Transferred!!

Hola,

Elder Fuell and Elder Luna

Wow, what a week, so much has happened since last talked to all of you.  The big news is I got transferred to the barrio Ixtla Paraiso.  I will miss Elder Luna. I am senior companion now, but I am in a new area and don't know the area or the investigators, so it is a little hard to lead.  Usually the person who is changing the areas arranges a ride from where all the missionaries meet in Tasquena to there new area.  But that didn't happen with my new companion so we went through the metro, which was extremely difficult with my baggage.  The area is great . . . well I think it is great, the members are really nice, and are happy to see the energy I have about missionary work, I hope that means lots of referrals.  The area has a ton of hills, a ton of hills, which is fine for me because I love the views. We are on the border of Mexico city, almost in the state of Mexico.  It is a little bit more ghetto than my last area, but I like it.

 

When I arrived at the house, it was thrashed, they had not cleaned it in three transfers and there was garbage all over the floor,( i am going to send you pictures of all the garbage) I asked my companion when the garbage man comes around and he said he had no Idea.  So we cleaned, all day long, because we will be moving to a different house on Monday. So that means I am on the phone constantly with the zone leaders and financial secretaries, which is not really my favorite thing to do.

 



Garbage (Bahaa!!)



My new companion is Elder Garcia, he has five more weeks in the mission and as frito as they come. (frito means fried but we use it for dead or lazy) When I tell him we need to work, he tells me he doesn't want to, which really gets under my skin. Then he tells me he doesn't like me, but I tell him I love him and I don't care if he doesn't like me.

 



All this new stuff is really hard for me, and has brought me to my knees more than any other moment in my life. However, I was reading the priesthood talk by President Uchtdorf about welfare. and he says when we come to a river in our life, don't wait for the water to pass. Build a bridge or a boat and get across it, so that is what I am trying to do. We will see how it goes.  I love you all.

 

Con muchismo Amor

Elder Joe Fuell

p.s. still no letters or packages yet, but I will let you know when they come in.



No Email this week from Joe!!

Hi everyone!!!  We just talked with Joe, I mean Elder Fuell, and it was totally awesome!!!!  We called on a speaker phone and sat around as a family and all talked with him.  His companion, Elder Luna, answered the phone so we talked with him a minute and then we talked with Joe.  He expects a call later tonight telling him he is being transferred to another part of the city.  His English was not good.  The kids were all laughing because he kept throwing in Spanish words.  David decided to lower his voice and say "hi Joe" and Joe was like "David????? Is that you...did you go through puberty?.......Wow?  He told about his Christmas eve and his plans for today.  His rules of his mission did not allow Skype, and the phone call could only be 40 min.  That's about the fastest 40 minutes ever!!!!

Each of the kids talked to Joe one on one.  That was really cool.  We love how close they are with each other.  Then we talked about his investigators and the fun he is having.  He said he absolutely loves Mexico City and the people there.  He said he is having a blast being a missionary for the church.  His final words made us all cry, but were particular things he was thinking of for each one of us. 

As parents of a missionary, and of Joe, we are so grateful for the opportunity that he has to serve an LDS mission.  He is learning so much, but most importantly he is serving the people of Mexico and sharing with them his testimony of Jesus Christ.  We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.....

Love,
The Fuells

ps....he also said that his next day when he can send an email will be next Saturday...

I love sharing this great message!!

Hola,

Things are great here in Mexico.  I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to share the gospel with others, It is such a great message.  You think people would be more receptive to hear our message in the holiday season, but everyone is too busy trying to "Prepare there homes, to receive Christ", and just like the story of the nativity, they don't let us in, not knowing how great a thing they had rejected.  In Mexico city, a lot of people work here or go to school here, but have family somewhere else, so right now there are a ton less people in the streets than normal.  But despite all of this, I will not lose faith.  Elder Luna said he was tired of my positivity and wanted me to cry with him (sarcasm, although there might have been some truth to his words) But we kept working and found this really great lady named Maria Rena.

Maria Rena was a freak contact in the streets, I don't even remember how it happened, it was just weird, but she invited us to her house and gave us some water, and we gave her a pamphlet of the plan of salvation.  Our next appointment, she told us how the pamphlet had resolved all her doubts and she almost cried when she was reading it.  So we made another appointment, taught about the Restoration and put a baptismal date.  She wanted to get baptized as soon as possible, so we put a baptismal date for Christmas and she agreed.  While she said the closing prayer, my companion and I both wept, because we knew that the lord had answered our prayers.  Elder Luna said he has never had a baptism so easy in his mission. . . . but then tragedy struck . . .  she wasn't able to make it to church on Sunday because she was really sick (glad she is feeling a little bit better today), so we wont be able to baptize her until the first, and one of us will be gone.  But I still consider it a huge miracle.

We got your package, and I received a card from Grandma Frei. Thank you, they both were awesome.  Hopefully I will receive the other stuff soon, I will let you know when they come in (and write letters personally to each and everyone of you telling you how much I love you). I loved the Christmas tree with all of your pictures, you all look way different.  I am a little scared to come home because I fear I wont recognize any of you.  Elder Luna loved his shirt and told me to thank you guys.(p.s. he really liked the shirt).

I don't know what else to talk about, but I am looking forward to talking with you all this Sunday.  We don't have any plans for Christmas eve or Christmas, just work.  I'm thinking it might be a little difficult, but we found a Buddhist this week, so maybe we can meet with him.  I love you all, you are in my prayers,

Con muchismo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

Earthquake!!!!

Hola,

It has been another great week here in Mexico,  We are working hard.  Yes, we felt the earthquake, it was crazy!! We were with a family who had a bunch of little kids and when it started shaking we got them all out of the house, they were all crying.  It felt like we were on a boat.  It was pretty wild. 

 

The temple was awesome, even in a different language, I loved it.  The Mexico City temple is really cool, it is different than others I have been to, Its now one of my new favorites.  It was really cool with all the missionaries.  I got to see Elder Poston, my companion in the MTC.  I hadn't seen him for about 5 months, and it was really cool, to catch up on all the cool experiences that we have had.

 

The work has been really hard.  This was a better week, but we still aren't seeing very many baptisms.  Elder Luna thinks the president is going to close this area after this transfer,  I hope not, I love this area.  We found a lot of new people this week,  We have been contacting like crazy but it is till difficult.  The president told me and my companion to be patient and diligent and we would have success.

 

I am glad to hear all of your basketball teams are doing well this year.  No I haven't received any packages, probably here soon.    I will call on the 25th, just let me know what time you want me to call, and the time difference between here and there. We have 45 minuets for the call.  I have church at 930, but other than that, we are still trying to figure out how to be productive Christmas day (because here everyone is drunk or will be hung over).

 

Today is the day of the virgin of Gaudalupe, which means that there were fireworks all night long, and there will be fireworks all night long tonight.  Which is fine for me, because I can sleep through it, but my companion is not a deep sleeper like me.

 

I put a baptismal date for one of our investigators on Saturday. Its not until January, and I might not be here, but I am happy that he accepted and is working towards baptism. 

I am glad to hear everything is going well, I love you all, I sent some pics, I don't know if you have these or not.

 

Con muchismo amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

And my favorite, "Nobodies home"-shouted from inside the house.

Hola,

It has been another great week here in Mexico.  I miss you all, but its all good.  It doesn't even feel like Christmas here, it feels like may, so i don't think it will be to weird working on Christmas.  It will be cool to call you, but I am not sure where from yet, because the president has to authorize it if we call from the church or from our phones or  from wherever.  Happy Birthday Dad.  It is crazy! It seems like it was just your birthday.  I hope it was a good one and hope everything goes well with your eyes.  (I hate eye surgery because the patient is looking at you the whole time).

I will hopefully send pics next week, but first I need to buy new batteries, and they are way expensive here, so I am saving up, I think I know a place where I can buy some this week.

This week was another really hard week, but it was better than last week, so I am happy.  We had a lot of really cool experiences finding new investigators this week, and we had a lot of funny rejections like "I don't believe in Jesus, I only believe in the Virgin", "I am moving to Germany", and my favorite "Nobodies home"-shouted from inside the house.

We went with one of our investigators this week and we had a really good lesson.  When we were about to leave, she said that she really likes it when we come and teach her about the gospel.  She paused, and then she started bawling and said "Its true, its true, I know its true", but her husband who is an alcoholic doesn't allow her to go to church.  So we told her to keep faith, pray, and follow the commandments, and the Lord will open a door for you, and I know the Lord will open a door for her. I don't know when she will be baptized, but I know she will be.

We also found an old investigator, who had been taught by the missionaries 9 years ago.  she couldn't be baptized because she couldn't stop smoking and drinking.  She said to us that she hasn't done any of that for 3 years now, and she wants to be baptized.  She has a lot of other problems, all health related, but we are trying to help her overcome them so she can attend the church.

In Mexico, there is no Santa.  The three wise men come and deliver presents to all the children, The little kids are always shocked when they here that the three wise men never came to my house.  One kid said, "wow, you must have been really bad".  But I like the three wise man idea, it helps me focus more on the Savior and His birth.  It really is an amazing thing. I love you all, I send you my love, and will send you my pics hopefully next week,

Con muchismo amor

Elder Joe Fuell


Ps....Don't forget to check out the picture of the month (Joe conversing with Ghandi-at the wax museum)

No reason to be discouraged!!

Hola,

I am so sorry to hear that you all got sick over Thanksgiving.  That sounds horrible!! A  doctor in the ward just gave us all pre-flu medication, so I hope I don't catch anything.  To tell you the truth, my thanksgiving wasn't much better, neither was this week.  This week was one of the hardest weeks of my mission.  Every appointment cancelled, every door we knocked was slammed in our face and ever contact in the street just kept on walking.  It was horrible.  We got to about Thursday night, and we were both bummed out and I have never seen Elder Luna so discouraged.  He said this is the hardest area he has ever been in and he has no idea what to do.  I felt so bad to see him like that. I refused to be discouraged and tried to boost him up.  So it was eight at night and our appointments had cancelled again, so I said lets go find someone!!.  So we were walking down this busy road. and my companion tried and got rejected, and we kept walking a little further. My companion said lets go home, there is nothing for us here.  I said a little prayer in my heart and right before we turned to go to our house I saw someone walking on the other side of the street with an ipod in and his hoody up.  I chased him down and told him that we had something really important for him.  He was kind of scared at first because he thought we where going to jump him and take his money.  But when he found out we where Mormon missionaries, he got really excited and said that he is a professor at UAM. He said that one of his students is Mormon, that they gave him a Book of Mormon and he had been reading it.  He pulled it from his bag, he had marked it up better than the best seminary student.  He had a ton of questions for us, and then I told him that it was a coincidence that we had met and he had a Book of Mormon in his bag and all these questions.  It turns out that he usually doesn't even walk that way home, but felt like switching things up.  The sad thing is that Abraham, the person we contacted, is not in our area so we had to give him to the other missionaries. Which is cool for the other missionaries.  The guy was cool.  After  we had talked with him, I punched my companion in the shoulder, and said, "This is real, the church is true, so we have no reason to be discouraged." It was awesome and we were both way happy even though he went to another area and the rest of the week was extremely difficult (living proof of Alma chapter 26 verse 27 read it.)

I love you all. Get well

 

Con muchismo amor

Elder Fuell

The Fresh Prince of Quetzal

Hola,

This week has been great, but really hard, but really great!! But I dont have that much to talk about this week, because all we did was go back and forth to the doctors all week because my companion has been sick.  It turns out that he has sinusitis and he has a lot of pain in his head.  So the doctors we go to work where the Mexico City Temple is, Its beautiful!!  So I dont mind going to much, but I would rather be working, so I was a little bumbed on our ride back from the doctors, because we werent really working and we wouldnt be able to really work for the next week.  But when we got home someone had slid a poem, in english, under our door about how the Savior suffered all things for us, and it made me think less about myslef and more about my companion and what I could do to help him.

 

So Elder Luna was being impatient with his pills becasue he wants to work too and a lady in our ward told us that if we got one spoonfull of salt in one liter of water and squirt it up his nose with a syringe it would help clear things up.  But while I was outside making a phone call (because we dont have service in our house) He put three big spoonfulls in a small cup of water and squirted it up his nose.  He was in a lot of pain and so I called the doctor, since I new it is not good to have anything but the 9% saline otherwise it kills the cells, so I called Dr. Ruiz the doctor for our mission and told him everything, and he told me that I had to flush all that salt out, so I was pumping water up his nose. and it was all pretty crazy, but that was Friday and he says he is doing better today.

 

Derek and Ashely Congrats with the baby!! I never recieved a letter from grandma Frei, when did she send it?  I dont know if you guys have ever noticed in the Disney movies, I never did, but all the princes are tall and white, and as my companion says, has eyes of color.  Well, all of the three and four year old girls in our ward noticed, and they think I am their prince.  It really wasnt to bad until Elder Luna gave a talk this sunday about being a little child, and how these little girls really are princesses' and are in search of a prince.  So now everyone in the ward is calling me, "your magesty", and "your highness", and stupid stuff like that.  At first it bothered me, but now I just play along.

 

I hope you all have a great thanksgiving, and Janaye I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I love you all.  Out of all the blessings I have in my life you, my family, are what I am most greatful for.

 

Con Muchisimo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

(The Fresh Prince of *Quetzal)

 

*Quetzal is my ward :)

No transfer!!! Staying in Iztapalapa

Hola,

It has been another great week in mexico.  It is going by so quick, I cant believe it has already been six months.  We got the call from our District Leader this morning telling Elder Luna and I that we would both be staying in the same area for another six weeks.  I am cool with that because this is my home. I was telling Elder Luna that I could stay in this area my whole mission and he just laughed at me.  That is cool because we will be in this ward durring the holidays.

They dont have Thanksgiving here, but my bishop brick is doing a Thanksgiving thing with the ward, with turkey tacos and stuff like that, so that should be cool.  All the guys in my district are going to pitch in and by a turkey for Christmas.  I cant believe it is almost Thanksgiving!!! and then Christmas!!!  It is just going by way to fast.

We put a baptisimal date with marivel, the miricle lady from last week.  I really feel like the spirit led us to her.

Today I was reading about one of the miricles that Christ performed.  There was a paralytic and he had the disease for 38 years and had been waiting to go into this water to heal himself, but because he was paralytic he could never get to the water to heal himself.  Christ found him, and because of his faith healed him.  There are many people in the world who are waiting to be healed, but cant do it by themselves.  That is why we are here, to bring others unto Christ so they can be healed.  Not just missionaries, but everyone.  I love you all, and glad to hear you are doing good.

Con Muchisimo Amor

Elder Joe Fuell

Another great week in Mexico

Hola,

 

Wow, I am glad to hear you are all doing great and gearing up for the holidays.  I cant believe you have already had your first snow! That is wild, because it still feels like spring here, although sometimes the mornings are a little cold.  For p-day today my district went to the Pyramids in Teotihuacan for mine and Elder Neilsens early six month celebration.  The pyramids are awesome!! I have read so many books and seen so many history channel documentaries about it, it felt crazy to be there.  I loved it!!!  There was a lot of archaeological digs going on, and I got to talk to them about what they were finding.  The pyramids, of the sun moon and stars were built around the coming of Christ, the locals say that it all has religious meaning, like the temple of the stars, has one big pyramid in the middle, the pyramid Quetzalcoatl, which they say is Christ, and is surrounded by 12 little pyramids (apostles), and has three pyramids behind it..... the same size as the twelve smaller pyramids (First Presidency).  I don't know if it is true or not, but it sure was cool!!

 

I don't know if I told you about Betsa she is one of our investigators, she is the mother of 4 small boys, and I love going to teach them because there is always a special spirit there.  We try to make it fun for the boys too by tying in gospel principles to sports and then playing for ten minuets after the lesson. Betsa, the mother says that Quetzal, who is about 4 always shouts when he sees a tall white person on the metro, "Look! the Fuell!" So Elder Luna has been calling me The Fuell ha ha.

Janaye that is awesome with your primary program!  You will be an awesome narrator.  Katie, Congrats with your grades! That is awesome!!! 

 

So this last Sunday my companion was kind of bummed because we only had two more weeks together and all of our baptisms are planned for after our split next week.  But I told him that we were going to find someone this week who had been to the church at least two times and was ready for baptism.  He laughed and said he liked my optimism, so we set out to find this person.  And then Friday night during our planning it was weird, we felt prompted to visit this person in our area book, that had no information other than her address, and when we went to find her house the next day, the addresses on the street had been changed the year before.  But we felt like we had been sent their for a reason, so we started knocking doors and asking people if they were interested in our message and if they knew a Marivel who lived on the same street.  As we were asking this, the son of Marivel was walking by and said, "Marivel is my mom", and even better "I have lots of friends who go to your church".  So we visited with his mom, who had been to church twice, and she said she wanted to go again and learn more but she had to go out of town this weekend.  But we have a return appointment to meet with her this Tuesday.

To answer some questions.........I don't eat out a ton, because we only have about 98 dollars a month to live on which isn't even that much considering the low cost of living.  But sometimes I like to buy tortas or gorditas on av. del rosal. and there is an investigator who gives us icecream on calle malfalfa, and we are always travellling down puente rameriez.  If you are going to send another package, please send peanut butter.  They don't like it here, and if I can find it at all, it is in tiny containers.  And AAA batteries for my camera, because they are really expensive, some rechargeable ones would be nice if you could.

I am glad you are all doing good,  I will try to send you some pictures next week.

 

Con mucho Amor

 

Elder Joe Fuell

 

 

Feliz Dia de los Muertos (Happy Halloween

¡¡HOLA!!

It has been another wonderful week here in Mexico. I have a lot to tell you all about.  First I received your package yesterday mom, muchas gracias for the stamps, floss threaders and everything!!  I have a lot of letters that I have written people that I haven't been able to send, so hopefully you all will be receiving them within the coming weeks.

Our investigators are doing good, we had to drop some this week, two old ladies who sell random stuff on the street, but it turns out they were taking are pamphlets and book of Mormons stuff like that, and selling them to people, they tried to hide it from us by hiding it under  blankets when they saw us coming,  I wish we could get in contact with the people they sold them too. ha ha, I am sure we will find them eventually.

My companion has been sick this week with digestional problems but he has still been trying to work hard.  Some of our investigators gave him some cocaine in a little sack.  It was about the size of a ping pong ball.  We taught a brief lesson on the word of wisdom, took the cocaine and dumped it down the storm drain.  They came to church this week so I would consider them progressing.

Janaye I am glad you decided to be a clown and Tom a nerd, that is awesome.  I hope you are all enjoying your halloween.  Here it is dia de los muertos and we just eat this sugar bread stuff. its pretty good.

It was my companions birthday this week. so we partied hard by spreading the gospel which was a little difficult because he was sick.  but he got permission for us to go to dinner with his old football (American football) coach.  He took us to a buffet of meat which was really good.  My companion who is pretty big was really surprised when I ate more than he did ha ha. but don't worry, I didnt make myself sick. but we were there all day in another part of the city for our day of preparation. and we just got back.

This Sunday was super awesome for me because one of my best friends in my mission, our ward mission leader Isaihas, received his mission call this Sunday.  Here in Mexico the call goes to the stake president not to their house and the stake president wanted him to open it in sacrament.  He was shaking so much that he couldn't open his call. He got called to serve in Costa Rica and he is so excited.  His brother died a couple years ago and he said that he is going to serve his mission for both of them with all of his heart and all his strength.  I know he will because he is such a great guy.  It made me reflect and the importance of the call I have, and re-motivated me to serve with all my heart and strength.  I love this work more than anything I have ever done.

I love you all and hope you are doing well

Con muchisimo amor

Elder Joe Fuell

Sorry the letters are so late I will try to send them earlier next week, I dont like sending them so late either.  We have transfers in two weeks I believe, y voy a enviar los domicilios de los resturantes y cosas coma este proximo semana, entonces ustedes pueden ver en la computadora