Weeks 65 and 66 ~ Lots of pictures

Week 65:

Hi mom, I really hope that things are going well back at home, I really love you both very much. It sounds to me like you guys continue having fun experiences without me *sob sob*. Hahaha, naaah, está bien, I am having a ton of fun out here. This week I got to meet an apostle and his wife. It was honestly incredible. He is so much older than I realized, but so much wiser and more intelligent. He gave us some great council and honestly I realized how much I have to improve. I also got to meet Elder Paul Piper, he is honestly super smart, I feel like in these talks I honestly learn so much, but I know that it is applying what they teach that really matters

How did things with the Job search, have you had any nibbles? I dunno, for obvious reasons that cncerns me, but I hope it goes okay.I honestly have always wondered how they choose the relief society presidents back at home because its honestly easier here with how few people there are. 

Well mom think of this, there are a little over 250 days left in my mission, that is not that terribly much. I will be leaving Cosamaloapan this week after 6 months, its honestly nuts, I cannot believe that I have been in my last two areas for a full year now.Lol, our President tells alll of the missionaries to get married fairly quickly when they get back, so that's funny.

The Jerusalem center is honestly super cool. I would love to be able to go back there to study, butt I don't think they have the classes I want, and its expensive, but even so it is still pretty cool. Hahaha, you are feeding me, if i take money out of my acount, its because they give me 100 dollars a month to eat, wash, write, and go all over the state and my area. Thank you thank thank you so much for the package, it was just so great, I loved it.

The work goes great here, I just had to literally chew an Elder out big time this week because he just is not working and is destroying the area, and I don't know what to do, I dont know if thats wrong or what I should do, but I honestly just want to do whats right, and I dont want to be like one of thsoe leaders that is always yelling and stuff. I dunno, its a hard situation for me.

I love you lots, both of you. Keep up the Good work at school, I know you can do it!

Love Kevin

Week 66:

Hi mom, i dont remember what photos I have sent you and what I have not so here goes

1.This is of the bishop and his family, and honestly it was awesome to have gotten to know them, they are so inspiring. The bishop reactivated after liek 30 years of being inactive, and his wife is a convert of 2 years, but they honestly are consecrated to the gospel, I will miss them so much.

2. That is of me with the stake president, I really formed a great bond with him, he honestly taught me some of my most spiritual lessons and how to talk to people in a way where you make them feel good and help lift them, he is so gonna be a mission president.

3. This of me with our ward mission leader and his family. We went in and talked with them, and it was incredible because the lesson with them, the lord honestly just put words in our mouths, and it completely and totally changed him. I cant even remember what I said, but it was great because he reactivated hard core from that day forward.

More Pictures:

1. I need you to find and plant a tree of these things, I honestly love donkey bananas!

2. This is the family molina, and they honestly are wonderful, we baptized the mom and dad, and the son will go on a mission(I hope) I honestly love them all, and they're so kind to me.

3. This is of paco and reyna, they're converts of just less than a year, and honestly 2 of the most firm and biggest workers in Cosamaloapan, I would do just about anything to be able to go to their endowment. It is incredible all of the things that didn't used to be important but now are.

Anyways, so this week I finally said goodbye to Cosamaloapan, it was a great 6 months, can you believe I spent a year in my last 2 areas. It was incredible, I will miss so many people there. Just between you and me mom, it shocked me some of the things that people said, everyone told me what a work we had done their in cosamaloapan, it made me honestly feel super good, but I worry about my pride. Honestly I don't like being complimented by others, I never know what to say or do, and I worry about my pride when they do. That being said, this weekend Anslemo got called as the elders quorum President, which is honestly one of the best things that could have happened. I cannot believe that a few months ago he was living out of wedlock and now he is completely good with everything! Also just between you and me, I got sent off as a zone leader to what is essentially hell in terms of temperature (yes, I am in charge of missionary work in Hell I found it funny). It is weird because I have realized there is nothing different between a zone leader and anyone else, and yet I remember how I looked up to those around me. I really want to do a good job and be a good example, but its really nerve racking, and so many zone leaders fall in to pride which I want to avoid really badly. When I got here today, this house was filthy. No not dirty, not mildly stinky, FILTHY. To give you an idea, there was rotten cow stomach in a Tupperware container, with a scrungie that had been used 5 times as long as it should have been. It is honestly disgusting, but my companion and I started cleaning and are going to make this place habitable! Anyways, this zone has been absolutely destroyed by the previous Elder who was the zone leader. Honestly it is really really bad, but my goal is to be able to help them so that they can get everything all good. What this new choice means is that I don't get pressure anymore mom, I don't get anyone telling me what to do. Instead, I put my own goals, put my own pressure, and am here to help as many people as possible. I am excited for the challenge, but it makes me really really nervous.

Enough about me, I love hearing that you are almost done, mom enjoy school while you can, I remember how you always told me just how much you wanted to go to law school, just how important that was for you. Honestly mom, I know that it will be over soon, but try and enjoy what is left, there is a favorite quote of mine. Ï dream and thought that life was joy, I woke up and realized life was duty, I watched and realize duty was joy. You have so much to do, but try and enjoy the challenges, it'll make it all go better. 

You´ll have to send me some dive fotos here soon, that would be really cool. I love you lots, I just hit 15 months this week, if you can believe it? When I get out of hell I will be almost done! I love you very much, here is the last foto and it is of me and my new companion, Elder Luna. He is super chill and from Sinaloa, which I have had really good experiences with people from there.

Loves!

Elder Standridge