Week one of new change - We remain in Monclova!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Hope you're all enjoying the holiday!  How is everyone!!  What a fun holiday that doesn't exist here. I'm sure if there are a few kids that trick or treat, they hand out eggs and beans.  Salsa if you're lucky.  

Well, here is to the first week of this transfer.  Drum roll?  Well, nothing changed.  BUT, we are stoked for this change!  We have learned a ton and are more ready to take on this area.  The highlight of this week was that Luis had his bishop interview to receive the Priesthood! We are doing everything possible 

to keep him steady and active. 

  

Well, at this point we're pretty blank of progressing investigators but that doesn't mean anything.   A few weeks ago, we passed by a less active family and saw that the lady was brooming so we went up and asked for more brooms.  We stayed about 8 minutes cleaning in front of her house and leaving her with the church invitation.  She and her family have been inactive for about 2 years but they showed up for church after they saw us running like locos back and forth searching possible investigators to bring to church.  We noticed how a little act of service made for a big family change and were very happy when they walked in.  There is another family that occasionally comes to church with a 9 year old boy who wants to be baptised.  His dad has the Priesthood but has problems drinking.  We have been trying to help him for a few weeks  but he just doesn't have the desire to stop.  If not, we will be helping him to get baptised in the following weeks.  Luis' grandson is 7 years old, (in the picture) and loves going to church and always has his CTR ring on.

That's about what I can think of for this week.  We look forward to the next!  We are really excited to complete a lot of goals we have!

Until then, happy holidays!  Elder Warner

CTR power!

Week 6 - New Transfer!

Hello everyone! Well, we are at the end of another transfer. Wow, I'm tired. I always look forward to a fresh transfer, a fresh start. More than anything in this previous transfer, I learned a lot of attributes. Nothing close to perfecting them, but rather realizing the importance of each and praying constantly to obtain them. One of the things I am most grateful for that I have learned, is how many of people are ready to make covenents with the Lord, to recieve our message. This has been a really large focus for my companion and I, but, of course it takes a LOT to find these people. When I talk about obtaining attributes, I refer to Faith, Hope, Attitude and Diligence. How can these things be so hard to apply at times? To speak my honest feelings, I fear failing. And when I fail, I fear trying it again. I have glued, nailed, posted, stamped and tied the word, 'Hope' into my mind but in various times it seems to slip. I have been blessed to realize what I need to be better. I have tried methods of yelling at 6:30 in the morning, how many of God's chosen children we will find in that day! It's not the prettiest alarm clock for my companion but it helps with our attitude from the start of the morning, until we walk in the doors at night.

I have been thinking a lot about the temple lately. It has been over half a year since I've entered those doors and I can't explain to tell you how much I miss it! The people here are jaw droppen to hear that we have seen the Salt Lake temple. I love telling them it takes me 20 minutes on my bike to be on those hallowed grounds.

I love being a MISSIONARY! I remember the chills when I put on my name tag for the first few weeks in the MTC, and I can say that that hasn't changed. Only the letters are more faded and where once was white, it is a creamy yellow now. I share these difficult experiences because what would I be learning if I didnt struggle? I love it, I love it, I love it. And here we go again tomorrow!

Take care, Elder Warner

Semana 5

Good afternoon!  Well, we had a big week starting off with Elder Johnson from the Seventy.  He came and spoke to our mission. I had pages of notes and learned a bunch from his words!  He talked alot on ways of finding people, things we can try different in adapting to the culture here.  The other half he talked very powerfully on those people in whom the Lord is preparing for the Gospel. I loved this part!  Just within days it has helped us focusing center on those who are "chosen".

This week we started a clean plate.  We dont have any progressing investigators but it has been easier leaving those who accept, but don't progress.  I remember the first week here, we brought a family of three to church in which we were super excited for them.  Later, then finding out the mom couldn't leave worshiping idols. (It is very common here).  When the President's Assistent visited them with us, he told us how once he was in the same situation and wrote to the President and the President responded, "If you love them, you will leave them."

We think the ward is slowly coming back together. I have never seen any ward more seperated than this.  The bishop asked us before church to speak on activating members, so we take it as a sign he's gaining trust in the missionaries.

The picture I sent last week is of the oil vile that the son-in-law of my convert, Martha, sent me. I think its way awesome! Not to mention I have recieved about 6 letters from Martha and a few from her daughter and family.  It is so exciting receiving them.  She made my mission!

Well, I guess I will throw this in. We were contacting for a bit early in the week when a truck pulled up with about six Cartel members.  They rolled down the black window and all had bullet proof vests on and started saying a lot of things that my Spanish vocabulary doesn't interprate, to the man we were contacting.  I understood they said they weren't happy with his work and they'll be seeing him soon.  We stopped contacting that street this week.

Love you all! Elder Warner

Good Morning, my sweetest mom! 
How are you today!?  I can't believe your heading home from Pennsylvania, how exciting was that? I love all the missionary experiences you had, dad told me all about them. I'm so excited to read about your trip.  Well, for your previous email - yes, we like the house.  We have been backed up against the wall in many stages. At first, I was thankful in my home in SLC 'cause I had virtually everything.  Then, I got here in my first area and was thankful for hot water.  Slowly got to the point where I was thankful for fans to circulate the hot air.  Have gone to being grateful for water, hot or cold.  I never realized I was grateful for electricity but I missed that chance.  Now, I'm at a simple point where I am grateful for something.  So I say I'm so grateful for a roof over the head and a mosquito net to keep the cockroaches and mosquitos out.   What a transforming process of each house, right? I can't wait to see how the next house will be.  Yikes!  I can't believe the snow has started. I can just imagine you with the heat bill cuddled in your electric blanket. Ha ha, oh I love my mom!  Yes, I remember that coat that a humble member borrowed me, last winter after I arrived. Man, did I ever learn a lesson to listen to what my mother says.  Well love, I am excited to hear from you.  Travel safe and don't get stuck in delays!!

E. Warner

Hey all! What a faith trying week!  Here I go.  We have our investigator, the one I said will be in baptism clothes last week.  We taught, verified, rejoiced, made invitations and prepared for her baptism.   She was so excited.  We all got to church.  Her mother was able to come with her.  Ended sacrament meeting and suddenly everything turned around.  Her mom spoke for her, as she told us that her daughter isn't prepared and that they have to leave.  We sat there and wondered, what just happened.  It was like this dream just dropped and shattered.  We tried talking to her but her mom took off.  We still don't fully understand why.  Well, afterwards we tried figuring out the sudden change, prayed and waited.  We felt like she would realize that she is ready, so we prayed more, continued to fill the baptism font and lay out all the baptism clothes and sat outside during the meetings and waited.  Time passed and she never showed up.  The church serviced ended and we had to get back to work to find more.

Tuesday we had interviews with the President and he gave my companion and I an assignment, saying, "If President Monson were to call you and tell you," Elders, I have felt inspired to tell you that you have to search and find ways of how you can baptize every week, what will you do?"  Alot of the pain is feeling like we let the Lord down.  But we have to keep going to fulfill this assignment.

That's a lot of our week.  Besides that, we have electricity again.  Except for now, we don't have water.  We have to walk to member's houses to fill up a bucket to shower!  It's all good.

I read something I want to share with all those who have a mother.  When Christ was on earth he often called his mother, Woman. To explain, "woman" as applied by a son to his mother may sound to our ears somewhat harsh, if not disrespectful, but it's use was really an expression of opposite import. To every son, the mother ought to be the only woman in the world to whom the son owes his earthly existance and though the title "mother" belongs to every woman who has earned the honors of maternity, yet to no child is there more than one woman whom by natural right he can address by that title of respectful acknowledgement. LOVE YOUR MOTHER.  She should be the most important woman in your life.

Here's for the week in Monclova,

Love you all - Elder Warner

Dear Mom,

Hey love! How are you doing!!  Well, first I want to thank you millions for the wonderful package I recieved safe and sound last week!  Love the shoes! I'll use them for Sundays until these ones are unusable. I loved everything in the package!!  Thank you for it all.  I feel really wierd seeing one year mark things. I could have sworn I was just recieving over the hump cards in the MTC!  Loved your quote from Elder Holland.  As you could imagine it applied exactly to how I feel this week.  Thanks for knowing how to lift me up even when you don't know I'm down. I hope I don't ever sound like I'm depressed or tired in my emails!  I just tell it how it is.  There is no greater blessing I have then the Lords trust in me to allow me to suffer and learn from every situation on my mission.  I liked your section when you talked about the good things at home and how I'm showering in buckets. I have thought about your words and have realized that I fear going back home and living so easily. I can't explain exactly what I mean, but the mission is who I am.  I have become these people. It's what feels normal to me, in my comfort zone. I think about how at home we can sleep with out sweating quite literally cups of water, and being able to wake up and shower in a pleasing temperature, whenever you want.  There really is nothing that we don't have at the home.  Yes, General Conference was really good.  Ahh, seeing that beautiful building that I have grown up with.  I love where I am.   I wouldn't be anywhere else. I hope you're doing awesome.  I love you and pray for you.

You are my sweetheart!   Bryan

Week 3 of Second Transfer in Monclova

HELLOOO! What an awesome week! How was everyone's Conference? I loved Conference. Every word is golden. i could imagine when I get home I'll take Conference in a more serious matter than before. I paid really close attention to see if I could see any of you seated in the Conference building, and to the speakers as well, of course. I LOVED CONFERENCE. I only saw Priesthood session and Sunday's sessions but I heard all I needed to hear. Well, for this week I want to reflect on alot of my thoughts as I listened to Conference.

It has been 6 months since I saw our Prophet and his 12 Apostles. When I rushed in the small room where the few of us sat to hear it in English, I saw our Prophet on that small television screen and my emotions brought tears to my eyes. It was like before I had time to catch my breath, I was testified to, of the authority of that man. As I listened closely to President Monsen and his Counselors, there was absolutely no way I could doubt that each of them are chosen of God to lead each of us in these Latter Days. My mind has been turned since the last Conference and I see things in the eyes of the people of Mexico. It was brought to my attention that every word those men spoke, speak to every person, in every country, around the world.

I don't remember clearly but one of my favorite talks was by someone in the Seventy. He talked on the suffering of Joseph Smith and patience. I focused on his words as he told us that "so many of us pray for patience, but we want it now". In a mission you learn what patience really is. In each and every aspect. And we all have the agency determining if we chose to apply it.

This week we had to change houses, because the landlord has family coming to live in it. We found this beauty (I want to hear the responses of "what would you say if you saw this in the United States"). The blessing (ha) is we haven't had electricity. We can all probably count the hours of sleep we all got all week on 2 hands. In the nights we sweat, and sweat and sweat. We get ready in the morning with flash lights, and cook the top raman old school. It's basically a boy scout camp - in a blue house. We have called and told the landlord numerous times but he works on his own clock.

A cool fact about my companion! He lives really close to Chichen Itza. But, it's not what you think. He is one of those about an hour out, when you see the little shed homes. He is awesome, and humble. Love the kid. The cool fact is that he would go some Sundays, when it was free, and read the Book of Mormon by those beautiful pyramids. Can you imagine? He told me how easy it is to imagine and understand. How cool!

We have another person progressing. I don't doubt you will see the photo of her dressed in baptism clothes for the next week.

Love you all! Share your experiences of what you learned and thought about Conference, I would love to hear them!

Elder Warner

Elder Hemsley and I cooking boy scout style!  

With no electricity in our house, we have to resort to cook outside!

My retiring quarters

Home Sweet Home!

Watching as my companion breaks fire wood for our breakfast!