Funny Stories and Pictures from Mexico!!!

Below is Haden's letter from this week.  We also got some pictures (20 of them!) from him from his time in Mexico.  They will be posted on the Picture page, along with original captions from Haden. 

Here is a sneak peak:

First Day in Mexico

Make sure to check them out to get a small glimpse into his life in Mexico.  Also make sure to send him some love via mail, email or the blog.

Below is the letter...

Well this week went by fast.  I celebrated my first month anniversary with my companion.  For a present we got a baptism rejection.  Haha.  That’s the worst, when you know someone is ready and they just don’t want to make the commitment.

Patricia Alfaro, (the girl who cleaned off the table for us the first time we met her) is so ready but is being hesitant and making excuses.  We taught her an awesome lesson and she felt the Spirit.  There is no doubt in my mind, but I was surprised because I could tell she was ignoring the Spirit.  And she won’t come to church.  I don’t know what else to do.  Just keep going I guess.

This Sunday we have 4 baptisms.  We would have had six, but we found out that one couple wasn’t legally married, so we have to wait for them.  It’s good though, we are making progress but we could definitely be doing better.  It is frustrating me that people say they will come to church and then don’t show up.  We do so much work to get them to that point, it’s horrible and it makes me sad.

Some good stories for you all. This week we sang “Called To Serve” for all the youth of the stake.  At our zone conference we practiced for it and the Mission President made me listen to it to see if it sounded good.  At the end I said: “Well, at least we have the Spirit with us.”  It was a little rough.

Lately I have been having dreams in Spanish.  It’s really bad Spanish because I don’t know all of it yet, but it’s Spanish.  The fact that I’m dreaming in Spanish is really weird to me, but it’s promising.  Also, I have been hearing things in Spanish but it sounds like English.  So I am slowly getting more and more used to Spanish.  It’s pretty fun that now I can understand all the billboards here.  Haha.

This week we worked on visiting a lot of recent converts.  My first baptisms in my first week were Veronica and Roxanna.  They were expressing to us how they see us as brothers and great friends.  I thought that was cool because when I got set apart, he said in my blessing that he people here would become like my family.  I think it is so awesome that it is actually happening.  It definitely helps me feel more comfortable with the people here and makes me love it here even more.

One of the down sides of this place is that you have to buy gas in order for your water to be hot. We didn’t have gas for like 4 days so I was taking showers in cold water.  And when I say cold i mean cold, I mean cold.  I was like playing hokey pokey in the shower...it was a little ridiculous.  Oh and I have been trying to grow a beard for 19 years and it never worked.  I have never had to shave every day and now I grow hair like a werewolf.  I thought it would be cool, but it’s kind of a pain.

Today was a first for me.  It was the first time I was served something I couldn’t eat.  Every day I am nervous about what we are going to be served and I don’t know why because it is always delicious. But the there are two things I don’t like pancita and chicharrones.  So we get to the people’s house for breakfast this morning and what comes out?  A giant plate of chicharrones.  Not cool man.  My companion looks at me and just smiles. I don’t even remember saying a prayer because the whole time I was just thinking “How am i supposed to eat this right now?”  I couldn’t finish it.  I felt bad, but it was either don’t finish it, or give them a table full of throw up.

But this week was good.  We had more lessons with the members which was good and I am always learning more and more.  I have been meeting great people every day and the members and people here really treat us well. They really do treat us like family.  It’s been getting hot here and I have been getting more tan and more tan, which is cool, but then more and more people expect me to speak Spanish, which is not cool.  I am missing home but it’s good for me to stay busy.

I miss Blake English (shout out) and all of my friends and family.  But when I get back, boy will I have stories for you.  I have seen things here that I have never seen before. Things that I don’t really want to say over this.  Haha .

This is a great experience but I was in the mall today and I saw a TV and golf was on and I got sad.  I really want to golf.  Someone send me a putter or something!  I am going to suck so bad when I get home.  I can’t wait for the first drive off of #1 at Bear Creek in two years.  Oh man.

Well I have to go do work again. I’ve got people to baptize.  Haha.  I miss you all and think about you guys all the time.  I miss Facebook too.  Haha, had to throw that one in there.  But I am having fun and can’t wait to know the language.  Miss you and love you.

Haden