(FIRST TRANSFER!!!!!3/17/14)

Week 30!!!                                      ****WOW**** 

Familia,

I’m writing a little earlier because the mission started something new, they didn’t call us last night about the transfers so I am waiting right now to get them! I’m glad everything is going so well at home. I totally forgot about St. Patricks Day haha they don’t celebrate that here. I feel so weird to here that my friends are getting married ugh. I feel like we are still to young! It feels weird.  I’m glad to hear that Kyle and Shelyce are getting ready for the Temple, I wish I was there to go through with them. haha you guys got hit in the car? That’s not cool. To be honest I didn’t see anything in the photo but I’ll just trust you haha ;). 

I had another great week. Normal. We had divisions this week so again I went to the other ward with Elder Angeles and Elder Grossman came here to work with my companion. We had a good day, we worked in an area called ''El Muelle'' It is a super small town but there are quite a few members there. We ended up having all of our appointments fail, so we contacted a few people then went to the house of some new converts who were moving a lot of dirt to raise the level of their yard or something like that, so we took off the ties and put on some big old boots and got to work. haha It was funny to see the people’s faces when they were walking by and saw the 2 Mormons with white shirts and boots throwing dirt around haha. It was good hard work, and really fun. At the end we just ended up talking for a bit. haha Other than that I have just been preparing to leave. So we were visiting all the families this week so that I could get their information and take photos with some of them. That was pretty much our week. It flew by! It is making me a little sad to leave but I am so excited!! 

I just got the transfers!!! I’m going to Candelaria. It is a city on the other side of the mission. I am going from 1 end to the other. haha It is really close to Palenque!! I will be close to the Ruins!!! I am so pumped!!

Got to pack Love ya’ll!!!

-Elder Parduhn

Week 29 (3/10/14)

Week 29

This is going to be another short letter because it was just another normal old week haha nothing new happened. First off THAT is so cool about the mission calls!!! If you can please get me the email address to Bri?  por favor. I am glad all is well back home. 

Like I said this week was normal. We lost some of our progressing investigators that were close to baptism so that makes me really sad. They have fallen off the charts, we don’t know what happened to them. We are going to try to find them again. I am getting really excited because the transfers are next week. I’m also getting a little sad, haha and one of the perks of being here so long is that all the members of our little ward are getting really sad too haha well its really kind of a sad thing. I hope that I get to have my first transfer! Yes we caught the iguanas at the church (4) I am still waiting for the photos so that I can show you. We did have one really cool thing happen this week. We had Steak! and we found BBQ sauce. YOU GUYS DONT EVEN KNOW HOW HAPPY THAT MADE ME haha. Ahh they were so good. Emmanuels Brother made them for us. Ivan. After we went to the bishopric meeting haha they invite us to everything. It was so dang spiritual I can’t even tell you! We finally talked about the things that were going wrong with our ward, and I hope that now everything will change for the better! My companion told me that I was like the new bishop because I put out a lot of suggestions haha (knowing me). We have the assignment this week to teach every family about the Restoration. We have found out that some of the members that have been members for a very long time don’t know the simple things about our church. So we are going to start teaching them. I am very excited to see what happens. 

 

Today we went to that resturant again! but this time with our district! It is so dang good! And it resembles the restraunts (can you tell me how to spell that I forgot) back home. It is so cool. 

Other than that, that was pretty much our week. I got a letter from Elder Peterson which was really cool! That made my day haha. 

I love you all so much! Can’t wait to talk to you again on Mother’s Day!!

-Elder Parduhn

This is a "turtlagator"  He says half Turtle half Alligator!!!! And why are we touching it Hunter???

"

Week 28 (3/3/14)

Familia,

First off FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS MAMA!!!!!!!! I wanted to shoot you a email on the day of your birthday but I couldn't. I hope it was WONDERFUL!!!! Time is flying! I feel like I am missing everything! No that was not Emmanuel, that was a member in our ward Ruben and his Sister Judith. The beach is soo cool! Ya I didnt buy a cowboy hat, its Rubens. Ya don't worry I am taking care of myself haha.

His Zone!

This week was so cool!!! First off we had a district class like always Tuesday morning it was good, but after was the really fun part! We spent a little time trying to catch some of the Iguanas that live at the church haha. In fact me and Elder Moran caught all 4! I wish I had my camera so I could show you but I didn't bring it. haha Those things are so funny they live in the drains that take away the rain water so we put some string with a little loop so that when they came out for sun we pulled the string and caught them. They are the same type as that photo I sent home but like 3 times bigger haha. They are so evil, one bit E. Morans shoe and left one of his toes bleeding haha they are so strong. After we went to teach.

Then we had to head to Coatza because we had a GENERAL AUTHORITY COME!!! Elder Valenzuela from the quorum of the 70! So that was cool! He actually spoke in the last general conference I think. First we went to Coatza the night before to sleep at the house of some Elders again so that we could arrive on time the next day. It was funny because there were about 14 Elders and I was the only Gringo haha, so none of them spoke English. Then the next morning we got up at around 5o clock so that we could get ready. It was cool! Most of the Meeting was just about how we need to improve, but he is soo cool that I didnt even care that he was mad with us. haha. No but it was a really cool meeting. We set goals as a mission, he really motivated us haha. We had that meeting in Minatitlan. About 10 Zones showed up so there were about 70 Elders and 20 Sisters. Recently our mission received a group of Sisters from the united states. To be honest it was really weird speaking english to them haha. I cant speak english good anymore it is kind of sad ahah. Then after we had to make the long trip back home. Then the next day we actually ended up having to go to coatza again haha so that my companion could take some photos for his visa. So with the traffic we ended up being there about the whole day. Then we came back and had a almost normal weekend haha. Saturday we went to teach the family of my first baptism when we showed up there was a man at there house that was selling ´´garafones de agua´´ It is a big jug of drinking water. Well he has had years and years of alcohol and drug abuse so he was a little weird haha. We was walking around like he was about to die saying that his heart was going to explode so we invited him in to eat while we talked with this Hermana, but he didnt want to eat, I really dont know what he wanted, none of us could understand what was going on haha. So we put him in his 3 Wheeled bicycle wheelbarrow thing, I dont know how to describe it, ask Pres. Peterson, he will know! and we took him to his house. We got the ´´what are the mormons doing with the crazy guy look!´´ from about everyone. So we took him to his house, he told us that he hadnt eaten or drank anything the whole week, and asked us to get him a beer. So kindly haha we told him that first off that was his problem, that he needs to stop drinking and start eating and drinking water haha. So we left him in the house of his daughter, ya and we left haha. OMG then the bishop took us out to eat because we didnt have anyone to eat with. I cant tell you how much I love having a rich doctor as our bishop!!! He took us to eat at this restaurant. My Word this place was cooler than most the restaurants back home!! Now the question? What do you eat at a super nice mexican restaurant? yes you are correct, SUPER delicious TACOS haha they were soo goood!!! The meat here in mexico is so much better that back home. Well not all of it but alot of it. I felt so high class!! Now for the best part!! This restaurant also had a little Zoo!!! How cool right! I will send you the photos next week. This week was soooo cool!

Your all in my prayers! Stay safe!
-Elder Parduhn

Week 27 (2/24/2014)

Short but Sweet!!!
hahah the glasses are mine, and yes I do use them at times because they are really cool. I acctually got them from another area haha. They are another Elders haha. The beach is so cool I honestly love it! It is starting to get alot warmer this week was about 101 degrees something like that. I am scared for when it starts to get hot.

It was a good week this week. We had interviews with President Morales this week. He pretty much came and told us that we are the worst zone in the mission, that wasnt very cool. But all is well it just makes us want to work harder. In fact we have been starting to work alot harder. We had a family home evening this week with 3 famillies in which we taught them about the plan of salvation and then taught them how to teach it, then we asked them to give us a list of five people that we could visit with them. We got 18 references!! Now we just have to contact them all. I got a sweet letter from the peterson family this week which I really enjoyed, in that letter was the first letter that andrew wrote from the field haha I read that he has about 350 or so members in his ward and about 60 are active it made me laugh because we have the same thing here. We need to work hard because we have about 550 member and about 40 active ahah There is so much work to do here today.

Today we went to the beach to fish. haha ya we didnt catch anything but thats alright because it was really fun. Actually that was a lie we caught a bunch of little sand crabs. haha it was really fun. They dont have any fishing poles in this town so we had to make one out of a coke bottle haha.
I hope all is well thanks for letting me know what is up. I hope you all have a great week! Love yall!!

Elder Parduhn

Getting ready for Dinner!!!

Fishing in the Ocean!!

His fishing pole!!

Having fun fishing on his P-Day!!

Week 26 (2/17/2014) Still in Agua Dulce!!!

I LOVE THIS BOY SOOOO MUCH!!!!!! He is so cute!!
Where are the sheets on the bed!! Oh man....

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***February 14th***

Familia,

First off HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! Yes they do have it in Mexico but it is ALOT bigger here. They party hard. It is so funny because there are so many stuffed animals, balloons, and clothes for valentines day but they are all in english haha. It ended up being really good. We ended up doing a contacting activity that day because here in Mexico, on valentines day they marry people for free. So we went to the park where they were doing this and talked to the people about eternal marriage. <3 haha. I thought it was so funny that they do that. Other than that, this week was zone conference so we had to travel to Coatzacoalcos. It was funny because we walked in last and when I walked in some of the Elders said, ´´Theres the famous Elder Parduhn´´ hahah because I have been here so long. Ahh I love my zone I have tons of close friends. We did an activity where we left the chapel and just started contacting people. I went with one of my best friends E. Davila, we ended up contacting the most people haha. Then we finished up. The best part is that we get our mail after. I got the christmas card from the Martin family and can I just say that we were dying of laughing me and my companion in the bus hahahahah It was so funny. Then we traveled back home. The next day we woke up and went to church. No we are still having alot of problems from the time change. We had a total of about 10 people to start then after the sacrament showed up 30 more. haha That is something way different from back home haha. Then after we had to travel back to Coatza for a stake priesthood meeting. Which just ended up being the stake president talking to the bishops. We left to head for Coatza a little early so that we could pass by some of the cool places of coatza. (We went with Emmanuel) We passed by some stores that we have back home and at one point I felt like I was back home.

Then we drove on the road that on the coast! I love the ocean hahah It is so cool the cities on the coast.

So we stopped by some cool things they had, one being that huge dove statue.

And its funny because it is called El Espiritu Santo or Holy Ghost in Spanish. We saw alot of stuff but my camera died so I wasnt able to take more photos. Then we went to the conference. After Emmanuel bought us Dominos Pizza. It was soooo good. Just like back home. It was weird eating food from back home.


Yes we do have a Iguana that lives close to us but it is scared to death of us hahah that is why we were teasing it with a stick. I hope all continues to go well back home!

I love you all!!!
Elder Parduhn

NOT SURE!!!

Week 25 (3/10/14)

Fam.

Wow time is honestly going by way fast which I really don't like haha. That is so crazy that the house flooded haha I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you. That is so bad. The Mexican people are really smart because all the floors are tile or concrete haha easy to clean. Its crazy that Brittany is already entering the MTC. Ahhh that is so awesome!! How do they feel that Brennan is about to be coming home?? Crazy fast the time here haha. 

I'm going to explain more about the transfer because I was in a hurry last week. I was called as a Senior Companion in this transfer.  I am with an Elder called Elder Moran. He is from El Salvador. He was actually in my district when I started my mission so we were friends before. We are great friends which is awesome, but I am also having a hard time with him. All is well though. I am still in the same area. At this point I feel like I am teaching my home ward haha I'm still waiting for Bishop Carrera to give me a calling. haha. Everyone here has now become family.

This has been a good week. We have been working a lot more with the members and bishop. We have received a ton of references this week it was a blessing. We are still working with those investigators who committed, now we are just trying to set a date with them. We caught another pet this week. We have a big ole Iguana that lives in our sewer. haha So we were teasing him with a stick for a while. They are so weird these things.

EEEK!!

Other that that nothing else really happened this week. It ended up just being one of those normal weeks. We are fighting to get a better number of people at church Sundays. We have an average of 30 people that show up. We had a time change. We meet at 8 in the morning. Count your blessings back home. haha Im surprised that we are not a branch here haha. 

It is really good to hear from you all! Hope all goes well back home and that you all have a great week!!

Week 24 (3/2/14)

Familia,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHELBY!!! First off I just want to give a shout out to my sis Shelbs for her Birthday today!!!! I decided to send it in this letter so that she could get it haha I hope Zack has fun in St George! I am sad that I missed the Superbowl haha. 

Sorry this letter is going to be a little short. This was a great but very sad week. First for the good Elder Restrepo and I had 2 of our investigators who committed to baptism so hopefully we can get it done in this transfer. Also this week we had another wonderful activity and alot of people showed up! Including Investigators!!!! We had a Study the scriptures activity. So we printed off a big picture of Joseph Smith reading the bible and cut it into a lot of pieces. 4 for every team (8 teams). And then we hid them around the church. And we had a scavenger hunt haha. Every piece had a scripture on the back that related to some place in the church. And to make it more fun we tied all there legs together haha. It was such a fun activity and we learned so much. 

*The Activity*

But this is where the sad part comes in. Elder Restrepo left this week. And yes we cried haha Oh my word we were like best friends!!!

 *Friends*

We had testimony meeting and we both shared our testimony and the whole congregation was crying to hahah.  We went with to meet President, outside our city. It was really good to see President Morales. After that we had our long goodbye hug which just made us cry even more haha. Then he got in presidents car and left for Villahermosa. So now I am with the my friends in the other area. Elder Grossman and Elder Angeles. We went to a Circus today hahah And saw alot of animals.

*The Circus*

About transfers. Because my companion left I will stay here another transfer. But now as senior companion. And my companion who comes tommorrow is one of my friends Elder Moran haha I am so excited haha. Also it is funny because my last companion Elder coming back to this district haha he is going to be in another small town outside of ours.haha These transfers were really funny.

Thats all that is happening here haha. I hope that you are all doing well. LOVE YALL!

Elder Parduhn