Week 33 - Happy Mother's Day Mom and Babysitting Elders

Hola,

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!! I love you soooo much!

It was a really good week this week and I can't wait to talk to you all on Sunday!

We had a really cool experience this week. Remember those people we found last week who told us they had a "hole" in their lives. We visited them a few more times and invited them to stake conference yesterday. About 20 minutes into the conference they come. I was so surprised. I couldn't believe it. They really liked it and we ate with them later that day.

Yesterday we had two lunch appointments. I was soo full, I felt like I was going to throw up. That really is the worst part of Mexico for me: we eat so much food. They always serve us a ton, and they always ask us if we want seconds. We always have to say yes. I always feel super stuffed for a few hours. It makes it hard to go out and work haha. 

But this week, we've had to "babysit" a few elders. Which means that we have to stay with them so they don't get into trouble. That was kind of annoying this week. This is the second time we've had to do that. It kind of stinks. sometimes literally. haha But I can't believe that the change is almost over.

Look for the little tender mercies we receive everyday. I am so grateful for you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Grant

1. When it went from a sunny day to pouring rain in a matter of seconds haha.

2-3. Selfies at the bus central. We accidentally took the wrong bus after stake conference and ended up going to the other side of the city. It was a fun experience haha. (taken on my piece of junk phone, at least I get to use a smartphone though, that's nice)

4. Also, a junky picture. But the sunset is so beautiful from up in our area.

Week 32 - Elder Jimenez 2x

Hola!

This week was ok. Just a normal one. Not much happened.

Cool story though: we went to visit one hermana, but she wasn't home. There was a couple walking a little ways away. They called us over, and told us that they want to listen to us. They explained that they have a "whole" inside them. They are missing something in their lives and they think we can help them. They say that they fight a lot and are having relationship problems. The thing is that they aren't married. We gave a really good lesson that helped them. We have another appointment for tonight. They said, "we don't believe in chances, we know God send you."

It was a cool experience.

All is going here in Mexico. 

We also received a second Elder Jimenez today, from Veracruz. Now I have two comps named Elder Jimenez. The old jimenez is going to teach the new jimenez about doing the visas.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Grant

Sorry, I mean a "hole" in their lives. My English is getting bad.

1.Fixing Elder Jimenez's scriptures with sealant. It worked!

2. Haircut

Week 31 - 7 Months and Freaking Cross-dressers

Hola,

This was a good week, it went by super fast. I feel like it was just last week when I was saying I finished 6 months. I feel like not much happened this week. 

You probably are all wondering what's up with my subject. I just have to ask "Why me?" Why do all the cross-dressers have to bother me? haha. We got on a bus, and I sat down next to a random guy near the back exit of the bus, I was on the aisle, and a cross-dresser and two other dudes were getting off the bus, while they were standing waiting to get off the bus, the guy in the dress was leaning his rear-end towards me, so I kept leaning towards the random dude to my left. I leaned until I couldn't lean anymore, and his rear end was touching my shoulder for a second or two. ugh. They called me a "white mormon" as they were getting off, haha at least they didn't call me a testigo (Jehovah's Witness), that would have made it worse. 

That was really the only eventful thing that happened this week, so hopefully you can just imagine the horror on my face as that was all happening.

But all is well here. Our investigators aren't progressing, so that's a bummer. But we'll just keep working, that's all we can do. Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Grant

1. In the offices, there are a ton of dying cockroaches. They aren't dead. They are dying, so they keep wiggling their arms. (Oh and some people like to eat those, they fry them and add sugar.)

2. Selfie with Elder Mercado, he's participating in Mexico´s famous siesta. He is Elder May's comp. He's going to get his knee operated on. Also, with my super wavy hair coming back. 

3. Another Selfie in the offices, with no one looking. E' May behind me, E' Jimenez being a frito on youtube, and E' Rubio to the right.

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.