Cambios en los Limites y Bautismo de Bertha

Hola

This week has been pretty good. The best part of the week was the baptism we had for Bertha, she is 13 and is the only member in her family now. She made the decision to be bautizada and was so awesome. I had the oportunidad to baptize her and she was so nervous before the baptism all the way up to the ordenanza. I remember we got in the water and she was breathing super heavy and I told her that it would be alright that it wouldn´t be very long under the water. As I started the prayer se puso calma and I just remember feeling the Spirit so strong as I lowered her into the water. I knew that she was an hija de Dios and that he was so happy with her in that moment. After the baptism and seeing all her familia there supporting her that weren´t members it was such an awesome service! I remember asking her how she felt and she told me that she had no idea how to explain it but she had never felt so new in her life. I know that this is the true Church and that the Lord is working entre nosotros. (I am sorry for the Spanish in here jajja I just don´t remember how to say it in English anymore jajaja). We were supposed to baptize 2 but 

Well this week there were changes here in the mish. They had changed the boundaries in the mish and now Elder Bentley and I are going to stay in Benito Juarez but we are going to be part of another Estaca. We are now part of the Estaca La Perla. They also changed our area a little bit so we are going to work and learn our new area this week. I am back to the La PERLA!!! JAJAJAJ I haven´t been there since I was born here in the mish. There is a good chance though that Elder Bentley and I could have changes together though and they might send us to another zone to be the Zone Leader´s there. We are waiting to hear if there is going to be other changes in the mish. I know that these changes are for the best and that the Lord is working entre nosotros and he wants the best for in this life and that is why we have changes. Changes help us to be better in this life and I know that everyday we can get better if we make changes in our lives and evaluamos nuestras vidas. 

Well I am super excited this week to meet new miembros and learn the area. Elder Bentley and I are super excited and we can´t wait for the oportunidad. This week we are also going to finish the Book of Mormon as a mish and I am so excited. Everyday for the last 3 months I have woken up so excited to read the capitulos and to learn more. I have come to know my better my Salvador and have greater strengthened my conversion. I know without a doubt that this the true church here on Earth que fue restaurado por el profeta Jose Smith. I am so grateful to be a missionary, yes sometimes it can be hard but I love doing it and I have come so much closer to my Salvador and I still have more time to know him even better! Yes there are days where it is hard like this week when Elder Bentley and I had stomach pain almost everyday but we know that the Lord is watching over us and that we can be instrumentos en sus manos. I invite all to read El Libro de Mormon but focus on how much it centers on Christ and you will come to a better appreciation for his life and as your Hno. I love this Church and these times I have had so far have definitely been the best. I know that everything happens for a reason and that these are the best moments that I will always remember. I hope you have a great week!

Elder McCain

Baptism

Hola

This week was super good! This week we had 2 baptisms on Saturday. The Hna Adriana y la Hna Lopez got baptized and I had the privilegio to baptize a la Hna Adriana. It was so awesome because Alamea came back to baptize and we saw the blessings. It was such an awesome servicio. Yo conté 52 people there at the baptism and it was full! The Spirit was so strong as we saw the support that the ward and their familias gave them en el bautismal! I was so happy to see that they had taken the decision and I really think that they will help this ward out a lot. This Saturday the 27th we are going to baptize 2 more people and I am so excited for it. Last ciclio with Alamea we worked hard to find more investigadores and we are seeing the fruits this week. I am having such a good time with my comp Elder Bentley! We are working hard and having fun while we do it. Right now we are focusing on in the mision is that every misionero contacts 10 people every day or at least talks with them about el Evangelio. It is going so awesome and we may not be getting the blessings from contacting but the Lord has definitely provided the blessings for us! 

El Libro de Mormón tanto poder. We are almost done reading El Libro de Mormón as a mision and I have felt that I have gained more of a conversion and have come to know my Savior por medio de este lectura. I am so grateful for everything that I have learned and have been able to apply in mis enseñanzas! This week we had a powerful leccion with a family sobre la familia y en el Principios del Evangelio we talked about the importancia en la familia and that every persona tiene responsabilidad in the familia. The first scripture of the Book of Mormon always draws my attention "Yo Nefi nací de buenos padres" I always think about this quote and was thinking a lot this week what had the parents of Nefi done to be such good parents. As we have been reading the Book of Mormon me estoy dando cuenta that really el ejemplo is how we can help our kids. I always look up to the example that mis papas me pusieron toda mi vida. I always remembered before the mish just not understanding things or why my parents said that I couldn´t do ciertas cosas but now in the mish just everything makes sense. They have been such a good example in my familia and I realize to have a familia exitosa it requires a lot more work and resposabilidades from each person of the familia. Elder Bentley and most of the barrios here in Mexico have been focusing a lot on the importancia of La Familia: Proclamacion Para el Mundo (Family: Proclamation to the World) I think it is like that in English jajajjaj. I invite all to study this in your Family Home Evening mañana and we really see the love and power that this proclamation brings in the family. If we are going to get to the presencia de Dios well we need to do it with our familias because we can not do it alone. There are 3 scriptures that I love en El Libro de Mormón. Se encuentran en 3 Nefi 18: 19-21 they say:

19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you. 

21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed. 

We have the promise that if we pray and that if it is justa then we will get our answer and if we pray in our families, they will be protected. I love these promises and know that the familias are so important! 

Well this week was good and I will have pics of the baptisms for next week! Hope that you all have a great week and that you enjoy the pic with me and the Queso Oaxaca. 

Elder McCain

The Lord is Preparing his People

Hola

This week was such a good week. Elder Bentley and I are having such a great time. This week we have worked super hard with the people that we had found Elder Alamea and I and we looked for several more people. Elder Bentley and I set us the goal to talk to everyone and be known from all lados. We want to be known as the "Guerros Locos" but that are always willing to help and talk to everyone. This week everytime that we see someone that looks at us weird because we are two Gringos we contact them. It is so funny because they are amazed that we speak Spanish, it is funny because some kids after leaving school or just shocked. This week we had an experience that was so awesome. On Saturday we were headed towards a cita when some dude started looking at us super weird and we said Good Afternoon to him and he responded in English but in really good English. We started talking to him in the street and telling him what we do but the hardest part about it all is that we did it in English, I don`t know why but it was super hard jajajaj. I have never preached in English before. His name was George and as we started to talk to him I could feel the Spirit so strong because he began to ball and asked for our help. He was actually on his way to buy drugs and said that he wanted help to get out of the problem that he was in. He lived in the United States for a while but ever since he came back to Mexico he has fallen hard. We talked with him for a little while and we invited him to church the next day. Yesterday he went and he stayed for 3 hours!!! We were so excited because he has the desire to change. We have a cita with him this week and we are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us and we hope that the Lord can help him in his change. He is a testimony to me that anyone can change and it is never to late thanks to the expiacion de JesuCristo!! Our Savior paid for our sins and we always have the oportunidad to change but only if we are willing to do it and recongize that it is necessary!!

This week had gone so great with Elder Bentley. We are working hard and having such a good time while we do it. This week we had an experience that was so funny. I went and did a interview for a baptism en el area Lucero and when we head back to our area we were waiting for a combi to get on. We saw the combi but it was on the other side of the street and there was no way we were going to make it but out of nowhere Bentley goes watch this and walks out in the middle of traffic and puts his hand up to stop the combi. Well he did a goodjob but the only problem was that he stopped all of the traffic as well and there were so many buses and trucks that got so mad and started yelling at him and honking their horns. Well at the end of the story we didn`t end up getting on the combi because he tried to go on the other side and itjust kept going and he was so embarrased because they were all yelling at him. I was dying laughing as it all happened because I had no idea what he was doing and it just turned into a disastre jajajjaja. It was so funny but I am loving my time here and the Lord`s work is going great. 

Well this Saturday we are going to baptize 2 and I am super excited! I have been waitng for this say for a long time and I will have pics next week!!! I hope all is well and everyone is having a great week! Almost done with el Libro de Mormòn and I am loving it so much!!!

Elder McCain

Decided to take a photo of the mole I ate today because it is my favorite food here in Mexico and the tacos of course!

General Conference and New Comp

Hola

What a great week it was this past week. Elder Alamea and I worked super hard especially to invite everyone that we could to go to the Conference and to listen to our Prophet and Apostoles hoy en dia. I loved the Conferencia! Honestly the messages that were shared were so great and I had some many questions answered. One of my favorite talks was from Elder Rasband when he talked over fear. When we have fear we are not capable to listen to the promptings of the Spirit in our lives. Satan wants us to fear and to not be able to recieve the inspiracion we need in our lives. I loved how the talks have changed my perspectiva on a lot of things. I loved how they talked about having "wounds" in our life and that everything in this life is to prepare us to live with our Heavenly Father again. I think the best part that has helped me to realize that everything that happens in this life is not to put me down but to maybe make me stop and think how can this challenge help my life and what is the purpose of it? DON´T FEAR ONLY BELIEVE. Our Heavenly Father has a plan for us that is so important and we need to put our trust in him at all times. I could go on and on about the things that I learned and the questions I had answered but I would be here all day long. I invite those who were not able to see it to watch it and I promise that your questions in life will be answered. I know that this is the true church that was restored bu Joseph Smith here on the earth. There is no other perfect book than the Book Of Mormon in our lives that will literally direct us as we stay strong on his path. I know that the Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de Los Últimos Días is the true church here on this earth and that hoy en dia we have a living Prophet and Apostoles that guide us and let us know how we can be better. I love being a missionary so much!

This week Elder Alamea and I had an experience that was so awesome that honestly was so impacting on my life. We found a new investigator at the end of last week and we invited her to church and she went. She has been going through a tough time, she lost her job and was living by herself. She asked us for a priesthood blessing so we gave to her and on Tuesday of this week we had a cita with her. We taught her and then after the lesson she gives us a call saying that she had just gotten a job that they just had called her and she had already recieved her answer that this is the true Church. She was reading el Libro de Mormon and read in Alma 5 when Abinadi was talking to the king. She literally opened the Book of Mormon randomly and she began to read 2 scriptures that gave her her answer and she began to cry. I would like to share these scriptures with you guys. They say: 

11 Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?

12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

When she shared all this with us I was so happy and I felt the Spirit so strong. This is a true testament to me that the Savior exists and when we want to know something and if we ask with faith knowing that the Lord will help us we will recieve the answer. This was another great experience that we had this week that I wanted to share with you guys. She is now going to be baptized on the 20th of October. I am so excited for it all! 

Well we had cambios and it was tough to say bye to Elder Alamea after learning so much from him but I am so excited to work with my new comp here in Benito Juarez. His name is Elder Bentley and he is from SOJO Utah jajajja South Jordan Utah. I am so excited honestly it is going to be so much fun as we have 3 baptisms coming up on the 20th. We are looking forward to finding more people to teach and to getting to know each other better here. Today it was tough saying bye to some missionaries as well who are going home because they have finished their missions. Elder Clark and all his generation is headed home but I hope to stay in contact with them after the mish as well. I hope all is well and that you guys have a great week! 2 hours of church starting January but I see it as more time with the family and bringing the gospel more fully in our houses! I love the Lord and his work! 

Elder McCain

Obediencia y Ayuno

Hola

This week was really good and flew by so fast. I feel like I was writing this email the other day. This week we had the opportunidad to fast for 2 purposes: 1. To obtain the conversion here in the mission and 2. to achieve our goal of 100 baptisms as a mission each month. It was so awesome to be able to do this fast because we know that the Lord is watching over us and is aware of our needs. We had great success this week as we found several new investigadores and we also found a family of 6 people that the missionaries had taught a while ago. In this time the missionaries have not visited them they have read almost all of el Libro de Mormón. We were so happy for the chance to find them and we are going to see what we can find this week. We also had 5 investigators in the church and 2 of them were ones that we have struggled to get them to the church. I was so happy to see that the Lord is really watching over us and is with us every step of the way. 

This week I have continued studying the Book of Mormon and I love it. This week I really learned a lot about the importance en la obediencia. There are usually 3 types of obedience. One is for love the other is for fear and the other is for convenience. Which one is the reason for why we obey? We had a lesson over that and we need to think about why we follow the commandents. We do it because we love our Heavenly Father, because we have a fear that we are going to be punished if we don´t or because it is something that is easy and that we already do and expect a reward from it. I have learned in the scriptures that the best way is through love for our Heavenly Father. We should not expect a reward but it should be a habit that we have to show our love towards our Heavenly Father. Obeying with exactness is so important and I have learned that those who are obedient love and enjoy the life so much better. The commandments are there for us to enjoy life and to be safe. The Lord wants the best for each of us so that is why he puts commandments in our lives. 

Today was a lot of fun for Pday. I am so sad but happy for Elder Clark as today was his last Pday in the mish. He has been such a great friend and was my first Zone Leader as well. I am going to miss him for sure but this friendship will definitely continue after the mission. Today we played basketball and ate tacos. It was a good day and I am grateful for everything that Elder Clark has taught me here in the mish. I am enjoying my time here in Benito Juarez with Elder Alamea and I am so excited for the Conference this weekend and for the opportunity to listen to the prophet here on Earth and his apostles. I invite everyone before entering the conference to go in with a question because I know that it will be answered. I am so excited for this weekend! Hope you guys have a great week!

Elder McCain

Noche Mexicana y Baptism

This week was a really good week and fly by super fast! This week Elder Alamea and I have been really focusing on seeing the investigators that we have right now are ones that are going to progress or if is time to give them some time. We have bastante investigadores but we are having a tough time getting them to the capilla el Domingo. This week really focused on the importance of el Dia de Reposo in all of our lecciones to make sure that they recognized and it is important so they learn more. There is nothing more frustrating having a good week teaching and then finishing the week off with no investigadores en la capilla. We had a lots of success yesterday as we had 3 investigadores in la capilla two of which have a fecha to be baptized. Elder Alamea and I have put goals for the month of September and we are working hard to achieve them and to do everything now to achieve the goals. 

This week I have continued with the 90 days of reading the Book of Mormon and I can say that all the times that I have read the Book Of Mormon I have never been so excited to read. Every morning that I wake up I always go check which chapters I should read and start to read them. I honestly love the power this Book brings and the change it is doing in my life. I feel of the importance of this Book and honestly because everytime I read it I feel like I learn more and more and I understand more and more. I can honestly say I have never been more excited to read a Book in my life than I am now. The teachings the examples it gives us in our lives. I admire Alma y Amulek a ton because the firmness they a pesar de todo that happens to them they stay strong and always follow the promptings of the Lord and what he wants them to do. Honestly they have helped me a ton as a missionary and have showed me that the problems I have are so that I can bring a soul unto Christ and help this soul learn of Christ and to enter in this perfect path that the Lord has for us. Changing the life of one person can change generations but honestly I think that all the lives who are being changed here the most changed is mine. I love these people so much and the other day it was funny because I had like a rush of energy and was talking with everyone and talking to them about the Gospel. I got some weird looks from the people and my compañero but I love this Gospel and want that everyone has the chance to hear it here where I am serving. 

This week we had la Noche Mexicana and I got myself a bigote and sombrero and was all ready for the night. It was with the whole Estaca Neza and there was dances and lots of good food. We brought some investigadores from our area and they had a great time. I love these people here and I am not going to lie I am kind of jealous because they know how to dance jajajjaja. That has just never been my speciality but it was fun watching and being a part of the environment. 

I also had the oportunidad on Saturday to go back to Volcanes to baptize the Hna Itzel. I was so grateful for the oportunidad. We found her and started teaching her with Butler in Volcanes and it was so awesome that she has a testimony and has changes a ton. It shocked me seeing how much she had changed and I was so happy that she entered in this camino that the Lord has prepared for us! The Spirit was super strong there and it was a great moment to be a part of! I love this Gospel and seeing how much happiness it brings into people´s lives and in my life preaching it! Hope all is well and that you guys have a great week! 

Elder McCain

Independence Day

Hola

This week was a good one. This week I had the oportunidad to work with Elder Northrup again, I have done a lot of divisiones with him and like always we made french toast for breakfast jajajaj. Got to keep the tradicion going! It was a good time we had a leccion with a family that the missionaries have been teaching for a long time. This family is super ready they are just scared for the change in their lives. We watched the video una obra en progreso and we talked about the importance of acting when the Lord sends something our way that we need to do. I love the sripture that is very popular in the Iglesia but has a lot of power to it in 1 Nefi 3:7. It is when Nefi says that he will do everything that the Lord sends him to do and will do it without complaining. We ended up putting a fecha with the Hna to get baptized and she seemed super excited about it. I knew that Elder Northrup was too because he had been working for a while with all the family and was happy that they had realized the importance in acting. 

This week we also had the Conferencia de Zona and it went super well. Elder Alamea and I gave a capacitacion sobre el estudio compañerismo. It is so important to love your comp here in the mish because if you don´t the work is a lot harder and the time passes by a lot slower. I know that every comp that I have had so far has helped me a lot to be the missionary I am right now. I had to say bye to Elder Fama and Elder Santiago and it was hard to see them go but I was happy for them because they had finished their time. It is so weird to see a lot of missionaries going home. I truly know that President Mann and his wife love us truly and want the best for us here in the mission. 

This week was Independence Day here in Mexico and we were locked in the house but Elder Alamea and I subed to the techo and we just watched the fireworks and all the people. Seeing all the people made me glad to be locked in the house jajaj. I am really enjoying my time here with Elder Alamea in Benito Juarez. I am so grateful that we are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission as well because I am learning so much! I love the story of Alma and Amulek and how they were in the carcel for a long time and thy finally screamed out to the Lord why they had to suffer o much and what they needed to do to be free. There is a quote that I read this week saying that the reason that so many things happen here in the world and sometimes we are pushed to our limits is because we have something to learn adn ecverything is not given to us by just asking for it. We need to learn before recieving our help. This week was good I am really enjoying the mission and preaching the Gospel bause seeing the change in people is what makes me happy!  Hope all is well!

Elder McCain