Week 30 - Easter?

Hello all,

Apparently it was Easter yesterday, haha. It did not feel like it at all. On Friday, it was santa viernes, so they just closed everything, even the buses stopped. There was no one home this whole week-end. And on Sunday, Easter Sunday, there was literally almost no one at church. Maybe they all went to Mass with the Catholics, it might be more fun over there with the parties and such.

In Tequis, they used to have Virgin Maria Parades, here in Querétaro, they don't. I miss those. It looked so weird. They would chant prayers. "Maria, la madre de Jesus, madre de todo bueno..." Oh Catholics. I wanted to take a picture, but that probably wouldn't have been the best idea.

Not too much happened this week. I forgot my camera, I usually take pictures of my journal, and then I can kind of read back and remember what we did this week.

Elder Rubio, is from Puebla, he is pretty cool. I have enjoyed being with him this week. We're still in a trio. We have so many elders come and go that our house gets pretty messy. Hna Williamson got mad at us for that, so we've been cleaning up today. 8 new missionaries come today, so we're at the offices getting ready for that.

It was a fine week.

Love you all, and hope you have a great week!

Grant

1. Video of Elder May. He says "Soy el Elder May... y este es la misión." This was at a service project.

2. "Development Center" I thought it was ironic.

3. Oh yeah, we went to a BYU-Idaho Symphonic Band concert, we helped as "Security" haha. It was pretty cool. The pic is from when we were getting trained on how to be "Security" and the band was setting up.

4. View of the west side of QRO

5. Avenida Belen

The BYU-I concert was at the Josefa Ortiz Auditorium: 

Outside: https://www.google.com.mx/maps/@20.5864557,-100.3783462,3a,49y,145.28h,90.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqdDNruRe4RQv34srAnfgsQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=es-419

Inside: https://www.google.com.mx/maps/place/Auditorio+Josefa+Ortiz+de+Dom%C3%ADnguez/@20.58595,-100.37805,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1s-1ACLVOE_nZ0%2FWLXds6xf6EI%2FAAAAAAABIT0%2FKODLeymiqhczud0cDkcIzF_YF74n9GZfgCLIB!2e4!3e12!6s%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-1ACLVOE_nZ0%2FWLXds6xf6EI%2FAAAAAAABIT0%2FKODLeymiqhczud0cDkcIzF_YF74n9GZfgCLIB%2Fw203-h152-k-no%2F!7i4032!8i3024!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xb0d96af5bbc488a3!8m2!3d20.5859499!4d-100.3780514!6m1!1e1?hl=es-419

Week 29 - In the same area? Sí. In a trio? Sí.

Good afternoon!

Today is the start of a new transfer. I am still in Villas with Elder Jimenez, and tomorrow morning we will receive Elder Rubio. He is from Puebla and E' Jimenez will train him to be the new visas secretary. I have heard only good things about him, so I am excited. We need a little boost in our area. 

We haven't done too much this week. Our baptism is going to be postponed a few weeks. Ugh. I can't catch a break.

I think this week I have been able to recognize and follow the Spirit's promptings really well. I feel like that is one of the things I have learned lately.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

I don't have my camera, but I do have a few photos.

1. View of Querétaro from San Jose el Alto

2. With the Bocanegra Family

3. View of the cool mall "Antea"

4. Con E' Pivaral, from Guatemala

Week 28 - Conferencia General

Buenas Tardes,

How are you all? Hopefully you all watched General Conference. We got to watch it in the chapel. It is waaaaay better in english than in spanish. How blessed are we to speak english! The language of the restoration. But I hope you all will go back and rewatch and read the conference talks. Imagine if it were Moses and Nefi speaking to us. Today we have real, modern-day, prophets! How cool is that. So let's listen.

It was a good week. Lots of stuff going on in the offices, so we weren't able to do much proselyting work. I really like this area, but I am ready for a change. Pres thinks that I will probably be here for two more transfers. That is 3 more months. We'll see what happens. I am fine either way. Changes are next week. I can't believe how fast time is going. It seems like I am waking up and going to sleep every time I blink my eyes.

All is well here! Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Grant

Selfie with Elder May, chapel Sombrerete. 

https://www.google.com.mx/maps/@20.6451124,-100.4161198,3a,75y,88.84h,86.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxwH8wynLkMNW8807873YhQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Week 27

Hola,

This was a good week. We had interviews with President. He is really cool. He knows how to help us really well, I can tell he receives revelation. He is scary when he gets mad though, we can hear him when he is in his office when he is getting after some of the disobedient missionaries. I try to always remember that so whenever I am tempted to be disobedient I remember how scary president is angry and then I have no more desire to break the rules haha.

We didn't have too much success this week. But we met a lot of really great members and people. I am always surprised at how great some people are. You can never judge someone from the outside. 

I don't have any crazy stories for you all, but I am really happy to be here. Today we went bowling and went to buffalo wild wings. There isn't much more to do here haha. Mexico is great! All is well. Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Grant 

Selfie, with Elder May not looking.

Week 26 - 6 months!

Happy (late) St. Patrick's day,

I turned 6 months today! I am officially a fourth done with my mission. How sad is that? It has been flying by. I can't believe it. It seems like every email I am finishing another month. But I am really glad to be here. 

We had a super awesome lesson a few nights ago. So, context: we had contacted a street a few days earlier. A family had just pulled up and were getting out of their car. I gave them a card and explained that families can be together forever. They said we could come by a few days later. So we did. The guy, Oscar, said he believes in a superior being but not necessarily God, and especially not a Christian view of God. But his wife, Itzil, is a Catholic, so basically she's never read the bible, and doesn't really know what she believes in. We taught that God is our loving Father in Heaven, and a little bit about the Plan of Salvation, how our message helps families in this life and in the life to come. 

They explained that they had a falling-out with the Catholic church because they weren't married by the church, only civilly, so they couldn't baptize their baby girl. We explained about Baptism and that little children are alive in Christ and don't need to be baptized. We extended the invitation to them, and she said "Yes, if I receive a confirmation that your church is true", and he said "Same, but I want to know more." I can't believe the complete change he made. I am super excited to keep teaching the Trejo Family. It is just one of the many tender mercies I have seen this week.

The church is true. I am doing well. We are going to play soccer in an hour, then we are going to go eat with an investigating family, then more appointments. I am really happy. Life is good. I really hope that you all have a great, safe week. 

Love,

Grant

P.S. Oh and I did get a hair-cut. Thanks Elder Jimenez and Elder Asencio.

With Giovanni, 17, preparing for his mission. We went to visit families with him. He is cool.

Week 25 - They came to church!

Hola,

This was a really fast week. Time is starting to fly by. Sometimes I forget that I am in Mexico. Don't let anyone know this, but Querétaro is almost like the US. We are just in like a ghetto US city where everyone speaks Spanish haha. I am really blessed to be here. We hear stories from other missions, and it makes me feel really grateful to be here.

We had a family come to church yesterday! Adan y Monica Larga Garcia. It was awesome! That was so awesome! They were kind of uncomfortable, but they liked it. I can't imagine what it would be like to come to a new church and not understand anything that is happening. I am hopeful with them.

We went bowling and then went to Pizza Hut. It was awesome! I am really liking it here in Querétaro. I forgot to take pictures of my journal pages, so I'll send those later. 

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Grant

Pictures at Pizza Hut.

P.S. We haven't had time to go get haircuts these past 2 p-days. So today we are going. My hair looks so fluffy and bad haha.

Week 24

Hola!

This was a really good week! Who knew it would be so frustrating when people can't go to church? But it is. We have a few prospective investigators, but Satan is trying to get at them. We will see how this week goes.

We've been working this week to help the missionaries that finished their missions and to receive the new missionaries that will arrive in a few hours. 14 newbies are going to arrive, 12 finished.

Elder May's new comp is from El Salvador, Elder Mercado, he is really cool. We all live in the same house, so it is kind of like we have 3 companions, not just 1. 

I am at the offices now, waiting for the new people to arrive, we don't really have a p-day today. But I did get to watch the Face to Face with Elders Eyring and Holland. https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/face-to-face/eyring-holland?lang=engHere is the link. Watch it. It is very good!

I am happy here in Querétaro. Not too much is new, but I am still working hard and seeing many tender mercies. The church is true!

Love,

Grant

Selfie with E' Jimenez