Hola Familia,
So this week was kind of a tough one. It started out great, as I think I have mentioned before, we haven't really had any investigators. Well this last Sunday-Monday Elder Hernandez and I fasted for an investigator to teach. (Side note: The main time to have Lunch here in Mexico is between 2 and 4 and dinner pretty late. So fasting is between Lunch one day to the next day's Lunch) We fasted and prayed for a new investigator. Well Monday night we found 3 new investigators! One of them is named Raul and he is 19 and I really think that we have a shot in dipping him down in some water to save his soul. The other two (José Francisco y Mercedes) seem very nice and like to talk about what they believe in and are just good people but they are Catholic... just like the other 90% of the people here in Tepatitlan. It was neat
to see the power of fasting out here in the mission field. Hopefully things will go great with them! It'd be really sweet to save some souls... haven't had a baptism in about 3 months.
We had a Conferencia de la Zona this last Thursday and I learned some neat stuff there. Our Mission President was there and spoke with three Zonas. He talked about different new rules and regulations in the Mission. One thing that is crazy that has been changed is that in order for an investigator to be
baptized, he/she needs to assist the Iglesia 5 times! (Editorial comment: asistir = to attend which translated back to English for Keegan is apparently assist instead of attend. For those of us that speak Spanish we may not have even noticed and can probably totally relate but... and Iglesia = church) How crazy is that! It has been 2 for a long time, then changed to 3 (which was weird then), and now 5 times! Mexico has been having a really big problem with keeping the members active... lots of baptisms but not very many active members. For example here in Tepatitlan we have about 60 active members (on a good day) and about 150 inactive members. So the goal is to keep members active... 5 Sacrament reunions (reuniones=meetings - again translating back to English) sound like a lot to me but really the goal isn't just the baptisms, it's to keep people active for the rest of their lives. I'm excited to keep working and it was neat to have the Conferencia de la Zona.
So there's a new rule that missionaries can't have backpacks because it looks "unprofessional." The mochilas approved are side bags. This is a picture of me with my new side bag. I really liked my other backpack and I don't really like the whole awkward one shoulder feel to this new bag... but I just am deciding to do what I'm told. Although I don't really like the rule. I'm sure I'll be blessed because of it.
Okay so its been a tough week. Not just because we haven't had much lecciónes (lessons), but because it feels like I've been in the bathroom more than out preaching. I've been so sick it's been ridiculous. I think all of my chile and salsa eating is catching up to me. I've been sick for about 5 days and 2 days ago I couldn't leave the house it was so bad. I had to call the Mission President's wife to see what advice she had for me. We have a little booklet for common medical illnesses and I have been following what it says to do... Don't eat much food, drink lots of water... Gatorade, 7up, and apple juice are good choices. I've been following it and I have still just been super sick. Elder Hernandez has been very patient with me with my constant bathroom searching and for the day that we had to spend in the hospital. Anyways I went and talked to the doctors and they gave me some medicine Saturday... Although I am feeling a lot better today, not having as frequent trips to the bathroom, I still am not fully better and just want to get back at being back to normal. Its all good. Sometimes we have to be sick to remind us of how blessed we are when we're not sick... maybe I forgot that or something :) I am doing a lot better and I'm hoping for a full recovery in the next few days!
So this week was kind of a tough one. It started out great, as I think I have mentioned before, we haven't really had any investigators. Well this last Sunday-Monday Elder Hernandez and I fasted for an investigator to teach. (Side note: The main time to have Lunch here in Mexico is between 2 and 4 and dinner pretty late. So fasting is between Lunch one day to the next day's Lunch) We fasted and prayed for a new investigator. Well Monday night we found 3 new investigators! One of them is named Raul and he is 19 and I really think that we have a shot in dipping him down in some water to save his soul. The other two (José Francisco y Mercedes) seem very nice and like to talk about what they believe in and are just good people but they are Catholic... just like the other 90% of the people here in Tepatitlan. It was neat
to see the power of fasting out here in the mission field. Hopefully things will go great with them! It'd be really sweet to save some souls... haven't had a baptism in about 3 months.
We had a Conferencia de la Zona this last Thursday and I learned some neat stuff there. Our Mission President was there and spoke with three Zonas. He talked about different new rules and regulations in the Mission. One thing that is crazy that has been changed is that in order for an investigator to be
baptized, he/she needs to assist the Iglesia 5 times! (Editorial comment: asistir = to attend which translated back to English for Keegan is apparently assist instead of attend. For those of us that speak Spanish we may not have even noticed and can probably totally relate but... and Iglesia = church) How crazy is that! It has been 2 for a long time, then changed to 3 (which was weird then), and now 5 times! Mexico has been having a really big problem with keeping the members active... lots of baptisms but not very many active members. For example here in Tepatitlan we have about 60 active members (on a good day) and about 150 inactive members. So the goal is to keep members active... 5 Sacrament reunions (reuniones=meetings - again translating back to English) sound like a lot to me but really the goal isn't just the baptisms, it's to keep people active for the rest of their lives. I'm excited to keep working and it was neat to have the Conferencia de la Zona.
So there's a new rule that missionaries can't have backpacks because it looks "unprofessional." The mochilas approved are side bags. This is a picture of me with my new side bag. I really liked my other backpack and I don't really like the whole awkward one shoulder feel to this new bag... but I just am deciding to do what I'm told. Although I don't really like the rule. I'm sure I'll be blessed because of it.
Okay so its been a tough week. Not just because we haven't had much lecciónes (lessons), but because it feels like I've been in the bathroom more than out preaching. I've been so sick it's been ridiculous. I think all of my chile and salsa eating is catching up to me. I've been sick for about 5 days and 2 days ago I couldn't leave the house it was so bad. I had to call the Mission President's wife to see what advice she had for me. We have a little booklet for common medical illnesses and I have been following what it says to do... Don't eat much food, drink lots of water... Gatorade, 7up, and apple juice are good choices. I've been following it and I have still just been super sick. Elder Hernandez has been very patient with me with my constant bathroom searching and for the day that we had to spend in the hospital. Anyways I went and talked to the doctors and they gave me some medicine Saturday... Although I am feeling a lot better today, not having as frequent trips to the bathroom, I still am not fully better and just want to get back at being back to normal. Its all good. Sometimes we have to be sick to remind us of how blessed we are when we're not sick... maybe I forgot that or something :) I am doing a lot better and I'm hoping for a full recovery in the next few days!
This is Elder Hernandez "Studying" in the Hammock. He loves it so much it's super funny. Anyways the other day he was reading his Libro de Mormon and the rope holding the hammock up, totally broke and the Spiritual Giant totally fell super hard on the tile floor. He was fine... and we couldn't stop laughing :)
I'm doing well! The Church is true! And I'm going to go find a bathroom!
Love,
Elder Summers
I'm doing well! The Church is true! And I'm going to go find a bathroom!
Love,
Elder Summers