Hola

Well this week has been interesting and super long. Whenever we have preparation on Wednesday it feels like forever. I didn't have transfers like I thought I would haha. Which was happy but now I'm not so sure...because I'm district leader and I don't wanna be. I´m nervous because I feel like I'm brand new and I don´t know enough but its alright I guess, my companion has been district leader before and well I know that if its what I'm supposed to do I'll have help. My district is really cool though so I'm happy about that, I been here in the zone with most of them for a while, we have the wards Mixihuca, Balbuena, Moctezuma, and Zaragosa with 4 sisters and 6 Elders including my companion and I. They're Hermanas: Beck (Rock Springs), Pech (Cancun, MX), Candido (Brazil), and Fuqua (Utah) and Elders: Navejas (Sonora, MX), Anderson (Virginia), Feller (Las Vegas), and Paz (Pachuca, MX). It´s fun because I get to talk to them everyday, try and help them with their investigators, and do divisions with them but I'm nervous about the baptismal interviews and the district classes. Pray for me...haha...

The twins are the same twins that I have always talked about in Mixihuca but we did have some 12 year old twin investigators in Muzquiz. The twins Monica and Veronica Lugo are 30 and were baptised a week or 2 before I got here. They´re really great and we're teaching their younger sister that lives with them. Her name is Guadalupe haha. They also collect postcards and I told you a while ago to send one from Idaho but I forgot to send the address so I´ll send it right now and you can send them a note. They're taking an english class and I'll help them translate it. This week Veronica made us a pumkin pie (that doesnt exist here she asked her sister in california how to make it) it was really good. 

I can now say that I have gotten used to the weather in Mexico and I am going to die in Idaho. The weather has now changed to winter and its soo cold. It´s hard to get up in the morning from the cold and I use a sweater everyday now. Then I checked what the weather was and its only like 50 degrees-AT NIGHT-, the lowest its gotten i like 47... We´re like the crazy californians. Everyone walks around in coats, scarfs and hats but its still green everywhere and it hasn´t even hit freezing. 

I really liked the Christmas devotional, have we ever watched it before? I don´t think so. We went to the stake center to watch it with the Lugo family and Erika. It was good and Guadalupe really liked it. It was good because she hasn't really liked church much, she likes the gospel she just doesnt like the way people always talk about their own lives or especially about marriage or family (she's not married and she doesnt want to be) So she loves the conferences and everything but not the ward (shes only gone twice to the ward and to stake and general conference we'll keep trying).

This week is exciting because Thursday we have Zone Conference, Friday the ward party (the food will be great and we're going to bring a lot of investigators), Saturday the cultural celebration for the Tijuana Temple, and Sunday the dedication. I'm happy we get to see the dedication and how cool is it that we just barely had the Mexico City re dedication and now Tijuana. Yulieth thought that we were all going to go to Tijuana to watch it so she was excited but no haha just to the stake center, she missed the last one so I'm glad she has another chance. 

Sounds like you're all getting ready for Christmas. I haven't gotten the package yet but I think soon. Its exciting but it doesnt feel like Christmas to me or at least not yet. We saw some christmas trees at the market and I looked at the tag and they all said Salem, Oregon, craqzy right? That's where they're from at Kesler's too but you knew that they would bring them all the way from Oregon to Mexico. Its weird to me because there are also people that just go to the mountains here close and cut their own so I don't know why they bring other trees so far. So everyones already bought all the presents? Sounds like you're all very busy but don't forget to take a break every once and a while... and also think of the real meaning of christmas, its cool to be a missionary this time of year because people are thinking a little more about Christ or at least trying and realize that they should think about him more. 

I'm reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time in spanish and its great! I'm loving it and I know its true. I can now say that I understand all of it and I have learned the importance of reading it everyday. Every single day we need to strengthen our testimony that its true and then use what we learn, if you don't use it you loose it. 

Thanks for all the pictures Dad. I love them. The Star Valley temple looks really cool and its crazy because I feel like you just barely told me they hadn't even started but it looks like they're way far! The deer and the kids in the pool were cool too. Send me some nice pictures of the snow and maybe one of you guys in front of the tree or something. 

Well love you lots. Have fun in the 3rd row at the conference center and at Jace's concert, they'll be awesome. I'm happy to be in Mixihuca for Christmas and by the end of the cycle I'll have completed 6 months in the ward... crazy huh? Love you and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Inskeep

Us at the temple visitor center with Evelia and part of her family and also the hermanas that took us on the tour 

 Turns out they did send us pictures from thanksgiving!

(with Elders Koerper (Kentucky) and Paz (Honduras) our zone leaders, and the hermanas Beck (wyoming) and Gantz (Florida) and the twins Monica and Veronica)

 Elder Castro and I with the Mendoza Family (Brandon 14, Guadalupe, Toñito 7, Israel) 
I found my first companion Elder Castillo at the temple! He goes home in JAnuary

Hola. 

Well Im glad you had fun in Wyoming for Thanksgiving. We had dinner with the Lugo family (the twins that got baptised a while ago) and some other missionaries which was good. They took some pictures but they haven't sent them to me yet so I'll send them to you later. I miss grandma too. 

The stake conference was good. The session saturday night was way boring I hope its not like this everywhere but it was just about ward council and probably 80% of the people that went have nothing to do with ward council. But the general session was very good, it was all about the family and they had a deacon, a laurel, a YSA, and a mom and dad speak about different parts of the family and how to be spiritually stronger as a family, it was great, they talked a ton about the sabath and tithing which was interesting and also about the temple. Josefat and Rey were ordained which was great, Arturo was in Cuernavaca for the weekend so he didnt go which is alright maybe hes not ready. I was so happy for Josefat, I don't think its very normal that a missionary gets to find a family, teach them, baptise them and see the dad ordained an Elder, how cool is that, we still don't have a bishop but I'm thinking maybe they'll wait a year for Josefat to enter the Temple and call him as Bishop haha...

Last night we went with our investigators the Mendoza family to the Temple to see the lights. It was beautiful. We had planned to go to the visitor center but it was closed because there was a special devotional before they turned on the lights so we were a little sad but at least they liked the lights and we had more time to talk more about the temple and its importance. We're going again tonight with the twins and their parents and sister who aren´t members. 

I don't think that the ward really does anything specail, Maybe its just that the ward really needs them, their aren´t a lot of members with callings...who knows why... but Monica, Veronica (the twins), Rey and his wife, and Jasmin have callings. The YSA group is really welcoming and they dont even have a leader, they just do stuff on their own on weekends and invite everyone so that has helped Arturo and Yulieth. The twins have fellowshipped Erika and Evelin really well. The patriarch is also Evelin and Josefats neighbor. We just need some more help with Evelia because she doesnt know a lot of people. Other than that I'm not sure, its just that they were all ready for the gospel and willing to work.

I hope I'll get the packages soon too, I got the email asking about the taxes and was confused, I thought it was a scam or something until I read the letter. When they get to the offices I should get them pretty fast because I'm not that far from the temple and everytime someone from the zone goes to the office they bring back everything for the zone and give it to us at church or in our district class every tuesday. 

Well the Mendosa Family has their date for the 19th, Eduardo who's girlfriend is less active the 12th, and hopefully Samantha and Lupita (the twins sister) soon! We're also hoping for the permission of Evelia's kids. Itzi, Raul, Noelli, and her nephew David. 

Next week is transfers so I'll write on Wednesday. Hopefully I dont have transfers but who knows...I've been here a while. 

Love you lots and its great to hear from you. Send me pictures!

Hasta luego

Elder Inskeep

Evelia's Baptism!

Hola papas!

 

Evelyn's baptism (we learned her real name is Evelia which makes it easier because we already have an Evelin) was great!! We went to practice the baptismal interview with her and the family on wednesday and her husband actually knew it better than her. Then we found out we needed a special interview so we had to go to the offices at the temple so she could be interviewed by president, so it was a good excuse to get her husband to go to the visitor center and she knew it, she told him she needed him to go with her. It was great, the moment he walked in I know he felt something and he loved the Cristus, and took a whole bunch of pictures, then when Evelyn was done we took a tour, we went through the Eternal Families exhibit and then watched a mormon message about not procrastinating. The sisters who took us on the tour did a great job (a sister from Sinaloa, Mexico that has been out as long as I have and a brand new sister from Ecuador) he really changed after that. He needs to go to church and he still refuses because he has to work, the sad thing is is that I understand, he sells potatos in the Merced Market everyday and works from 4 in the morning until 5 or 6 at night and does not make very much, of course Sunday is the biggest day in sales, I wish he would just go once and he would see a difference. I know he will be baptised some day though, and hopefully his kids, nephews nieces and sister soon. 

Its good to hear that the stake conference went well! We have stake conference this weekend too. 

I dont know what the difference is here with the converts but I think its just because they're ready. It really is amazing that the last 11 people baptised in this ward are 100% active. They're so great, I really love this area, I think I'll probably have transfers soon because I've been here a while and I'm going to be sad about it. I already told you they dont have thanksgiving here but the Lugo twins invited us to eat thanksgiving dinner with them on thursday which is exciting, they told me that I have to show them how to do thanksgiving or Dia de Acción de Gracias. haha. Yeah it was so great that Arturo, Josafat, and Rey (a convert from a few weeks before I got here) were ordained Priests in the Aaronic Priesthood, it was also way cool Ferndando (our ward mission leaders brother who is 17, a priest, and goes on visits with us everyweek) was able to ordain them. They will be ordained to the Melchezidek in the Stake Conference. They are all progressing so well. 

I am so thankful that I was born to goodly parents in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That I'm a citizen of the United States of America. And that I am serving a mission in la Cuidad de México. I'm SO grateful for the great examples you have been to me and for your testimonies in my life to strengthen mine, I'm thankful for your patience. I'm thankful that I have 6 siblings and for everyone of them and their examples to me and everything they've taught me. I'm thankful I grew up in Blackfoot, Idaho and all of the friends I met there and their help to me. I'm also grateful for all of the people I have met here in México; the members, my companions, and my converts. I have learned so much here and I'm grateful for that and all the experiences I've had. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to be a better person through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the ability I have to help others do the same and see their progress. 

I love you soo much and have a great week!!! Happy Thanksgiving 🍗 and Happy Birthday to Anna!! Tell everyone iHola!

Elder Inskeep