Monday, January 26, 2015

Week 35 ~ 8 months completed

Hi mom, I honestly think that you should be charged for cruel and unusual punishment, not only do you send me a picture of american cake, but of red velvet cake, simply unacceptable. Just kidding, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that I have lots of photos for you, the bad news is that the computer that I am on is simply not letting me send them, so it will have to wait another week.

In other news, this week was awesome because we totally baptized 4 people. If you remember we had a family of Hindus that we were teaching, a 24 year old guy that is just awesome, and a 14 year old and his father. Plus we are also teaching a family that we found around Christmas time.

So I honestly need to tell the story of the Hindus because it is just awesome. So the mom was born in Brazil, the dad in Venezuela. The moms mom put her in a Hindu convent, and the dad found Hinduism when he was like 16 and got obsessed with it. He studied a ton of Indian culture and learned yoga and stuff like that, then served a Hinduism mission (didn't know those existed, when I get sent away because someone tells me that they are studying with the Hindus I will laugh my head off) and then came back and had an arranged marriage with the woman. They then all moved to the US illegally, had 5 kids there, and at one point the mom got into a whole bunch of bad stuff (that is all we will say) and anyways, for certain family matters they all came down here to mexico. Now here is the interesting part, I explained they believe that Christ went to India when he was 15 and was the Hindu god Krishna. They then looked at all of the christian churches and realized that the Mormons had the authority of Christ, so he baptized all of his kids but two, and the dad himself got baptized. That all took place in the us. So we have been teaching this family for about a month, the dad has reactivated, and slowly but surely we've helped them understand that demigods don't exist, that tea is bad, that one has to pray only to God, and they have honestly really progressed, until this weekend when the mom and daughter got baptized. One of the most incredible moments for me, was to see how much peace it could bring to a family that has struggled more than I can comment to find Christ and really feel forgiveness through his atonement. While we've taught them, there were honestly some great moments, like when the mom said at one point she woke up and would drink 3 bottles of tequila a day, and was shocked when I said I had never tried shrooms. Honestly, its so cool because I have grown to love them, and really want to do everything I can to help them get sealed. They are just a wonderful family with a difficult past who has found Christ and the peace that the gospel brings.

The 24 year old guys is named Rafael, and all I can say is that I have never met anyone so chill in my whole mission. He accept everything so easily, reads, goes to church, and does everything that he should. I came in one day and he asked me hey what did you think of president monsons liahona article (before I taught prophets). I just love him to death. The last one was a kid named Daniel, we were teaching him and his dad, but his dad was too concerned about work to ever go to Church. So he never really progressed.

Sunday work has honestly been one of the hardest things in my mission to deal with, people just have a hard time following what I think is a very logical train of thought. People believe that God is all powerful and that he will fulfill all of his promises. God has promised if we don't work Sundays that we will be better off than if we do work Sunday (financially spiritually, everything), and therefore to me the only logical conclusion is that we should not work Sundays. (if you don't believe in God, now then I get it, I only ask that people be consistent, goodness).

Anyways, that's the work for now. Today I did something mildly cruel, I told all of my companions that I would lift my no pizza ban if they did a relay so I could go run. So this morning I ran my 3 companions (there are two companionship) in a relay of about 6 miles, until they couldn't run anymore. I thought it was hilarious as heck, but they are all walking a little funny now and some have really bloody feet. (I told them that they had too much Mexican grease was in the blood after 15 months) But hey, little ceasers here we come!

Anyways, I love to hear mom that you are working hard, and I especially love to hear that you are going to the temple prep class. Like mom, I really hope you can understand this, like I am so proud of how you have done in law school, and I would come home early to go to your graduation if it were in April (the earliest I could get back is march 28); that said, you could fulfill your purpose in life if you never went to law school nor took the bar, but if we wish to go on to become like our father in heaven, we have to go through the temple. A lot of times the temple is presented as some secret place where you learn some secret stuff, in all honestly 90% of the stuff, I knew from just reading the scriptures (I think most people just don't read them). What you will do there, is make promises with God, and in return you will be protected from Satans influence and be able to return home to Father. I am honestly the most sad that I cannot be there to see you go through, I hope you know that. So really enjoy that. 

Dad, you are looking awesome, that is honestly a beautiful landscape behind you, I am super sad that I will never really spend any significant amount of time in that house, it looks super sick. (in fact I will spend more time in the houses here). I hope you are enjoying life back at home, this week is 8 months, 1/3 of the way there :D Pretty soon I will be back there, and you will have to explain a bunch of movies to me (I really am gonna miss starwars 7). Its funny, I can still remember when we went and saw star wars 1 when I was a little kid. Honestly, its funny how time passes. I love you lots, both of you. IF you need anything from me, just let me know!

Kevin
 

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