Week 82 ~ Meeting with the Mission President

Wow mother, I am truly happy for all that you have done for those Elders. I am sure that I am blessed for how you treat them. That is just wonderful. 

Mother, I spoke with President this week and it was honestly one of the most touching and spiritual experiences that I have had in my entire mission. First off, he talked to me about how to put goals. He asked me a question, how did Joseph smith enjoy his time in prison. How did Moses enjoy taking the children of Israel out of Egypt, to which I responded that I thought they hated it. He talked to me about how while eating rotten poisoned food, Joseph got his best revelations. While helping the horrible people of Israel, Moses got to see God and was shown everything. God prepared these men, and while they suffered they got their best revelations. They were taught to pray differently, beg differently, fight differently.

I know mom that it is in the time when we are working and suffering that we are able to get out best blessings. I want to encourage you to pray differently, talk differently, be more sincere, put your goals, study your scriptures for these goals, because when things are the hardest if we do things better, we will be blessed. Remember the saviors commandment to be of good cheer. It is probably the most important of any commandment.

He then talked me about obedience. I went to that Rancho to baptize someone and I said I didn't feel bad about it. He then said if you don't feel guilty why did you tell me. And he said, you do feel guilty and guilt is a sign of sin, and I knew in my heart he was right. He helped me to not harden my heart. He asked me if we became happy by disobedience, and I said no. I know that happiness is not achieved that way, happiness is found through obedience. Its so very important. He told me that the reason I never felt happiness with baptisms is because I am not working for father in heaven. He said don't baptize just to baptize, baptize so that these people get home to Father in Heaven. When I start baptizing for him, I will start to find joy in the baptisms. 

 

(Marriage of Lorenzo and Francisca)

                                              (Baptism of Francisca and Jose)

He finally told me to never be satisfied, he helped me realize that each of us has a potential greater than what we know. Each of us will reach an accomplishment and then we need to go on working hard so that we reach the next level. I love you, and am very happy with everything that is going on here, I really want you to know that I am going to work hard and will see you soon.

Love Kevin

Week 81~ Last Christmas in Mexico....More homemade cooking

Hi mom, so I will be speaking at 5 my time, which I think is 3 your time! I think I am going to talk to you on the tablet because it will be a little cooler. I love you very much I am very excited and hope that you enjoy my pictures!

Anyways, in regards to studying I hope that everything is going well and that you are going to have some success here in February, when you finish your test I will be really close to home.

 

 

 I honestly cannot believe that Lauren Benson is already getting married, that was extremely fast, I cannot believe how people are changing. That is super cool about Abbie, that is honestly a really big accomplishment for her, because it really is not easy at all. Its funny because had I not gone on a mission I would be graduating right now. I cannot believe that Meg and Kevin are married, it honestly seems like the world keeps changing and getting more and more different and I cannot believe it. Although it seems like all of the people and the life you are talking to me about isn't really mine. Like where I am right now is life, and I cannot imagine anything different. I love the people I am meeting, I love the people I am talking to and the people I am able to help. 

My companion and I are having really a month of miracles, this month we should honestly be able to get out 6 or 7 baptisms (a few more than I think we have back home). Do you know what I find really funny though mom, is that I have no idea what missionaries back home do all day. I honestly feel like they have so few baptisms, that I dont' know if they are walking around aimlessly in the street, or if they just give service, but its super weird. 

 

 

Other than that, I just wanted to tell you that I really am enjoying these things here. Our neighbors take such very good care of us, I really love them, they are super duper nice to us. In regards to the work, things keep going forward. Its funny because things just keep moving on here, we keep finding new investigators and keep baptizing the old ones. We married a couple this week. You need to understand that my companion and I pulled birth certificates out from puebla, cordova and the city of tierra blanca to marry some people. Its funny because of these places tierra blanca, where I am was by far the hardest to take out because they RAN OUT OF BIRTH CERTIFICATES (to get married here you have to have a certified birth certificate pulled out within 1 year of getting married). It is so hard sometimes Dad because I have seen that before every wedding (there will be another one tomorrow) there are fights, and sometimes pretty brutal fights before the wedding, so my companion and I have to counsel them and try and help them, and its so very hard to know what to say sometimes. Other times we have parents who simply dont know how to help their kids, and its so hard to know how to help them, how to guide them, how to teach them what they need in the Gospel. That being said I am so grateful because the gospel resolves so many of the problems we have. I really got to watch these couples change a ton! and its awesome because all we taught them was to study their scriptures, pray, and repent, and it made all the difference!

 

 

I am nervous because of what I am going to have to do here soon, when I go home, but I love my mission and am looking forward to seeing you soon

-- 

WEEK 80 ~

Well mom I am really starting to get jealous with all of the Christmas stuff that is starting to come out. 

I cannot believe that I have  not even met the little tyke and he is already 6 months old. In fact I didn't even get to see Ally pregnant, that is super weird. ( This is my niece; Charlene)

I am getting progressively more excited. Veronica is taking such good care of us mom, we are really super spoiled, and I am going to miss it, but at least for this period of Christmas I am going to be super well taken care of. In regards to this week I just wanted to share some super cool experiences. We just baptized Elizabeth's two daughters, so I am super duper pumped about that because I love these two little girls. The one I baptized whose name is evelynn, she is so super duper cute, we were teaching her, and we asked like what did you learn from alma 12 to which she responded that hte spiritual death of man is seperation from god. That little girls wonderful. Besides them, there was a girls mom who we baptized, and she was wonderful as well. So that is one part of what happened this week. 

I don't want to scare you guys, but I used up at least 2 of my nine lives this week. First, we were trying to heat the water for a baptism, and apparently this boiler had a gas leak. I try lighting it, and there wasnt enough gas, so the pilot wasnt working. I then open it to full blast to see if I can get this boiler lit (by the way I am pretty sure that even though everything has a spark plug here, they never worked because I never have seen any that work). When I go to ignite it, the gas that had leaked out all around me ignited, and a boom like a gun shot knocked me back. Needless to say i lost hearing for a minute, but was luckily not even singed :). The other instance, there is a rancho here where that woman who got baptized lives. We are not allowed to go to ranchos. We were going to lose the baptism if I didnt go, so I said lets go. It was pitch black, 5 kilometers away down a path where there are no lights, and no people. I was in divisions with one of my district leaders, and he says your the boss. I still dont know whether I was brave, stupid, or just disobedient, but I said lets go. We started walking and I wanted to get us moving, so with a long stride, I pulled my companion who was slightly jogging along. As I did, I pulled a little ahead, but I hear a small scream from my companion as he runs towards me. Apparently I had walked right by a snake that was as big around as my quad. We got there and back wihtout incident, but I am pretty sure that we were being pretty darn protected this past week. we will not be going to that rancho again. BTW found out later that rancho is far enough a way that we actually enter into the next state :P whoopsies! Other than that, I am becoming a marriage expert as I am pulling out birth certificates from all over MExico :) So its pretty cool. I love you mom. Take care, I am telling you this out of confidence that you wont have a heart attack. Dont worry, I am fine :)

 LOVE,
KEVIN

Week79~~~Birthday Pictures for those who didn't see them!!!

I have skipped another week, because last week was Kevin's bday and he was short on time due to trying to write back to some of the people who wrote him.  THANK YOU
For those people not on FB; here are some pictures from Kevin's 21st bday from a neighbor, and the bible covers Rick made him.  Kevin received his birthday package on his birthday!!  MIRACLE!!! 
Thank you all for your support of Elder Standridge!
Charlene



HI MOM ~

I really really loved the bible covers mother, I was going to make a comment about them this week. Everyone was asking me how much dad would charge to do them for them, they wanted me to see what he could do. In all honesty mom, I think that dad could get in and get a little bit of extra work through handy work that he does for others. He has talents and it might be helpful just to search for something in addition to what he already has. Just a thought, i know its tough, but I actually really like what Doug has done with the pictures because honestly that is the way to build a business.

 

 

 

 

 

I really love the pictures mother, it really truly seems like Christmas there, whereas here we have just gotten some nice Christmas weather, everyone has busted out their sweaters and jackets for the 68 degree weather, ha! 

In regrds to Lauren and Kate, I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by, but I am super happy for them. It will only be a matter of time before I see you again dont worry. I hope you and the jones continue to have a great friendship!

In regards to things here I am so incredibly angrily happy. One of my converts got sealed to his wife in the temple this week, but no one told me so I didnt get to go. That is so frustrating but I am super happy for him and his family. The Gospel is true, and although I didnt get to see them get sealed, I know I will have so much happiness with them in Heaven. Mother I want you to hear my testimony of things that I am certain of. I know, without a single dobt in my mind that Heavenly Father takes care of his children. He protects them and guides them. Sometimes he mkes us live like he did with the children of israel, day by day, so that we remember him and keep humble, but he is always there. Mother I know with all of my heart and soul that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God This is the true Church on earth, and I know that this will guide us to happiness. I know mom that if we are diligent and obedient that everything will work out. We just need to listen and do what God says, he will speak to us through his prophets. I used to think that the self reliance and all of that was a little weird but I have come to know on the course of my mission that each and every single principles taught by the prophets is true, good, and the key to happiness. We just need to obey them, and then diligently follow through. Diligence is more than just doing what they tell us to, it is using our minds, our hearts, the spirit, everything at our disposal to find a solution. Mom I have no doubts about when I get back. Somehow, each and every week God has provided me with investigators for months, I have found someone that accepted the gospel to be baptized each week for a long time. I know that God will not abandon me when I get back, I know that there is nothing to fear. Yes I may have to sacrifice, work, and do many things that I dont like at first, but God will not abandon me, and one day we will have what we need mom. Do not give up. Do not lose faith. Do not get depressed, do not criticize, complain, or ever say the words I cant. You will pass the bar. You will get a job. You will do everything that you need to do, it only requires diligence, disposition, and obedience. I love you so very much, so dont worry, everything will be okay :)

 

 

Love,

Kevin

PS The zone is doing well we have 3 investigators with a baptismal date progressing in every area :)