All 4 Lethaby's were Over the Wall This week!

February 13, 2017

HEEYY ESO NO ES ESPAÑOL! (Just because we were in Mexico at the same time does not mean we can speak the language!)

No te preocupes  :P

We had stake conference this week too! A member of the 70 came and he came and greeted J and M and gave them a shoutout from the pulpit. J moved out and still asks us every day when he can get baptized and now - I think it can be soon! In conference one thing that stuck out-  we should be adapting our lives to the  gospel, not the gospel to our lives. It is not "a priority", it is "THE priority". The  patriach in our ward is an example of this way of living the law of consecration. R was a reference from him, and this week he brought a friend who he met this week to conference, and told us his friend had already read the folleto (not even sure where he got it) and that he really liked the conference. We're gonna start teaching him tomorrow! I also found out about 80% of the ward is references from him (the Patriarch). So what does he do? He makes and sells brick for a living, and invited EVERY client to church. Almost all don't accept, but because he is consistant, the Teotlaltzingo ward exists.

Every one of us that has been baptized or gone through the temple has made a promise with God to live like that, so why don't we do it?! I learned this week who I want to be after the mission. Our ward (Tuscany) is so strong from the inside but isn't growing fast because we don't live like that. 

So awesome how Ben got home! Great guy.

Enjoy your time here in my country! It's super catholic! 

I'm gonna have 6 months this week. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! I can't.

Love you, so does God, 

Elder Lethaby

February 20, 2017

Here we are in San Juan Totolac my new area with my new comp Elder N!

This week on Wednesday we had splits with the zone leader and I was working in their area with Elder N and then on Saturday President called me and said "Elder Lethaby, on Monday you're gonna have emergency changes and go be a zone leader with Elder N". So here I am, Elder S is now with his other dad to finish his training for 3 more weeks. I guess one of the other zone leaders got sick or something so the comp of Elder N got transferred with him and I got called as zone leader. Pretty crazy and I am gonna learn really, really fast (I hope). As a zone leader we call all of the district leaders to make sure they're on top of things, we have intercambios with the district leaders and we are basically the example for 20 missionaries. This Thursday in the zone conference we will give training and I will conduct the conference. On Wednesday we have intercambios (exchanges) with one of the district leaders who has like 20 months in the mission and was zone leader for 6 months already and his American son who doesn't speak Spanish, 2 extremes, both will be interesting. I'm very excited and nervous and hyped because we are gonna be working really hard here. It's one of the best areas in the mission. The members help a ton, we meet in the stake centre, the area is known for its bread and hills, and this area baptises a ton. Elder N is like 6 foot 4 and from Honduras and is a very, very good missionary. When I was a district leader he called me every night to check how my district was doing so I already know him pretty well and we get along well. Everyone thinks we are both American. Elder S is now with Elder C who got here with me and is also very good. Overall super hyped. I was pretty ready for a change - haha. Still don't know what's happening in this area cuz I just got here but I have heard good things. 

Will be trusting a lot in Heavenly Father to help me fulfil this responsibility because it's a big one, but I know he won't give me something I can't handle :)

Love you

Elder Lethaby

Questions Answered:

Favourite scripture this week?

Mosiah 18, read it and think about what our family ward and church should be like.

Forgot to tell you in other email-Elder Stones is also a district leader and finding it a lot of work. You have something in common! Do you stay in touch?

Ya I saw him at  our district leader training meeting this week, he is hyped! Great great guy, so humble. Elder Allen is too, and he's training an American.

Has anyone hurt you while on your mission? Physically or emotionally? How did you handle it?

Mmm not much honestly, one sister was pretty sarcastic with me this week, but I'm getting into not being easily offended.

Any new favourite foods?

Hahaha no we eat the same stuff but its all good, always tacos

Had churros for dessert last night-but no chocolate to dip it into. :(

I have only had churros once here :( 

Do you ever have tosdadas? Shane's new favourite!

Ya all the time haha me gustan tambien 

How does the atonement strengthen you to do things in your daily life that you couldn't do on your own? Remember the atonement isn't just about going from bad to good. It's also to help the good be better!

Honestly it's something I have been thinking a lot about, this week specifically I was praying for help to develop humility and you really get experiences to learn about humility if you ask for them, or whatever tribute.

Favourite thing you taught this week?

Teaching a lot more from the Book of Mormon even with the basics like Nephi 3:7, to teach about obedience and faith, I feel my testimony grow a lot when I focus on the Book of Mormon.

Favourite companion moment?

When we had splits in his area and then I got emergency transferred to the same area 4 days after. Great guy. So far we haven't had too many moments but I would say just now with my new bishop and his family teaching us all about deep doctrine for pday :)

"Son, plant the seed and I will follow you." ~a non-member dad

This week I was thinking a lot about service. In our testimony meeting this week almost every member who shared their testimony said "Se que estamos en la iglesia verdadera." or "I know we are in the true church." But it got me thinking a lot. Are we just physically in the true church on Sundays? Or are we actually an active part of it, helping us grow? I feel like there are a lot of people who go to church if they have time to take the sacrement, hear a few talks and then leave. I am convinced that even if you have all the saving ordinances and you go to the true church, that will not do you any good at the end if you haven´t developed the attitude of service. There are people who serve in the church, and people who get served, but in our gospel principles class this week I felt the need to explain this as we talked about the millennium. The work we are doing right now is preparing the way for the second coming, for a time when we will live in a state of Zion, but for me Zion means every single member is living their baptismal covenants and serving with all they have. I know that this is the true source of happiness, the attitude of service. Like Scott said in his letter, there are not many times when we have the authority and responsibility to be this bold. We teach people straight up that they have made a promise with God and they aren't keeping it. The baptismal covenant. I challenge everyone to think about what they are honestly sacrificing for the church; are you in the true church or are you a part of it? 

Anyway we had an awesome super stressful week. R got baptized! He is so powerful in his testimony even when he just says things like "I feel better now, I feel peace." His mom called us 4 times this week to give us other reasons why he couldn't be baptized and every time we dropped what we were doing and ran to their house to explain things to her and help her feel the spirit. It's hard because she has issues and really just loves her son a lot and in a way feels like she's losing him. His mom ended up signing his baptismal cedula (not sure what its called in english) and she was at his baptism. 

He is a priesthood holder now and he will magnify it, I am sure. I was stressed a lot that something would happen to stop this baptism. Satan was fighting so hard, but we prayed nonstop this week for him, and we had a really powerful lesson with his dad there for the second time and his dad got really emotional about how much he loves his kids and all he has sacrificed for them. I felt so good promising him as a representative of Jesus Christ that all that he has done for his son is about to be paid back 100 times over through the blessings Raul will bring his family. His dad said "Son, plant the seed and I will follow you."

This week was incredible, I know this family will be an eternal family.

Elder Lethaby

Questions answered:

How is your camera holding up?

Good, I'm gonna send pics hold up

Do you ever explore on P-days? Visit old churches? Iglesia del pueblo de San Andres Hueyacatitla if you like the colour red!

No but san andreas is in my area :) we should probably get over there but we don't have members or investigators

Can you see the volcano from where you are?

yes

What’s the weather like right now?

nice, 20ish everyday and no rain and in the morning and night like 10 degrees

Spiritual thought to share with your fans?

stay tuned for the big email

Are there indigenous peoples in your area? Shane said there were mountain people in his mission that only came down from the mountains - but rarely.

Honestly not too sure, probably but I haven't heard much about that

Favourite study this week? What did you learn?

Studying the 6 letters I got :) Mmmm but also lots of PMG (Preach My Gospel), page 8 is the assignment for my district meeting this week if you wanna read it. (Help people qualify for baptism and confirmation by teaching them true doctrine and inviting them to repent and change their lives through making and keeping commitments that build their faith in Jesus Christ. These commitments prepare people to make and keep sacred covenants.)

Satan hates baptism so much....

Ya haha it's hard to get people baptized, even in Mexico, there's a lot of people who want to but something always comes up at the last minute to stop it - Satan hates baptism so much. R passed his baptismal interview though yesterday so he might get baptized this week but now his moms saying they might go out of town so we will see. She has gone from wanting to be baptized herself, not wanting anything to do with the church, to giving her son permision to be baptized all in one week. This has been hard haha because he is so golden and I'm pretty sure will serve a mission if his health and parents let him. But if his parents say no we can't do much, but for now they are saying yes. Also J and M are thinking they're gonna split up now which is really sad but also kinda good so they will be living the law of chastity. We stopped by this week and J says he still wants to be baptized so if he moves out like he says he's going to, we might see another baptism! Thanks for praying for them. 

The changes in the mission rules are crazy! Super happy that the Lord trusts us to use His time in the best way possible, I think we will see a lot more success with these changes. Also with the key indicators it will help a lot. Our mission had 13 before and now we will only focus in baptism and confirmation, baptismal dates, new investigators and investigators in sacrement meeting. That really is all that matters, the rest of the numbers just show how we are getting people to that point but the Lord also trusts us to know how we can best find them, get them to church, and get them to make this promise with God of Baptism. The broadcast when they announced all of this was awesome, I loved how they talk about strengthening the church, not just numbers. I feel excited to start this change with that in mind, teach people not lessons. 

We had a good week overall with some more good stories that you can all wait to hear - sorry. 

LOVE BEING A NARRY

Elder Lethaby

Questions answered:

So what will you do differently in your daily schedule with the new change in “hours”? Agency will be a big part in this!!President still hasn't announced everything but we will study less and teach more! Plan in the morning, sleep more (probably not really because district leaders don't sleep), and have'more pday. 

Have you ever done any magic tricks for the kids? Your companions?

Never but I should probably get into it

How are you at budgeting? Getting better?

We are honestly really bad, we just spend it and it has always worked out kinda. 

Where does most of your money go towards? Would it go further if you ate less fast food? I saw the subway pic!!

Hahaha ya subway was dumb, we could buy twice as much food for half the price in another place but I wanted him to try it but he didn't even like it. That was a day when a member gave us money to buy food because her husband wasn't home.

Best thing you heard from the World Wide Missionary Broadcast that you have applied to your labours….Someone said that you know you are teaching by the spirit when you learn from your own words, I learned from my own words this week which was pretty cool, like sometimes you don't plan on testifying of something because you don't have that strong of a testimony of that thing and then you open your mouth and the spirit gives you a testimoiny of that thing. 

2nd best thing!

The environment of the teaching situation starts being created at 6:30 am

Favourite learning from the scriptures this week?

Alma 26 It will be given!

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/26?lang=eng

Favourite new thing you love about your companion?

Loves to make "Hot cáke" and loves to burn them every single time hahah

Dogs and Sacrament

This week was really hard and funny and good. We had more investigators in church and more progressing investigators than I have had in my whole mission but only taught 19 lessons (half what we normally teach) because we had to go search a bunch of referals from the internet that don't exist. The family with the 45 year old woman is pretty funny, the son (golden) went to seminary every day this week and 2 days the teacher and other students didn't go but he still went and waited outside 20 minutes until deciding to leave. They brought their dog to sacrement meeting and it kept coming back in the building and my companion was trying to carry it out and it peed on him. Yes a dog peed on my companion in sacrament meeting! Good stories.

This week the stake president gave us the chance to train the whole ward in the 3rd hour of how they can improve in their missionary efforts. We showed the video La Expiacion y la Obra Misional which I think in English is The Atonement and Missionary Work, watch it and you'll get hyped. After we got like 12 referals from the members and we have FHEs with members every Monday for the next 2 months where they're gonna invite families to hear us! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spGtVY6L5jY

My district had a pretty hard week though, Linda Vista 2 had a baptism and they went for the investigator in the morning and she said she changed her mind and doesn't want anything to do with the church and the next day I went to do their other baptismal interview and the guy didn't show up   :((((. Satan is working hard in district 3. 

When all is said and done though I feel good with this week. We are starting to teach a lot more with the spirit, the patriarch goes to lessons with us like twice a week and helps a lot with that. I think were gonna drop J and M because they have had an excuse to not go to church every week for more than a month and they still aren't married :(. 

Ya I want to get back into exercise but it's cold in the morning now so I just do pushups and situps in the house. I have been here long enough that some members have noticed me getting fat. My companion is a good guy, he's beside me writing in 100% cap locks right now - not sure why. I'm starting to get some real good stories under my belt, some of which I will explain in more detail when I get home.

Sunny days here in Teotlaltzingo :) 

Questions answered:

Have things settled down since the gas price protestors were out?

Yes :)

Were the Canada mitts a bit overkill for your winter?!

Yes :) I havent used them yet but one day I will and Im excited for that day

Did you mail the tie? Copy the address from the email…I’m sure the post office can help you.

No but I have it with me all ready to go right after this

Any special message you want me to put on your blog? Missionary words or council?

Watch the video "The Atonement and Missionary Work" (I think its called that in English) and after ask yourself "¿What have I given?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spGtVY6L5jY

Are your new converts being fellowshipped by the ward? Being invited to homes, or to go to church together? FHE?New convert not new converts :( but ya a bit, we brought him to an FHE last week and he goes to church an hour early to help clean or picks up our blind investigator.

Do the members get “persecuted” or teased by others?Depends on the town, some not at all, some we arent allowed to enter because their catholic extremests and will physically remove you from their town if you arent catholic, all in the same area. 

Do you want Object Lesson ideas? Tell me what lessons and I’ll think of some for you.

Ya that would be good, Repentance and Obediance. 

Favourite experience of the week?

When the dog peed on Elder Salinas

Favourite person of the week?

Brother C. Does everything it takes to get to church even with oposition from his mom sometimes. 

So paying light bills is important? (pictures)

Ahh love hearing about adventures with the boiz!

I have one of my own to share: 

I don't know if you heard about what's happening in Mexico right now in the news but I guess gas went up like a lot a lot and the people are really mad about it so they've been like breaking into stores and vandalizing a lot, more in Mexico City, but also a bit here, like every store in San Martin (15 minutes away from our area) was closed and all of my district was told to stay home for 2 days. We were only like 2 half days but ye still pretty crazy. Everyone says nothing was actually happening but President isn't gonna take risks.

We also forgot to pay the light bill with some very inconvenient timing so they cut the light and we were in the house for like 8 hours on Thursday without light. SO GRATEFUL that you sent us flashlights mom! We were drinking a lot of milk so it wouldn't go bad. Pretty funny honestly. We have light again.

The son of that family I told you about like 2 or 3 weeks ago is really progressing nicely. He says he still doesn't have his answer, but he reads the Book of Mormon lots every day and prays every day and goes to church, so I think he will get his answer real soon/ he probably already has it but he just doesn't know. It was pretty rough though on Sunday, we were expecting 11 people at church and 2 showed up :(( everyone's sick ugh. 

My companion is doing good, really into object lessons which is cool, getting better at asking questions, now were just working on teaching faster because we always arrive late everywhere and I feel v bad about it. 

We had a very interesting week, finding lots of new investigators but honestly a lot of them are really weird, like they accept a baptismal date and the next time we look for them they hide in trees and stuff like that. It was a bit rough because in the first few days we were finding lots and lots of new investigators who all seemed really excited but then they gave us false directions or didn't go to church. We have gotten a lot better at getting the members motivated though, we shared with them in the Book of Mormon in Alma 4 how the church started to stop progressing and what Alma did after was share pure testimony against them. We taught that if they have faith they should not be afraid to be direct and blunt but still loving when giving correction. We shared this lesson with our recent convert, the bishop and the family of the patriarch. The bishop went with us to lessons the next day and went really early in the morning to bring our blind investigator to church, the patriarch gave us a referral, and the next day when we went to visit our recent convert he brought his son in law to hear us and he accepted a baptismal date. These three experiences all came from reading and searching for Book of Mormon stories specifically of missionaries who baptized a lot. In the zone conference they asked if we had prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true as a missionary and I honestly hadn't, but as I see it working miracles in this area I can't deny the power of it. The ward is getting more excited to work and so are we! 

Your email with all the boiz got me hyped! Idk why but I don't think I understood they were all actually on missions with lots of the same experiences as I have. 

Other cool thing I want people to know is that my companion comes from a town where there aren't mirrors, like probably in cars but it's really frowned upon to look at yourself (considered shameful) but now he's getting really into it, sometimes he stops in the street to look at himself in the mirror, very eye opening for me. 

Good week, feeling good.

Elder Lethaby

Questions Answered:

Do you have cockroaches? As big as Tim’s (in the Philippines)? They’re inches across!!

Nahhhh I've seen like 2 and they're small.

Do you get invited to speak at church much? Or give lessons?Mmm we teach gospel principles every week, we're gonna start teaching a missionary class once a month and one time I was asked to speak 5 minutes before sacrament meeting, classic.

Are there interesting nativity sets there? Hand made?

Interesting yes, like super, bloody Catholic baby Jesus ones. Yes handmade

Do you have companionship goals?Yeee we wanna baptize 4 every month

Who helped you this week…either spiritually or physically?The bishop honestly got really hyped after the message we shared with him this week and went and showed us how missionary work is done. He brought our blind investigator "J" to church and is really stepping it up.

Found any Mexican candy you love?I'm getting into the weird chili candy that I hated before, these mango chili lolipops are pretty good, Sam probably knows the ones. 

Favourite scripture this week?Alma 4

1 Now it came to pass in the sixth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, there were no contentions nor wars in the land of Zarahemla;

 2 But the people were afflicted, yea, greatly afflicted for the loss of their brethren, and also for the loss of their flocks and herds, and also for the loss of their fields of grain, which were trodden under foot and destroyed by the Lamanites.

 3 And so great were their afflictions that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.

 4 And they began to establish the church more fully; yea, and many were baptized in the waters of Sidon and were joined to the church of God; yea, they were baptized by the hand of Alma, who had been consecrated the high priestover the people of the church, by the hand of his father Alma.

 5 And it came to pass in the seventh year of the reign of the judges there were about three thousand five hundred souls that united themselves to the church of God and were baptized. And thus ended the seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi; and there was continual peace in all that time.

 6 And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.

 7 Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.

 8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.

 9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

 10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

 11 And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people.

 12 Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.

 13 Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the poor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ’s sake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy;

 14 Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remissionof their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.

 15 And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

 16 And he selected a wise man who was among the eldersof the church, and gave him power according to the voiceof the people, that he might have power to enact lawsaccording to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.

 17 Now this man’s name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.

 18 Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.

 19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.

 20 And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.

Tlaxcala Zone

Feliz año nuevo!! And a message to the youth!

Hi everyone :) 

Got the packages this week mom! The socks are super comfy and I aprreciate the treats and the tie is really, really nice, one of my favourites, wore it twice already. Christmas at home is so awesome but I liked it here too.

Mmm as you can imagine lots and lots of fireworks here, and the people are really into having huge bon fires on their front lawn like 5 feet from the front door which was funny. My companion doesn't get why it's funny but it is. 

This week my companion got pretty sick with a sore throut to the point where he couldn't talk which was kinda lonely and also kinda hard to have unity in the teaching because I did 100% of it. I honestly learn so much as a trainer because I can't trust that my companion knows everything like I did before. For that reason I have really been praying harder this week, putting more trust in the Lord and he has helped us. 

We are going to the registry with J and M today so they can finally get married and then were gonna baptize them. They got back from vacacions with rings and I was so hyped because it's actually gonna happen now I think. We have lots of meetings right now but I like it a lot because I understand what they are talking about now so I learn a lot. 

We found a mom and her two kids this week who all want to be baptized through an 11 year old boy in the ward, so tell all the niños in the ward to get going. They have to talk with the dad though because he works far away and she doesn't wanna bring it up over the phone because his family is SUPER catholic and she's nervous he won't be ok with it because it might be hard on his family so we are fasting and praying really hard for them because they are awesome. The 11 year old son was reading the BoM and taking notes and the mom was asking about the difference between the Aaronic and Melcez. Priesthood in the second lesson. They get it, and we have really spiritual lessons with them. Pray for them!

Pretty good week, working hard, animados!

Much love :))

Elder Lethaby

Note from mum:

The following are photos sent from a family feeding the missionaries! How grateful I am!!!

First Christmas in Mexico

This week was crazy because we were barely in our area with the conference, my districts baptisms (I got to perform the ordinance at one pre cool), and just stuff, but we still got some new investis going :) Christmas here is awesome because everyone is fam time lovin. We got invited to eat with members and investig8rs and every single person, some better than others. Christmas eve we had tacos. 

Super super busy still, but it's teaching me to pray harder so that I can find time to do everything. When you have to not only know, but teach someone else how to do something like this, you start learning a lot really quick. Talking to the fam helped me see my own progress and feel better haha. So many powerful examples of other missionaries in this mission and our ward. 

GETS ME SO HYPED to see the boys all leaving. Can't wait to hear about what happens. 

Questions answered:

Saw a few pics of the Christmas party in Puebla…and even found you in a couple. Why were they wrestling on the floor (in their white shirts no less!!)?

Didn't see them wrestling but the Christmas party was surprisingly rowdy

Did you get any presents?

Got a scarf and socks and candy, forgot the scarf in the convi on the way home :(

Have you gained weight? I think maybe the angle of the tablet made things look a bit distorted!! Should I ask, “Do you want to gain weight?”!!! Haha!

I think I have, and I want to but not the kind I'm gaining - haha

Did you go to church on Christmas?

Yee just an hour but we went and so did some new investigators for the first time :)

Ham for dinner tonight…what are you having?

We don't eat with members on pday so we bought dominos pizza just now, last night some weird fish with J family