Week 63 - To Querétaro and back, sick stomach and changes!

Hello!

This was a pretty good week. We had to go to Queretaro for Elder Sapien's visa. That was pretty fun, especially having a sick stomach. I like Leon a lot better than Queretaro. I don't know why, maybe Leon has nicer people.

We started teaching a cool guy named Leo, he's 21, he's in the process of leaving alcohol and parties, he says that when he listens to us he has no more desire to drink. He says he wants to fill his life with light in place of darkness. We actually found him because we started giving english classes and his neighbor, Alberto (who got baptized last week), invited him to attend.

We also are teaching a lady named Juanita. Her daughter is 10 and loves to read the Book of Mormon, she even takes it to school. They live in very humble conditions, but you can see that the most important thing for them is family. 

We also found a less-active family that went inactive because the hno doesn't want to shave his beard. It's such a small thing, but for him it is very important. What are our spiritual "beards" that limit our progress?

Oh and Elder Sapien is going to open an area in Valle de Santiago, and I received Elder Ramirez from Kentucky. This'll be an interesting change haha

I can't wait to speak to you all on Christmas Eve!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

We also visited a Crypt, how do you spell that? At some catholic church. It was a little creepy tbh. 

Week 62 - Ras the Baptist

Hello!

This was a pretty great week! We had our ward christmas party and the stake christmas concert. It's been pretty cold lately, so we've been bundling up with sweaters and jackets.

Also, we baptized Alberto on thursday. It was a good and quick service. Alberto has been very happy since. He's a good guy, good example of being humble. It's been cool to see how much he's changed in such a short period of time. That's what the Gospel of Jesus Christ does, helps us change.

I am doing well, not much new going on here. We are going to have changes next week, so we'll see what happens. I hope I stay here. I like this ward. Thanks for all your support, and I hope you all have a great week this week. 

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

1: I baptized Jesus, hence the nickname.

2: Before the concert, at Parque Explora.

Week 61 - Aquarium

Hey all!

This was a good week. Not much new, but all is well. We went to the Aquarium today. It was cool to see the same fish over and over again haha but really there wasn't a lot of fish. We got to touch little turtles, they were pretty cool. 

Alberto is progressing really well. It's too bad his family doesn't support him much. We are excited for him though.

We had a pretty cool experience this week. We went to a very far place in our area, really the corner, to look for some ancient investigators, and we actually found one! Victoria and her four children. Her children are sooo cute and nice to us. They are 12, 10, 8, and 7. Victoria is a member, less'active, but has a lot of problems. She said that we arrived in just the right time. I know that God guided us to that family. We really are just pawns on God's chessboard.

I am very happy to be here in Leon. I love the ward, even though they have their problems, it is a good ward.

I also really liked the Christmas Devotional. I invite you all to watch it if you didn't have the chance. Hope y´all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

1: Yo, Aguirre, Paul, Muncey at the aquarium

2: Cool looking water

3: Alligator, or crocodile, who knows.

4: Turtles

5: fish

Week 60 - Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This was a good week! We found some really cool people. We found a lady named Jeraldina, her daughter was murdered about four years ago, and she said she hasn't felt peace in those four years until she saw us. We taught her and she accepted it all really well. She cried a lot because of the relief she had, she told us that her dead daughter sent us. Turns out her daughter was mormon. That was pretty interesting.

We had a pretty good thanksgiving lunch, chicken and rice, then for dinner we ate something a little more american. (See the pictures)

It was a pretty chill week, all is well here in Loma Bonita. Hope you all have a superb week! Thanks for all you do!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

1: Thanksgiving Dinner

Week 59 - Festival del Globo

Hey,

So yeah, the most exciting thing to happen in Leon every year is the annual hot air balloon festival. It was pretty dope actually. We woke up at 4:30 to get there by 5:30am. President and his wife were there as well, we went as a zone. There were supposedly about 200 balloons there. It was pretty cool to see them take off and then land, I have no idea how they steer, but somehow they do it. 

But in our area things are going well, not great, but better than before. I am excited for one of our investigators, Alberto, he's a cool dude. He came to church yesterday and liked it. He looks like Hugo from Lost, but just a little skinnier.

All is well here in Loma Bonita, pray for us!

Hope yall have a great thanksgiving! Eat lots of good food for me! I'm grateful for all of you!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

1: hot air balloons! (I'm not even sure that's how balloon is spelled)

With the Bimbo balloon.

I thought that hot air balloon almost fell in the water, but it didn't.

Elder Rasmussen

We are in Mexico, hence the coke balloon!

Week 58 - Divisions in Delta

Hello!

So this week I had to "babysit", I went with Elder Aguirre to his area in Delta. It was pretty cool to work with him and to know his area a little bit. He's a good guy, but he's a norteño, so you know what that means haha

We went to Costco again... That's about all that was exciting. haha I love and hate the hot dogs. They are good, but make you feel gross afterwards haha

But the work is picking up here in Loma Bonita. We received a reference of a super cool lady named Maria del Pilar. She is already doing geneology. She came to church yesterday. I am hopeful for her. All is well here. I am happy, just have a little cold, I swear I just barely had a cold. Who knows.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

1: Perfect Costco Hot Dog, with lots of jalapeños and cebolla.

2: Eating ice cream. It probably seems like that is all I do, I just eat. haha but we also walk and talk a lot.

Week 58 - 2nd Change in Loma Bonita

Hello!

So we didn't have transfers. Elder Sapien and I stay the same. I want to train, but I guess that'll have to wait. I am actually very glad to stay here, I am really starting to like the ward and the area. 

This week was pretty chill. Nothing new. Our investigators are just driving me insane, no one will come to church.

Today we went to the bus station and said goodbye to some missionaries. We waited for the new ones to arrive.

All is well here in Leon. I am learning a lot, everyday.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Rasmussen

P.S. I forgot to take pictures of my journal, I'll send them next week.

1: With Elder Paul, Muncey, Aguirre

2: Our district: yo, Sapien, Martinez, Warren, Villegas, Hinojosa, Smith, Cardenas

3: Before the sunrise in Leon