how do you not get discouraged every time some punk-kid runs over your sprouting seedling with his bicycle?   When I arrived to this lovely country called Mexico I learned pretty quickly to count the tender mercies of each day.  It began with Spanish.  In order to get through a day of not understanding anything around me I often turned to the skies for comfort.  Finding the same constellations in the night sky as I did for my BYU astronomy class, hearing a random English song played on the radio, feeling a gentle breeze wrap itself around me.  These were my consoling messages from the big guy upstairs.  The, "it's going to be okay" and "you're only in a different country, not a different planet" and "be patient, the language will come" moments.

I continued to progress with these little nudges.  Now the bicycle has changed.  The punk-kid has been switched out for a soccer mom in her SUV, running late to pick up her kids from practice.   But I've been doing this for 11 months now.  I'm far from perfect, but have a little experience to share with the other hermanas.  A few strips of caution tape to put around the tulip.

In the mission, and in life, the jaw dropping miracles will be few, but the tender mercies will come by handfuls.  You've just got to look for them.  Learn how Heavenly Father speaks with you individually.  He speaks to me through the sky.  Paints a masterpiece in the heavens to cheer me up and let me know that at least He thinks I did a good job.  Sunsets, and other little victories keep me there, kneeling by my run-over, dry, tiny seedling, sprouting out of the hard pavement.  The tulips are few, but they make for a pretty table setting in the end.

Memories

During these past two and a half months of training Hna. Pacheco I've been reminded a lot of my own training nearly ten months ago.  It's like it happened just yesterday. . .

Flashback #1 Brian's Prayer

21 years old, Brian was extremely interested in religion for someone his age.  We had just finished teaching about prophets, he had just finished explaining how Hna. Torres and I would become worshiped saints for the work that we were doing as missionaries...  I will be anxiously awaiting that recognition en el ultimo día.  Anyways, we decided that it was time to end the lesson so we invited Brian to give the closing prayer.  As always, we taught that prayer should be just like a normal conversation instead of recited sentences.  Brian took that a little too seriously...

"Buenas tardes Padre Celestial, que tal?...

.... que tenga bonita día. Amen"

English translation:  

Good afternoon Heavenly Father, what's up?...

...have a great day. Amen

Flashback #2 Street comments

We walked side by side in casual conversation, making our way to our next appointment.  A strange man passed by us like millions of other strangers do each day, but as he did, without taking a pause, said, "Con todo respecto, que chulas muñecas!"

English translation:  With all do respect, what beautiful dolls!

Flashback #3 Clueless flirting
 

We had passed by countless time trying to find the Lopez family (less actives) at home but always found it filled with all dogs and no people.  Finally, we found one of their sons home and were able to teach him.  He seemed quite interested too.  Ready to learn more about the Book of Mormon and understand it better.

My comp then began marking his Book of Mormon for him to read for our next lesson.  While she did that he turned to me:  "So do you like to watch TV?  The Big Bang Theory?  How about movies?  Do you like reading?  There is a great library downtown.  Do you like dancing?"  I was sadly and hopelessly ignorant of what he was doing.  Not understanding a word of his Spanish but smiling anyways.  He continued: "I work for this restaurant.  Great food!  You should come sometime and I'll pay." Then turning to Hna. Torres, "You can come too."

Flashback #4 Brian's invitation

My last week of training, a little over a month since "Brian's prayer."  We hadn't seen Brian since that last lesson about prophets and Catholic saints, but as we were walking to the church building he pulled up in his motorcycle.  It went a little like this:

"What a coincidence seeing you again! ... yeah I've been really  busy with school and work... ..when can we meet up again?  ... yeah Thursday works great, but how about another day too?  ...how about to go out for a cup of coffee, the movies, something like that?  ..Can you guys do that?  ....no,.. okay,.... well it was great seeing you again!"

He didn't show up that Thursday.

Random Mission Pictures

"Have you done anything good in the World today?"

A REALLY full bus of mexicans

The district

I don't really know what ethnicity i am now...

Feet of a Disciple.

Welcome to El Barrio Las Fuentes.  Us missionaries will  be your guides to salvation

"Get That Corn Outta My Face!"

Every day I realize more and more that it's going to be really hard for me to leave Mexico.  I love the people, language, culture, and FOOD!  This past week, with the independence of Mexico, I was thrown even more into the country and it's awesomeness.  We had a stake activity Friday. "Noche Mexicana."  Basically everything incredible about Mexico wrapped up into a few hours.  But before I get ahead of myself, let me say one thing:

I ATE ELOTE!!!

For those who are unfamiliar with the term "elote" let me enlighten you.  I'm sure we are all great fans of the joyful movie "Nacho Libre."  If you are not, repent.  In this knee slapper of a film there are quite a few scenes in which Jack Black and his sidekick are eating corn on a stick.  That, my friends, is elote.  I have waited 10 months to finally try it, and last week it happened.  Quite literally it is boiled corn on a stick, covered in mayonnaise and chili.  It's actually pretty good. Mision Mexico Tijuana: Accomplished.

Something you can say about nearly every country except for America is that they can dance well.  Mexico is definitely one of those countries and if you want to get a bunch of Mexican Elders trunky, just lock them all together in a room playing really good dancing music.  It was hilarious for me to watch how, with every song played, they would simultaneously cry out in desperation.  I had to join them too.  I've never been a big fan of the classic stake dances of the U.S..  Pretty boring in my opinion.  Everyone either jumps up and down, or if the song is slow, shuffle their weight from one foot to another in a very Frankenstein-like manner.  This disgust for the "white-girl-dance" is what lead me to enroll in a dance class at BYU.  Now I'm finally in a country that likes to dance, and dance WELL, and I can't even join in the fun.  That is true torture.  The bright side of things is that now I have a handful of Mexican dance-tutors to choose from for after the mish.

While we're on the subject of Mexico and food, I ate bugs last week.  Grasshoppers to be specific.  It's a Mexican snack more in the southern part of the country.  You fry'em, toss a little lemon juice on top and Bon Appétit!  Taste just like sunflower seeds.

ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE

80's songs have a way of saying exactly what I'm thinking.  Often, as we are walking in the street, or after something strange happens, lyrics to 80's songs come popping into my head and I can't help but sing them.  My companions have no idea what I'm saying, but it certainly helps me express myself.

 Lately... actually, all of these past two transfers, I have found my self singing the chorus to one of my personal favorites "All I need is a miracle, all I need is you."  

We've been struggling a little bit out here in the desert of Las Fuentes.  It's been quite dry literally and spiritually and I've been praying that this "drought" could end soon. After 2 months of waiting, this past week we had a little drizzle.

Clementina & Fabiola:  Hace 2 semanas Sonia, our recent convert came up to us during Relief Society and told us that she had a friend that she wanted to take us to. That Wednesday we followed her to the house of Clementina, without questions she and her daughter Fabiola let us in, we taught lesson 1, and they accepted a baptismal date.

Pedro:  As well, two weeks ago he showed up at church with another recent convert, Cipriano.  We made an appointment to visit him Thursday, lesson 1, another accepted baptismal date. 

Claudia:  After a failed attempt to visit a contact, we were walking, trying to think of where else we could go when a man who had casually sat in on one of our lessons about 3 months ago (but said he had no interest) called out to us and said that he had mentioned our visit to his wife and she wanted to see us.  Now she has a baptismal date too.

Blanca:  We went to visit an investigator named Marta.  She wasn't home, but there was Blanca.  As we walked in, the first thing she said was (my translation into English) "Hey, I want you guys to start coming to my house to teach my family."  Just like that.  And I thought, "...well if you insist...."  

Sometimes it's good to be thirsty.  Helps you enjoy the water more.

P.S.  FELIZ DÍA DE INDEPENDENCIA MÉXICO!!!!

Misión MÉxico Tijuana