On Tuesday, Elder Barrett and I were searching for a less active member so we could go get references from them, but we got very lost. So we stopped and asked for directions. The kind man pointed us in the right direction and then I started up a conversation with him, and learned that about a year ago, he was living and working with his nephews in Guatemala, where he met the missionaries. He was about to get baptized, but a week before his baptism, he moved back to Mexico and just kind of assumed that the church was only a thing in Guatemala. So we started meeting with Carlos and his wife Laura, and let me tell you, Carlos knows everything. I'm glad I chose to stop and ask for directions.
We had another chat with Christina, the white lady from Iowa. Honestly, her heart is a little more closed than lots of people here in México, but this week we talked about the Relief Society and the importance of service in the church. We're trying to help Christina see that she already lives so many aspects of the gospel, and that she can put all those good works and positive energy towards an even greater cause. Christina and her family have very little. However, she is insistent on babysitting the neighbor's kids for free, taking meals to her neighbors when they're sick, cleaning the street in front of even the neighbors that she hates, etc. She already lives such a service-oriented lifestyle, we just helped her see how great of an addition she'd be to the church.
Oh yes, we had a heat wave in Acapulco this week. Our house never got under 92 degrees and no amount of lime water or Coca could quench that thirst.
Jese is a convert. He will be baptized on 03 of November. He shared his testimony with us this week of the things that he's come to know are true and how it has changed his life. It was a fantastic testimony. He made arrangements to be able to take Sundays off at work. He reads the Book of Mormon daily. We're planning on meeting his family this week. Ladies and Gentlemen: Jese.
We got to Cuernavaca on Saturday and I freeze my butt off at night, and I frolic through the streets during the day. Cuernavaca is BEAUTIFUL.
We got to go to church in the Palmas Ward, which is the ward where the assistants to presidente, the secretaries, and the top-of-the-top sister training leaders are assigned. I would think that a ward that is so used to having such great missionaries assigned to it would like missionaries. NOPE. They were not amused to find a few extra missionaries in their meeting. I did not feel welcome.
Well, I'm excited to see what this next adventure has in store for me! Be sure to tune in next week to hear all about my first week of fatherhood! I love all y'all! Have a great week!
-Elder Aldrich
FOTOS
1) I got a Halloween package from my mommy. I've been on a sugar buzz all week. The root beer was not in the package. I just found it and bought it, then I was so excited that it also had to make the picture.
2) PEPSI... and then the fine print kindly reminds us to do exercise so we don't get fat. Thanks, Pepsi for looking out for us. (But Coke is still better.)
3) And then the sky was like...
4) Jese and Carmen. (Now go away Carmen so Jese can go on a mission.)
5) He arrived. My companion is Elder Oliva from Veracruz (a state on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico).
