Letter #42

Our mission leader made the ribs but the missionaries paid for the stuff. Elder Scott finishes in 3 months, Elder Candelario in January I think.

I think I will be able to Skype. (On Mother's Day) I just don't know who has the stuff for it. In my area the people are more humble and there aren't many members. I will think of who. We will be participating in the temple rededication in September. I don't know what we will do, but we will be there.

So this week started out stellar again. On Monday we visited a member who fed us chicken feet... That night I was throwing up until about 4 in the morning and we couldn't work on Tuesday for that. The investigators are doing alright. The Cano Piedras family are progressing. The son is doing better and reads the Book of Mormon and prays. The girl who doesn't believe in God read the Book of Mormon about King Lamoni. She now doesn't say that there can't be a God. She told us we need to help her grow her faith so that she can believe in God. Justino, Rosa, and Shari are doing better too. They are praying to know when they can get divorced and married so that they can get baptized. We are trying to help them in the process, but there isn't much we can do. The Chavez Montoya family went to the visitors center with us on Saturday and felt the spirit.

Saturday. We went to the visitors center. Rosa, shari, and the Chavez Montoya family went with us. We had a combi for the investigators and sister missionaries. We went in a Ford Explorer with the other elders and some recent converts and our mission leader. We enjoyed everything there and the investigators did too. Then on our way back... we were in the capital city (basically like Washington D.C. of Mexico) and a guy in a car opened his door and hit our SUV. We pulled over. Here in Mexico they don't exchange insurance. They debate who pays and then call police if they don't settle it. The police showed up an hour and a half later. Next thing you know it was 10 at night and we were in Mexico City (other mission). Then they went to court. We waited outside the court for 3 hours and then were able to come back home at 2 in the morning. It was super crazy being out in the capital. Sunday we were super tired.

Lately I have read the Book of Mormon a lot and have studied about the Holy Ghost in the Conversion. I would like you to read Mosiah 5:2 and see what happened after the people felt the spirit. We need to feel the spirit in our lives at all times. It will give us divine guidance. 

Love you,

Elder Finlinson

                                         Mexico City Temple Visitor's Center with investigators

                                                               Mexico City Temple

                                                       Waiting outside the courthouse

                                                    Finally arrived home at 1:56 a.m.

Letter # 41

I don't think I have bed bugs anymore, at least I hope. Well this week was interesting. I got sick on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think I ate something bad on Monday. Basically I just had no energy and struggled to move. I was also really cold all day. Then on Wednesday it was cool because we took a combi (a public transport here) and I tried to pay and he rejected the money and said "God bless you." I was super shocked and so was everyone inside. It was the first and last time I saw that man. Other weird things,  a guy contacted us talking in English. We couldn't teach him because he lives in Veracruz and was going to return. The kid was 18 years old and he didn't finish high school, but because he speaks English he got a job as an English teacher. It's crazy how much of a difference it makes to be able to speak two languages. Another dude contacted us just to say that he was in the "blood" gang in the U.S., but he got sent back. The dude spoke in rhymes which was pretty cool and crazy. Saturday we had a service project and cleaned the church. All us missionaries from this ward. And we ate Ribs and potatoes! That was a gift sent from heaven. Finally we broke the stereotype that all Americans eat are hot dogs and hamburgers. We told the missionaries this was American food and they were shocked. On Sunday after the meeting with President we went to visit a person who we had heard didn't want anything to do with us. When we passed by he said he had been praying that God would help him. About a minute later we arrived. He sent us off originally, but then about 3 minutes later followed us to tell us he wanted us to come talk to him. He told us that he needed help. We taught him the Restoration and how he can fix his problems. Then he accepted to be baptized. He is the first person in my time in Xahuento to accept to be baptized. 

The invitation: Think about your testimony and experience with the atonement and help another to find the peace and comfort that the atonement can bring them.

Also if you are going to send a package. Something I would want is sour candy like war heads. It is super funny to have latinos eat it. They always say ha ha white guys can't eat spicy food, but Elder Scott gave them sour candy, the faces they make are priceless. 

Love you, 

Elder Finlinson

               A picture from before but the computer he is using to send emails doesn't recognize his camera so no pictures for awhile. 

Letter #40

Elder Scott is from Loveland, Ohio. He will be going to BYU in 4 months. 

Haha those little kids make me laugh every time we pass. 

We receive the Ensign, but normally we get it late. I loved conference it was amazing. 

The work here is pretty good. We visited a lot of less actives and recent converts. It's hard because every time the inactives say "This time I really will come to church" then they don't, there is always a dumb excuse. The recent converts we worked a lot with Hermana Rosa Maria Velasquez and her son Tomas. We did service for them washing old things she bought to sell in the flea markets (strollers and other things) then they locked themselves out on accident. The first thing that came into my mind was "American Ninja Warrior". I jumped up and climbed on to their balcony. From there I had to do a stretch and horizontal leap to grab onto an open window on the second floor and then climb in. If I fell it would have been a solid drop on concrete. I did it and then opened the door for them.Technically it would be classified as something dumb what I did (the mission says not to do dumb stuff), but it was for a good cause. It was also a Huge adrenaline rush. 

Rosa had been telling us about a friend she wanted us to meet and teach. A few days before, I felt I needed to contact a person in the street last week. She said that she knew Hermana Rosa Maria. We talked with her about Christ and what he can do for her and her family. We went and talked to Hermana Rosa about the experience and she said that the person we contacted was her friend that she wanted us to meet. 

The familia Chavez Montoya are ok. They couldnt go to church Sunday for a baby shower. We visited them and the Dad said. "Its crazy but since you guys came there has been a difference in the house. My wife and I don't fight and there is more love in the home." We are hoping to help them more with this and that they accept to be baptized. 

Other things. I think I had bed bugs this week so I have bites on my legs and stuff, so that's super fun. It's also been really hot and dry. A few druggies contacted us this week... as they were drugging themselves. A lot of people have asked me to speak English to them and have asked for translations for a lot of things. 

Thats all

Love you

Elder Finlinson

Letter # 39

Well this week was an interesting one. There was a lot of really cool things. 

This week we had the best zone meeting, it was normal until Elder Scott bore his testimony of the Atonement and Repentance. He went out in the mission for a bit and then realized he needed the atonement in his life. He ended up having to go home for 11 months to repent. He said it was the hardest thing he did in his life and the most rewarding. He felt the love of God so strong and he knew with a surety that God knew him and that Christ suffered for him. He is one of the most powerful missionaries I know. 

We had a fun experience this week. When we walk around in the streets we always get comments and stuff from others. Sometimes its things like swear-words, but other times its things more funny. This week was funny. We passed 4 little kids and we said hi. They just stood there staring at us. We kept walking and then I heard, " Adios Guapo!" from a 3 year old girl and then "adios mi amor" from the 2 year old boy. That was cute. Things like that happen sometimes being a white dude here. 

Then came the conference. I know that these people receive revelation from God to talk to us individually, if we let them. I wrote questions and prayed that God would answer them. He answered in a big way. There were some people that I thought were talking right to me. Some of my favorites were: 

David A Bednar "Godly fear dispells mortal fear"

 Wilford Anderson "learn to hear the music"

 Dale G Renlund "Twas  I, but Tis not I"

 (Priesthood) M Russell Ballard "raise the bar"

(Priesthood) President Uchtdorf- how god looks at the heart

Gerald Causse "Dont take things for granted"

Brent H Nielsen "prodigal son"

Jeffrey R Holland "Christ won´t let us go" (This talk cut out on us, but I loved what I heard)

President Uchtdorf- Grace and how we have it

It was amazing, the familia Chavez Montoya came to the conference and then stayed for the baptism of the little girl. ( Andrew was able to baptize a little girl that the sister missionaries taught.) It was amazing. 

I know that God loves us individually and He wants us to feel His love. 

The invitation is that you think of the time you felt His love strongest for you, then give Him thanks for that experience. If you haven't had that experience, do all you can to get closer to God. He is there waiting.

Love you 

Elder Finlinson

                                      Andrew with Elder Fraser from his CCM (MTC) district.

                                                       Photo shoot in a power outage.

                    This is the almost 9 months and "pregnant" picture. All of these missionaries have                                been out 9 months as of April 9th.

Welcome to Xuhuento