Dec 30 2013

Christmas here was also pretty relaxing! Monday was a half day because the Pres gave us until 2 to write, wash clothes, and other stuff and then at 2 we had to work again like a normal day. On the 24th we tried working as normal but everyone was celebrating xmas so basically we just eat a whole bunch with the families that we visited that day. That was pretty fun because out last appointment that day we ate tamales a lot of desert (truffels, brownies, and cupcakes) and we played uno and jenga with the family. On xmas we got to have our Pday so it was another very relaxed day. Early in the morning we went to eat breakfast with one of the families by our house. We ate tamales and ham, it was very good. We ended up staying at their house until like 3 en the after noon playing Texas Holdem. That was the first time playing for me and my comp. so we obviously lost.  But it was fun to play a game that envolved their whole family. It will be really fun to play settlers of catan again. I think i have eaten more food than i should have this week and with this week being new years there will be more food this week too. 

Its crazy to think that i will be entering my last month of the mision in just a few weeks. Im a bit bummed that christmas has passed. I really enjoyed sharing messages about the birth if Jesus Christ. I practically carried with me the whole month the DVD of Joy to the World. I watched that in the houses  of other people like 20 times in total. BUt i really enjoyed this christmas season, as well as the year before.

I cant wait to see you all again, im even more excited now that i just talked with you all.

Have a great new years!

Oh i now have a camera, and sent pics.

Love 

Elder Evans

 

 

Dec 16 2013

Hey everyone hows it going!

So today i start my last transfer. Time has gone by really fast and i feel that it will keep on going by fast with the holidays coming up. Speaking of which i will be skpying home on the 25th, i still dont know what time though. Surprisingly my companion and i are not getting changed so im most likely going to stay here until i go home. Im alright with that because i know and like this ward. The areas a little bit hard but we are working had and doing everything possible to have succes here.

We have found a few new people and set baptismal dates with them but they werent able to go to church for some reason. We are going to have to work something out so that they can get to church this sunday. That has really been the biggest problem so far, getting everyone to go to church.

Im really excited for christmas, i still dont know what my plans are but im really excited to skype home and talk to you all. And then like a month and a week later i will be getting home!

Btw i got your package, thanks so much!. The pants fit great and today i will be making the andys mints cookies! Have you guys started making christmas cookies yet or no?

Well this weeks letter will be a little short but i love you all and talk to you in like a week.

Elder Evans

Dec 9 2013

Helo everyone,

So its starting to get a little colder here in Tijuana. During the day and at night i am totally fine with the cold but in the morning it is getting a little harder to get out of the bed and into the cold. 

I also got some bad new, i was planning on making the cookies this monday but we wont be doing that anymore because our house was broken into saterday night and took a few things from us including the mints and chocolate. I was told that there are more cases of roberies and broken en houses around this time of year. One of the things they took was my camera and with it the memory of my pictures from mexicali until now. They also took my tijuana and mexico jersey, mexico hat, medicines and cologne, a suitcase, pants, and some other things i cant think of right now.

Saturday night we had a conference for all the missionaries and ward counsel members of tijuana and ensenada. It was a good conference i enjoyed it, it was all about who the ward counsel and missionaries need to work together with the new program Work of Salvacion. On of the brothers from the ward gave us a ride back home and when we got back we saw that the doors were all open in our house and the neighbors house. They had broken the locks and kicked the doors in. The brother stayed with us as we called and talked with the cops and at the end of all that we just stayed the night in our house with broken locks. I didnt sleep because i didnt like the idea of leaving our house and our neighbers house un watched over. The neighbors (two ladies 26-40yrs old, both teachers) were out of town for the weeked visiting family didnt get back home until sunday evening so they surprised as well when they got home. We tried calling them bothsaturday and sunday but the only number we had of theirs wasnt working at the time so we couldnt inform them. After talking with them we found out that one of them got their laptop stolen but nothing more.

Today the owner came with people to fix the doors and put new locks on. Everythings good now, just a little bummed out for losing the camera and photos.

Well i only have a little bit more time left and i will be back home. I guess the robbery serves as another mission experience. Its really weird thinking that Elder Neeser will be going home soon. All of the missionaries that i met when i got here have all gone home. 

I still dont have traval plans but im pretty sure i will be leaving home on the 4th of Feb. 

Well i a week i will be in my last area in my last transfer. Im pretty excited for changes. This week we will have the mission christmas dinnar too.

Well i hope you all have a great week and mom i hope you have a great birthday! Happy Birthday!

Love 

Elder Evans

Updated with some pictures. Presumably taken with his companion's camera.

Still smiling?

the damage

Dec 2 2013

Hola a todos,

Hows everyone doing? I hope you all had a great thanksgiving. How many people were at the country club? I enjoyed seeing the pictures of everyone. Was there enough food for everyone?

My thanksgiving was pretty a good one, we worked like normal until dinner and then around 6pm we went to the house of our ward mision leader to have eat a bit of ham and mashed potatos. The house wasnt that big and they had family over so it was a little crowded. The family was watching the polar express and i saw a little glimps of it and i remember when granddad was over for the christmas season one year and if i remember right he bought the movie and we all watched it. The movie really put me in the christmas mood, and all i want now is a little bit of snow here to go with the season. My companion is kind of a grinch and i dont think likes christmas...who knows haha. But transfers are on the 16th this month so i have no idea where i will be for christmas. I believe that i will be getting back home on the 3rd or 4th of feb. (it will be a tuesday). So after we finished left the house of my ward mision leader we went to visit a woman in our ward who live alone, she is from Vista Cali and had two of her kids over visiting for the holiday. We werent too hungry when we got to her house so we ate just a little bit of ham and then had a few slices of pie and cheese cake.

Work wise things have gone good this week, we found a few people and were able to place a few baptismal dates. The only problem is that none of them went to the church....so we are going to talk to them about that and see what happened. But there was one person that went to church, one of the members invited his friend over and we talked to him and he accepted an appointment and we are going to go teach him on wednesday. He seems pretty cool, i bet he is like 40 years old and he seems like a great guy... a little quiet but thats alright.

So between us missionary in the same zone we are having a present exchange, i have to buy for an elder named E. Matarrita, he is from Costa Rica and i think i will get him a dragon ball z toy haha, he is a super dragon ball z fan.

Well i hope you all have a great day, 

Love elder evans

Nov 24 2013

Dear everyone,

So this week got a little bit colder here in tijuana. During the day its not really cold at all but in the morning at 630 it feels pretty cold. Especially in the house because the house is made of solid concrete or brick and there is no instalation. We also dont have any gas, that ran out about a few weeks ago and we have been showering with really cold water. The water actaully feels like it was refregerated somewhere, thats how cold it feels. This past week i actually bought myself a sweater. The one i am  wearing in the photo. The year before i went pretty much the whole winter in short sleeves, so i know i can do it again but i really liked the sweater haha.

So this week we had our first real big rain fall and in all the time i have been here on the mision it was my first time being in a lightning storm, i really enjoyed it. Thursday was when it rained, it started to rain and hail at 330 when we were finishing up a lesson with a less active. From that point on we had like 2 appts and a whole bunch of plans but no one was home so we ended up be out in the rain for the whole storm. Alot of things got soaked, but thankfully out of all that got wet my camara and scriptures stayed dry. It was very interesting becasue here there i no drainage system so half of the streets were made into rivers, and we walked through water that got up halfway to our knees. I still have a few things hanging out to dry like my jacket and shoes. 

So i am really excited for this xmas season, i have seen a few decorations put up, but not too much. A few xmas light here and there. My bishop has probably the must decor that i have seen here. Nothing outside but inside the house he has a whole bunch of lights, holly, other stuff, and their tree. His house is pretty close to what i am used to seeing in the states. Probably more cali style then anything. Oh and this week me and my comp will be eating at my ward mision leaders house for thanksgiving. 

Well here in terms of work, our investagator that was progressing the most just moved to Montaray so thats a bummer but i am almost certain that she will look up the elders there. She told us that she even knows where the church is there. We had a few people assist church with us, it was a good surprise because the 3 that came were 3 that wernt really progressing but now i think they will be able to progress better and be more accepting to baptism. We will be going to visit them tomorrow. 

Well love you all,

Elder Evasn

ps. could u send me andies mints i really wanna make the cookies here for xmis but they dont sell them here. Andies mints and maybe chocolate chips are all i really need at the moment and probably wont be needing anythiing else until i get home :)

 

A set of abandoned weights they found

a downpour

 

Nov 18 2013

Dear Everyone,

Im glad you guys had a mostly amazing time in the Florida keys. It sounds like a really cool place, very different from minnasota. So do you guys know why dad got sick or passed out? 

So another week has past here in the Buenas Aires Ward. I think i only have like 11 or 10 weeks left. Im not really sure. Elder Rendon and i are working together again and we are working pretty hard. One of the goals that we are setting is to talk with everyone we meet and try and put an appointment with them to share the gosple. Now the majority of the contacts my not progress but we are deffinitely seeing some of the blessings of talking to everyone, we have more appointments each day and we have more people to teach. Its also very interesting meeting new people. Let me tell you, here in tijuana there are people of all different types. For example, i have taught people who grew up here in tj but really dont know anything about tj, good humble families that come from another state in mex looking for work, druggies or alcoholics, people deported from all different places in USA, people that have just spend time in the Salt Lake City jail, and people that were part of some pretty crazy gangs in LA Cali. Obviously we dont teach people that pose a threat to us so there is no need to worry. All the poeple that we teach are cool people just with very different stories.

I really enjoy teaching the gosple, expecially when i see hope that it brings the people that i am teaching. We are teaching a woman named M_____ and she has really takin an interest to the gosple. We started teaching here about a week ago and she is already reading in Alma. She has gone to church once and two RS activities and she loves it. The only sad part is that she is planing on moving back to Veracruz before december so we wont be able to be with her for the whole conversion process but she has already told us that if she leaves she knows exactly were the church is in veracruz and will keep going to church and we have her address so we can send the missionaries to find her. 

We are also teaching a guy named I____ who is actually from TX and he has gone to church 3 time, he goes every other week because that is what his work allows. He works 24hr then rests 24hr. Basically all he does is "gaurd" stay in a house that has been confenscated by the gov. He can basically do what he wants there as long as he is at the house and awake. He is really cool and has a date set for 12 of Dec. He still has a ways to go to being prepared for baptism, he needs to stop drinking. 

So this week we were walking around and found a house that has a whole bunch of house sized cages filled with different types a birds and we also saw monkeys. It looked like a mini zoo. It was pretty cool, we decided on knockin on the door and tried to set a teaching appointment with the owner but she turned us down very nicely haha. Oh well, it was worth a shot. 

Well i only have one transfer left after this, i doubt i will be here when i leave. They will probably move me out this next transfer. Love Elder Evans

 

 

 

 

 

Nov 10 2013

Hey mom and dad in florida!

Wow i cant believe it is november already. October went by super fast. 

I heard that Enders Game was out in theaters, here they have ads for all the movies that are coming out all over tijuana. So was it good? You think they did a good job of making the populer book into a popular movie? In a few months maybe i will be able to see it haha, i also heard that Thor 2 is out and that it is real good.

I have heard very little of the Philippines here, Just that there was a storm. I didnt know it was that bad! I really hope there werent any missionaries affected by it. How very sad. So basically what is left of the place? So what are the missionarys going to do that were assigned to there? Is Ellen going to stay were she is and continue working like normal?

So as you all know i had transfers today, but surprisingly i stayed here in Buenas Aires and my new companion is Elder Rendon (ex companion from Mexicali). I am assuming that in the the next transfer i will be leaving. Elder Haro and i finish the transfer pretty well, we found new people to teach and the work here is starting to left up again. We are still trying to set some baptismal dates but have yet to put any. Hopefulling this week we will be able to. As always on those transfer days im really tired so this letters not going to be that long but i was able to send photos.  In to picture of us eating tacos, we were with the bishop and his wife. the other family is of a family that i baptised when i was in industrail, got to see them again because industrail is in the same stake.

Well i hope you two have an amazing time in Florida

Love you all!

Elder Evans

Nov 4 2013

Hey!

Btw dropbox isnt really working to well on this comp so i cant see the pitures or send them so no photos until next week. 

So this is the last week of trasfers. Im actually looking forward to these transfers. I think i will be leaving this sector and the next sector will possibly be my last. But that also means that if you send me mail through my bishop i might not get it if i leave. 

Oh btw, did you guys try any of the water flavors or finish off the chacachacas?

So this week we had a special zone conference where we got to hear from a Area Seventy named Allen Walker. When we first heard his name i thought he was going to be american, then i saw him and his wife and i thought "yup definitely american", then i heard them both speak....definitely not american. They are actually from Argentina and they have a really strong/different accent then to what i am used to. It was really really cool listening to them speak, for the message they shared and for their accent. I have decided it would be fun to learn an Argentine accent. 

The message that Sister Walker shared was about being in tune with the spirit, companion, and the investagator. And the message that Elder Walker shared was about talking with everyone possible.

What i learned is that i need to do everything possible to have the spirit with me so that the spirit can testify to whom ever i am teaching, also that i need to be on the same page as my comp and we both have to be on the same page as our investagator (listening to them and then we the spirit will tell us what it is we need to teach to help them out in the best way possible). I also have to work harder on inviting everyone to come unto Christ, from the people we see in the streets to the people we sit next to in the busses.

We have been having a lot of trouble right now in this area in finding people that progress. We are working really hard with the members doing what we can for referals. We havnt recieved to many. But we have decided that if we do our best and talk with everyone we can the Lord will bless us with more work. 

Well i love you all!

ELder Evans

Oct 28 2013

How it all going? Im glad to hear you recieved my package. And yes i have been getting your letters. So guess what our house flooded sunday morning. Pipe broke underneath the toilet and well we were able to stop it but it took a little time, besides i also spent time to save all of our stuff that was on the floor and then talk a little video.

So my next transfer will be in 2 weeks.

Well i need to fill out a form to send to the offices so they can schedule my plane ride home.

I will be writing more later.

Love you Bye

Elder Evans

Oct 21 2013

Hey everyboday!

Well this week has been pretty busy. Mostly for all the meetings that we have been having, and then the baptism that we had this thursday.

Lunes - PDay

Martes - District meeting in the morning

Miércoles - Baptismal interview for Y____

Jueves - Zone conference then Baptism

Viernes - Interviews with the Pres. 

Sabado - normal day

So it was kind of an uneventful week other then the baptism. I would send pics but im pretty sure the computer that i am using has a virus and i dont want to risk damaging my memory. Anyways, the day of the baptism me and my companion were hardly even in our sector. We had to leave really early to go to the zone conference which was about an hr away in bus and started at 9am and lasted until 2:30. The conference was all about missionary safety. It was pretty interesting, the first time we have really taken so much time to talk about safety. Then after then conference we returned to our sector, eat lunch, and went to the church (which is outside of our sector) to start filling the baptismal font and make preparations. The ward planned the baptism to start at like 730 but i know it was going to end up starting a bit later then that because the dad works late some of the daughters in the family of the girl who was going to get baptised get out of school at 750pm and they dont have a car to get the to church and have to take a bus which takes a little while. Well a fin de cuenta, we went with a member to pick them up at 8. At the church the dad and the daughter got changed and really for the baptism, then we took fotos, and by the time we actually start the service it was 900pm. We got permision to stay out late from the assistents to the pres. It was a great service and a big day for the girl and her dad.

We found this family about a month and a half ago, they had reciently moved from Sanora and didnt know where the church was and little by little returned to church. Its a family is passing through a lot of difficulties but they are keeping at it.

Well i love you all, 

Elder Evans

btw i sent the package with my bishop yesterday 

and yes i got katies package.

Oct 14 2013

Hey mom i really dont have much time to write this week but i just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Matt and thank you guys for the packages. I believe i got everthing. The letters from you and hayley and the packages. 

I will be sending you a package this week probably wednesday morning. 

Love you all

Elder Evans

Oct 7 2013

Hey Everyone,

This week was pertty great. I really enjoyed General Conference! Saturday and sunday us missionaries basically spent the whole day in the stake center watching all the conference sessiones. The rest of the week was pretty normal. My new companion Elder Haro and i are getting allong really well. We had actually meet eachother a little while back. 

This week we got to meet a few new people to teach. One of which was a referal for one of the members in the ward. His name is Jaziel, and he seemed really interested in what we shared with him. He has accepted to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. He also accepted to get baptized if he feels that what we are teaching is true. He didnt go the church or see any of the conference sessiones and i dont know why because we havent been able to get a hold of him. We will keep trying thougth because he really seemed interested.

We also met a friend of a lady that we are teaching. His name is Nahum. He is passing through a lot of hardships in his life right now. Hes a really great guy and has two kids but after lossing his job his wife has kind of left them. She comes to visit every once and a while and apperently is very bi-polar, happy one day and super mad the next. I really dont know the whole situation between them but we started to teach him and he is very accepting to what we have taugh. We are basically trying to help him find comfort and streingth in the gospel. He was able to come with us to the first session of saterday conference. He said he enjoyed it and is interested in going to church the next week too.

I really enjoyed the conferences but i think i would have enjoyed them more in english haha. I think one of my favorite talkes was from Edward Dube, about how we cant look back yet because there is more work to do ahead of us.

I definitley have to rewatch the talks.

Well i really dont have too much to write about this week.

hope you all enjoyed conference

love elder Evans

ps in the pic, matt and hayley are the ones who seemed to have changed the most sense i have left.

and i have recieved a package and a letter. i hope by the end of the week i will be able to send a package home.

Sept 30 2013

hey Everyone!

First off! Thanks for the package! i got it thursday! The bishop told me that he called you mom, and he passed the hug you sent for me haha.

So as you may or may not know, today was transfer day and well i am still in the same spot (buenas aires norte) and i got a new companion today. His name is Elder Haro, and hes from el D.F., Mexico. Hes a cool guy, very quiet though. I actually met him before. Well today coming home from transfers, something happened that really made us laugh. A sister from one of my past wards gave us a ride and just so happen she had a short in the horn, and we were in some pretty bad traffic. It made me think of the Byran Regan joke. The horn keeped honking for long periods of time and all of us in the car, except the sister driving, just died laughing all the way home. 

 

So these last 5 weeks have finally paid off! Alberto y Maria finally got baptised! It was a very relaxing day that day, we practically did nothing because we were stuck in the church the whole day. We got their at 3pm to clean and started filling the baptismal font. At 530 Maria y Alberto got to the church because we were going to start at 600 but at 535 the ward mision leader called us saying that no one was going to be able to get there in time and so he moved it back until 730. So basically we just hung out in the church for 2 hrs talking and watching church movies. There was really no point in returning to the sector because Alberto and Maria were already there and the church is a little ways away from our area. It was a great relaxing day. The actually baptismal service, once it start, went just great. Elder Cruz and I were able the baptize. I baptized Maria and ECruz baptized Alberto.

This week we will be working with a member that has a few people he wants us to meet. Some people apparently really interested in listening. So pray for us that we will be able to start teaching these people and they will accept the gospel in their lives. We have a few people we are teaching, but we do need more.

Love

Elder Evans

Baptism day

EJ and keys (and very shiny shoes)

Hugging a dog

EJ, Elder Neeser (former companero) and two other elders

Sept 23 2013

Dear Everyone,

Well crazy enough this transfer is almost over. Truth be told, feels like it just started. 5 weeks have already passed and there is only 1 more left.

Its been a pretty great transfer, my companion is pretty cool and we get along really well so if we dont get changes im fine with that and if we do will i hope my next companion is pretty cool too haha.

So this week we have mainly been working with M_____ y A______, the little girl J_______ (here dad and sisters are members, and they just moved here from Sanora), and a few other people we have meet this week.

I sent a pic of M_____, A_____, Elder Peck (Elder Peck isnt my companion, we were on splits), and me. M______ y A______ are doing really great. They both went to church this week and are now all ready for baptism. They are planning on getting baptised this week on thursday. They have gone through quiet a bit to finally being ready. But they really worked through it using the gospel to help them. We explained to them the vision then Lehi had about the iron rod and the different people that tried to walk the streight and narrow path. There are people that try and walk the path without grabing onto the rod and easily fall away, then there are those that held onto it (a few made it to the end and a few didnt), and then there are those that grasped tightly to the rod and they all made it too the end. They have diffinetely been trying to grasp tightly to the rod, and now they are whitnessing the blessings of the Lord in their life.

The other people that we have meet this week arent progressing quiet so well sadly. We are going to keep visiting them but if they dont go to church or keep the other commitments there isnt really much we can do.

The ward here is slowly changing. They are making more plans on how they can speed up the work of salvation in the ward. they have made the plans, now we will see how everything works out. I hope its a success. Also our ward mision leader, who was just called, is really working hard and is helping us with assigning members to help us out with lession and work with our investagatores. Hes probably the hardest working ward mision leader so far that i have had. The WML in ensenada helped us out quiet a bit too. 

Well nothing really special happened this week but the next will have info on the changes and pics from the biptism.

Love you all

Elder Evans

EJ, his comp, and shovels

a tiny horse

The gray edifice that is in the process of being built is the future Tijuana temple!

M and A, Elder Peck and our EJ

Sept 17 2013

Hey hows everyone doing?

So today i forgot my cable to send fotos so i will send more next week. Also i have a package that i am going to send home this week. My bishop in the ward works in the post-office in san diego so i can just send stuff with him. And also you guys can send things to his PObox and it will get to me the day it arrives. His PObox is: [name and address redacted, but if you want to send him a package, email me--EJ's mother]

So im pretty much good in here, i guess the only thing i need would be more razer cartrages, im going to be out in about a month and a half.

Now this week went by pretty fast and really nothing different happen. We are still working with the same people and they are progressing pretty well. Now that we have to wait 5 weeks to baptise, the whole mission took a little dip in baptisms but should be back up to normal in a month. Maria y Alberto have a baptism date for the 26 of this month and then another girl that we are teaching named J____ has one for the 10th of Oct. 

 

Right now the biggest problem that we are facing is finding people to teach through the members. The people that we talk to on the street here dont mind listening but its a lot harder to get them to come to church. Its so much easier working with members friends or family becasue they are genereally more willing to fallow through with their commitments because they also have the encouragement of the members that know them.

Im really glad to be here and i am really happy to be apart of the Lords work. My favority part of being a misionero is when i feel like i am really making i difference in the life of another person, I know thats its the gospel thats changing their lives but it feels good to be a part of the process. Thats how i feel with A______ y M____.

Well i will be sure to notify you when i send the package.

Love Elder Evans

Sept 9 2013

Hey everyone sorry i didnt write last week... last week was kind of really busy.

Last monday me and my companion agreed to help a sister in the ward bath her dogs. She has 4 dogs and she doesnt know how to bath them more it grosses her out. I sent a pic of one of the dogs. It was 2 pittbulls and 2 chihuahuas. The chihuahuas were easy to clean because they are soo small but the other two took a little bit more time. The other two were all covered with ticks, super nasty. The dogs kept running around had wouldnt hold still. We grabed a chain and chained one of the dogs up and a minute later brock the chian. So we planned on only taking an hr to wash the dogs and ended up taking 4 and a half hrs. So we started writing later then planned and a few minutes into writing (i had only been able to write to the Pres) we got a call from our investagater and had to go visit them because the wife was going to be flying out to mexico city the next day and wanted us to visit before she left. It wasnt really much of at Preperation Day for use but oh well.

 So this week we have been equally as busy as monday. Running from one place to the other.

First off, the couple that we have been teaching A____ y M____... im sure ive mentioned them before. If not they are the two people that came up to talk to us in the street. The day before they were assulted and beat up pretty bad, the guy had problems drinking, and the relation between the 2 wasnt all that great at the moment. Well in these two weeks with the help of the Book of Mormon and a lot of praying they have been able the change their lives around completely! The husband has gone this whole time sence we first meet him with out drinking any alcohol, little by little m___ is starting to trust a_____ and they actually seem happy! they have gone to church twice and have loved it each time. They are reading the book of mormon. This week m_____ flew out to Mexico City to see her Grandma because he was sick and we have beening going over to visit alberto every night at 8 (when he gets off work) to help stay strong becuase his wife has been a really strong support for him and this week wasnt there. We brought _____ over to meet a few members that live around him, hes made some friends in the ward now that will also help him out. We have also been reading a chapter with him ever night from the BoM, we stopped at 1 Nefi 4 or 5. I really amazed to see the change he has made in his life, two weeks ago he was even able to share his testamony in Testamony meeting about the BoM and the change it has made in his life.

We have also meet another family that has reciently moved into the ward but didnt really know were the building was. They have been have a lot of problems lately. The family is made up of the dad and his 4 children (3 girls ages 13, 13, 9 and one 11yr old boy) his wife left them a while back. now they are here and he works all day almost every day and his a few of his kids are going to school. Where they life isnt really all that great either, lots of drinking neighbors. The family is really cool and really like the church and hadnt been able to go for 2 months so when we brought them this week they were very happy. The youngest girl had been baptised yet so we are helping prepare her. The girls was born at  6 months and because of that they say she is a really slow learning and is still learning how to talk properly. The dad wants to baptise here and thats alright because she understands things just fine and we have asked her and she wants to be baptised too.

It has been a busy but great week. there is still a lot more that i havent mentioned but dont really have much time to write about it. 

So that will be it. Oh and i have sent pic of my house here and the dog i washed.  You see lots of dogs on the street here....alive and dead.

Well have a great day

Love Elder Evans

 

One of the pit bulls he washed

His very clean apartment

Beds made!

Where he lives

 

Aug 26 2013

Buenas Tardes a todos,

So my first week here in this area has been pretty good. Its weird being back in TJ but thats all right. My ear infection has gone down a lot and i feel a lot better. Me and my companion are getting along really well, hes from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. Maybe Riley knows him haha. 

Its been a pretty great week. We have meet a lot of new people to teach. We are still working really hard to get referals, and we have recieved a few, but the majority of the people that we are teaching are people that we meet outside and start talking to them. We actaully had a couple come talk to use and tell us they want to listen to what we teach because the want to change their ways. Its kind of a sad situation becuase we first meet them, the day before they had been assulted and were beat up pretty badly. Its a couple both around the age of 25 and they have a little daughter that spends most of the time with the grandma because their living conditions arnt that great. The boyfriend (because theyre not yet married, but have been together for 6yrs) has a problem with drinking and becuase of some minor things he did under the influence of the alcohol he just about ruined his relationship and trust with his girlfriends side of the family. They both really want to change. We share with them how they can be forgiven and how they can change because of the atonement of Christ. They really felt the spirit and are really working hard on changing. They have put the goal of being baptised Sept 26, that means inbetween now and then they have to stop drinking and get married and the new rule here in mexico is that they all investigadores have to go to church 5 times before getting baptized. I really hope everything works out for this 26th. 

More news, we just had stake conference and i got to see and whole bunch of the people from Industrial ward and they all recongnized me. It was great being able to see them again.

Well i really dont have much to write but i will send pics of where i live the next week. What i am sending now is just a few from Ensenada.

 

Love you all

Elder Evans

 

 

Aug 19 2013

Helo everybody,

So today is transfer day and i got transfered. I am no longer in ensenada but back in tijuana. My ward is called Buenas Aires, and my companion is Elder Cruz from Oaxaca. I dont really now him well, i met him for the first time today. I really dont know my nex secter either, i have been in this stake (otay) but first time in this secter. So far things are going well. I did really enjoy my time in Ensenada though. The secter was full of hills but it was cool being in ensenada. Its been about 6 months sense i have been in tijuana. 

So this week has been really busy and im actually super tired right now. We have had a lot of lessons this week and were greatly blessed with a baptism. I would send pics but my memory has a virus and i cant open it on this comp. i am going to get it removed soon. 

But the baptism was great. The kid who got baptised is named Maurisio and hes only 9 years old but his family was inactive for 9 years so he never got baptised. The family is really cool, this took us out to eat in celabration of the baptism, we eat tacos. Its great seeing the family return to church and being able to get through all the problems the were facing. 

Then this sunday i woke up with an ear infection, and still got it. Im using drops, i really hope it clears up soon. And then in church they announced that one of the 14yr old boys died in the morning. He had gotten sick a few weeks ago and also had diabities. We went to his open casket thing yesterday and it was sad, but i didnt really know the boy very well. They asked us to come to support the family and to be posts by the coffin because the kid had desires to go on the mision when he grew up. Because we went their we delayed all of our appointments that day and ended up getting home a bit late. They spent the night packing.  

Well thats all im going to write because im tired.

Love, elder evans

Aug 13 2013

hey everyone, im writing today because yesterday was actually pretty busy.

So this week has been pretty crazy. What happened is that early in the week the presidente of the mision took away a misionaro from our ward and he is now working in the offices. So now instead of 4 misioneros there are only 3 and instead of being a 2 sector ward its one big one, so we lots of poeple to teach and they are all spreed out and there is just not enough time to visit them all. It has been pretty hard. 

We started the week pretty great and relaxed, we had a family home evening / bday party for the mom of the Padilla family. Lots of people went, we have been working really hard on helping them make friends in the ward.

Throughout the middle of the week we have just been going appointment to appointment and get home super tired and feeling good for the work that we had been able to accomplish but also overwhelmed with all the people we want to visit but cant because there wasnt enough time.

Oh and yesterday the whole zone got together for a zona activity and we all played soccer and at the end they surprised me with a cake for my birthday. It was pretty great!

This week we are expecting to be just as busy as the last one because we are still only 3 misioneros covering the same big sector. But we are also excited because at the end of the week we are going to have another baptism. And with that we will be ending this transfer. New one starts monday.

Well love you all

Elder Evans

 

Balloons and EJ

EJ looking pensive, while the companion makes sure there is a thumbs up in the picture

As much as I think mice are cute (yes, I do), baby mice are kind of ugly. I'm glad EJ is wearing gloves.

EJ's 21st birthday cake

21

These two must be good friends as well as former companions. Elder A has been in several of EJ's recent pics.

EJ and GIRLS (well, missionary hermanas)

 

Aug 5 2013

Hey everyone, 

I want to thank you all, mom, dad, katie, and everyone else who has wishes me a happy birthday. I think that would be really fun getting a job with other mexicans. i would actaully really like that. i dont know how much time i have though between mission and college. i think byui wants me to return as soon as posible. so my guess is that i will have 2 months. 

So time is winding down for this transfer. We have just ended week 4 of 6. the transfer ends in 2 weeks. But good news! WE BAPTISED this saturday! That family that i have been talking a little bit about in the past letters. They reactivated and two of the kids got baptised, and theyre dad got to be the one to do it. He didnt know how to baptise anyone so we taught him. And in the end it went perfectly. Today for our pday we are actually going with this family to celabrate. They asked me if i would help make a cake for the mom whos birthday it will be tomorrow. Its going to be a surprise for her. So its posible that i might not make a cake for my birthday but thats all good because i will be eating cake today.

Now the only thing bad about them getting baptized this week is that it leaves us without people with baptism dates and now we have to really go hard looking for new people. But thats alright. We have a few prospects. 

So other cool this that happened this week is that we had an activity at the church and was a great succese. First off i will explain... Every last wednesday of the month we have a ward mision activity / noche de barrio. The ward had recently decided that we will be incharge of the activity every week. They used to switch off between organizaciones. Well the usual attence is like 40 people. We managed to fill the sacrament meeting room (140 personas). And it was a mix of members, investigators, and friends of members. It was pretty great. What we did is had a mormon cine. We supplied popcorn and drinks and they watched the movie. the movie was The Blind Side, everyone seemed to like it. It was great for us too because there was a few referals and our investagaters got to meet the members.

Well i got to go but i hope everyone has a great week 

Love

Elder Evans

July 30 2013

Dear Everyone.

Its great to hear that paul is doing great in the ccm de peru! Btw his friend Elder C------- is in my zone. Just thought id let you guys know. I heard about paul funny little run in with the pres of the ccm. Makes me remember when i was in the mtc. The pres there never came around checking our rooms, other people did, but never the pres.

So this past week was really fun and full of cake. The Familia P------- (family that we have been teaching) invited us the there house to eat dinner. We had been planning it for a little while but now we final did it. They make the food called Ceviche (wet salid made with fish). I really like it, and its pretty populer here cause we are so close to the ocean. I made a cake because they hear i like to make deserts and they wanted a cake. All 4 of us elders were there. Two of the kids in this family are going to get baptised on the 3rd. Only one of them was there that day because the other went to EFY this past week. It was a really great experience for him because he came back a little more excited for his baptism and he made quiet a bit of friends he says. 

Later the next day, Elder G------ turned 22yrs old. And because he doesnt like chocolate much he didnt eat from the cake we made the day before and i made him a vanilla cake. Me and my companion supplied the cake and the soda and they supplied the pizza. We celabrated at night when we all got home from working. There was a tun of food and everyone filled themselves up. It was all pretty fun.  And now this next week is my birthday.... im not sure if im going to make a cake or leave it to them to make one.... or who knows im kind of tired of cake. But oh well thats still a ways away and im really more excited about the baptism on the 3rd then my bday. 

The other pic i sent is of us in our zone preparing for a carne asada. For the activity we all went to the House of Prayer to do a carne asada. The house they use is huge! It even has a tennis court outside. 

Ok well thats enough for now.

Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Evans

 

 

July 22 2013

Hey Everyone,

This week has been pretty fun. To start the week the zone went to La Bufadora! It was pretty cool. I dont exactly know the science behind the bufadora and what makes the water shoot up but it is still super cool non the less. It is also super touristy and so there were a few people there speaking english and there were a ton of people selling things. I have learned its really fun to bargin, once you enter their little store they start trying to sell you something and if you think the price of something is a little high and start to leave they start trying to lower it and get you reinterested. 

Teaching wise... We have been going with the Fam P_____ about every other day. The Kids will be getting baptised 3 de Agosto. We are waiting an extra week because one of the kids is going to EFY. It will be a great experience for him. Every time we go visit them we have broughten different members so they can get to know the people in the ward. Yesterday we brought them to another families house for a Noche de Hogar. It was really fun. I gave the lession based of the talk given in the last general conference "Firm Foundation" or something like that. 

We have also been working with the brother of G_______ (recent convert of ours). His name is A____. He has been having problems with smoking and other things that are going on in his life and he wants to change. He accpted to get baptised, but we dont have a date set, we had one but he didnt go to church this week and he needs to first go to church and stop smoking before he can get baptised.

One day in the week we were eating with member and someone knocked on their door, i heard the voice and it was someone who sounded like they were just learning spanish in school.  We later ran into them when we left the lunch appointment and it turns out that it was a group on some sort of activity for thier church and they are visiting from Saskatchewan, Canada. They all spoke english and only one could speak spanish because she was studying it in college. We talked for a little while and then went our seperate ways. 

Well got to go. I sent a lot of fotos from the Bufa.

Love 

Elder Evans

The Waterspout, aka La Bufadora

EJ and his third companion, Elder A, both are now serving in Ensenada

EJ's district out on a fun pday activity

A variation on thumbs up that I like to call thumbs out.

EJ and a companion he had in Mexicali, both are now in Ensenada. Notice that EJ is doing thumbs up behind the seat. All you can see is his upright thumb.

a chess set  made Aztec-style

Some little bobbly head things