The Best Two Years- Nogal- Week 10

Yes G got baptised. L says she needs a little more time, so that is going to be the big focus on the next two weeks. Ummm, I don't know, it's hard to think of great things to say to you, because all day I was just going to tell you about how great of a zone activity we had. We went to Parque Fundidora. It was really fun, but fairly tiring, We played ultimate Frisbee, rode bikes, walked around a lot, and then went and ate. It was awesome because we got to run around in normal clothes all day and I love wearing normal clothes. It is so awesome. Here are some pictures that we took while we were running around down there.

One is Elder Rincon and I in front of Cerro de la Silla. The other is Chadwick, Rincon and I in front of Cerro de la Silla, and the last one is la Hermana Burnett, la Hermana De la Zota, Elder Chadwick, Elder Rincon and I on a bridge. I tried taking lots of pictures, just cuz it was my last zone activity. Also, I was just thinking how much I will miss all of these awesome hills and mountains when I go back. On beautiful days like today that the air isn't full of smog, I swear that this has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world. And I decided that I am most definitely going to miss it when I go home. But its okay.
I don't have the picture of the  baptism because it is on another memory card, but I will get them to you someday, Ummmm..... I don't know.
I think I'm not a very reflecting person, And I'm not sure I can sit down and tell you about the most influential people or experiences or things I've learned or anything like that. I think that all my life I'll be remembering things (from my mission), experiences and people that apply to certain situations. I think that we can learn from everything and everybody. Like I couldn't just tell you that I've learned only from mission presidents and bishops and other church leaders, because we can also learn from alcoholics that we contact in the street, or less active people who have sworn never to go back to church for some stupid thing that somebody else has done. We can learn from any and every experience good or bad, and I think that it is the Holy Ghost that helps us learn from each and every experience. Through the spirit I think we can hear more than just the slurred words of a drunk man. We can hear about his life experiences, his hardships, his bad decisions that have led him to his drunken state in the street right now. It may not be something he says, but there is always something we can learn from everybody. I know I'm just kind of reflecting in general here, and maybe you'll call it spume, but these are just some thoughts. I think an awful lot and will probably have plenty of time to reminisce and reflect and tell you about my meditations when I get home, But suffice it to say for right now that I am very very very very very very very very very very very happy with my mission. I remember one time somebody asked an elder if they really were the best two year. He said that they were the best two years for learning, but that they weren't really the best two years of his life. I thought it then and I think it now, He said that because he was here just wasting his time, in part at least. That's why he didn't really love his mission or think that it was the best. I will say that these have been the best almost 2 years of my life, I feel like I wasn't really even living before. These last two years have been awesome, and I think that the most awesome thing about them is that they don't really have to end. Life can keep being awesome. There is no rule that says that only missionaries can have fun or that being a missionary is the best. I think that there is a reason that the point of all church activity isn't to end up like a monk or a catholic priest who lives his life separated and all alone. I think that a mission is awesome, but there is a reason we aren't full time missionaries forever. That isn't really the best. We just think that missionary life is the best, because here we are living like we always ought to live. If we can take the same attitude that a missionary takes into his work into our lives, i think we can live "the best two years" our whole lives long, So, I'm not 100% sure of all that. I haven't tried or tested it or anything like that yet, but I think it's true, and I think it ought to satisfy you as far as reflective letters go.
And don't worry about me being a looser these last 2 weeks. I believe that the scripture in Alma 34 that says that the same spirit that possess our body when we leave this life will possess our bodies in the next life applies to missionary work, too. The spirit we have as we finish a mission is the same spirit well have as we go home, So if you're a looser your last two weeks, you'll be a looser at home. If the opposite, than the opposite. So there you go, there you have it. I hope you are happy with three lovely pictures and a super lengthy letter, Animo!!!!! Love you all, talk to you soon!

A Cold Wet Day- Nogal- Week 8

OK, I think I just did everything I was supposed to do about that BYU thing. Honestly I'm not worried about where I live at BYU, because I have spent the last two years being assigned to all sorts of people in all sorts of places, so I'm sure I can live anywhere and with anyone. But I don't think I'd like to live in a super rich place. Over the last 2 years I've learned that poor people are more fun anyway.
I'm not super sure what to tell you about this week. G and L are doing pretty well. They went to church and are excited to be baptized the 15th. Elder C is hanging in there. I'm also kind of tired. We spent all day running around. We started washing our clothes at about 8, started playing soccer in the rain at about 9, had a carne asada after that that went until about 2:30, and after that we had to go all the way back to where we were washing and carry our clothes home in the rain. Then we got home and finally took a nice warm shower, and then we had to go out and buy food and now we're here. It has been a kind of long day, and very cold. It is just the way things are sometimes. But we ought to have a cool family home evening tonight with the Familia Arizpe, and well, I'm sure everything will be awesome, as soon as I dry my feet off tonight. Having wet feet is the worst. So, ya. That is about all I have to say to you.
Looking at it, I feel like it was a lot, considering I didn't have much time. Also I didn't have time to write Grandma and Grandpa, but I got their package this week, and I have been eating the delicious New Zealandish chocolates they sent me, so if you could thank them, I would be ever so grateful. Well, that's about all the time I have. Next week, we will be going to the temple, so talk to you on Wednesday, okay? Have fun. Have a great week. I love you all. BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Itinerary and a Spanish Joke- Nogal- Week 7

Monday, January 26, 2015

We got Mason's itinerary today! He will be home on March 4th at 1:03 PM!

So, I already sent you my itinerary email, so know you can know exactly when I will get home. I have no idea what I should tell you to do about the housing situation (I asked him about what he wanted to do about BYU housing). I really don't have any idea if I would stay near anybody that I know, and I haven't really talked to anybody for the last 2 years. So I think you could just go ahead with it and do whatever you need to do. Maybe receiving the itinerary has just sent me into shock a little bit, but I don't really know what to say to you. The week has been weird. It is a nice fun little test for me to finish my mission, seeing what I've really learned, seeing if I'll apply it. But the work has bee a little mas o menos. G y L didn't go to church yesterday. More work excuses for G, but we did have a super awesome family home evening with the bishop on Friday, in which his family, especially his father-in-laws, parents in laws, I don't know how it should be, but his suegros shared lots of cool experiences of their conversion and overcoming the pull of family and tradition. That will be good for L, because her family is super catholic and that is kind of holding her back a little bit. So, we kind of had hopes on baptizing them this weekend, but that probably won't happen. We're just going to keep going with them, and they will probably get baptized sometime before March. Things look good.
(I asked him about what was in the background of the picture that he sent last week). And that is just a plastic bag not a rat, come on, I'm in Mexico, not some horrible country. And well, I might need to eat more hamburgers, with Elder C's stomach illness, we have been eating very healthily lately, just grilled chicken and vegetables usually, sometimes fish. So basically I'm super healthy now, but I think we will go eat some awesome greasy hamburgers tomorrow, so that ought to be fun. So, I don't know what else I can say to you. I think that's about it. You just let me know if I need to do anything else before I come home, for BYU and stuff like that. I love you all and will see you the 4th of march, at 1:03 in the afternoon, Haha, just kidding, but really, I guess I'm not kidding cus its true. But, I'll talk to you again next Monday. Have fun watching the Superbowl without me for the last time ever, Hahaha, tell me who wins, okay? Have fun, BYE, LOVe you. I have a joke. What did one globo (balloon) say to the other globo (balloon)? I glob you. It sounds like I love you, It's  a lot funny in Spanish, but since I almost wrote lobe I thought I would tell you that HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Extra Motivation- Nogal- Week 6

Well, Elder C is doing okay, but he is still sick. Everything has been alright. We didn't get a lot of work done last week, but we did get L to come to church. I think I've told you about her and her husband G. They have been listening for a while, but have only been to church a few times. Lots of opposition, and this week looked doubtful, because G had to work during church. So she was going to have to go alone, and she says she rarely leaves the house alone with the kids. So, we were sitting there talking to them, and I remembered a video from the church about Esther. The video talks about courage or something like that. so we talked about the story of Esther and how she did something very scary and hard, but that she knew was right. Because she did that, she and her people were incredibly blessed. I think that gave her the extra motivation she needed to come alone. It was super awesome. I will tell you more about them later. It is super likely that they get baptised in this change.
That's about all the news I have for you. It's crazy that I'm starting my last change. It feels like my mission has gone by super fast, and I almost can't believe that I only have like 6 weeks left. But I love you all and hope that you all have an awesome week and that you have fun and progress and get better and all those things that lead to happy fulfilling lives!

Nogal- Week 5

January 12, 2015

Hey, guess what, I have a new companion! His name is Elder Ch. He is here now, because he got sick, and his old area was very poor and far away from everything, so they put him here with me. He was in the hospital all last week, so since Saturday, we have worked very little, and I am being his nurse. He is from American Fork, Utah and has 5 weeks in the mission and is 18 years old, the 4th of 7 children. So, that ought to allow you to form a general idea of his character. I don't like speaking English all the time. I like Spanish, and people look at us weird when we talk in English, but he doesn't speak a lot of Spanish, so that isn't really an option yet. But, just as soon as he is able to we will do that. It's because I've been with Latin comps since Elder Cluff way back in like July, so now I'm missing speaking Spanish all the time.
Oh, and V.M is an investigator we have. Her mom and 16 year old son have been baptized recently, but she would have to be married before she gets baptized, and even though she has 12 years with her current spouse, she thinks that if she marries him, their relationship will change, because he will be in charge of her too much or something. So if you want to subtly, very very subtly tell her how awesome being married is you can do that. (She just sent a Facebook friend request to me that I accepted.)
And well, about Bishop Clawson's challenge about reading the Book of Mormon, that sounds awesome. We as a mission are supposed to finish it before the 25th of February or someting like that soo... I've got my hands full of that. You'd think I'd have a lot of time, since my companion is only able to work about 3 hours a day, but he talks a lot, so I have less study time that I had anticipated. But that is about all I have to say. I don't know how that will make you all feel, but its weird that I have a new companion one week before the change, and he will probably be with me until the end, unless he isn't better by the end of the week. Then it kind of sounds like their thinking about sending him home, because he has been sick for like 4 weeks, so we will see how that all works out. But I will let you know next week. Okay? I love you all! Bye