Another week of Miracles

Hola,

it has been an awesome week down here full of miracles and adventure and all that good stuff.  When we were reporting to the assistants they asked us a miracles that we had witnessed this week, and they were thrown back in their chairs when they heard all that had happened.   I hope I don't forget anything.

It was a super cool week to find lots of families.  I love to teach families together, because you can see more of the picture that our heavenly father has for us.  He put us in families for a reason.

One of the families we have been teaching came to church this week, we had to run to the bathroom to blow my nose because I have a cold, and while we where gone, presidente valdespino sat and talked with them (he was president of missions two times, stake president two times, bishop two times, in the area presidency two times and lots of other stuff).  when we got back Presidente Valdespino said,  there ready to get baptized but cant do it this week because he has to go out of town but in three weeks would work for all of them. . .  I don't know what presdente said to them, but I am super excited to baptize this family and they are excited too.

Elder Rios and I are teaching really well together, there are times when we leave the lessons and we are just astonished at some of the things we have said or we begin to understand the doctrine on another level because we can see how it applies more to the lives of our investigators.

One of the people we found in the Tiangis, her name is Giorgina, she couldn't be taught in her house so we went and taught her at the church, she is really awesome, after we taught her we showed her around the Church and the relief society sisters where doing homemaking stuff.  When we walked in everyone was said Georigina!?! because they already knew her.  Then she asked the important question.  "why haven't you guys invited me before?"  The sisters where all speechless because we always ask them for references and they always say, "no Elder, I have already talked to all my neighbors and no one wants to listen" but since that moment with Giorgina we have received a bunch of references.

But the miracle that takes the cake this week was with Ruben.  We where teaching him, and the spirit was so strong.  He told us  that he will never forget the day that we knocked on his door.  that he will always be grateful for what we did.  He told us how his life for the last 3 years has just all gone down hill and that he was about to commit suicide when he heard a knock at the door, and it was us.  He said at that moment he knew god was aware of him, and that he needed to get closer to God through us.  For elder Rios and I, we have never had an experience quite like that.  I am honored that God allowed us to help him in his time of desperation.  I am grateful that we listened to the spirit to knock on his door. . . . In reality I don't think I will ever have the words to describe how grateful I am for that experience, and how grateful I am to be a missionary.

I was also reading a lot about Captain Moroni this week, because it is just super motivating,  I read it and then I tell it to elder Rios so he can be motivated and then we just try to motivate our zone, like Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty.  Life is great I really couldn't ask for more.  I can still use more white shirts though if you want to send them, and audio visual of conference would be great too, but its all good.  I am doing great. I love you all and hope that you have a great week.

Con Muchismo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

It really has been quite the week here!!

Hola,
It has been another great week here in Mexico, I am glad to here that you are all doing well and that you had a great birthday Tom!! That was crazy to see that picture of you all with Parker Evans.  I didn't recognize you Janaye.
 

Congrats Dave with getting your Duty to God award for deacon.  Way to keep moving along.
It really has been quite the week here.  We had changes, but both Elder Rios and I are staying another change.   This is his fifth change in the area, so I have to help keep him alive and excited because a lot of missionaries get stagnant when they have been in one area for a long time.
 

This week we tried to do some new things to find people.  We put up a stand in the street market, which isn't uncommon, but usually when the missionaries do it they just sit there and wait for the people to bite, like fishing.  For that reason I am usually against it because I have never really had the patience for fishing.  But analyzing our current situation we thought it would be a good idea to go to the market because that is where the people have "time"....something that they are lacking in most other places of Mexico City.
 

Instead of just sitting there we contacted every person who walked by our stand and we found a ton of investigators!!  There was one point when we had 12 people there all listening to us explain about Christ coming to the America!!  It was pretty cool.  We were still fishing but we did it with "nets" and we found a ton of people through that activity.

Right now we are also teaching English classes and piano lessons.  It has been fun but a little frustrating at times.  Patience is definitely an attribute I need to work on.

We are also teaching a bunch of professionals, or people who were professional, athletes.  Ruben who was an Olympic medalist in Tae kwan doe, (I think he got bronze?)  Javier who was in the national soccer league on the number one team in Mexico (America).  Johanna who is on the professional women's soccer team for Mexico, and Miguel who played professional baseball here in Mexico.  So we are trying to plan some cool sporting activity or something like that so we can find more people.  That's the thing that is kind of difficult sometimes about having such a small area, but we are seeing progress and having a blast.
 

I love you all have a great week.
Con muchisimo amor,
Elder Joe Fuell

We have been working hard and having a great time!!

Hola,
It has been a great, and wet, week down here in Mexico. We have been working hard and having a great time.  We have seen some real progress this week, in our area and in our zone.
 

Tom! Happy Birthday on Friday!!!!
 

Derek and Ashley, Congratulations on being parents!!!
 

Mom I got your package!! Thanks a ton for everyone who put things in. I loved the voice recorder thing. That was super cool to hear all of your voices.  When I send it back do I send the recorder thing back or just the tapes?  Thanks so much for the white shirts, everyone has commented on how different I look with a white shirt without holes, almost like I just arrived to Iztapalapa.

Last night we were coming home from a district meeting on the other side of the zone, and it was raining super hard and very dark.  We were running (probably wasn't the best idea because we couldn't see that well) and I tripped and slid for about 4 feet on the asphalt because we were running down a hill.  I got a little scraped up but luckily my suit didn't get one hole. Its a little dirty but I sent it to the dry cleaners this morning.
 

This week I was determined to have 5 more investigators progressing by the end of the week. We have been doing two inter-changes every week to help with the zone.  So me and Elder Rios only had two days to work together, but somehow we pulled it off and had 6 new progressing investigators at the end of the week and 5 more people in the church than usual. And these people are the prepared of the prepared. 

Kristina,  I might have already told you about her.  She will be the next Relief Society president, I am sure!!  As an investigator, she has already volunteered to go visit the less active members with one of her friends in the ward.
 

We have been really focusing on helping our investigators receive answers to their prayers and have a bit of their own revelation.  We taught Laurena who is just really cool.  She loves to pray and read the Bible and the Book of Mormon, (what more could you ask for in an investigator?)  She didn't want to get baptized because of some fears she had of her extended family not excepting her decision.  We taught her how to find an answer from god, through, prayer, the Book of Mormon and church attendance.  She received an answer!  This is her discussion with her husband who is not a member: 

Laurena- I have received an answer from God and I am going to get baptized.
Jose(husband)- Oh really? When?
Laurena- the end of this month (we didn't put that date. She put if for herself), and I want you and Carlitos to be baptized with me
Jose- OK.
 

Wow.  cool experience right!?!  It is not our job to covert.  Its the investigators job to pray and find out for themselves if what we teach is true.  Also this week I went to Mirasoles (area I used to be in) for inter changes and I had the opportunity to see Fransisco, one of my converts.  When we where there talking to him, one of his friends who is also christian, came up and said, "this church you teach  isn't true, you are crazy,  the Book of Mormon is . . . blah blah blah (the usual). And then Fransisco said "I know this church is true because I have asked God in prayer and he has answered me.  The guy really didn't have anything that could contend with that powerful testimony, so he left.  It was super cool to see Francisco bear that which he knows.  But yeah,  that is pretty much all that happened this week.  It was a good week but we are looking to do better next week.  

Next week I will have preparation day on Monday because we have transfers on Tuesday, so I will let you know if I stay or go,  Love you all
Con Muchismo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

Way to go family!!!! You all are rocking the missionary world!

Hola,

What a great week down here.  It has been super fun, and I was super stoked to hear about all the awesome announcements.  Lindy!  I am super excited for you! You will be an awesome missionary!  My companion says you can write him if you want.  Justin!  I am sad that you will no longer be serving in the Riverton area...I was looking forward to seeing you there, but its all good, you will have an awesome time down there in Florida, and I am super proud of you!!!  Way to go family!!!! You all are rocking the missionary world!

 

News of the Week:

I met the new President. He is way cool, and loving. (I think it was this week . . . this week has been a blur)

 

There was something wrong with all the chicken in Iztapalapa, like chicken flu or something like that. Anyway I was the only one in my zone who didn't get sick. but everyone is getting better,  I think it is over.  I am just trying to stay away from the chicken for right now, but its tuff when 90% of your diet consists of chicken and rice.

 

We had my first zone conference today in which my companion and I were in charge of.  It was a ton of fun.  I love my zone a lot and it is super fun trying to help them to have more success.  I talked about reducing "bottle necks" in helping our investigators progress.  (I don't know how I remembered about bottle necks dad, but thanks for teaching me ha ha).  It went super well!

 

Dall and Dave, I hope you enjoyed your bacon sundae's and I am glad to hear that you are all enjoying yourselves up in Washington.  Sounds like you are having a blast.   You will have to do it again sometime when I get back.

 

We found a super awesome investigator this week.  His name is Alberto.  He saw us walking on the other side of the street and chased us down for 5 minutes.   When he contacted us he told us that he wanted to learn more about God.  Tat is not something that we hear every day as missionaries.  I gave him a pamphlet of the Restoration, and when we came back the other day for the appointment he said he had prayed and he knows that it is true.  I know people are prepared to receive this gospel.  That things like this aren't coincidences.  When he contacted us he thought we where Jehovah's witness's but after  he received an answer to his prayers he has no desires to leave this church.  It is crazy how stuff like that work sometimes.  I am happy for this opportunity I had to help him come unto Christ,  even though I didn't do that much.  I love you all and hope that you are all having a wonderful time.  stay safe.

 

Con Muchisimo Amor,

Elder Joe Fuell

It has been a wonderful week here in Mexico, filled with lots of changes.

Hola,
It has been a wonderful week here in Mexico, filled with lots of changes.  I am not sure where to begin, I believe I will start with the changing of apartments.  We couldn't find anyone with a car to help us move (taxis and metro are more commonly used for transportation purposes) so we carried everything (refrigerator, beds, couches . . . yeah we found couches!)to our new house, and luckily the rain stopped at just the right time, so none of our stuff got wet.  It was only us, the bishopric and the missionaries from the other ward.  Our ward mission leader was going to come and help with a truck, but he is like Tony Romo, when we need a play he doesn't show up . . . ha ha.
 

Great thing about the house, Carpet!  It is the only place in Mexico where I have felt carpet under my feet besides the temple.
While we were moving Elder Rios stubbed his toe, it was all black!!  He asked me what he could do to fix it.  I said I could amputate it and that's about it.  . .  so he called the President for permission to call the doctor.
So that was our first time talking to the new mission President, President Balades....He is super nice. I haven't talked to him in person but this Friday we have a meeting with him. and then Tuesday is zone conference.  I am looking forward to working with him.
 

Also, change of Mexico's President.  I don't know what is going on, I just know that Peña Nieto won and we cant go to the central because people are protesting.

I am glad to hear that all the Fuells are doing well, what more could I ask for.  I am sorry to hear about Jessika; send my love to the Swiharts.

Justin you haven't told me the thing about your mission call, tell me please.

Yes, I received Katie's announcement for graduation but still no package. About the water colors, one p-day i decided to be artistic and so we went to walmart and bought water colors and I painted a picture of the first vision.   I am super proud of it!! I have pictures of it that I am meaning to send you guys but I need to find a connection for my camera.
 

So, these last couple weeks have been hard to find people,  I have been doing everything I can because our pool of investigators is really small.  And it seemed everyday this week the contacts just got harder and harder, and less and less people said yes, until Thursday when absolutely no one said yes, and every one of our appointments fell through and it rained all day.  It was super tough and my companion was discouraged because the next day was almost the same until Friday night we went to lesson with a contact we had met in the street.  We went and knocked on his door, I think we were both kind of not expecting him to be there, but he was . . . waiting for us!
 

His name is Ruben and he said he felt like he needed what we have.  He said he has been to a lot of different churches but he hasn't "Felt it" but he felt something when we stopped and talked to him in the street.  He wanted to know where our Church was so he could attend!  but he cant until next week.
 

It was a super cool experience and it taught me that I should be diligent and not ever be discouraged because the Lord is looking out for us.
 

I love you all and am glad to hear you are doing well.  I hope that you have a safe trip to Washington.  Love you.
Con Muchisimo Amor,
Elder Joe Fuell