A Perfect Storm of Illness

April 12, 2015

This was an unusual week.  It was like the perfect storm of sickness!  Here is what we did last week.  We were present at all of these things – and this schedule does not include the four days of interviews.  Wow – no wonder we are tired!

Monday:

·         Elder J. R. was admitted to Cami Hospital with a severe infection in his food.

·         Hermana A. L. had a tooth ache and we took to the dentist

Tuesday:

·         Elder J. L. was admitted to the hospital because he couldn’t keep food down.

Wednesday:

·         Elder J. L. released from Cami Hospital

·         Elder J. R. released from Cami Hospital

·         Elder J. S. taken to Dr. Francina to check on procedure on toe

·         Elder C. A. taken to Dr. Francina for a procedure on his toe

·         Elder T. G. taken to Dr. Francina – fear he has another hernia, needs ultrasound

·         Elder B. H. taken to Dr. Francina – needs surgery for a benign tumor in chest

·         Elder R. M. taken to internist for test results – he is gluten intolerant

·         Elder D. G. comes down with chicken pox

Friday

·         Elder A. G. sees plastic surgeon to repair bad scar on face

·         Elder D. R. sees plastic surgeon to help repair burns on hands

·         Elder T. G. gets his ultrasound

Saturday

·         Elder T. G. gets results – needs surgery

·         Elder B. H. has a successful surgery removing benign tumor

·         Hermana R. W. is admitted to Cami Hospital with dehydration and diarrhea.

Today we still have our Hermana in the hospital.  Elder B. H. was released from the hospital today (5 hours to get the hospital and insurance to work together) and is at our home, and 2 Elders have also joined us for a dentist appointment in the morning.  May we sleep in tomorrow?

"I killed someone"

April 3, 2015

From Keith's journal

     Occasionally, as Mission President, I have to do “special interviews” of investigators who want to be baptized.  These include those who have been involved in abortions, same sex attraction/relations, and even murder.

     Those who have committed a homicide, in order to be baptized, have to be cleared by the First Presidency of the Church in order for the permission to be given for them to be baptized. 

       Recently I was asked to interview an 85 year old gentleman who wanted to be baptized, but had been involved in a homicide 50 years ago.  During his baptismal interview, he told my missionary,  “I killed someone 50 years ago!”   So, they called me up and I scheduled an interview him.    

        This man is suffering from terminal cancer, has listened to the missionary lessons, has attended church, and wants to be baptized.  

        Fifty years ago in a small village up in the mountains, some men came to his house and kidnapped his sister.  It was a very traumatic incident for this man and his family.  

      He took off through the mountains and valleys, trying to track down the kidnappers and his sister.  After searching for many days, he caught up with the kidnappers, but very unfortunately, they had, just moments earlier, killed his sister.      

       He said he was in a rage, and began hand to hand combat with one of the kidnappers, while the others fled.  They fought for a long time, and eventually he killed the man who ended the life of his sister. 

       He said the local “law” arrived as the combat came to an end.  He explained it all to the law officer, who then told him to just leave!  He took off and never looked back. 

       I submitted this case to the First Presidency a month ago, then received a letter back from them granting permission for him to be baptized! Amazing!! 

      He was baptized just a few weeks ago!!  His wife has been a member for a very long time.  Hope he lives long enough for them to be sealed in the temple!! 

April Fools Day

April 1, 2015

Our missionaries pulled a real good joke on the President for April Fools Day.  He is doing quarterly interviews so he was in the La Perla Stake.  These interviews are done one on one.

Elder Munoz just arrived 2 weeks ago so we don’t know him as well.  Our assistants talked a young man in the church into putting on Munoz’s white shirt, tie, and name tag.  He goes into the interview.

As he walks in, Keith thinks: “This kid doesn’t even look familiar – have I ever seen him before?  I must be getting old.”

Keith: “Elder Munoz, it’s good to see you again.  How are you doing?  How are things going?

Munoz: “It’s going great.”

Keith: “You have braces.  I don’t remember you coming with braces.  You’re not supposed to have braces here.  When did you get them?”

Munoz:  “Just got them last week.  A sister put them on for me!”

Keith:  “WHAT – you can’t do that!  Did you ask permission?”

At that point, a bunch of Elders burst in laughing.  They got him!

Our nine month anniversary

March 31, 2015

Today is our 9 month anniversary.  We have served one fourth of our mission.  As I was thinking of that this afternoon, it dawned on me that we received such a wonderful gift to celebrate this first nine months.

We have tried to not focus on numbers here.  It seemed that it was too strong of a focus before we got here.  Therefore there were some things that happened in order to increase numbers instead of the primary focus of bringing people to Christ.  Bringing people to Christ includes all – you, members of the Church, and nonmembers of the church.

There have been several times that we have heard that missionaries don’t think we care about baptisms.  We care about baptisms, but we care more about growing the Church in Mexico.  The stronger the church is in Mexico, the better off Mexico will be.  A baptism, and no further attendance at church, does not help the church in Mexico.  Members who are no longer attending church need attention and love.  Their lives can be made better.

Back to the subject:  Therefore, we have worked on obedience and help strengthen our missionaries.  If missionaries are more righteous and obedient, they will do a better job at missionary work.  Up until March, our baptisms have been a little disappointing each month.  We have looked at that sadly but felt compelled to continue down our road of focus.

Baptisms in February were 40, which was pretty close to average.  Baptisms in March were 130!  What a gift for us!  130 souls brought to Jesus Christ because of obedient, righteous missionaries!  There were also hundreds of “less active” members that came back and partook of the spirit that can be felt at church – because of simple and thoughtful invitations from our missionaries.  What a gift for our nine month anniversary!

The Visa Challenge

March 28, 2015

Elder Vallejo is our executive secretary in charge of Visa’s.  We have to choose a secretary that has absolute integrity along with excellent Spanish and English skills.  Every one of our missionaries from foreign countries has to have a Visa from Mexico.

Elder Vallejo often has to take the metro, along with a number of missionaries, to central Mexico City.  At times he has thousands of dollars on him and up to 20 passports.  He has to maneuver a group through various stations, streets, and buildings.  It is most stressful.

He shared several recent experiences:

The first time he was on his own after he prior secretary had finished training and moved on, he arrived at the Visa office with all the needed money and paperwork.  First question: May I see your passport for identification?

Answer:  I forgot it (realizing now that he forgot all the passports needed)

The clerk doesn’t look up as Elder Vallejo says a silent prayer.

Question:  May I have the paperwork and passports of the other missionaries?

Answer:  Here is the paperwork, I forgot the passports.

The clerk still doesn’t look up but keeps working.  Elder Vallejo starts to understand that he is receiving some Heavenly help here.  The clerk continues, never looks up, finishes the paperwork, collects the money and bids him farewell.  He walks out with a lighter heart.

Last month the Visa office refused to grant a Visa to one of our Elders.  It had been granted for the first year, but now they didn’t like his passport.  When the Elder had signed it in the USA, he hadn’t signed his full name.  He crossed it out and resigned, which was acceptable in the US, and acceptable the first year down here, but no longer.  This requires a trip to the US Embassy and an original birth certificate in order to correct.  We don’t have original birth certificates – mom and dad do.  The Elder’s parents scan us a copy and the trip begins.

Arriving at the embassy, and with a prayer going, they walk up to the clerk.  They are greeted with a big “Hello Elders, I’m a member of the church also.”  Once again Elder Vallejo is receiving Heavenly help.  She looks at the scanned copy and marks it as an original.  Our Elder is now legally in Mexico.

We are ever so thankful for assistance from the other side of the veil!

Love is in the air...spring fever...etc., etc.

March 28, 2015

There are many quotes about love in springtime.  Somehow it goes with the season, even in a mission.

In the last two days, we have had six Elders call us about the “love problem.”  We are so thankful when they call!  During a mission, the best way to handle a “love problem,” is to bring it to the forefront and deal with it!

Our Elders look mighty good to the young ladies at Church.  The Elders are clean cut, well dressed, groomed, and very nice.  They serve, talk kindly, and try to be Christ like.  What else do you want in a man anyway????

Most of the time the Elders can turn a head, but occasionally they heart starts to get involved.  That’s the right time to call the Mission President.  Call him when love is just starting to bloom!  All six of the Elders that called were in the blooming stage!  They were starting to receive nice notes, sweet texts, and frequent invitations to homes.

Distance is usually the solution – a move to another area.  Phone numbers are changed.  Information is shared with companions so they can help and give strength.  Invitations to homes are cancelled and the missionaries work on “locking the heart” again. 

Who wouldn’t fall in love with these fine young men?  We are so thankful they try so hard to keep the commitments they have made to their Heavenly Father!

Self Reliance

March 24, 2015

Our Mexico Area Presidency has established goals of Self-Reliance for this year.  In order to slowly lift Mexico, each member has to lift themselves.  There are wards where the bishop has served for many years only because he is the only tithe payer in the ward.  Members are missing great blessings because they don’t understand some of the principles.  With the area focus on Self-Reliance, our mission focus is on bringing people to Christ, whether they are already members of the Church or not.

From one of our zone leaders this week:

President Stutznegger,

        I just wanted to share with you a “success” story that we experienced with the new program of “self-reliance.”  We have an investigator named Angels.  She committed to us that she would listen to the missionary lessons if her husband (a less active member), would quit drinking. 

        He, therefore, quit drinking, and she started listening to us, mostly because of her promise to listen if he quit drinking, and not out of interest.  She fought hard to keep the commitments in the lessons, but she really wasn´t real warm with us. 

     In time, the things we were teaching her began to touch her heart, and she began to open up more. However, she still wasn´t making much progress.  She could not come to church much because of her job that required her to work on Sundays. 

       We had heard about a new self-reliance program that was starting in the Stake.   We did not know much about it, but both of us felt that she needed it.  We talked to her about it and she accepted the invitation to attend. 

      We went with her to the first training, and she was very excited about it.  From that day on, she has attended the trainings twice a week.  My companion and I were hoping that the program would help her get a better job, and it has.  But, the program has done much more than that.  It has taught her the principles of the Gospel with the end of helping her to become more spiritually self-reliant. 

      Now she reads the scriptures and prays every day.  The Spirit is working very strongly with her, and she now has complete confidence in us, and is accepting all we are teaching her.  Her husband and children have not attended the self-reliance classes, but they are progressing jointly with her.

     Now on Sundays, she attends the Ward in the building next to us, so she can go to church early, then leave for her job, then return to the Stake Center for more classes in self-reliance.  She has been able to build a unity with other members taking the classes, and with the teacher; they have fellowshipped her in a manner that I have never seen before. She tells us of previous doubts she has had, but her new friends at Church in these classes help her resolve them.

     It looks like she will soon have a new job that will let her keep the Sabbath day holy.  She loves the Church now!  It has been a miracle.  She will be baptized on April 11^th!!!

    I want to send all of my investigators to the Self-reliance Center. 

              Elder M.