Not enough Chairs!!

Hello Everyone...
We have had a great week this week..we have walked a lot! and i do mean a lot! My companion is going to sleep at 9:45 everynight right after planning...haha I feel kind of like one of the first missionaries in any city...Doing more walking then teaching...but We all have to start some where...

We keep seeing great efects from the work of both members and missionaries here in Magdalena...The President and Sister Robinson came to visit Magdalena and we had almost record attendance with 42 people...We were searching for chairs like crazy...so that everyone could pack in to the tiny Sacrament Room and have a place to sit...It was crazy... We keep working hard with the active members to reactivate the less actives...we have seen many that are ready to come back...

A little more about my Companion...His name is Elder Garcia he is from Cuernavaca, Morelos...He has been in Guaymas for the past 6 months (all of his mission) and he is a good worker...We are learning lots together in this great process of opening new cities...

Sorry I dont have a lot of time today...but thanks for your love and support...Remember to invite your friends to listen to Modern Day Prophets and Apostles this weekend...
Love you all..


Elder Child

                                              Elder Garcia and I with maps of our area!

                            Kind of funny...almost half of the streets here have the

               same name --Sin Nombre (Without Name) ....Wow was the sun bright...

Getting Lost in the Rain....

Hello Everyone...
We have had a great week here in Magdalena and the surrounding area...haha we have found out that in between Magdalena and Santa Ana there are like 7 or 8 little baby towns that we are now visiting haha...There is so much work to do here...We have been trying to find an effective way to organize our time so that we can get around to all of these wonderful people and teach them...Its a little difficult being the only set of missionaries in an area with about 40,000 people haha but we are excited to start another week...We have finally gotten the hang of the streets so we dont get lost to often now haha...
Just a few things...the Branch President told us in our meeting last week that 20 people came to church...I later found out that that was about the highest church attendence...and that 15 or 16 was more of a normal number...We worked hard last week along with the branch president and the other leaders to teach and help some inactives come to church and a few investigators...We had 32 people in the church yesterday!!!! It was a great accomplishment...I am not sure if we can fit many more people in our little chapel...haha but we will find a way....haha It seems like our lessons last week put a little jump start in the lives of these people...hopefully they continue to come...
We met one man whose name is Fernando...Fernando works in the nearby copper mine and always walks home everyday....About 3 weeks ago he went to visit a family member in another part of Mexico and was introduced to the missionaries there...When he came back he recieved the address of the church from a friend and has been passing by the church every day trying to find someone he can talk to...It just so happened that we were walking to the church at about 6:30 for a meeting on Wednesday...and on our way we see this man walk by the church, stop by the front gate, look around to see if anyone was coming and there we were....He almost ran to see us...We were truly suprised...My companion was thinking that he might have dropped out of the sky...Fernando is excited to be baptized and to be sealed with his family for all eternity in the temple...and we are super excited to help him along this path....


Also this week Elder Paul Pieper came and visited our mission...It was a wonderful experience to be with him and President Robinson in a Conference in Nogales....Elder Pieper and I were talking just like casual friends haha after the conference and after a little conversation I found out that he was born in Pocatello...moved out of the country for jobs, returned, and was a General Authority in Idaho...and he was with Elder Perry when he came to Weiser to call President Erhard...It was quite crazy...haha


Here are a few of our experiences from this week....I love you guys!!! Thanks for everything!!!
Elder Child

                                                                  Me and Magdalena

                                                    A Beautiful Sunset in Magdalena...

Opening Area Yet Again

Hello Everyone!
This past week was very crazy and also was the last week of the transfer and I have been assigned to open a new area yet again...haha But this area is different this area embarks 2 cities that are called Magdalena and Santa Ana....There havent been missionaries in Magdalena for about 4 or 5 years and I dont think that missionaries have ever been assigned to Santa Ana...So we have been assigned to work with a younger missionary that has 6 months in the mission. his name is Elder Garcia and we are here to open these two cities....it has been kind of crazy to have arrived yesterday in the night and running around like banchies trying to find a house to rent haha but we did find a house...We also met with the branch president last night and he showed us the House of Prayer (i am not sure what they are called in English in spanish they are Casas de Oracion) basically it is a rented house that has been converted into a little chapel...President told us that we have about 2 members from Santa Ana that come for the services on Sunday which make us about 20 active members...with 3 priesthood holders...My companion and I see tons of potential in these cities and we are so excited to get to know the people of Magdalena and Santa Ana...
As for leaving Puerto Penasco...it was hard...It was sad to say goodbye to all of the members and all of the recent converts...for this past Sunday I had a wonderful opportunity to be with them in the Temple Rededication of the Mexico City Temple...Elder Bernal and I were able to go to all three sessions...It was a beautiful experience...to be among those I have grown to love for a whole day in the Temple of God.
So this is the craziness that is happening now haha It is kind of funny to think about...in the year that I have as a missionary...My companion and I have opened 4 areas...Crazy...


Love you all...
Elder Child

                                                         Map of my New Areas!

1 Year in the Mission!!!

Hello Everyone!!!


Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day!!! haha I am writing a little eariler today because we have meeting again in Hermosillo with the President...so we will be headed out soon....


This past week as most of you know..I completed 1 year in the mission...It is quite crazy to think that a little more than a year ago I was saying good bye to my wonderful family and taking pictures with them in front of the temple...It has been a year of struggle, learning, and success....I feel like I am doing a spiritual version of the excercise program Insanity...everyday here gives me the chance to stand a little taller, to learn a little more, and to be a better more converted Disciple of Jesus Christ...I have such a far way to go to become the Disciple that I want to become...


I look back to all of the wonderful experiences I have had and the wonderful people I have met and worked with...I have seen the Atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ work in so many people...I have seen people about to give up hope on their life, change drastically to great active members of the Church that are true converts...I feel blessed to have been able to work with each one of these wonderful people and I cannot wait to get back out to work...I have been blessed so much here in the field for the work that I am doing I hope my work has been a blessing in your lives....




Here is my very short letter....
Thank you all for your love and support...
Love Elder Child

                                                           Birthday Packages!!!

                                            Doing a little service with a little intimidation...

                  Celebrating 1 Year in the Mission eating at a Member´s Restaurant on the sea...

¡Cumpleaños!

Hello Everyone...
This week was excellant...We got so much done...I also celebrated my Birthday this past week and I will be celebrating 1 year in the mission on Thursday...Which is CRAZY!


So first of all we had another baptism...of a young lady named Abril....she is a sister of a recent convert from May...We have worked lots with her...But she is a very self motivated person...she is always in church 15 minutes early with her 3 kids...She is enjoying all of the activities that we are doing in the church...she also loves to participate and share her testimony in the classes...I am excited to see her work towards the temple and to progress as a New Member....


Also on this past Tuesday I really felt the love of the wonderful Members in Puerto Peñasco on my Birthday...I have really loved staying almost 5 months here to get to know and get to teach almost everyone in our Branch since we do so many companion exchanges....So as we visited on Tuesday we ate cake 3 times and I even got a few presents and it seemed like everyone sung Happy Birthday to me haha...One sister assured me that even that I am away from my earthly family I was still among family that loved and cared about me...I felt so much love and support from my family here in Mexico...It was wonderful....


Here is my week that was full of blessings in 2 paragraphs....
Love You All
Elder Child

Birthday Cake #1 of 3 ...Had lunch with the Family Martinez ...Ate a great Mole and then had a huge cake....

Birthday Cake #2 of 3...Visited a family in the middle of the day and we were astonished to see more Cake!!!

Birthday Cake #3 of 3...Visited a family that had planned a surprise party...where Abril made a huge cake filled with bananas and chocolate...haha

Birthday cake #3 ...Abril put my favorite hymn on the top of the cake with I think all of the notes...Señor, Te Necesito

                                  Abrils Baptism....Abril is standing next to her sister Ivonne

About 6 Weeks ago I was working in another part of Penasco on some exchanges with one District Leader and found and taught this family ...Even though he wasn't my investigator I sure taught him a lot on exchanges and will always love the experiences that I have had with him...Jose Manuel

Working Together!

Hey Everybody
Hope everyone is having a good last week of summer or a great first week of school...We are having better luck this week finding people to teach and people that want to listen...


Two Great things that happened this week...
On Friday We had a special conference with President Robinson and all of the missionaries and Local Leaders of Puerto Penasco...we were 12 missionaries and about another 15 Local Leaders...It was quite the turnout...Just a good example of how ready everyone is to work together in the Work of Salvation...We started at 9 in the morning and ended at about 5 in the afternoon..with 1 hour lunch...It was amazing...My companion and I both took about 45 minutes to introduce some new Ideas about how we can work more closely together while teaching the New Converts...It was really great...It was probably the longest time I have had to teach the Leaders including Branch and District Preside

ncies....We ended there feeling really edified...Sunday came and we were in Branch Counsel and we were suprised and grateful that almost all of the ideas we came up with were being put into practice in that Counsel...It was excellant! We hope to see a better retention of new members and a better reactivation in the next months...


Also Last week during my Studies I put alot more focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ...and I tried to understand it a little more...One Elder Let me borrow a book named the Infinite Atonement and so using the Scriptures and a few other books I went to work...trying to understand a little bit more about a concept that I testify of lots of times every day...And Sunday came and tried to focus on the things I had been studying...And I cant really describe the feelings I felt...But it was the most amazing sweet spirit I have felt during the Sacrament in All of my life...I still dont know everything about the Atonement but through constant study I have been converted a little more and have understood a little more of the Love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father...I testify that Jesus Christ did die and suffer all of the pains, sufferings and sins of the World and He did Rise the Third day triumphantly over death...I have always believed in Jesus Christ but I am learning more who He is and what it has to do with me....I Love it...


Here are a few experiences that I had this week...Continue to study the scriptures daily and have Family home Evening
Love You
Elder Child

           Going to a Family Home Evening ...Omar had to squeeze in the Back of a Car hahaha

Elder Bernal lost his name badge the other day we were running around like banchees to find it...and there it was untouched in the middle of the street....

                                                  

                                                 

Great Converts!

Hey everyone...


This week was a good week....haha we are still getting back everyday completely exhausted which is a good thing...My companion heard from one of his friends that if it takes a missionary more that 5 minutes to go to sleep at night he/she didnt work hard enought...and we are going to sleep in about 2 or 3 minutes haha...So we are definitely working...:)


I have been super impressed with our wonderful converts or people that dont have very long as members of the Church here in the mission...especially here in Puerto Penasco...Our Assistent Branch Mission Leader named Brother Martinez...was Baptized May 2 and we were in one of our meetings talking about some of our investigators that needed a ride for Church and meanwhile the rest of the Brothers were talking about who lives closer and stuff the Brother Martinez just stepped up and said I will do it...Just a positive willing attitude I love it...


Omar our convert of 3 weeks has been sharing scriptures and pamphlets at the Rehab Center for people with addictions..And it sounds like he is gaining quite a crowd up their that want to come to church after they are released...He has also asked the Branch President for Books of Mormon to share with those there...Its exactly the kind of attitude I like to see in a newly Baptized Member of the Church...


Also our Convert In Agua Prieta Maria del Carmen...Entered into the temple the past Saturday to do Baptisms for the Dead for a bunch of her family members...I just couldnt believe it the drastic transformation that can happen in the life of a person in weeks and months following their baptism....


We have some great people coming to the Church and having a change of heart and have felt the wonderful love of our Heavenly Father through the Book of Mormon, have been baptized and then really progressed into Strong Members of the Church.....


Love You ALL
Elder Child

Sister Isabel and her Visiting teaching partner didn't care about the Heat and the Humidity and Fulfilled their calling and much much more with visiting all of their friends every day this week and sharing the Gospel....Love them!