Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Ketchup in a bowl is not tomato soup! Mar. 23, 2015

This week was pretty exciting! It started Tuesday! Tuesday for lunch a sister made Roast Beef and Mashed potatoes with Corn on the cob!!!!
I was in Heaven! There was also bread but nothing like mom's home made rolls or Grandmas Home made bread, but it was very good! I, of course ate 90% of the mashed potatoes she made. She had lived in the US before so she knew how to make them. Mostly, here in Mexico, they are served cold. I almost gagged the first time I ate cold mashed potatoes. Being from Idaho has made me a little prideful on how I like my potatoes. Never-the-less, I partook of the cold potatoes and finished my plate. 
Wednesday and Thursday were normal days filled with teaching and interviews.
Friday we went to a ranch where S and M live. It was a pretty funny lesson. Well, what happened before is what's funny. They have a motorcycle and so I sat down on it pretending to ride it. But then S comes over and tells me to start it up. It took me a few tries but I go it. Then she let me ride it around. I only went in a circle of about a 25ft radius.  It was fun and I picked it up a lot quicker than my companion. 
Saturday the other Elders had a baptism so we went to help them out. Other than that Saturday was also a normal day.
Sunday we had a great turn out! S, M, J, N, and her aunt all came to church. S and M are really great and have a baptismal date for this coming Sunday. It's been a little hard teaching them because they live a little ways away so we'll have to pass by every day this week to  keep them motivated.
J, is a 13 year old friend of a recent convert. He came Sunday and was laughing with all the young men so I'm pretty sure that's a good sign. 
N and her aunt are family members of some other recent converts. N just had her baby and was recovering from that but she came and she liked it. She and her aunt came with her mom and sister who are recent converts,
 We formed our district basketball team in honor of March Madness.

After eating the wonderful mashed potatoes and corn I have been feeling more American and have been craving a grilled cheese with tomato soup. Well they don't have the good American -cheddar cheese so I had to improvise and used that plastic kraft single junk that always stuck to the ceiling of Maple Grove because all the kids rebelled against the nasty stuff. Anyways I had to use that. Next there was no tomato soup found in all of Tierra Blanca! so me and my bright ideas, told the sister to just heat up Ketchup on the stove and add a little milk. Bad idea! I basically ate a bowl of Ketchup! It was good at first but right now I'm feeling the effects. I guess I'll just have to wait 2 and a half more months until I can eat the good stuff again.
So this week I had a bit of personal revelation. It was pretty cool. this week a few members showed us a few videos of a few members of the church with excellent talents. Mainly singing. And I got to thinking of my own talents and how I haven't really developed much of my musical or sports talents and so I was thinking of what I could do if I had dedicated a little more time to one or two things. I was reading in Jacob 2 and reread a scripture mastery that penetrated deeper than before. "But before ye seek for riches, seek ye the kingdom of god. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ, ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them, and ye will seek them, for the intent to do good. to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted." I felt so dumb for even wanting to be rich. yea it would be nice but I realized that the richest man in the world is he who has found God. I may not be the most popular, richest or best looking, but as it says in Alma chapter 1, the richest, best looking, and most prosperous people are those who serve and give to those who stand in need. May we try a little better to look around a notice those who really need us. every morning we should ask ourselves, "Who needs my love today?" and then we should pray and ask God to guide us to these people. 

Elder Dial

 

We lost an Elder....March 16th 2015


¿Que tal? Estoy muy bien aquí en México! Solo me falta como 12 semanas :/ 
Well, the rain has kept everything fairly cool here. Well, cool as in not so humid but still pretty hot. It rained yesterday and nobody came to church. We were averaging about 140 each week but we dropped to 97 this past Sunday. I was very disappointed. It made me think a lot about the pioneers and how they suffered so much more than a little rain but they had faith in every footstep. A lot of the members don't have cars so they walk which means they would be walking in the rain. 
On a better note, transfers were today and I'll be staying here in Tierra Blanca for another transfer (6 weeks). Haha funny story, we lost an Elder today. There is a zone bordering ours and in order to get there one has to pass through Tierra Blanca. So in order to make things easier, we called one of the Zone leaders from this zone who was traveling with the other missionaries to make sure that a certain elder gets off at the right spot. Well, this Zone leader didn't follow directions and this Elder got off at the wrong spot. We were looking for him for a good 2 hours. Luckily there was a member who worked at the Bus station and knew he had gotten off at the wrong spot and so this member helped him and got him here safely. 
Other news this week is that a few of our investigators are really progressing. M and S are really great. They live about 30 minutes outside the city but a member usually takes us there. They are reading and praying and attending church. It's super fun to teach them.
Also we are teaching a few teens. One of wich fell at school and cracked his forehead open. We still don't know what his condition is but we will go see him tomorrow.
This week I had splits with Elder Hoffman. He's a great missionary and is really good at basketball. Every day for our exercise we run to a public park and shoot hoops for a while. It's pretty fun. Although all we every play is lightning. We aren't allowed to play 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 so we just stick with he basics of lightning.
Saturday we went and helped a member make tortillas with his tortilla making machine. It was pretty easy but it got super hot in that little room. Later that day they took us out for tacos and my were they good. They were "Gringas" which are tacos al Pastor with cheese and cilantro and onion and you put a wonderful salsa that spices things up a bit! I think I'm ready for the buffalo wing challenge that Carson and Jeff have every year at Christmas.
this next month we will be starting another program called "Gracias a que Él vive!" (Because He lives). It focuses on the resurrection. With April coming fast I encourage everyone to study a little bit more about Christ and his Atonement porque gracias a que Él vive, nosotros también viviremos. Se que Él vive. Las familias pueden ser eternas. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

Elder Dial

How Great Thou Art March 9th 2015



Some weird and unexpected things have happened this past week. The weather being one of them. Normally at this time we are into the high 80s low 90s but all this week it's been cloudy and rainy. I'm not complaining; I'm just saying that it's something unnatural for this time of year in "La novia del sol" (Girlfriend of the sun). That's what they call this place. but it will start heating up this week.
Another weird and rather disappointing event that happened was that one of our investigators, D, got cold feet and wasn't baptized this week. She past her baptismal interview and everything but at the very last second, she told us she wanted more time.  The Lord did bless us though. He blessed us by guiding us to S and M. They are a couple that we found while teaching a recient convert. They came to church and accepted a baptismal date for the 28th of March.
We are also working with K. She is the daughter of a less active member. We started teaching her and come to find out that she doesn't believe in God. I wasn't shocked shocked but I was surprised. Everywhere you look you will see the hand of the Lord. The hymn "how great thou art" comes to mind. We have everything as a testimony that God exists. All you have to do is kneel down and ask. The primary hymn also comes to mind: "Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer every child's prayer?" The answer is found in the second verse; "Pray, he is there. Speak, he is listening."
I know God lives and loves each and every one of his children. 
Although we didn't have a baptism this week, I still baptised! How does that work you might ask? Well, when your a zone leader, you get to travel to the other areas in the zone to do baptismal interviews. Well, I did a baptismal interview and i left the decision to the investigader. Well, she talked with the other Elders who where teaching her and she wanted me to perform the ordinance. It was a very cool experience.
I also found out that a family that I baptized back in May of 2014 will be going to the temple to be sealed on May 16th and I'll be able to go! I'm super excited!!! I love this family like my own. They have a little boy named A. who I baptized. He's 8 and is a blast! He's so funny and he's like the little brother I've never had.
Also, a recient convert had her baby the past week and so we went to see how she was doing. She's doing great right now and the baby also. Her sister also had a baby this past week but we haven't had time to go over and see how she's doing but I'm hoping that today or tomorrow we will head over there to see how everything is going.
Anyways, that's been my week. I hope they advise us of Daylight savings time because I know we have it here but it's not the same week as the US. Right now we are on the same time but in a few weeks we will spring ahead an hour. General Conference is in a few weeks so I hope all of you are preparing yourselves for the spiritual feast that will happen on April 4th and 5th. I love conference. It will be my last one on the mission :( Thanks for everthing and all of your support. Love you and as Brother Fife always says; "The church is....TRUE!" Of that I testify. 

Elder Dial

March Madness!! March 2, 2015

Let the fun begin! March is such a great month! Things start warming up, the flowers start to bloom, and of corse we cannot forget MARCH MADNESS!!!!! I'm not talking about college basketball, ok maybe a little but I'm actually talking about all the "madness" here in Mexico. Things are really heating up. Today it rained in the morning but it was a hot rain and then when the sun came out, it heated things right up. It wasn't actually too hot but the humidity was phanominal! I will sweat off a good couple LBs before I return home, and that's if I stop exercising. My companion and I are running every morning and I've actually dropped a good 10 lbs. 
Now some other things that are classified under the ranks of "madness." We didn't have a baptism this week but we have some set up for the following weeks. Not only us but the Zone. If everything goes well we could baptize 20 or more in the month of March.
President Cordova sent an email saying that from now on, all the prayers and spiritual thoughts that we have in our zone and district classes will be in English! AW! I don't remember English! Even writting every week hasn't helped me. Sometimes I'll write a sentnece in Spanish nd then have to retype it in Enlglish! I'm thinking in Spanish so I actually have to translate every thought from Spanish to English. It's Madness!
 Oh wait, This week we have a Leadership council in Veracruz so we will be gone for an entire day and not be able to work in our area but God is a God of miracles! Speaking of Miracles, we've had a few this past week. Not in the way that I thought or would've liked but I'm reminded of what Christ says, "not my will, but thine be done." We have been teaching a gal who has just recently lost her baby in a miscarrage. She was so heart broken that she didn't want to live. She returned home and was very distraught when she saw the Book of Mormon laying there. She opened and started to read and she told us that she felt as if Christ was there hugging her. I know it was an answer from God. God loves all is children and wants them to be happy. The only way we can find pure love and pure joy is by living the Gosple of Jesus Christ. And where do we find the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the Gospel. I can't say enough about the Book of Mormon! I love reading it. I'm almost done with it. I'm finishing up 3rd Nephi and I've also started reading it again. I'm in 2nd Nephi. Yes I'm reading it in 2 different spots. I've also started reading Jesus the Christ again to prepare me for this Easter season. If you havent had the chance to read the Book of Mormon, read it! I have fellow miaaionaries all over the world who would love to give you a free one! I know the Book of Mormon is true and it will truely bless our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Dial

Happy last week of February! Feb.23, 2015

Happy last week of February! No me venga! Feliz cumpleaños Papá! Happy Birthday Dad...on the 1st of March...
Also, congrats Carson and Carly! I sent a little something home for the new Dial baby. As for letters and packages that your going to send me, you have until the end of March to send them because it takes me about a month and a half to receive them and I wont have a lot of room in my luggage to bring everything home. If you want to send me something send me candy or something that I wont have to pack up in my luggage because like I said, I wont have much room. Thanks. 
So this week has been a great week with another baptism: V. It was a bit of a struggle with her but we were able to get permission from her dad. Her sister is a member so we had the support from her also. 
This week we have another baptism lined up but it's a long shot. We really need a miracle to pull it off. His name is M. A. He's 19 years old and his grandparents and cousins are members. He attends church and wants to change but something is holding him back. He has a good intention. He even told us he doesn't want to be baptized just because he likes a Mormon girl. He wants to be sure it's because he knows it's true.  If he doesn't end being baptized this week we will go for the next week. 
We also have D. She lives with some members and went to church a couple of times and loved it. We've been teaching her and she is really progressing. She's 23 years old and is pregnant. She has a baptismal date for the following week on the 8th. We have a few more we are working with for the 15th. They are a little more difficult because they live on a ranch about 15 minutes away in car. Luckily we have some really good members who always take us there in their pick-up. 
This past week I was able to watch "Meet the Mormons" but it was in Spanish. Our Mission President called us Monday and told us the news and I did not believe him because it was so out of the ordinary. But we did watch it and it was pretty great. It will be showing here in Mexico this Friday. I encourage all of you to watch it. I'm sure it's on youtube or something like that in the USA but go and see it for the first, second, third fourth or whatever number of time but go watch it and bring a friend. 
Sunday was something special! N, who was baptized 2 weeks ago received the Arronic Priesthood! AND I WAS THE ONE WHO ORDAINED HIM!!!!! It was a wonderful experience. It was the first time that I had ordained anyone to the office in the Priesthood. I thought that the first time I would do something like that would be with my own child but the Lord had other things planned. It was so cool! 
This week big things are going to happen. I can feel it. I hope all is well. I know this work is true. I know that the church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know that my reedemer lives. Of him I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Dial 


Happy Be-lated Valentines Day Feb. 16th 2015

First off, Happy (late) St Valentine´s day! It was a really good week for us. I love it here in Mexico! All the people a re very kind, well 95%. Some are just necio! But I still love it here. The weather is starting to heat up and I'm sure by next month we will be up in the 90s.
We were able to baptize J. Sunday. It was pretty rough. First she didn't come to sacrament meeting so we went and looked for her in her house. We found her but in a state of wreckage! She was crying and everything because her grandma didn't let her go to church. We started talking to her grandma and her grandma came clean and basically told us that her grand-daughter was the devil because J didn't listen and was always arguing with her and all that jazz. She then told us that she doesn't like "our religion" because she doesn't believe in the Book of Mormon. She hasn't even taken the time to read it so she can't say anything on that subject. Anyways, she kept going on and on about how we were wrong in letting J be baptized. She said "I wash my hands with this decision. God knows what you are doing and he will hold you accountable." I didn't say anything but in my mind I was thinking, Let the sin fall on my hands then. I will gladly baptize her. It reminded me of Pilot when he washed his hands saying that Christ´s blood would be upon the people and not him. Anyways, we talked with J and calmed her down and she came to the last hour of church and was baptized. It was a great experience because while leaving the water she gave me a high five and a fist pound because she couldn't hug me. Then she did a little Rock Star knee slide into the bathroom to change. The look on her face was priceless ad it reminded me of why I'm here. Why we really share the gospel with everyone. It brings an ETERNAL happiness and not a temporary one. The church is true. All I ask is that you try it out for yourselves. Just do it. You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain.

Elder Dial