A'ight, let's get this party started (sorry, there's party music playing in this Cyber),
So this week was pretty sweet. First, on Monday after I wrote you all, we went back to the house, got showered and changed and ready to go. Or maybe we were already showered and changed... I don't remember. Anyway though, point is, we got ready and got to work. We were able to find a couple people and set some appointments for Thursday (because we were leaving Tuesday for the Conference and weren't returning until Wednesday night really late), and I think we may have gotten a lesson as well, and we visited with our recently baptized friend Fernanda, who wasn't able to get confirmed for her family and all that mess.
Well anyway, we talked with her and really motivated her to find a way to do what was right and helped her see that her family would change and accept her bit by bit, and that's exactly what she said she'd do. She told us that it didn't matter, that she was going to go to church. So, that was cool, and we were able to see her determination to do what's right in spite of opposition.
After that, we went home and got packed for the next morning's trip to Veracruz. We also got everything together in the morning, did a few chores, and left the house at about 11 to leave on the bus at 11:30 am.
Well, the first bus ride to Xalapa (Jalapa, who knows, even the Mexicans spell it in both variations) was pretty fun. It kind of stinks traveling here though, because you have movies right in front of your face on the bus. Oh, but at least it was a good one! Dear John. How appropriate, eh? A movie about a woman who dates a soldier through letters and ends up writing him off. But we just talked and joked around rather than watching really, so it wasn't much of a temptation.
We got to Xalapa at about 1:30 I think and left there again around 2 and got to Veracruz at 4:30 or so. We passed right by my old area in the bus, it was interesting to see some familiar places from the past of the mission.
But yeah! So we actually got there a lot faster than we thought we would, because usually there aren't buses that leave so soon after we arrive to Xalapa, but that time we caught the bus well. So anyway, once we got there, we picked our beds and we and ate tacos at the same place I ate my first night in Mexico. It was pretty fun, and pretty tasty. After that we went and shot some hoops at the offices until others got there, because we really couldn't do anything else and the assistants said it was fine, so yeah! We waited there and then all crazyness broke loose, because the zones started to show up just when we were supposed to be going to sleep. So, needless to say there were a few elders that wouldn't quiet down and we didn't get to sleep until about 12, and had to get up at 4:45 am-ish to get ready to go to the Temple.
That was an interesting experience, because I remember being confused and not understanding a lot of things my first time in the Temple about 10 months ago, but this time I understood everything, and it was all in Spanish. And what's more, it was in Vosotros, which is a form of conjugating that isn't really used in Mexico except for in the scriptures. What helps is that I finished the BoM in Spanish the other day, and have started over again, so my vosotros isn't too bad.
Anyway though, once I got out, Elder Billings (MTC comp.) saw me and gave me a bear hug, along with the other two that were my roomies in the MTC, and then I saw my old comps Elder Coffin (who leaves home tomorrow) and Elder Porter, and about another million Elders that I'd almost forgotten I had become friends with. It's pretty awesome to be surrounded by so many awesome friends here. We joked around a lot and then took a picture as a mission outside the temple and went into the chapel to the side for our conference. A few people spoke and it was really cool, then we had a Christmas dinner, and received a little gift as well, which I'll attach pictures of in this email.
And... Yeah!
Then we went from there to Teziutlan again in another bus, (stopping in Xalapa again) and got home at about 11 or so. We went straight home to bed, and the next morning started working again. Well, from there we were able to have another really spiritual lesson with Marcela, who hadn't felt ready to be baptized quite yet, and got her excited. Long story short, because I'm running out of time, she got baptized on Saturday.
Afterward, when all the sisters of the ward got up to congratulate and hug her, she started crying, and her little girl smiled big and was hugging her as well. It was really awesome. She knows what she did was right, and she's on her way.
Her and Fernanda both got confirmed on Sunday, and we had 4 investigators that were able to come to church, and we've been receiving references (referrals) like crazy because the ward is starting to get pretty excited and they trust in us a lot more as they see us working and bringing our own contacts and results of knocking doors in to the church.
It's been a really awesome week, and I'm excited for this one as well. We're going to light fire (in a good way^^) to this area before we find out who goes and who stays this Saturday. Next Monday will be either my, or Elder Lyon's last day in El Pinal, for sure this time. So it's interesting. The time is flying, I can't wait to hear and talk to a few of you very soon!
Love you all!
Elder DeFreese
1. Baptism of Fernanda!
2. Front of our christmas present, a pretty cool laundry bag. Haha
3. The back, a bunch of mission slang that I might explain more of when we talk soon!
4. The four of us of the February, 2011 generation!
5. Marcela at her baptism!
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