Trying week with local challenges but the stress of the language is coming along.

This week was without doubt the worst week work-wise in my entire mission. And its possible this week could be worse. Heres why:

There are two different cartels in these parts of mexcio. And right now the cartel that doesnt have Reynosa..wants reynosa so they are moving up from monterey, to fight. But this is the dumb part. All this is happening in like downtown Reynosa hours from our zone. But our leaders cancelled work for one day last week(we have to stay in our house) and every other day we have to return to house by 5:00. Which is awful because all our investogators get home from work..all our good appts happen after 5. ALSO we arent allowed to contact..touch doors or talk or meet with people we dont know. We had a whopping 5 lessons this last week. And well these rules will probably apply this week which is going to be rough. Investigators decompose(not sure if that word works) when dont have lessons with them. 

The bright light of the week was we had 2 investigators at church. One was her first time..she is awesoeme she could get baptized muy pronto. The other was her third time.. and we put a date for baptism this friday. Luckily for us..she has an awesome sister that helped us calm her concerns about a baptism so soon. Her sister is an investigator..she just has a husband that doesnt want to legally get married...like 60% of the men in this country. Ugh.

But if everything goes well this week should be number two for febuary..which was our goal. Then its off to prepare for march!

The challenge right now is finding people to teach and then being able to teach them..without contacting or working in the evenings.

The cold is officially gone and it is hot. The summer is going to hot her.

Oh and soccer got cancelled tonight so we are all really upset with that.

I learned there are like 11 temples in mexico this week.

The zone if doing great I believe. Something like 15 baptisms we are supposed to have by the end. For a month with 4 sundays I'm really proud of everyone.
The stress of spanish isn't really there any more. That doesn't mean I don't have a long way to go because I do trust me. But having the ability to communicate just makes life so much more enjoyable on the mission. There are so many things I want to learn now, but I can't read books fast in spanish, and reading them in english simply hurts me in my progression with the language.
The new elder in our district is from the dominican republic..and he is interesting haha.  For 2 weeks he's got no lack of confidence. And he LOVES to talk, always. And we eat with him and his companion every day and it is the greatest because he always talks to the members the whole time so we get to just relax and chill the three of us. Oh the food..still is so awesome. In this area I haven't had one bad meal. The truth is I haven't even had one average meal..the people here are so good to us. I am gonna miss having my food prepared for me haha.

***THIS PART FOR EVERYONE***

Disclaimer: It has come to my attention that some type of trailer has come out for Star Wars episode VII. I am going to do something that I have never done with this movie. I am not going to know anything, the trailers, the information, the actors nothing. I predict that with a complete suprise and with everything being new it will be an unforgetable movie experience. 

That being said, I don't get home  for 19 months. And to be clear I do not want to know ONE THING. If it was good..if it was bad..if it has a twist..don't wanna know it. Nothing.

If you decide to tell me something, or forget, or try to be funny....You will receive forgiveness because I have too. But you will be dead to me. Consider yourself warned

First Baptism In This Area - Still no bandwidth to send photos... maybe next week.

Awww what a week. Friday was great..our first baptism(and i believe the first in this area) and it was hilarious. Because this boy is just a little a different. He doesnt talk much and is super reserved. And we told him the water would be warm..buuuuut the boiler here like usual didnt work and the people with callings to fill the font don't really do it haha sooo we had to do it in really really cold water. And well there was a member family who was baptizing their daughter before our baptism. But we taught the little girl and the father needed us to baptize her.  So my companion gets in there with her and she does not want to go under. But they try anyway and she doesnt go all the way and gets water up her nose and starts to cry and scream and well they postponed her baptism.  And well our poor boy sees all of this and we just had to coax and coax and finally got him in the water.  And as soon as he came out..he ran out of that font hahaha..ohhh was so proud of him..and the experience because I did not want to postpone that baptism at ALL.

And well as for our other investigators that said they were coming to church..not ONE came and that stinks.  But we are looking to future and looking for more people, and working with the ones that we have that are good. 

As a representative of Jesus Christ I get to do a lot of things I haven't ever done.  One of those things is that pretty much all sensitive and personal information and problems we know.  And its just cool to know more..so that we can more effectively help people.  Like we ask people if they have problems with commandments or things like that..and I dont know we just are able to help people more in this position we are in.

We are still using potatoes for computers so I can't send pictures..but I have them and want to send them.  Next week hopefully. 

Oh! I have a special suprise..my secret recipe for my breakfast oatmeal every morning.

Oats(how much to put..depends on how good will the food be at lunch today)

Brown sugar(from an excompanion)

Honey(same companion)

Spoonful of peanut butter(crunchy for texture)

Water with the oats.. later milk and all the other stuff.

Ohh baby I get hungry just thinking about that breakfest!;)

Hmmm well everything is tranquilo here for the most part.  Hope everything is great in your homes... I love you all! I know a lot of missionaries send scriptures in their emails... I'm just gonna challenge you to read the Book of Mormon. It is one of the best things you can do daily. 

Maybe ill share a piece of doctrine new that I learn every week...

This week: The telestial kingdom isn't literally Hell..but it will be a personal Hell for man because he understands that there is so much glory and potential that he didn't achieve and never will be able too. 

With that..I invite you to REPENT!!!

Haha I love missionary humor..it's stuff like that. Like our leaders when we make a tiny error like forget something say ``Elder...we invite you to return to your home`` hhahaha ahhh its actually really funny maybe you just have to be here. buuuut you are all great people..stay on the safe path of the gospel of Jesus Christ and we won't have to worry about that^

Spanish is still a process haha but i'm loving it!  Love you all!

Elder Smith