Monday, November 28, 2016

Semana Dos en el Campo

¡Hola Familia!

I´m emailing from a ciber in Acapulco right now because tomorrow we are having a multi zone conference! Cibers are internet cafes that we always email from by the way. Something I was not expecting before the mission is that I would be traveling this much!

Jamiltepec is green, hilly, and hot! It´s surrounded by mountains. The roads are okay but are mostly dirt leading up to peoples´ houses. I´ve rolled my ankle a couple times hahah but its all good.

The indigenous people of this part of Mexico are called Mistekos. They have their own language that is nothing like Spanish. There are a lot of Mistekos in Jamiltepec so people tell me that I need to learn to speak Misteko but I haven´t even learned how to speak Spanish yet. So far, I only can say Nikumichu which means Buenos Dias, Buenas Tardes, or Buenas Noches. Luckily, most Mistkeos speak Español tambien so I think I´m okay.

A typical day for me is wake up at 6.30 AM, get ready for the day, and have breakfast. 8 AM personal study, 9 AM companionship study, 10 AM language study, and 11 AM First 12 Weeks which is instruction and practice with my trainor Elder Noh to learn more about our mission and how to be better. After that we begin proselyting which is visiting investigators, less actives, and recent converts, and always contacting. We have Comida at a members house at 2 and then continue proselyting until it gets dark, around 6.30 or 7 PM. Sometimes a little later, but the mission rule is generally to be home when it gets dark. Once we get home, we do daily planning for tomorrow and then we have time to do whatever else we want to get done before bed at 10 PM. Since Elder Noh is the district leader, three nights a week, he talks to everyone in our district on the phone which keeps him really busy. Elder Noh is very obedient, hardworking, and patient. I´m so lucky to have him as my companion and my trainor. He is such a good example to me. I try to make the most of our schedule every day with a smile on my face. I want the light of Christ to shine through me to everyone.

Since I've got to Jamiltepec, we've had more success than normal, Elder Noh tells me. We've had 4 investigators accept the invitation to be baptized! As it turns out though, that´s pretty easy to do. In México, investigators need to attend church 5 times before they can be baptized which is very difficult.

A couple funny things of the week. So we had fish at a members house this week that looked like she had just caught and thrown straight into a frier. There were teeth, eyeballs, scales, and so many bones. I was not used to that so that was not one of my favorite meals hahaha. Also, during a lesson with an investigator this week, she started breastfeeding her child in front of us so that was weird.

Something spiritual. Yesterday we helped another one of investigators go to church, Juan Merino. Hermano Juan only has one leg and is in a wheel chair. So we showed up to his house an hour before church started and pushed him all the way there through about maybe a mile or two of dirt, rocks, and crappy hilly roads. Before I would've thought that I would hate having to do something like this but the whole time, I felt confirmation from the Lord that this is one of the reasons I am out here on a mission and how I've taken for granted the blessing I've had in my whole life of having an easy commute to church. I´m so thankful for the opportunity to have helped Juan get to church this week and I´m so thankful for my opportunity to serve a mission. I know it will help me grow and learn so much.

Other facts. 23 people showed up at church this week. I haven´t had a warm shower since the CCM but I don´t mind it too much because it´s hot here. And the Spanish is coming along slowly but surely! I've had to learn patience here more than any other time in my life. It´s so hard to understand sometimes. Oh, and Elder Noh and I pass the sacrament every week. TBT to deacons quorum lol.

¡Haz lo justo!


Love,
Elder Tucker

Pics of the week

View from the roof of our apartment! We also do laundry up here

El frente de La Casa de Oración



The chapel without the chairs set up

Today in Acapulco 

2 comments:

  1. From Lisa Funk: "What an awesome letter!! I got emotional about you pushing that wheelchair to church. What an incredible and humbling experience. Such a good reminder to me of how blessed we are to have it so easy to be able to get to church. You are having an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing with us!

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  2. From Dwight Duncan: "His letters are so upbeat! Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

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