Mexico Pachuca - Week 2 - November 25, 2013

(Excerpts from his email)

It’s interesting because this week during study we were talking about how it’s so important to love our investigators and love everyone we meet and a way that we can do that is to think of them as children of God. Not by their appearance or how they come off but that every person here is a child of God and our brothers and sisters and no matter if they shut the door on our face or tell us they don’t want to hear our message we still love them as family.

Q: How’s the food, do you eat okay?

A: Yes I eat well here everyday a family feeds us lunch so i am well fed. The food is good. Almost everyday it’s some kind of soup and then usually chicken and tortillas or rice. Yesterday I had this thing like meat and cabbage with potato salad that was good and reminded me of home. We have to cook breakfast and if we want a snack at night we can because they don’t really have dinner here only a big lunch.

Q: Did you get the Dearelder.com letter?

A: I think dear elder comes in on p days so we will see I’m not too sure though.

Q: What is the name of the place you are serving in, the city district or whatever?

A: I really don’t know where I am haha the ward is called Nuevo Hidalgo.

Q: Is it cold?

A: It’s cold at night but days are usually ok as long as there is sun.

Q: Is it expensive in Mexico?

A: Everything is really cheap here. The food the clothes everything is super cheap.

Q: Do you have a maid?

A: No we don’t have a maid we have to clean every p day with like brooms and a makeshift mop.

Q: How’s your clothes situation, need anything?

A: Clothes are good.

Q: Are you teaching anyone?

A: We only have one progressing investigator family right now and they are doing good but it’s difficult for me right now because I don’t understand most of what they are saying but its getting better. We teach a lot of less actives here because we don’t contact on the street here.

Q: Do you need anything, want anything in particular for Christmas, or shall we just put money in your account, people are asking?

A: I don’t think I need anything right now especially cuz the mail is kind of sketchy so I think money would be best thank you and thank everyone.

Study Tip:

President gave us a way to better our personal study and it’s pretty amazing. In the book of Mormon first Nephi it says every scripture in the book of Mormon is there for a reason and has importance to the children of men. So he said take a scripture and do five things.

1. Ask what. What is the background significance message etc.

2. Then ask why. Why is it written this way, with those words, the deeper message?

3. Then use the references and find a deeper meaning.

4. Fourth think about the savior. Every scripture can relate to Jesus Christ.

5. And last how can I apply it in my life.

It’s crazy how much more I learn doing this. I spend the whole hour doing one scripture. 

Love,           

Elder Park

Pachuca MX Zone Conference 

Pictures from mexicopachucaldsmission.blogspot.mx

  

Mexico Pachuca - Week 1 - November 18, 2013

Hola familia~ 

Mexico has been crazy this week. I learned so much and i just barely got here. I thought my Spanish was pretty good leaving the mtc but i got here and realized its horrible haha. I barely understand any thing and it’s even a challenge talking to my companion because he’s from Columbia and doesn’t speak much English, but every day i get better and understand a little more. The people are all so nice even though they may think I’m slightly retarded because a lot of the time i just smile and say si and if they look at me funny i know it wasn´t a yes or no question. But even though the language is hard, it´s been a good week. I went to my first baptism and so many things went wrong. The last elders left the water in the font so it was green when they checked it so they drained it and put in a toilet cleaner. That turned the water blue and when they tried to mix it around the elders hand turned blue. They were scared that the clothes and the people were gonna turn blue also. It was funny but nothing happened and the baptism was great. The lady’s face after she was baptized was indescribable. She was so happy and was smiling from ear to ear all night. It was amazing to see. Mexico has been good. The food is different but good and we eat with members every day so that’s nice. Here they only eat two meals, breakfast and lunch at like 3 so it’s different but I’m good and satisfied all day. I hope all is well with everyone at home. I saw some pictures from the wedding and it looked great and i wish i could be there but i know i am where the Lord wants me. 

Love, 

Elder Park

Arrival in Pachuca Mexico

Dear Parents- 

Your Elders have arrived safely. They were exhausted and starving but we remedied that up with food and interviews with President and then a place to rest their heads. We will meet again this morning at 930 for mission wide transfers, and training for the twenty new missionaries (11) natives and your ten with their new companions and then off to their new areas they will go. President finished interviews last night and commented that this was a talented group with some depth. He has prayed for inspiration on whom might be the best trainer for which missionary and hopefully with the Lords hand involved make a proper selection that will help enable success here in the first 5 weeks (next cycle/transfers) if not the entire 12 weeks ahead. We anticipated some significant adjustment including likely homesickness, physical illness and discouragement so we ask on your end to keep things positive and upbeat- reassure them they can do this and if needs be “to forget yourself and get to work” advise. We anticipate all will be able to look at emails from you next Monday which is their scheduled p day. Thank you again for sending your son to serve here in Pachuca as we are so excited they are here and have much for them to do. We already love each one for their sweet spirit and uniqueness they bring to the Mexico Pachuca Mission. May God Bless and Protect them while they are here as we strongly encourage obedience with exactness, being wise and never, never, never, leaving their companion and the rest is in the Lord’s hands. Continue your prayers in our mission behalf as we need them daily. 

Visit our blog spot weekly if you already haven’t for a taste of our mission….. mexicopachucaldsmission.blogspot.mx 

All our love, 
Salli kae 
President and Hermana Andrew E. Egbert

MTC Week 5

Hola Familia, 
Today is my last p-day here at the MTC. I leave for Mexico on Monday. Then starts the real work. Thank you all for the love and support. I really appreciate everything you all do for me. The MTC is going good pretty much done with our Spanish books. Some people in my district that took Spanish in high school said we are now learning stuff they learned in their fourth year. That's amazing to me and it just shows how much we can do with the Lord's help in our lives. It's a lot to take in but my Spanish is always improving and I can now get my point across fairly well. My grammar is horrible but people can understand what I'm saying and I can usually understand them. Thank you all for the love and support. 
Con amor 
Elder Park

MTC Week 4

Hola Familia, The district is going good. I don't know if mom told everyone but Lopaka Durrett is in my zone which is pretty cool. He came in yesterday and I talked to him a little. It's cool having someone from Hawaii especially someone I know around. The MTC is going good we've been teaching since the first Friday here and since then pretty much every other day we have lessons. It depends on the week but the lessons are going pretty well my Spanish is improving to the point where I can get my point across pretty well. My grammar is horrible and I rarely conjugate but what I want to say get's across to the person I'm teaching. My time at the MTC is winding down only got about a week and a half before I leave for Mexico which is a pretty scary thought, but at the same time it's not because I know that I have all the help I need to be there and teach the people. Thank you all for your love and support I miss you all. Love, Elder Park