Monday, September 30, 2013

Week 6 - Pictures

Saying goodbye to his first companion
The Elders he is staying with until he gets his new companion
Wishing Zack Happy Birthday from Mexico

Day 84


Week 6 – 9/30/13

Familia,

 First off FELIZ CUPLEAÑOS to my little man zack! Im so sad I couldnt be there but I was thinking about him all day. I hope shelbs had fun at Homecoming! Thats not really a shocker, Lone Peak always wins ;). I am so excited for sunday! I hopfully will be traveling to Coatzacoalcos to watch it in English with some other white missionaries while my native companion watches it in spanish. I have not received my package yet. I for sure will get it this week though, because my new companion should bring it. If he doesnt, I will be traveling to Villahermosa on friday to get my green card, so I will just pick it up myself. 

 All is going well here! I am acctually in the city of Coatzacoalcos Mexico right now. Èlder Zuñiga left for his house yesterday. It was hard to say goodbye, he was a really good friend. And so now I am here with 2 other Èlderes in their area until my companion comes tommorrow. It has been fun! This city is huge! We are going to go to Little Ceasars today!!! and also Dairy Queen!!! I am in heaven. Mexico is so cool. The rain hasnt really stopped. This morning it hit so hard!! I wish I had my camera because it was so funny! Im not kidding, if you were to tie a string to the back of a car, and you grabbed a snowboard, you could wakeboard up and down the streets! There is so much water!! on more of a spiritual missionary note. We have been having great success in our areas recently. I downloaded some mormon messages and put them on a disk and have been using those to teach. It has been going really well! People have been learning so much more from the videos. I am doing really good. Loving it here. 
Talk to yall next week! Love yall!!

Èlder P

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Week 5 -- Pictures

That is a big bug!!!!
They do have his favorite treats in Mexico!!! Yay!!
Another baptism! (He is so handsome!)
His Zone! (There is another American)
After the baptism.

Week 5 (Mexico)



Week 5 – 9/23/2013

Another great week. I am still in that depressed mood. :( My spanish
has improved so much, but my pronuciation isnt the best. Entonces,
Elder Zuga will ask after a lesson how the investigator thought it
went, and they will say good. Also, they will tell them that the
understood everything but what I said, thinking I wouldnt understand
what there saying, but I do and it really is hard. But as it says in
D&C 4:6 remember to have patience. Its it the hardest thing but I know
it will all work out. Also I have just read about all of the bad
things that are going on at home and that doesnt make me feel any
better haha. I know things will get better because the Lord doesnt
bless us until The Trials of our Faith.'' Now on the bright side. I
had another wonderful baptism friday. The field is white, and me and
Elder Zuga have had quite the harvest haha ;). It has been a special
week. I have been praying earnestly this week that we can find people
that were ready to receive the gospel. My prayers were answered 10
fold. This week we received 5 referalls. We found 4 new investigators.
And we taught a man that wanted nothing to do with the gospel! (I will
explain later). The members here have been such a blessing. They have
finally opened up to us and shared references with us. Our new
investigators are very strong. Like Presidente Morales said,
''Everyone here has faith in God, we just need to guide them to the
right church.'' Now back to the man who doesn't want the gospel. There
is a boy here in our ward named Cesar, he just barely left for his
mission in northern Mexico. His 2 younger siblings assist church every
week, his mom wants to be baptized but cant because her husband doesn't
want her to. But earlier this week we stopped by to see how she was
doing. We talked for a few minuets then her husband came out and
started asking us questions about the gospel. Which we answered very
well ;). We talked all about the Restauraci. (Restoration) After the lesson Reina
(the mom) said that we will have to visit her again. So me and Elder
Zuniga will have to see how she is doing again ;). haha.
The storms here are fine. I know there has been terrible flooding all
around me, but here it is good. We have had a big outbreak of
''Dengue'' here. The father of our mission leader got it this week. He
had the kind that is usually fatal. But he pulled through and has been
doing fine now. Because of all the rain the mosquitos are crazy.
Its good to hear about things going on back home. I miss you all so
much. Love yall!!

Con Cari,   Elder Parduhn

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

VIVA MEXICO!! (Sept 15-16 Mexico's Independence Day)

Week 4 --Pictures

He loves little kids!!

Celebrating Independence Day!!



Celebrating his companions birthday!!


Week 4 Letter -- Tuff Week

Week 4 -- Mexico


Another wonderful week here in paradise! We had kind of a bummer week.
First off one of my favorite investigators Catolina can no longer meet
with us. She and her whole family are catholic and her husband told
her we are not allowed to come over any more :(. She took the lessons
so well and was excited every time we visited her. We will see how
things go. She also makes great snacks :). Second another one of our
investigators Fransico saw us walking up towards his house, turned and
ran away. It was kinda rude but hey, nobodys perfect. We had another
baptism this week! Remember Linda (our baptism last week), its her
son. Now her, her son Dyko, Kevin, and now Christopher are members of
the church! Its awesome. Oh my gosh he is the funniest little kid!! I
have never seen this before or even heard about this, but Christopher
our little convert (8 years old) started swimming after his baptism!!
haha it was the funniest thing. He was jumping around splashing,
jumping off the stairs into the font, all while in his white outfit
infront of everyone :D. Elder Zuñiga had no idea what to do haha. On
the bright side. We are preparing another little investigator for
baptism this week. Little Mario turned 8 last week and has been taking
our lessons and his mom want him to be baptized. The Zone Leaders are
getting mad at us because they have to take an hour bus ride every
week for the interviews haha. Hey its also Mexican Independence day
today!!!  ¡Viva Mexico! haha. Last night our neighbors (who is a DJ
for a profession) had a huge party in our parking lot. And apparently
you party until 3 in the morning. So I had to stay up late because a
buch of drunk people were jamming out to some Mexican music all night.
Apperently tonight is supposed to be worse. Because now its fireworks
and guns, so me and Elder Zuñiga are going to retire early to our
house tonight haha. I miss ya all! Cant wait to send some stuff home.
We live really close to a mail service, so I will try to send
something. If you can please email me a copy of MAX TREVAN TREVORs
farewell talks.
Love you all so much!

Con cariño, Elder Parduhn

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Pictures *Week 3* 63 days

He is a little to big!!

EEEEEK!!!!!


Hunters First Baptism (9-6-13)

Linda


The Dryer (I guess he doesn't use dryer sheets)

Being creative!! I love him!!

I am thinking Shrimp Cocktail!!  EEWW!

My Missionary!!

1st Baptism

Week 3 (9/9/13)

Wow this was a interesting week!! First off I have been really sick. I think it is because of the food here haha. It is soo different because it is alot spicier, and they feed you sooooooo much. They always ask me if I want more and I have to musscle it down. I hate being sick, but its ok it will probably pass. First off, Me and Elder Zuñiga were teaching our investigator Cristofer one of the lessons on Tuesday, and it wasnt going very good because he is 8 and of course cant sit still for more than 10 mins haha. Well we were about half way through the lesson when his mom (Linda, who was also an investigator) says under her breath "yo quiero ser bautizado", translation "I want to be baptized". Me and Elder Zuñiga had to do a double take haha. We were like "WHAT". She said again, "I have decided that I want to be baptized". It was soo cool!! We asked her if she wanted to this week and she said yes! So last friday I had my first baptism, and I got to do the ordinance!! It was the best thing! I was so scared because I had to do it in spanish and also their names here are huge! But, I did great (says Elder Zuñiga) haha. It is the coolest thing watching peoples lives change because of the gospel, and I am so glad for the opportunity I have to see it first hand. My investigators are awsome and so strong in the spirit. The members here are really active too. We teach soo many lessons with the investigators!! Me and my district went to the beach today! It was soo fun! I have some stuff to send home. We caught crabs on the beach, played soccer, and I found some really cool shells. I love that we only live 20 min. away from the beach! And it only cost us 40 pesos in a cab. (like $3.50). Everything is going great here! Its good to here about everything back home. Tell max good luck. Im going to try to send him a letter next. I love you all so much!!
---Elder Parduhn

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Week 2 -- Pictures (55 days)

Their new pet they found in there place!! eew!!

The streets in Mexico


The flash flooding when it rains!!

2nd letter(Mexico)



Letter #2(Mission field)   September 2, 2013


Familia, 
First off Hno. is short for hermano (brother- in spanish) and 2nd, you cant send mail directly to me, it has to be sent to the mission home first (the address on facebook). 
Everything is going great here! I can understand everything my companion and mission leader says to me haha and most of what others say. I cant yet speak it but im getting better. I have been teaching elder Zuñiga english ahah he is getting good. I have 4 investigators with baptism dates. And they are all under the age of 12 haha. We are building the youth of Zion. We have a new investigator, Catolina, she is sooo strong in the spirit!! We taught her El Plan de Salvación then asked her to pray. It was beautiful!! Then she sat there and prayed on her own for like 5 mins. the spirit was soooooooooo strong!!!!! She is my favorite. We also have a Hemana in our ward the is a mexican version of aunt Chris hahaha it is so funny and a little bit scary haha. I met my district the other day. Get this there is another gringo from Idaho named Elder Andersen and his dad served in the Florida, Talahasee Mission and is mas o menos 49 years old i think. Do you know him dad?? He was from Washington state. The food here is great!! We eat with a member everyday. Then feed you so much! I think my favorite are the empanadas, they are pretty much deep fried tacos!! :)... The drinks here are terrible! they are all chunky and taste nasty! Except for the lemonade :):). I ate cheesecake on thursday it was soo weird! American food haha It had jello on it!! So good!! It has rained almost all day everyday! And when I tell you it flash floods im not kidding!! Everytime it rains there is like a foot of water in the street!!!! 
It has been a good week!! Miss ya all! Talk to ya next week!!

Elder Parduhn

There is nothing really cool in this city haha. We went and did laundry at Hmn. Emmanuels house then hung out and had breakfast then cleaned our house then ate with a member then came here. Doing laundry here is so fun. You throw your clothes into this huge tub of water with a spindle that goes back and forth. You let it go in there for like 20 min then you put it in a sink and wash out the soapy water. Then you put it into a machine that spins it really fast to get the water out. Then we hang it on the line. We are about to head back and get them.