Week 13

Well I honestly do not have hardly any time to write this week, so I am going to make this as fast as I can, which might mean some very odd spellings and other errors, especially on a Mexican keyboard. Basically, this week was pretty darn cool, and a good week of growth. For all intents and purposes, Elder Spinoza is awesome, he is essentially my mexican twin, so he and i get along really well, and work really hard together. We started out the week filtering people, which is really hard to do, because it basically means you say these people will not accept the gospel, or will not come back to church, and you just do not go back to them. So we have been doing that, and have been honestly searching for chosen people (escogidos sounds so much better) which means a lot more contacting. I would also like to declare a moment of silence for our dear Elder Killpack, may he rest in peace....in his house. No one has been going to church back here, and I know that I could be doing something better to help them to come, but I really have not the faintest idea what, so that is bringing a little bit of stress into my life. (perhaps my teaching skills are poor, or we are not comitting them well enough, who knows, much stress, wow) Anyways, Santiago is as beautiful as ever, and we did a deep clean of the apartment, which means no more ants. Unfortuantely I lost my mission credit card (the machine takes it from you hear) so that also has beeen a little stressful out here. I just would like to bear my testimony of hrd work for a second, we were out contacting late at night, and we wanted to go back, but we decided to go knock on at least one more door, and it just turned out to be the escogido wed been searching for, I was so happy, and I could feel the spirit telling me she needed the Gospel.

I just want to congratulate Carly and Bradley on their engagement, that is really awesome, and I am hoenstly dumbstruck. (dont have either of their emails, would really rather like to hear about that one) I cannot believe how quickly things change, I am gone 3 months, and everyone has just moved along. Oh ya, its my cumplemeses this week. 12.5% there, woooh! Hahaha, at the end of this cambio, if I was an hermana, id be a quarter of the way there, hahaha. Anyways, I honestly love hearing the different stories from back home, it sounds like things are normal, but I honestly dont think things will ever be ¨normal¨ for me again, in the sense that I will not ever be able to think of things the same as I used to. Anyways, I just really want to bear my testimony of how important what we want is. Like honestly, when we want to do what God wants us to do, we are honestly so much happier, like I´ve really been noticing that. So many missionaries just are out here, but spend the whole time counting down the days until they go home, but in reality, they are right now, doing what God wants. It´s kind of like that whole enjoying the journey thing. That being said, I miss the beach...and running...and weight lifting...and fish...(is sound very Californian right there) oh well, in all honesty this place has become a home for me,and i am honestly really comfortable here, and am enjoying my work from day to day, despite the things I may miss. Santiago Tuxtlas is awesome. I love you all lots, and I miss you all tons. 

Hasta Luego,

Elder Standridge