I don't think the human body is phyiscally capable of surviving the combination of heat, humidity, sun, and hills that Acapulco has this time of year. To make it worse, living so close to the tourist district means that we don't have running water. I'll explain. So running water isn't really a thing in Guerrero, except to fill a big tank in your house to use later, because the running water comes and goes when it wants, and it's never there when you need it. The problem is that we are in the same area as the big fancy skyscraper hotels that pay the water company extra, so they get first dibs on the water and don't leave anything for the residentes. So pretty soon here, I'll just be loading my pits up with deodorant and drowning in Axe body spray instead of showering. #throwbacktomiddleschool
The great thing about them water tanks I mentioned is that they get dirty and nobody wants to clean them, so they don't. But after a while of not cleaning it, it gets so dirty that you can't use it anymore, so then the missionaries get a service opportunity. We helped a lady named Edith clean her sisterna (one of the many names for one of the many types of these tanks that vary in shape, size, and function) and she told us about how a year ago, missionaries gave her son a blessing and how he was healed from a disease he had been fighting for years. We set an appointment to return and saw her like 8 times in the street before the appointment and she was super excited to talk to us.
Then she didn't show up to the appointment. And we haven't seen her sense.
We have an interesting problem in the ward where the bishop loves us and is super willing to help us. But the ward is so excited about how much bigger the ward is now than it was 5 years ago that they've forgotten that it could be bigger and stronger. So we're figuring out how to get the members to be less lazy. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest, and objects in motion tend to stay in motion, so wish us luck.
We had a baptism this week! We were going to have 2, but that's a different story for a different day. Zitlalli Cortez Sanchez was baptized on Saturday and she ask me to baptize her, because we're buds. The sad thing is that she's moving to Oaxaca on Thursday to live with her grandma, but we're working with her mom and sisters and they should be baptized here in the next couple weeks, too.
And finally, I found a scripture this week that changed the way I look at all the people I come in contact with on a daily basis.
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:2-7
Who am I to judge others? Who am I to say that someone is or isn't going to accept the gospel? I too sometimes used be foolish, disobedient, easily deceived, put other priorities before God, and quick to hate others for what they had and I didn't. Heck, sometimes I still am. But then I felt the love and kindness of our Savior, and I let that love and that grace CHANGE me. He doesn't save us because we did anything to deserve it. We're sinners. Justice says that we don't deserve to be saved. But mercy says, "I know you're imperfect, but I love you anyways. Try your best. Repent when you slip up. Feel of my love, and let it CHANGE you."
The message that we share is of the love of our Savior, and how that love can change your life, if you let it.
I hope everyone has a great week! I'd love to hear all about it! I love all y'all!
-Elder Tyler Steven Aldrich
PICTURES
1) El Bautismo de Zitlalli
2) This freaky spider.
