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