Tuesday, December 9, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Missionary Style Dec. 8th 2014

On the first day of Christmas my mission gave to me.....a new companion from the MTC.
On the second day of Christmas my mission gave to me...two liahonas.
On the third day of Christmas my mission gave to me....Three used ties.
On the fourth day of Christmas my mission gave to me...four packages.
On the fifth day of Christmas my mission gave to me...Five CTR rings!!!!!!!!!
On the sixth day of Christmas my mission gave to me....Six hour conferences!!!!!!
On the seventh day of Christmas my mission gave to me....Seven days of work!
On the eighth day of Christmas my Mission gave to me....Eight hours of sleep!! :/ 
On the ninth day of Christmas my mission gave to me.....nine Catholics yelling!!!
On the tenth day of Christmas my mission gave to me....ten crappy carolers!!!
On the eleventh day of Christmas my mission gave to me...eleven Books of Mormon.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my mission gave to me.....twelve written letters!!!!

Ok, well, now that that's over, lets get down to business!!! (<-----Anyone? It's pretty easy!!) This week has been a crazy emotional, spiritual, and mental roller coaster!!! It all started Monday.
Monday, I had been enjoying a normal P-day when I got a call from our Zone leaders. They wanted me to bring them something and we would meeting at the Chapel. Well, President Cordova was there and was talking to them and to another Elder in my district. As I got closer I could see that everyone was silent, and that this other Elder had been crying. I fpund out that this Elder had a family member pass away only hours before. The rest of the night I was thinking of what I could do to help this Elder. Well, Tuesday comes and I give my district class. After my class I go and sit by him to see if he was ok and if he needed anything. He got a Little teary eyed and I just put my arm around him to let him know I was there for whatever he needed. Then we go and eat and after lunch I receive a call from this Elders companion. Side note: his companion is from Utah and has only been out for about 4 months and knows Little to nothing in spanish. So I grab a taxi and head over to their house. I send my companion and his companion to go work in my área.  The Zone leaders were in Veracruz on Tuesday so i wasn't able to make contact with them.  I have never prayed more fervently as to know what I should do and say to help this Elder. I got the strong impression to just listen, and when appropriate, talk. So that's what I did. We didn't go out and work, we just talked. Later that night the Zone Leaders called and asked why we didn't go out and work. I told them that he couldn't go and work in this situation. He found out that a member of his family had died just the day before on Monday in the evening. He didn't have enough time to capture everything and felt like it may be best if we didn't go out that day.  I did what I did because He just needed someone to be there for him and dragging him out to work under those circumstances would have been rough. He just needed a little time.  Also, a members father passed away Tuesday evening. So that was Monday and Tuesday and it was emotionally draining.
Wednesday was a normal day. Just checking up on this Elder every now and then but he has been fine and has been working harder and with a new power and ability that very few Elders have. We also went to the funeral service of the brother who died Tuesday evening.
Thursday we had Zone conference. It was suppose to be our Christmas conference. Want to know what we got for Christmas? The FLU SHOT!!!!!!!!!! So Thursday wasn't too great of a day either.
Friday, again, a normal day. Preparing for our baptism Saturday.
Saturday on the other hand was full of surprises!!! We got a call at about 9:30 AM from the Stake Presidents son asking us if we were going to baptize and we told him yea. Then he asks us if we would like another Baptism. Again the answer was the same, yes! What had happened was that there was a girl who is 17 years old who had been attending church with the Stake President and his family for over a year but couldn't get baptized because her parents wouldn't give her permission. Finally the parents gave her the Green light to be baptized. Well the reason why she wanted to be baptized Saturday was so that she could be confirmed Sunday and go to the temple with the Ward this coming Saturday. So to finish the week we had two baptisms and we could go and watch the Christmas Devotional Sundayevening!
As you can see my week has been CRAZY!!!! and now with the news that BSU is going to the Fiesta bowl again makes this week even better!!! By far the craziest week I have had in my 18 months here in Mexico!!! Thanks for everything and I hope you all have a great week! Love you all and the Church is true!!!!
Elder Dial

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Humble Thanksgiving 2014

So esta semana marks the start of the world wide iniciative "He is the Gift" If you haven't heard or seen the video, look it up. On the 7th it will be the only advertisment on Youtube. Or you could look it up at Christmas.mormon.org. Its a great video and I highly encourage you all to watch it and to share it! The best gift anyone can give this year is the gift of Christ!!!
This week we are planning of baptising Alexis's brother. We are going to baptise him saturday so that sunday he can be confirmed and then on the 13th they both can go to the Temple and do baptisms for the dead. Actually we are having all our converts go to the temple on the 13th so I'm excied!!
I'm glad to hear everyone had a great Thanksgiving. My Thanksgiving was very different but one that I wont forget. Instead of Mashed potatoes, turkey, and stuffing, I ate a humble meal of chicken with rice. It was a very humbling experience for me. I had the opportunity to reflect on why we celebrate Thanksgiving and to be truely thankful for all the Many blessings we have in the USA. 
Theres a bunch of uproars here in Mexico to get rid of their President, Peña Nieto. I'm sure you all have heared that the government sent people to kidnap and kill 43 students and there have been a bunch of protests and crazy stuff going on!! 
I hope everyone has a great Christmas. I Love you all and may we all share the true gift, which is Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever should believe on him shall not perish but have eternal life"

Elder Dial




FIRE in the Church! Nov.24th 2014

First off, I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! I am indeed very thankful for each and everyone of you and all you have done for me! Thank you!!
Secondly, I'm sure you are all very worried about the title of this email, "fire in the Church" Well, rest assured, my father has trained me very well! As they all say, Like father, like son!! Only this son got the better looks and height!! ;) Hahahahaha Anyways, There was a combined mutual activity that we were invited to. We brought a few investigators also. They were making Corn dogs. Well, the weeks prior to the activity, the Bishop decided to change the flooring. So they changed the tile flooring and removed the stove in the kitchen. When the Young Mens' Presidente goes to turn on the stove, a flame shoots out the back of the stove and everyone clears the room! It was shocking because they cleared the room so fast! The good news is, is that it was only a gas fire so all we had to do was shut off the gas. But to my shock, there wasn't even a fire extinguisher in the kitchen!!! In a country were all your firefighters are volunteers and the nearest statino is about 20 minutes away, there should be a fire extinguisher in the room most plausible for a fire to break out!!! Needless to say, We put the fire out and the only damage done was a black mark on the wall where the flame had been. 
Ok, well, now that the fire is out, "let's get down to business!" (name that Movie!) So after A's baptism, we visited with his family. They all loved it and now his two brothers are making the preparations to be baptized the 7th of December!!! Well, Ar for the 7th and An for the 14th. Oh and his mom also for the 14th. They are such a great family and I hope to be able to baptize them all before I leave the area. Also, A had his interview with the Bishop to see if he will receive the Aaronic Priesthood Sunday!! What a treat it would be to see him Baptize his own family!!! There is no greater blessing than the Priesthood!!! The priesthood has blessed my life many times and now I've been able to use the priesthood power to bless the life of a young man who will in turn use the priesthood power to bless his life, his family´s life, and the lives of many others!! 
As I was studying this week, I came across a quote that I really like by President Hinckley. He said, "Theology may be argued over, but personal testimony, coupled with performance, cannot be refuted!" I love this quote because it reminds me of what it says in James; that faith without works is dead in and of itself. I pray that more than anything I have been able to show my testimony through my actions. Another person once said, You can tell a man´s true religion by the way he lives his life. This is my point, more than anything, we need to LIVE the Gospel!! When we live the Gospel, our lives change, the lives of those around us change! When we live the Gospel, we find purpose to our lives, we come to understand the love God has for each and every one of us, and we come to understand the atonement of Christ a little better! I pray that each and every one of us and strive to be a little better in living the Gospel. If you don't know what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is or what it entails, ask the missionaries!! They will be more than happy to help you! I love this Gospel with all that I have because all that I have has been a blessing sent from God for living the Gospel!! I know this church to be true! En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

Elder Dial

A long awaited baptism!! Nov.17th 2014

This week has been a pretty good week. We were able to baptize A and his family came to the baptism so we will be working with them extra hard to get them to that point also. 
We also had a miracle happen this week. It was Saturday and we were contacting and a lady stops us and asks if we are the Mormon missionaries. I reply with a cheerful "yes we are!" She then proceeds to explain that she had been attending church in Nogales and was suppose to be baptized October 20th, but she moved into our area and didn't know where or what time church started. We told her the time and she told us she would be there. Well, Sunday came and she didn't show up. After church and everything else that I needed to get done, my companion and I started to search for her house. She didn't know her address fully so we show up at the two streets that she told us and began knocking doors. We tried calling her and everything. She answered once and told us that she went to church in nogales, which is an hour away. We tried to get her to tell us her house number but the call got dropped after one minute!! So we will keep trying to call her and set up another appointment.
Right now our tanks are empty. A was our last person we had lined up for baptism. We have hit our slump for now but we will get out of it soon. Just need to keep working harder and harder everyday!!! and I need to to get my companion excited! 
Oh, here is something that you'll like Aunt Samantha! We saved a dog this week! It was in the street and was about being bulled by all the other dogs! So we picked it up and took it home. We bathed it and gave it some food and the next day we found her a really great home!! Its a beautiful dog. I don't know what kind of dog it was but a beautiful color.  It was only for one night and it was for a good cause! And It's my obligation to Duke. Anyways, that's all that happened this week. 
Oh and something that happened a few weeks ago but I kept forgetting to tell you is that my  retainer that I have on my bottom teeth, broke! But not all, only a part. Only on one tooth. I was like "What? How could this happen?" I was picking my teeth with a tooth pick and it broke! But I guess I'll just have to wait until I get home because I'm definitely not going to a dentist here because I'm sure, instead of fixing it, they'll end up pulling the tooth and give me a fake silver one. Silver, not even gold!!! Hahahahahaha But it's not bugging me anymore so I'll be fine! 
Also attached is a photo of many Books of Mormon in other languages!! I'm trying to pick up Italian. We will see how it goes!!
Love you all and have a great week!!!

Elder Dial









I love this family! Nov.10th 2014

Well, first off I want to wish a happy let birthday to Grandma Freeman, and Danese Lothspeich! and a happy birthday to Grandpa Dial also!!!
This past week has been pretty great! Mainly the weekend but the rest of the week was pretty good. Normal, but good. 
Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the baptism of one of my investigators in my last area! (That's the great thing about being in the same zone and having the Zone leaders in your district). It was a really special moment because I got to baptize her grandson a few months ago. While there I got to see the J family!! My favorite family here in Mexico!!!!! They are preparing to go to the temple this April!!! It will be a wonderful experience for them!!! And I also got to see some amazing friends!!! It will be hard to leave this zone and probably even harder to leave the country!! 
Sunday was also pretty great! We had V and her husband attend church for the second time!! They and their kids LOVED it!!!! They don't have a baptismal date because V needs to get divorced and then needs to marry the father of her kids! UNION LIBRES make me crazy!! I will be praying and fasting very hard for them so they can be baptized while I'm here!!! They are a really special family and I've been blessed to see them grow and see their lives change and be a part of this spiritual growth!!! This is the couple that was on the verge of separating!! And now they are working on getting married so they can go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity!!!! Don't believe that the Gospel can change your life? Try it!!! like it says in the Bible, "try [the Lord] and see if [he] will no open the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
A is still doing very well! It's been hard to encounter him lately but he has his interview set up for today and if everything goes well he'll be in the water Sunday!!! 
Also the district is doing a lot better!! This week we will be breaking the routine of me giving a class every Tuesday and we will have a zone class Wednesday. So that's about all the exciting things that have happened this past week. Still trying to find new people to teach and its very difficult but this week we are going to try and "encourage" the members a little hard, to leave and do visits with us. This work is a lot easier when EVERYONE is involved and not just the full time missionaries!!!! Love you all and have a great week! The Gospel is true and changes the lives of ALL those who live its teachings!!!! 

Elder Dial






My Mission Family


A picture of my "Mission family" My two sons on the outside and my grandson in the middle behind me. From left to right it's.
Back: Elder Gamboa (Left) Elder Mills (middle) and Elder Pizarro (Right).

Sorry Mom but I kinda don't want to return home. Nov. 3rd 2014

Pues esta semana fue muy buena!! Tuvimos conferencia de Estaca entonces tuvimos viajar una hora para llegar a tiempo! Pero traemos investigadores!!!
Ok there's your weekly Spanish update! Hahaha The investigators that we brought to church were a couple that we had been working with for some time. They were on the verge of separating when we knocked on their door! We started teaching V (the wife) because her husband was working but we started teaching her and she was in tears when we started talking about how the Gospel of Christ can solve all our problems! She said she wanted her husband to listen and so we set up an appointment and started teaching the two of them. It has been great to watch them change!! It has been a HUGE testimony builder for me!! To know that the Gosple of Jesus Christ changes lives is a hope for all men!!! We haven't been able to put a baptismal date yet becuase they have a few things thay have to do in the catholic church. A friend of theirs is baptizing their baby  and asked them to be the "God-Parents." 
Also A came to church again. He is really trying to stop drinking coffee. He's been going strong for a week now! Only 2 more weeks left and on the 16th he is in the water!! :) 
The district is doing better. There are a few problems but we are in the proccess of resolving them. I'm more worried than ever because President set a goal that every companionship baptises this month! Well, 2 companionship's in the district don't have ANYONE lined up. They don't have any people progressing and I'm stressed out of my mind trying to figure out what is it that they need and how I can help them. But I will say they are getting better. We will see how the transfers turn out because next week are transfers. I'll probably be here another 6 weeks and then right before Christmas I'll go to my last area where I will probably be for the rest of my mission. Wierd to think that I'm almost 3/4 of the way done! I LOVE it here!!! Sorry mom but I kinda don't want to return home! Anyways, that has been my week! The church is true. I know it, I love it, and I'll never deny it!!!! 

Elder Dial

Halloween Oct.27th 2014


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!! Y FELIZ DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS (DAY OF THE DEAD)!!!!!!
Well, this week has been interesting and a little crappy to say the least. But the Good news is that the Gospel is ALWAYS true!!!
To start things off, we wont be baptizing this week. A drank coffee Saturday and we have a rule that they have to go 3 weeks without breaking the Word of Wisdom. It frustrates me because we tried to do  so much for him! Every time we visited him we checked and asked him not drink coffee!!! We called him, sent him text messages, even bought him Nesquik so that he wouldn't drink coffee but his mom,( who by-the-way, has been present in our lessons,) gave him coffee!!! We had visited him Friday and he was good then Saturday in the morning he drank coffee! It's even more frustrating because he hadn't drank coffee for 3 weeks! But oh well, that's in the past and he WILL be baptized before the end of November!  He was our only baptism we had planned for November. We have a few others we are teaching but they aren't progressing very quickly. We are hoping and praying for miracles here in Mexico. Not only for me and my companion but for the district as well. Our president has a goal that every companionship baptizes in the month of November and so far, we and the Zone leaders are the only ones in the district who have a baptism planed for November. 
Also, I killed a venomous snake this week!!!
I have to give a back story real quick. We were walking in a part of our area around 4 PM and I saw a bamboo rod and picked it up and started walking with it. I didn't know why until much later. about 7:30 we are walking in another part of our area,still walking with my stick, and we come upon 3 people. 2 of them are inside their house screaming out the window and the 3rd outside in the middle of the road. As we are walking the guy in the street asks me if it was a stick that I was carrying. I told him sí and then he asked me if I could kill a snake. It was dark outside and I couldn't see where it was. The guy pointed it out to me and then I went Piñata on that thing. Lets just say it wasn't candy that was falling out. Then after I had killed the thing, the lady who is inside her house brings out a machete. I'm like, "Where was this before?" I did get some cool pictures though. 
Oh, nobody bothered to tell me about the TIME CHANGE!!!!!! We have ward council at 7:30 AM every other Sunday. So we get there and I'm like, "crap, we're late!" But nobody else is there. The bishop shows up a little bit later and asks us why we are so early. He then proceeds to ask us if we had checked Facebook and had seen the announcement about the time change. I was thinking, "right bishop, let me just pull out my IPhone and check real quick." Hahahahaha I wasn't too upset because I got some time to play the piano but my companion was like, "we could've slept another hour?!?!?!" hahahahahaha 
 Anyways, that's about all the excitement of our week. We've walked alot this week. Have a toe that is bothering me so I'll probably just soak it in warm salt water and massage it so that I won't get an ingrown toe nail. but as long as I have the strength to walk, I'm going to walk. Hope everyone has a great week and a very scarey HALLOWEEN!!!!!! 

Elder Dial 

Turning 20! October 13th 2014

Wow what a week! I think I gained a few pounds from all the cake I ate!!! Yes I did get my face shoved into a cake 3 times!

I was able to celebrate my birthday with some of my converts so it was a great birthday! Again I want to thank all of you for the birthday wishes! And for all the birthday gifts! I was excited to hear all the acts of service you all did.

Although, I hope not to offend anyone but the best birthday present I received was the opportunity I had to baptize the mother of the 2 girls that we had baptized a few weeks earlier. While we didn't baptize her on the 10th, it was just as special on the 11th. The following day on the 12th she was confirmed and received the holy Ghost. Now comes the real trick, her husband! Maybe as a Christmas present ;)

Yesterday was a pretty great day. We had one investigator show up on her own! Her name is A. L. Her husband actually just immigrated to the US and is in LA i think. But we met with her during the week and we were talking and I asked her if she had prayed and asked if it was true and she told me no. I was a little disappointed until she told me that she didn't have to pray to know it was true. She had read the Book of Mormon. With her husband gone, she had been very nervous and stressed, but when she read, she said she felt at peace as if everything was going to be alright. I love it when people read the Book of Mormon because they truly can feel at peace! 
We also had to go search for another investigator who didn't show up on time. He was in his house and was about to go play in a soccer game when we arrived. I started talking with him and told him, your salvation is more important than the quarter finals. It was late and he could only make it to the last hour of church but we brought him. I actually wasn't going to leave unless he came to church. I was close to dragging him there. haha  He's a real great kid! He's expressed his desire to be baptized and is keeping the commandments but Satan, as always has his little tricks. The good thing is that we, as members of this great and true church, know how to avoid and escape these temptations. 
My companion is doing great. He is a little stubborn and timid. He always has to have an explanation of everything. But its good because I can practice patience. He asked me this morning if he could sleep in an extra 15 minutes. I chuckled and told him no. It's hard to adjust to this new life but after awhile it will be come second nature. He's a great missionary but he doesn't trust himself so I'm right now working with his confidence. It's actually grown a lot this past week so I'm hoping I can let off the throttle and let him teach more. It's fun to train again and I love every second of it.
Thanks again for everything and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Dial 


Don't you just love General Conference! Oct 6th 2014

First I want to thank all of you who wished me a happy birthday.  Don't worry about buying me anything that will probably end up rusted or broken. It would be better if you got me something that wouldn't spoil, rot, rust, or decay. I'm not talking about any material possession but rather as Jacob puts it "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye the kingdom of God. And after you have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches. If yea seek them and ye will seek them for the intent to do good, to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry, and administer to the sick and the afflicted." Jacob 2:18-19. "Then wake up and do something more than dream of your mansions above! Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing of duty and love." One of my favorite conference talks was that of Elder Holland. So for my birthday I want you all to follow his advice and go and serve!
Other than Holland's talk, I was a big fan of President Monson, Elder Lynn G Robbins, Elder Bednar, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Jorg something (can't remember his last name). I also enjoyed listening to the other languages that were spoken. I watched it in English unless the speaker was going to speak in Spanish. A translator can translate from one language to another but they can't translate the emotions of the speaker. I absolutely LOVED conference!!!!
Well besides the excitement of conference, I am training again. My new companion is from Peru and his name is Elder P. He has a twin brother serving in another mission in Mexico. He's actually a cool kid. He is 19 years old and a bit timid so I have my work cut out for me.
This week we also have a baptism set up. It's the mom of the 2 girls we baptized a few weeks ago. She is very excited about it. She's been progressing very quickly. She and her daughters are reading the Book of Mormon everyday and she even is going to send us to the house of a few of her relatives so we can teach them. It's funny because the Gospel isn't only having an effect on her and her kids but on her husband also! Her husband doesn't want anything to do with us. He's nice and treats us well, but he never wants to listen. But Natalia, (his wife that is going to be baptized) told us that he is starting to drink less and is less aggressive too. I love watching the change in peoples lives when they choose to live the gospel. But I love it even more when it changes the lives of those around them too! Moral of the story, Live the gospel and things will change for the better!!!
We had A. come to church yesterday! Finally!! He's been telling us since the second week we taught, him that he wants to be baptized but for one reason or another he hasn't been able to attend. But he reads his scriptures every day and is keeping his commitments. The only thing he wasn't doing was attending church but he went yesterday and brought his brother too! He is really excited about his date for the 2nd of November! That is a very special day too because that's the day I also entered the waters of baptism 12 years ago! Yes I was baptized on November 2, 2002 by my father. I remember it pretty well because I was the first one of all the kids who were getting baptized that day and I had perfectly warm water!!! So I'm really excited for him and hopefully we can baptize his brother the same day too. 
I hope everybody enjoys this week and may the Lord continue to pour out blessings upon you. Love you all! Go BSU!!!!

Elder Dial