Soaring Numbers and Mexican Sushi...

Hola Everyone...
I hope everyone is doing well and had a great week...This week has been crazy for us....First of all we had a crazy number of people come to church this week...haha for the 2 branches here we counted almost 700 people in both sacrament meetings...Most were visiting from the United States for Memorial Day...It was kind of weird to see that many white people in the same place and at the same time...haha...But I got to Practice switching back and forth from speaking Spanish to english and it wasnt too hard haha Along with all of the visitors we had a great turn out of Investigators which was super dooper great...


All in all we are doing great...I dont have a lot of time today to write because we have to go to Hermosillo to have companion exchanges with the Assistants...But I will attach a few cool photos from this week!


Thanks so much for your support
Love You All
Elder Child

Mexican Deep Fried Sushi! We have been teaching this couple for 2 weeks and are really great people...We were able to go eat with them...My companion isnt a sushi kind of guy and so he got a burrito haha...Pretty good sushi just never had it with Jalepeno peppers haha

                                            Luckily we found this dog inside the fence haha

                                                                           perro

Just keep Pedalling...

Hello Everyone...
I have had an interesting week adapting to many many many things haha...First of all my companion is super great... a super hard worker and has a lot of experience in the mission....
My Zone is a wonderful zone...everyone is really great.. we played a little bit of volleyball after our meetings today...everyone participated really well and played...I have 16 missionaries in the Zone here in Puerto Penasco...and the work is progressing rapidly here....On Sunday we counted 170 people in church which was really great for a Branch...haha after Sacrament meeting we were running around like banchies trying to find the investigators that were visiting for the first time...because here we have a few visitors from the U.S....this week not very many but it is kind of interesting trying to find our investigators in the middle of visitors, inactives, and members...But it was fun to get to know lots more people and try to speak english with those visiting from the U.S.
Another thing that has been hard to adapt too is riding the bike...ya we rode bikes some in Agua Prieta but here its a whole other story...in most of the streets in our area is only sand...almost every street here is just like riding your bike on the beach...man does it burn your thighs ....haha
Elder Celaya and I have been working hard this week finding lots of people....its kind of cool how many salty fisherman want to hear more about our message...hhah no we have actually found a few families that came to church yesterday...It is sooooo nice here because we dont have to battle with the 8 o clock church here we go at 1 in the afternoon...which is super nice for everyone to be able to come ....haha


This is just a little about my week...I hope your week went well...Thanks for all the love and support...
love
Elder Child

                                 The Gorgeous Beach...Water was a little rough though haha

A part member family that we found through the Sister that is standing in the middle...The older couple are members but havent gone in about 4 years...but just a little pushing and they came yesterday!!

Hard Goodbyes and Long Bus Rides...

Hello Everyone...
Hope all the Mothers had a great day on Sunday...We sure appreciate you all....Got to talk to the Family and am glad to hear everything is going well....I was a little more emotional talking to my family this time then I was when we talked on Christmas...One of the main reasons why is because I was already a little emotional on Sunday because Saturday we found out transfers...and I had to say goodbye to everyone in Agua Prieta...The many hugs and firm handshakes from almost every member was accompanied by the whole congregation singing God Be with You till we meet again as the last hymn of Sacrament Meeting...Maria started crying when we told her that I would be going...It was super hard to say goodbye....With finding, teaching, helping, and serving another person as we have done with Maria I have experimented a Christ like Love for Maria...She will always be in my prayers as well as every person in Agua Prieta....


So I will be going (drum roll please haha) to Puerto Penasco...I will be going as Zone Leader my companion is Elder Celaya from Oaxaca...When I first heard this assignment I felt insufficient to be Zone Leader so early in my mission but over the past couple days I have felt more and more confident taking this Position....Also we will be opening an area once again...haha It was quite funny because I have opened my past 2 areas and thought that for the first time in my mission I will have a companion that knows the people and the streets in the area but I thought wrong haha So I am excited to start over again haha...Puerto Penasco is right on the East coast of the Gulf of California...it is wonderful weather with 80 degrees F and almost 55% humidity....Puerto Penasco reminds me of Cabo San Lucas...right on the coast but still pretty deserty ....Almost all of the streets are covered in Beach sand which makes walking and riding bikes a little harder...especially with sand in your shoes...We have been meeting quite a few new people on our first day here...Also a little about the journey here...I started out at 8 am in Agua Prieta taking the bus to Hermosillo there I caught another bus to go to Puerto Penasco at 2 pm and finally arrived at about 10 pm last night haha so almost 12 hours on a bus...quite nice to get a few hours of sleep in haha


I am grateful for the new area and the new assignment I have been given...I just hope I can fulfill my purpose...
Mom I hope you had a wonderful Mothers Day ....Thank you for everything...


Love you all
Elder Child


Also Wanted to congradulate everyone that will be graduating this weekend....GO BIG RED!!

Building Testimonies....

Hola Everyone....
This week has been wonderful...just wonderful...haha and short...


We had a great Conference on Thursday....we woke up at 2 in the morning to catch the bus and arrived at 10 pm...haha It wasnt even a pleasent ride haha the trip reminds me of the road we usually take to get to Hells Canyon...man I was wishing that I would have taken Motion Sickness pills before haha...But the Conference was great Elder Casteneda of the Seventy came and spoke...and it was quite wonderful We discussed a lot about how we can help reactivate the Inactives in our areas...


In my district we baptized 2 more people...when I was doing the interview one of them asked me to baptize them so below is a photo of the baptism on Saturday of Yadira and Perla...two great young people...
No mom I havent been putting sun block on and yes in the photo I look a little burnt....and maybe a little darker than one of the girls haha...



Maria had a great week...She is feeling super great...and her testimony continues to build...Saturday we recieved a text message from her telling us that she was fasting and that she having an excellant day... Sunday we went to church and the first thing she asked me was Where are the small papers and envelopes to pay my fast offering? .......She is doing really well progressing in the church she is finding more and more friends and we even have appointments planned this week for her to go and visit some other investigators and inactives with us...haha She keeps on telling us that she wants to be a missionary..haha She is amazing!


Happy Mothers Day to all of the Mothers out there...and Especially to My Amazing MOTHER!!!!! Love you


Thanks for all of your support and love
Elder Child

                            Multi Zone Conference in Nogales with Elder and Sister Casteneda

                                                         Baptism of Yadira and Perla