week 30: yes I do speak English

So this week we had transfers, and it all went really well. Monday night we were with the other elders before transfers the next morning and we got a call from President Palmer. He told Elder Leocadio that he was staying in the zone and that he'd be opening a new area here, so I saw him again this morning. Then Tuesday my new companion got here. His name is Elder Jiménez and he's from Guatemala. He's super awesome and has already been out 16 months. The other elder that showed up to my area, because Elder Garcia left, is Elder Torres. He's from Mexico and a pretty fun guy.

This week we've been working with Fredy and he's got a baptism date set for the 8th. We're super pumped about it. We also started teaching a new family and the mother Beatriz went to church this week. We also found a less active family and we're trying to reactivate them and help one of them get baptized, which is a little tough because she isn't married yet. There's a little girl named Michelle and she was asking me all these questions to see if I actually speak English. She's practically fluent because she can say the colors and the numbers until ten. 

Nothing else is really going on. 

-Elder Thompson

Bits and pieces from family phone calls:

Elder Jimenez is the District Leader, so I'm already learning a lot from him.

I played Monopoly this week in card form...been a while since I've played a game.

My mom asked if I've put any of the weight I lost back on. It's been months since I've seen a scale. So she asked if I still use the extra hole I put in my belt...well, sometimes...depends on if I'm super full and need to loosen it a notch...hopefully that answers the question.

It's been a great week with some great potential investigators!

This is for Jace and my dad.

The quick translation is:

"It's sad to not find love,

but sadder to not find

tacos al pastor."

Interviews with the president the week before transfers.

week 29: BBQ

America needs more murals like this.

This week went by really fast and not too much happened.

We had our interviews with President Tuesday and those went really well. Then Thursday Jacinto stopped drinking and we were very surprised. It was awesome because his daughter, Flor, was baptized the other week, but he didn't let her go to church Sunday so she missed her confirmation. She did make it this week and got confirmed! It was awesome. Also this week I almost cried during lunch one day. We ate kebabs, with meat and they were barbequed, and there was barbeque sauce. I hadn't realized how much I missed barbeque food. I don't really think anything else really happened. We're teaching a guy named Fredy and after he learned about the plan of salvation he said he needs he needs to be baptized so we're excited about that.

Also last night my companion Elder Leocadio got a call and tomorrow he has transfers and I'll stay here and get a new companion. I'll let you all know next week who it is.

--Elder Thompson

bits and pieces from family phone calls:

Got my new shoes, but I'm definitely keeping the old ones...I can still wear them when it's not raining, and I want to see how much I can wear the soles down...I figure at least until my socks are showing through.

I miss Chick-Fil-A, probably more than anything, but the family is close.

I'm excited to meet my new companion and see how we get along.

It was truly a miracle this week that Jacinto stopped drinking after a solid month of being drunk daily. We were so happy that he brought Flor to church so she could be confirmed!

I wore shorts today, and my legs are so pasty white it's scary. 

week 28: gardening with a machete

Carlos, Flor, and their grandma at their baptism Saturday!

This week was awesome!

We spent a lot of time visiting Carlos and Flor since their baptism date was this Saturday. Their dad struggles with alcohol so we were a little nervous about what would happen. Saturday came and the baptism was set to be at 4. We had a busy day with a service project early. We helped a member clear out some weeds, but here in Mexico gardening tools are a little different so I was using a machete, which was fun, but left me with a few blisters. We finished up, had an appointment and then went to lunch. We were running late and got to the church at 3:30 and no one was there. We half walked, half ran to where Carlos and Flor live, and on the way saw Flor and her grandma. We asked about Carlos and apparently he wanted to be on time so he left at 1:00 and his grandma said she'd find him. They showed up and the baptism went great. I baptized Flor and Elder Leocadio baptized Carlos.

The next day problems arose with their dad and he didn't end up letting Flor go to church. I got to confirm Carlos and after we went to his house to talk with him. We saw his dad in the street and he asked when Flor was getting confirmed. We told him it happens during church so he said that Flor can go next week. We were talking with him and Flor when his dad came in with his Holy Bible, and he started preaching to us while his alcoholic fumes surrounded me. I wanted to just go off on him, but I decided to just take everything he said, and relate it in some way to relate to the confirmation and that Flor needed to go to church next week. Hopefully it goes well.

Hope you're all doing good

-Elder Thompson 

bits and pieces from family phone calls:

We'll keep visiting with Flor and Carlos this week and pray that their dad is still willing to let Flor be confirmed on Sunday. 

We have interviews this week with president, and then transfers are next week. I expect my comp will transfer because he's been here for 3 transfers....we'll see.

 

pulling faces with Carlos

such an amazing day!

week 27: rumors of war

visiting the beach in Catemaco for pday

Well this week was interesting...

I found out America's going to war with Iraq which was fun to hear from everyone. 

We celebrated New Years Eve with some members and it was really fun. They also gave us some cake for my companion's birthday. It was fun and we were in our house by 9:30 listening to two massive parties not too far away. When 12:00 hit, fireworks and gunshots went off all over.

We had the baptismal interviews for Carlos and Flor and they both passed! We have their baptisms scheduled for this week which is really exciting. They're both awesome and I'm pumped.

Not too much else has gone on, I've been studying this book called The Infinite Atonement, and it's really changing my perspective on the Atonement. Something interesting I learned is that the word atonement doesn't come from latin or greek, but it comes from english. Then when you break it up it basically explains itself. At-One-Ment, or the process of becoming at one with God. The Atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to become at one with God by living with him, and by becoming like him. The book talks about how if there was no Atonement of Jesus Christ, there would be a ''negative atonement'' where we become at one with Satan himself. 

I cannot express how grateful I am for what my Savior went through for me. I know he suffered in a way I cannot understand, and through that suffering I can be made clean and perfect.

--Elder Thompson

bits and pieces from family phone calls:
Don't worry, I know we're not actually at war, but down here, everyone thinks it's happening!
My black shoes are about done for...there is a crack in the bottom...didn't notice until it rained the last couple weeks...the water just soaks right into my shoe, so I'll be looking for something new soon, hopefully before it rains again!
Many of the teens here learn English in school, so when they see me, they are always excited to come talk to the gringo and cuss me out using all the American swear words...haha.
The last couple weeks have been slow with the holidays...everyone is busy with their families, and they don't want to make time for missionaries, so we're hoping things start picking up this week.

I feel like the picture is self-explanatory

the beach at Catemaco