2016-05-16 Update and Fotos

I'm doing well... actually, as you'll find out in a sec, I'm no longer with Elder Diaz--transfers! I'm still in Tres Valles, but I have a new companion, Elder Becerra from Ecuador.

Thanks for asking me about my effort, and not about the results :) And, although I write occasionally about finding people to teach, I guess I should clarify-- there're always people to teach in the sense that if we look hard enough, there're always people that receive us in their homes. Finding people that progress, though, that keep their commitments and have a desire to follow the gospel... that's the trick, and then teaching them well. But this week was actually really gratifying, we had some really good moments and we had five people (from two families) in church this Sunday. Andres could really use some prayers so that he can stop drinking, he and his wife Dora and son Andres went to church yesterday, along with Francisco and his granddaughter Vianey.

Thanks! Love you, too!

Élder Rob Weatherford

Kathy:  I think this iguana is a pet, not food.

2016-05-08 Skyyyyyyype!

Kathy:  I. Love. Technology.  (just sayin')

2016-04-25 Fotos (and a comment about the last title, John 12:27)

(I questioned Rob after reading the scriptural reference in the title of that last post.  John 12:27  "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." Here's what he said.)  The scripture was just a reflection, I knew it would be tougher leaving the offices, but I'm glad to be out here. The troubled soul isn't so much from personal difficulty, just seeing all the people here that don't want to be helped, and as for the second part, that pretty much accurately describes my feelings. Sure, it's harder, and the area's not the easiest, but what should I say? Father in Heaven, I want out? I give up? This is why I'm here! I don't want out, I want to finish strong. I'm finding satisfaction right now, not so much in the fruits of my work here, but rather in the simple act of working I'm finding satisfaction. Being engaged in the cause, if you will. If any of this makes sense...

Pretty area, isn't it?

Pig stick a señor had carved... I don't really understand the animal choice, but I have to admit, it's a really cool carving.

The siblings of Ezequiel, a recent convert of a few months. Ezequiel's the one who borrowed my comp's hat, then there's José Antonio, Estrella, and Dylan the half-naked one.

2016-04-18 Juan 12:27

Good week, looking for new people to teach, the area was (well, is, we haven't exactly gotten out yet) kind of in a rough spot as far as the work is concerned, but God's helping us, and we do have some people to teach, which is important! Nothing happens in missionary work until you find someone to teach.

Turned 19 months yesterday. Luckily, I don't feel any different. The time's pressing on me, but no more than it was a few months ago, and it just makes me want to work harder, not to give up and get lazy, so that's good. You see that, occasionally, and it's not pretty. So, like I said, that's good.

Let's see, what else... it's really dusty here. I missed that, having dusty shoes. I haven't returned to the apartment with clean shoes once this week! :)

I still don't have that much to comment on the work here... we're just getting started. We've got some investigators, I hope they'll keep on progressing, but they've all got certain challenges (well, don't they all, always?) we'll have to see if we can work through, but I should have a better idea of where we are next week. I hope.

Ah... here are a couple photos:

Elder Díaz and me, with a partial view of our ranchito in the background.

Admittedly not the best quality photo of the zone, but there it is... the sisters are new, there hadn't been sister missionaries in Tierra Blanca for a few years.

Love you all!

Élder Rob Weatherford

2016-04-04 New Area, New Companion, New Language (it feels like it, almost), New Hat (!)

That's right, you read right, I have some very important news. A few pieces of very important news, the most important being I now have a hat. A genuine, made in México sombrero! President allows us to use them here!

And some other news, what was it? I don't even remember... Let's see if it comes to me later.

It was a good week in the offices. Andrus is pretty much ready to take over my job, and if there's anything small he needs to ask about, I'm just a phone call away. We brought a couple of new investigators (Brenda and Moisés, a young couple) to see the Sunday morning session of conference. They liked it! And I did too... Of course, I liked all of it! I had a couple of important messages that the Spirit gave me, specifically through a couple of the speakers. 

The Lord also gave me a few tender mercies on Conference Sunday, when we went to see the first session in our chapel. There were a few less-active families/members there that we had been teaching that showed up to watch. All of the Martinez family was there, all five of them! They've been members for a while, but they still need to be sealed as a family, and so we've been working with them to set some goals for their progress, starting with going to church more regularly. We also helped their oldest two children start attending seminary again. Yesterday, they were all in church together. Joshua and Paola were also there (I don't think I've talked too much about them... Joshua's been a member since he was little, but he inactivated as a youth. Paola's his partner (and just had a precious little baby girl a few weeks ago!!) but she can't get baptized yet because they're not married, and have to work out some migration hang-ups before they can. But Joshua's been going every Sunday and working on some goals to get involved again, and Paola's 100% ready to get baptized as soon as they get married. 110%. She's been more constant about reading the Book of Mormon than he has, recently! Almost every day for over a month. There's a lot of people I love in that ward, and it was harder to leave it than I thought, when the moment came. But here I am. 

Oh, yeah. The news. I'm in Tres Valles, Veracruz! Area called Morelos. Zone called Tierra Blanca. AKA the hottest zone in the mission. 

So that's pretty much all for this week. My new companion's name is Elder Diaz, from Mexico City. Twenty-five years old, did kickboxing before his mission, and pretty funny! I think we'll have a good time.

I'm excited to be out in the field 100% again. This area reminds me a lot of some parts of Moctezuma, and although today was relatively cool I know the heat'll be coming pretty soon, as the hot months of summer are soon approaching. Wish me luck, and send me sunblock! (Just kidding. I already have plenty, trust me...) Oh, the "new language" thing... not really, it's just that I'd almost forgotten how people talk out here. It's different, and at first you have to adjust. To me it's faster, and softer, and they cut off a lot more sounds from their words. Along with some really nasal tones :) And my comp also speaks really fast and soft. It's like being comps with me, I'll bet, just that he has better grammar and pronunciation. Serves me right, I suppose.

Love you all, and hope you're all doing well. Don't forget to pray.

Élder Rob Weatherford

2016-03-26 No, I don't want to send without a title, thanks for asking

(Note from Kathy:  apparently, even in Spanish, the email program asks you if you really want to send the email without a subject line.  He didn't...)

One more week left in the offices, ending with General Conference (Yeah! Projector party!), and then off to my new area...

Good week; we met a lot of interesting people, found a few new investigators, and generally avoided the area near the ocean because it's vacation right now for Semana Santa and it can get pretty crowded. Given that the offices are just a few blocks away from the beach, that means right now there's a constant undercurrent/thrum of shouts and music coming from down that way. Along with some huge tour buses parked right in front...

As a mission we've been reading the Book of Mormon again, doing a few exercises to emphasize the ways it teaches the doctrine of Christ and to help us become better at teaching with the scriptures. As I do that in my morning study, this week I also started to supplement that with studying Lesson 3 in Preach My Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've been paying special attention to the Atonement, and especially the teachings of the Atonement in the Book of Mormon. I started thinking that I would be able to do one or two principles a day from Lesson 3, but I spent three days, I think, just on the first principle, that "through Christ we can be cleansed from sin." I could have gone on for years, I think, but after three days I felt like that was what I needed, was enough, for now at least, and that I should move on. I was reading, and pondering, and studying all the chapters I could that explain and talk about the Atonement. Really amazing study time! I got a lot of insights I hope will help some people we're teaching, and I feel like they'll help me as well!

The Book of Mormon is the word of God, is holy scripture, is an important key to many important doctrines that God needs us to know and understand so we know exactly why we're here. And, they're taught with such plainness and clarity that it's not hard to see why we need it for the latter days. So, read it!

Love,

Élder Rob Weatherford

2016-03-19 Pictures!!

Elder Hackleman and I went to a place called Cempoala, a small town near an area called Cardel, about an hour or so out from the main part of Veracruz. There are some old pyramids there (it's pretty funny,  you just walk through some dusty streets with houses and then you turn a corner and there are the pyramids, with just a small fence blocking them off from the "residential area." 

Of course, we had some fun with sacrificial and stoning photos, and some selfies. And selfies of selfies. In one of the photos, you can see a model of the pyramids, of the ancient site, in a glass case.

And, of course, we just had to stop by the famous crocodile farm on the way back... We didn't take the expensive in-depth tour, we didn't have a whole lot of time (and, let's be real, we didn't have a whole lot of money, either), so we just saw some of the hatching and raising areas. But it was pretty fun! Nobody got bitten, that's the important thing... But I did buy a gift for Dad in the store, there. He can start guessing what it is... hehe...

Oh, in case there was any doubt, the crocodile farm was exactly what it sounds like... they raise crocodiles there to sell. They use the skin, the meat, pretty much everything, and they do their best to be humane about it, from what I saw. Plus, they're crocodiles, so of course it's cool. The biggest one we saw was about three and a half meters long. His name's Chavo.

Windy, sandy Veracruz

The Willinghams took us out to eat today to celebrate my leaving (wait, that sounded bad... But jokes aside, thanks, Willinghams!) It was a Brazilian grill, and they just had a salad bar and then the waiters would come around with the "swords" of meat, it was like a mobile buffet, you would choose what you wanted and they would cut it off right there for you. 

Elder Rocha and I didn't look too thrilled in the photo because it was candid, but it was honestly a really cool place and I loved it. I just didn't have any other picture...

Elder Andrus knew the photo was being taken, so he looks happier :)