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

Listen to the Coach! Feb. 9th 2015

This past week has been another eventful week. We hardly worked in our area this week. We had District class Tuesday, double divisions Wednesday, weekly planning Thursday, zone conference Friday and leadership training Saturday. It was a busy week and we still managed to baptize 2 this week. Like I said, as a Zone Leader I have seen many miracles, In my own area and in the zone. 

It was really cool Wednesday because I could kill two birds with one stone! I was able to go on divisions with my son in my first area, Tres Valles. It was great and we had a lot of fun. 

The Zone conference was something special because The area president came. Elder De Hoyos came and talked to us for a bit. It was really good. He didn't teach us any new doctrine but he taught us the same doctrine in a different way. A way that we could understand and apply it. It was super good and I'm hoping that we can find a lot of new people to teach. 

So as I have said we were able to baptize two this week. One was a 10 year old boy whose mother was inactive for a long time and we are activating her. Its very interesting actually. The area plan for Mexico is to help the members and everyone pay and honest tithing. I remember hearing an apostle talk about this and he said that someone who pays an honest tithe will never go inactive. I love what the Lord says about this commandment. He says, "Try me and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out blessings that there shall not be room enough to receive them." "Try me." That´s a dare! The lord is saying I dare you to pay your tithing! Test me. Do it and see what happens. I love those words. If you need a blessing and you need it "now," Pay your tithing and you shall receive so many blessings that you wont be able to contain them all. Anyways, we were teaching her about Tithing and she told us she had been waiting to pay her tithing and that every time she received her pay check, she took out 10% and set it aside. Then she came Sunday and payed ALL her tithing that she had kept and saved for a few months, maybe years, not exactly sure but she did pay it all!

Our other Baptism is a very cool and interesting story. When I was in Ojo de Agua (Eye of water for those of you who don't speak Spanish....Carson) and when I was with Elder M, we were teaching a teenager named N. He was so close to being baptized but it was very hard for him to keep a few commandments. Well, after I left the area, he moved to Fortin. While in Fortin, he met my current companion, Elder I. Then N moved into our current area in Tierra Blanca. Well we found him through the members. He actually was a referral from the members. When we saw him it was a very awesome moment. To see the hands of the Lord working in the life of this young man. Well he had repented of his sins and had started to obey the commandments and on Sunday I had the privilege of baptizing him. It was a very special moment because I could see how he had grown in just a few short months. He has already read and finished the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.

 

Bueno, my new companion is Elder I. He was born in LA but raised in Mexico. He speaks very good English and is a really good guy. Today we were talking about some of the restaurants in the USA and we both agreed that Texas Road House and IHOP  hold the 1 and 2 position in our polls. He and I actually arrived in the mission field on the same day. The only difference is that I have one transfer more than he does because I was in the MTC for a transfer. So I come home In June and he goes home in July. 

We are having a few struggles in the Zone right now but I know the Lord will bless us if we continue to obey. Something I learned is that to get different results, we have to do different things. We can't do the same thing and expect different results. The Lord has been blessing us but in order to receive more blessings we must be the ones to change the game. We determine the outcome. The Lord will always bless us, but in order to receive "all that he has" we must change our game plan. God has a game plan, it's called The Plan of Salvation, but he has given us the liberty to "create" so-to-speak our own game plan. If we want a happy joyful life, our game plan will be the coaches game plan. Its very simple if we really think about it. A no brainer. In order to receive eternal happiness, we MUST follow the coaches game plan. I'm always reminded of Basketball. Coach Cada gave us a game plan. we could either follow through with his plan or make our own. In order to win state, we HAD to follow Coach Cada's game plan. It's the same with God and his plan. He has set rules and given us guides to help us along the way. He has commanded us that we must follow his son Jesus Christ and be baptized by one holding the authority of God, Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by that same power and authority. But that's not all. He has commanded us to build temples to not only do the work for the dead but also so that we can continue to make and keep sacred covenants. He has given us the opportunity to repent of our sins EVERY Sunday by partaking the sacrament. Its a very simple plan that will lead us to eternal happiness. Any other plan will only lead us down to a "Gulf of misery and endless woe." This is my testimony. That Christ lives. That God, our Eternal Father has given us everything we need to win the Championship. It's funny because we know who wins, the only thing we have to do is decide which team we want to be on. This I know to be true.  

Elder Dial

Another Month In The Books! Feb. 2nd 2015

 This week has been another eventful week! I know why I had "special transfers." Well, this week marks the start of a new transfer and I had to arrive to my area early so I could learn the area and the responsibilities before my companion left. Elder R has been replaced by Elder I.

He's pretty cool. Speaks English very well and has a little less time than I do on the mission. I'm excited for this new transfer and the responsibilities of being a Zone Leader! I have to train Elder I how to be a zone leader with only two weeks experience. It should be fun! 

Anyways, we baptized the daughter of Sister N who we baptized last week. That in itself was a miracle! She did not want to get baptized. Well she did but then her boyfriend told her that  they were going to go rent an apartment and live together.  She was pretty set on not being baptized. We talked with her everyday this week about her decision. We talked about the consequences both spiritual and temporal! Her boyfriend doesn't have a high school diploma and so it would be nearly impossible for him to find a good enough job to pay the rent, the electricity, gas, water, AND pay for the baby AND his schooling! But she was set on living with him. Well, after a week of talking with her and praying  with her about the subject, we were about to give up. It was Saturday evening. About 6 to be exact, and in walks the boyfriend! My companion and I jump on the opportunity to talk to him about the decision and the spirit was so strong that he knew the truth of what we were saying and he agreed to let his girlfriend get baptized! In that moment my testimony grew stronger! I gained a testimony of prayer, fasting, patience, and in God's love for ALL his children! God will bless us only AFTER we have done everything in our power. "Ye receive no witness until AFTER the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6) Now we only need a miracle for her brother E.

 For two weeks we've tried to baptize him and he's always SUPER excited....until he enters the water.  As soon as he enters the water, he gets struck by fear. He grabs onto the bars in the faunt and does not let go! His fear gives him super strength! My companion tried yanking him from the bars and he wouldn't let go. We've given him a blessing, We've talked to him, we've done everything in our power but no results. The only thing we can do now is wait and pray. We'll give him a few weeks to see how he feels.

Other than that, we have a few baptisms set up for this week. I'm excited to hear from Elder De Hoyos, Mexican Area President. We will talk to him as a mission Friday and then us Zone Leaders have a special conference/meeting with him Saturday. Hope you all have a great week. Love you all!

Elder Dial 

Right Back Where I Started From! Jan. 26th 2015

First week as a Zone Leader and boy do I have a lot to tell you! I hope I have enough time to write it all. Tuesday morning I left Veracruz and headed to Tierra Blanca. We got here about 1 PM and then went straight to the district classes so I could get to know the Elders. There are 8 companionship's in the zone and they are all Elders. No sister missionaries here. After the district classes, we headed to the house to drop off my things and then we went to work.

Wednesday was half work day. Wednesday we left at about 6 from Tierra Blanca and headed to Tres Valles to do a few baptismal interviews. Well, there were 5 of them so my companion and I split them up. I did 3 and he did 2. But we didn't get them all done so we ended up staying the night in Tres Valles. 

Thursday, after our weekly planning, we went on splits. In Tres Valles there are two wards. Well a ward and a branch. I went with the Elders from Tres Valles or in other words, my very first area! It was great because I got to go and see some of my converts and a few members too. Then at 5 we returned to finish the Baptismal interviews. We thought we could finish in time but one interview I had took a lot longer than I expected. We finally leave Tres Valles at 7:30 and get back to Tierra Blanca at 8:30. We still have more interviews to do so my companion and I call our District Leader to come and do some other interviews. By the time we got home it was about 10 PM. We ourselves had 3 people that were going to get baptized but we only could baptize one. 

Friday was a normal work day but Saturday was a very eventful day!! It all started when we were walking and my companion tripped while carrying a box and luckily the box broke his fall. It was a sight to see. He also ripped his pants at the seem. An easy fix and an even easier laugh! Hahaha After he had fixed his pants we go and get to work. We get to a house and while we are teaching, I realize that one of my boots broke! Luckily it doesn't rain here so I should be fine until I return home in 4 months. That's not the worse part of our day. At about 3 we get a call from one of our investigators asking if we could come by and see them. She sounded scared so my companion and I grabbed a taxi and headed straight over there. Turns out her boyfriend took her to see a doctor because she is pregnant. But he told her it was a surprise so she willingly went. Well her boyfriend takes her to a Witch. Yes that's right, I said Witch. Here in Mexico there are a lot of people who practice Witchery. Well this Witch does something to the baby and the mother (our investigator) feels the baby jump and it really scared her so she called us to come and see what was going on. Well, I'm no doctor but I do know a little bit about the priesthood and its powers, so we gave her a blessing and so far everything is just fine.

After that we headed to our stake conference. We had a very special guest attend. Elder Via Lobos of the area seventy came and talked to the stake. It was great! So we ended the day well and then Sunday was the last of our conference and we had a few baptisms after. 

We were suppose to baptize 2 but one was a 10 year old boy who is terrified of water! My companion tried to baptize him but he wouldn't go under. We tried talking to him but he was convinced that he wasn't going to do it. We are going to try again when his sister gets baptized in these up coming weeks. 

I want to end with a few things I learned from Elder Via Lobos. He taught that there are no such things as half blessings and that there are some things that we should NEVER do. The old saying "don't play with fire unless you want to get burned" comes to mind. Well, I don't have a lot more time to write but I will say this, Obedience is the first law of Heaven and there are no partial blessings! Obey and receive all the blessings the Lord has for you. Disobey or partially obey and you have no promise

Elder Dial

PS. All the baptisms from the Zone. we were able to baptize 9!!