week 18: the end of the gringo trio

    Well the gringo trio had a great final week, but has come to it's end. I'll get to that later.

The week went well. We found a lot of new people, and taught a lot of lessons. I also hit 4 months out! Thursday we visited this family that's really close to baptism and it went really well. Then we ran into someone on the bus ride back. There's a homeless guy from Guatamala, and when we did our free hielito stand a while back, Elder Hawkins gave him one. The guy has always remembered that, but he thinks it was me, so he always asks me for money and it's pretty annoying. This time he decided to give me something. He had a freshly bought bottle of alcohol he offered me and the other Elders. 

Friday we had a battalion, and the Zone Leaders put me with Elder Norris, who is awesome, and on his first transfer. So we tried, and that was about all we could do. It was fun, and this one lady was really funny. We asked if we could give her a card about Jesus Christ, and she said she already had her bible. I said something about our message that related it to the bible to which she responded, "I don't read my bible (but in spanish)". 

Sunday was the primary program! It was awesome! It was a lot like the ones back home. Some of the kids were singing the songs, some were screaming the songs, and a few would yell so loudly into the mic, that they actually didn't need it. There were also a few differences; they decorated the front of the chapel, the kids all wore white, and surprisingly it was all in spanish. Then after church we went to a ward baptism.

Last night we got a call, and Elder Iongi is going to train, and I'm being transferred, I let you all know where I am next week, 

until then...

--Elder Thompson

Bit and pieces from family phone calls:

I'm excited and a little sad about transfers...excited for a new place, but sad to leave Veracruz when it feels like the work is finally starting to move forward.

We met lots of great new people this week and taught a lot!

We're going to a members house this afternoon to watch "The Other of Heaven"..it will be a nice change of pace. 

I've really loved these past three weeks being in a trio. The other elders have been so much fun to be around and the work hasn't seemed so much like work!
Daylight savings is a week earlier in Mexico...for sure didn't know that...my comp and I showed up 15 minutes before church and we're all "Where are all the people?? Church starts in 15 minutes and it's the primary program and NO ONE is here?" haha...we found out a little bit later about the time change.

My Mexican gummy bear...

yes, I did rip the head off one bear and put it on another bear...

but I did it in Mexico, so therefore,

a Mexican gummy bear!

my mom keeps asking for a "tag pic"

so I sent her this!

week 17: just three gringos

zone conference

    This week was pretty fun. One of the other Elders in my area had to go home so we've been in a trio of gringos for the past week. Last P-day after we dropped off Elder Quispe, me, Elder Odell, and Elder Iongi went to McDonalds. It was pretty much the same as America...we enjoyed the food while we were eating and then regretted it about 10 minutes after we finished...just like America! 

     We also had zone conference this week and that was awesome. We had a training on the missionary purpose. We also ate brownies with REAL milk from Costco. Then Sunday something weird happened. We visited a recent convert named Rafa. We had been talking about ghost stories and he told us about a time when his door opened on its own. We said we could say a prayer to dedicate the home, and when we said it, a yogurt container fell and hit the ground. The thing that was weird about it is that it was in the middle of his table, and no one touched it. I looked up to see what fell, and when I saw Rafa's face, I about lost it. He was so scared and his eyes were the size of plates. I just looked down and bit my tongue so I didn't laugh out loud.

Hope everything's good for all of you.

--Elder Thompson

bit and pieces from family phone calls:

This week was busy...lots of teaching because we were meeting with our investigators and the investigators from the other companionship...it's a good kind of busy.

Transfers are next week...I've got a feeling I may be transferring, but we'll see. I'd be happy to stay where I'm at.

Our new transfer planners only have 5 weeks in them instead of 6, so I'm thinking transfers may start being every 5 weeks.

I finally got the birthday card from my grandparents/family/cousins...it took over 2 months! 

Best thing I ate this week was a torta with al pastor meat...it was a little like a giant hamburger.

We have a baptism scheduled this week, but the sisters are having some doubts. Pray that they will be able to get the answers they need and be able to commit.

This is the birthday card....

it came in a second envelope from the US post office that said

"We're sorry we damaged your mail"

....so apparently, the USPO rips mail into pieces

and the Mexican post just takes FOREVER!

Captain Moroni...my first purchase for my wall...fell down a day later

...I guess packing tape just doesn't hold the way you'd expect...

sunset in Veracruz

week 16: meat by the kilo

Breakfast study meeting at the church with the zone

Hey everyone,

This week was pretty chill. We did a lot of contacting this week to try and find more people. We found a teenager named Chris, and he's trying to learn English. We've talked with him a lot in English and Spanish. We taught a few other people too, and committed a few of them to baptism. We also had a zone wide study which was fun. We had waffles and a lesson on making commitments.

This Friday we ordered tacos Al Pastor and that was awesome. It was ten dollars for a kilo of meat, with tortillas, onions, pineapple, and salsa. It was awesome. We didn't have anyone come to church which is always sad, but we'll keep trying. 

Hope you're all doing great.

--Elder Thompson

(P.S. the picture of me with the three guys is my family; me, my dad, my grandpa, and my great-grandfather.)

-family photos-

Bits and pieces from family phone calls:

Those tacos...WOW...and we ordered them to our apartment!

I'm eating 3 meals a day now (my new comp is hungry and so we eat!) My mom is so proud! I made grilled cheese (with kraft singles) so yeah, I'm a master in the kitchen.

We are still working with that family...we just gotta get them to come to church.

We went and watched the primary kids practice for the primary program...no matter where you are, that part of church is the same..haha! Kids everywhere...that one kid trying to sing louder than everyone else...someone crying....someone hiding...I can't wait for the Sunday they do it for real.

week 15: mid transfer-transfer

Elder Iongi is so much fun and I know I'll learn so much from him!

This week was crazy.

Tuesday was pretty normal, we started teaching a new family, and I got a call saying they needed me in the offices early Wednesday to take some pictures and stuff. So we left early Wednesday to go to the mission office, and it started raining. There was so much water in the street, I had to move seats on the bus, because water was coming in the side. We were walking the rest the way to the mission home after taking the bus, when we got a call from the APs. They told us we needed to come to the office for special transfers and we told them we were almost there already. We got there and me and Elder Arroyo said quick goodbye, and then he left with one of the APs to pack up. They also told me the next day I had to go to Mexico City for immigration. I stayed at the office most the day until my new companion arrived. His name is Elder Iongi. He's awesome. He's a Tongan from Tooele which is nice because it means he speaks English! After he got there we ran back to our apartment to drop off his stuff. We grabbed what we needed to stay the night in the offices and left to go back to the mission home for interviews with the President. 

We stayed the night and we talked with a lot of Elders who were also going to immigration. We heard some pretty funny stories, and then got up early to go to the airport. We left for Mexico City and made our way to immigration. We went to a really good taco stand after for food and then hurried back to the airport. We got back to the airport about 2 or 3 and our flight wasn't until 7. So we chilled there for a while. We played some uno, I ate half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, and we went back to Veracruz.

Saturday and Sunday we had conference and we watched almost all of it in English. It was awesome and I learned a ton. This week was very crazy and conference was the thing I needed. I encourage everyone to watch it if you didn't. 

Until next week

--Elder Thompson

Bits and pieces from family phone calls:

I finally got on the scale at the mission home...I've lost 25 pounds so it's no wonder I've had to adjust everything I wear. Didn't feel bad at all when I ate those 6 donuts.

I got my card and it's finally activated...time to finally go and buy my own sheets (my mom was a little grossed out that I've been using sheets someone left in the apartment, but not as grossed as she was when I told her about the cockroach or very large spider that ran across my legs and woke me up one night last week. And no, I couldn't find it, it ran under my bed!)

My new comp is awesome! Sarcasm in English is soooo much easier and funnier!
My trainer gave me his fanny pack before he left...it's big and ugly and it's been floating through my mission for several years. Trainers sign the inside, pass it off to their greenies (to use or hang on to). Once the greenie has trained someone, then they pass it off to that greenie...and on and on it goes. 

best.burritos.ever.

Taco stand with such good food in Mexico City.

That's right...I ate all 6 at once!