October 8, 2012

Dear Family,

 I love conference! Ok I will get to the rest of that later but I will start in chronilogical order because thats what I do. Ok first off I think it happened tuesday. Ive always had an idea in my mind of playing a game where I jump or walk over the sleeping dogs in the streets (because there are literally billions of dogs in the streets so if you are a dog person stay away or you will be sad). So anyways we were walking up a steep road (aka normal road in papantla) and there was a sleeping dog so I walked close to it and was going to take a big step over it but it decided that its nap was over. It was scared that I was so close so it bit me twice. Once in the right leg and once in the left but the only cool part was in the left leg so I got a picture and we went on our way. We visited some members and they were really concerned so we wasted the rest of the day finding the stake president and having him look at my leg for 2 seconds and saying its ok but that if the dog dies in 10 days Im done for. Dont worry the pants are ok.

 

 

Hmm ok next event is ok I guess its conference. Its a long story of why we were late so I will just say we were late and missed Prophet Monsons whole first talk. I asked a member what happened and she told me the news. Thats crazy and in a good way We will have so much more missionaries now for so many reasons its just great. Elder Davis and I were discussing it and we were worried that the dating pool might be way down when we get back but then we deducted that a lot of returned 20 year old sisters will be home less than a year after we get back so that was comforting. I loved conference for so many reasons but mostly because there seemed to be so many inspiring little stories and experiences that everyone shared. I have lots of favorites but my favorite quote from conference was about faith and that if we have faith we will be blessed with difficulties and if we use our faith in these times we will get more faith. Its like a scripture that a sister in our ward has shared a lot in DyC 50:24 thats about if we have light (which we all do) and we use it then we will get more light. Its a process that happens until we are perfect and we have to keep going because faith is like a baloon its either going up or its going down it cant stay in the same spot for long so we are either progressing or falling.

Ok anyways the biggest miracle of the whole conference experience was Donato, the guy we baptized last week and will be confirming next week. He walked to all 5 sessions. It normally takes him 15-20 minutes to walk to the church where he watched 4 sessions but for the priesthood session he had to walk to the stake conference which took him almost an hour of walking. Thats a miracle that a guy who is 79 years old would do that so we love him and cant wait to confirm him. He is so great and dedicated. Also another convert we have, Manuel came to all I think. In a lesson this week he told us that people have to show their conversion so that their family joins with them. He is the only member in his family and he wants them to share his new found happiness and we are putting the goal of the temple in his mind. He knows stuff in that lesson he told us he wants to go to the temple in new york. When I told him ive been there and that its by the sacred grove he said "por eso!" which doesnt make sence in english but its like saying "duh thats why I want to go!". We are so blessed with the people that we have helped now we just need to find new people. Ok that all I have for this week thanks for the pictures and for the letter and everyone who wants to write a dear elder should write it to the veracruz mission. Or mom you should write one to the veracruz mission when you get this and see if they send it too me. Oh man I am going to miss the dear hunt oh well i missed it last year too. OK I got to go so be safe and make sure to not let anyone take my cell phone especially gracy because she wont treat it right.

 

Love, Jake