October and November in Mexico; More Pics; Training a New Missionary!

October 20, 2014

Dear All:

This week was pretty productive. I feel like so much goes on here I can’t communicate all the thousands of hilarious or weird stories I’ve experienced. For about every story I’ve shared with you there are like 10 more just like it. ahah. So I get kinda frustrated writing letters because I want to tell everything but it’s basically impossible. 

So I got my first ingrown toenail this week. It was gross. I’ve never had one before so we went to an investigator’s house and I told her about it and she said she could take it out. So stupid me decides it’s a good idea. She had me soak my foot for like 20 minutes in water and there were like some small swimming worms in it but she said it doesn’t matter. Then she like stabbed me in the toe for 20 minutes with nail clippers, like really deep under my toenail to get it all out. It was hilarious because my comp almost puked. ahahah. Then she poured alcohol on it and today it’s like inflamed and I don’t know. If it’s worse tomorrow I’ll go to the doctor. 

The people are pretty fond of me here, especially our investigators. We have a few that always tell me they hope I don’t leave this transfer, which makes me feel bad because my companion never really talks, so I feel like he doesn’t care about them as much, which kinda hinders our progress. I’m sure he does, he just doesn’t talk so it’s hard for people to get to know him. 

Also we’re totally poor because the elders we were with wasted all of their money and so did my comp. I had like 2000 pesos yesterday but I had to pay their bills and all this crap. I’m getting a reimbursement for it, but it’s annoying because now I have like 200 pesos to my name. ahah. It was funny because I went to a little store (which are like all over Mexico). They’re called tiendas. Anywho, I went there to buy breakfast and my comp tried to buy something and I kinda grilled him in front of the clerk. Ahah. I like yelled at him in Spanish telling him he’s poor and wasted his money so he doesn’t get to eat. ahhah. It was kinda mean, but I’ve paid all the bills and all transportation this change, so I feel like I’m justified in it. ahah. 

I also gave my first talk in sacrament meeting, and I told a really cheesy joke in Spanish. And I told this joke before in a baptism and everyone laughed so I figured I’d try it in a different ward. ahah. It didn’t work. Everyone was silent.... Then I said in Spanish, “It’s funny. Laugh.” Ahha. Then people started cracking up so that was hilarious. But I spoke about diligence, and I talked about the Savior’s life and how he spent 3 days walking to be baptized and a bunch of other stories and how he told Peter to feed his sheep 3 times. I think it went pretty good. 

I’ll write about our investigators when they’re approaching baptism. We have like 2 baptismal dates right now, but we teach a lot of people and I don’t wanna describe all of them. ahah. There’s nothing I really need for Christmas. More ties maybe, and new boots. I wear my boots like every day here because the streets are horrible and the hills are really steep so it’s kinda impossible to wear normal shoes. 

Ben wrote me. Ryan hasn’t for a while I’ll write him today again. Things are good here. I’m just nervous about my toe. I feel like it might keep me from working. Also president just put a rule that we can’t play any sports until he says anything further. But that’s okay because it’s impossible to play sports in this heat. But yeah, Elder Blodgett (other missionary) and I found us a house and we’re gonna move in this week. So well finally have some space. The district leaders told me I’ll probably train someone this next transfer so well see.

I feel like the missions in the states are like a whole different world from the pictures I see from Jordan and Jared and Josh. But things are really good here. Too bad about the Hawks and BYU (football). Kinda disappointing. 

Love you all!

Elder Latimer

October 27, 2014

My feet are totally fine now! Thank goodness! I went downtown with the mission doctor and we saw some podiatrist, I think. But yeah she like cut my toes open with a scalpel and took out two pretty huge nails from inside my foot. It really didn’t hurt that much, so that was awesome. Then I could walk perfectly immediately afterwards so that was awesome. 

I was poor for so long, because my companion blew all his money like the first 3 weeks. Then he always says he doesn’t have money and randomly takes out 50 pesos when were in the store, which makes me mad because I’m pretty sure he’s got like a secret stash of money and made me pay for a bunch of stuff I didn’t have to. It’s kinda hard working here right now, and I’m definitely passing through some trials right now. Because the area is new, we don’t have any materials, a fridge, and I had to buy an iron and toilet paper with my own money this week because we moved into the new house even though it basically doesn’t have anything. But the mission is gonna pay me back.

It’s hard working with Elder Z. because he told me he doesn’t wanna be here. So he doesn’t have a lot of desire to help people or help me. Like when we teach lessons it’s basically me, and I have to verbally ask him to help me in the lesson or to testify. But I’m trying to help him get excited about the work, but he’s kinda a buzz kill. But I’m staying positive. Also he like never responds when I try to start conversations with him. He just grumbles or says, “uh.” 

But the district leaders told me that they think he will probably leave the area and I’ll train someone new so well see about that. I hope I get to train Kaleb Decker. That would be amazing! These  P-days have sucked because were not allowed to play sports for a while because a missionary broke his leg and got sent home so president is paranoid for us. So we literally just sit inside eat candy sleep and study. It sucks because I can’t to the gym either because they don’t open early enough in the morning. 

Investigators:

Marco, Darían, David: Awesome family of a less active member. David is only 6 though, but he’s hilarious and Marco is like 11, so they remind me a lot of Jonathan and Jace. They have very similar personalities. They always ask me about when were gonna have transfers cuz they don’t want me to leave. ahah. We have cool handshakes and everything. Marco is on track to get baptized in a few weeks, and Darían is too, except for she always says I don’t wanna get baptized because then I’ll have to read the scriptures and go to church. She’s so freaking lazy. But she’s awesome because she still does all that anyways. 

Obdulia: She was a street contact and she adores us. We brought her to church this last week, and she loved it and wants to keep going, and she has a baptismal date in November as well. Her family loves us too, but they don’t really listen when we teach, they just love to talk. They’re really friendly and stuff so it’s hard to get them to listen to a lesson. But yeah, they invited us to a theme park and to go to the beach with them, which sucked because we had to explain to them we couldn’t. Also we got invited to the birthday party of her niece so that was pretty fun too. Ahah. The whole family loves us so they’re very fun.

We’re not teaching a whole lot of people cuz the area is still really new, but these are the investigators who are really promising. 

The joke (in Spanish) doesn’t really translate, but I was talking about Jesus walking from Galilea to Jordan to be baptized, and how it’s a really big distance, and we know that John was called John the Baptist not John the Taxi Driver! It makes more sense in Spanish, I’ll write it below. 

Jesucristo caminaba desde Galilea hasta Jordán para ser bautizado, la cual es una distancia muy grande, casi igual de Culiacan hasta Mazatlan, y sabemos que el hombre que bautizó a Jesucristo, se llamaba Juan el Bautista, y no Juan el taxista.  

But yeah things are going pretty decent, I guess. Time’s passing really fast. I really miss going camping, that’s what I would say to missionaries who are about to hit the field. Go camping before you leave. ahah. 

I miss Halloween! It’s like my favorite holiday, but “dia de los muertos” is pretty big here. It’s like bigger than Christmas. Ahah. Also in my next package could you guys print out like a lot of pictures from like my whole life or at least cool moments with the family, vacations and stuff like that and sports? Because like all the Elders have like their life stories in pictures, and I’d like to have that too. ahah. 

Love you all! Miss you!

November 3, 2014

Things are going better. I’m kinda forcing my companion to talk more. Ahah. I kinda have to straight up say, "hey, it’s your turn to talk now." Haha. But some days are better than others. People keep telling me I’m gonna start training soon, so I’m kinda hoping we have changes. But I’ve definitely learned patience, and how to be humble with my comp. Because he’s the senior comp, but I literally do everything. All he does is carry the phone, and I tell him who to call. haha. But he’s getting better.

This week was pretty average. Drunk people really like to talk to us. We taught like 3 super drunk dudes who were crying. One got really mad at Elder Z. because he interrupted him, then he told Elder Z. that hes’ not a representative of Jesus Christ. Then Elder Z. got super mad and actually started to talk but I had to cut him off and tell the guy he misunderstood because he’s super drunk and stuff. Ahha. I thought they were gonna start throwing fists in the street! 

We had some really good lessons this week and Obdulia came to a baptism with us because she wasn’t gonna be able to go church. We’re finishing up the lessons with Marco and Darihan, so they should get baptized this next week!  I feel like I have a really good relationship with all our investigators and all the members so I’m pretty content in this area.

The only thing that sucks is that we basically have nothing to do here because we can’t play sports, and we need permission to leave the area, so for the past like 3 weeks we haven’t done anything.

Not a whole lot of interesting stuff happened this week. I’m about to finish all of the standard works in Spanish. I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish a month ago, and I’m almost done with the D&C. I’m pretty proud of myself because I understand all of it too! And I’m like half way through Saint Luke in the Bible. I’ve read Jesus The Christ, Our Brief History, and Our Search for Happiness. I just have to read the Old Testament. That’s gonna be a doozy . That’s crazy Josh is coming home soon! The time really passes quickly. I’ll be home before I know it the time literally flies by. 

I had a random thought last night about Calvin Song. I want to write him if you c ould get his email that would be great! And just post a general thing on FB to write me cuz I’d like to see letters from random friends I haven’t talked to in a while.   

For Christmas I’d just like some  ties, cologne, new boots, a straight razor like James Bond. I wanna learn to shave with one and I almost bought one today ahha.  ALSO WE HAVE MONEY NOW! So that’s awesome. No more being poor for me!  I’ll see Kaleb Decker in a few weeks then! Ahah. I’m pretty stoked for that. I’m gonna go to the offices to see him when he gets here. ahah. 

Everything here is pretty great. My comp doesn’t really  talk, even in the house. Well he does a little bit, but I basically talk to myself and babble, and say random stuff like I always do. I’m writing a “Corrido,” which is like one of those cheesy Mexican songs you hear in La Palmera. I’ll have to sing it at Christmas. OH, I want a t-shirt with Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson on it for Christmas. ahah. 

Hope everything is going well! I’ll write Joe right now!  And also Tyler to see what’s up!  Tell him to check his email! 

Also these pictures are from Halloween and the day after ahah.That’s the toilet in the middle of our street – only in mexico... The members are super tight! There’s this one family I’ll have to write you about next week, but they’re hilarious, and I’m getting the accent down! The other day I got told that I don’t have a gringo accent at all, so that’s an improvement!

Love Elder Latimer

November 10, 2014

IM TRAINING A GRINGO! I’m gonna go get him tomorrow from the offices. Needless to say I’m beyond stoked. President Velez capacitated us today on our responsibilities as trainers it was pretty awesome. He really stressed the importance of being a trainer, and when all the missionaries go home they always say that their trainer affected them the most.

But I’m super excited to train. I feel like it will be super awesome and amazingly fun! We had a great day we found some super awesome people who all want to be baptized! I want to explain more but I don’t have a lot of time to write and my freaking keyboard is retarded so it’s like 1000 times harder to type. And I’m kinda bummed because our investigators who were all ready to be baptized had to move because their lights got cut off, and we kinda lost contact with them. But it all happens for a reason, I suppose.

I have awesome pictures to send and this computer sucks monkey butt so I’m bummed about that too. I don’t know what to really write right now. I usually write a lot. My ingrown toenail is growing back but that’s okay because I’m going back to the offices tomorrow, so I’ll ask the doctor. I was supposed to go get my fingerprints today for my visa, and I freaking called the offices to find out what time like 5 times, and they never answered. I figured it was for the transfers. I’m just bummed about the pictures. But I’m super stoked to train so everything is great. Everything right now is just like disorganized.

I’m glad everything is going great with you guys! People start Christmas here really early people already have lights up. The time here is passing so fast. JOSH COMES HOME SOON! That’s cray. It seems like he just left. I feel sorry for dad cuz he’ll have to edit this email. Ahah. Miss you all hope everything is going good. I really wish I could explain more from this week, but oh well there’s always next week.

LOVE YOU ALL TAKECARE! 

P.S. I’ve lost like 20 pounds since I got to Mexico because there’s nowhere to work out, and we walk for like 10 hours a day up hills in super hot weather. Ahah

November 17, 2014

This week was pretty great. My companion and I get along great. He’s a good guy and a hard worker. We have a lot of fun together especially with the other missionaries. I feel likes its crazy how much Spanish I speak now compared to when I got here. I wouldn’t consider myself fluent, but I’m very, very comfortable now so I consider that a huge blessing from the Lord to be able to speak comfortable and express myself clearly.

I’ll talk about some of our investigators this week:

Rigo: Teenager who is 18 years old. He’s super awesome and wants to be baptized and serve a mission. The only thing is we can only teach him like once a week, but he learns really fast. We took him to a fireside for recent converts where the stake presidency talked and so did President Velez. He loved it. He got a picture of the temple in Hermosillo. He said he wants to share his testimony with everyone after he gets baptized so he’s super awesome

Edwin y Alma: A young couple sort of. They’re super awesome. They’ve been getting to know the church for a while now. They know a lot of missionaries, and Edwin wants to get baptized but his wife isn’t sure yet, but we have had a couple very spiritual lessons with them recently. I’m sure she’ll get an answer to her prayers very soon. 

Obdulia: Shes pretty awesome and is like 46 or something like that. She’s super friendly and cool but has a tough time coming to church. She’s gone before and came with us to a baptism, but she doesn’t have like really strong desires to go. She wants to go but has a lot of reasons not to, like work and visiting with her family and stuff. 

All the people here are super nice an stuff though. We’re visiting with a less active named Edgar, and he’s super friendly and wants to take us fishing! So that would be really cool to do because theres not a lot of cool stuff to do in our area. 

Things are going great with my companion Elder M. He’s from Utah. It’s really fun training, and I get to see all the progress he’s making. It’s weird to think I just finished my training, and now I’m training someone. Time goes by so fast. This time we have to serve is very short. I also finished D&C in Spanish the other day! So that was a milestone too. Now I just got to read the Bible. ahah. Old Testament is gonna be a bugger to read in Spanish.

I feel like I have gotten a huge testimony and knowledge of the scriptures from my mission. I’d share some spiritual insights, but I don’t know which one to pick. I love teaching people because I can apply scriptures I learn every day to different people so that’s a huge blessing, and it also helps me to really learn the scriptures when I teach with them.

Things are great here. Not a lot of crazy stuff happened this week, just getting settled in, and we have furniture and food and all the stuff you need to live now so that’s great. Elder M. is pretty cool. He’s one of those missionaries that I feel like wed be friends outside of the mission too so that’s awesome. I just feel bad because the other Elders are both Mexican so he kinda feels left out when we talk because he doesn’t quite speak Spanish yet. I remember feeling that way, but I think it will help him learn faster.

That’s so sad about Oliver!  I thought his leg to cut off at first! I almost freaked out, also I’m super bummed again right now because this computer almost erased my photos, and it won’t let me send any again. So be expecting a lot of photos next week. Next week give me like a question to answer in Spanish so I can think of something to write in Spanish for you guys! Miss you all! I’m excited for Christmas though even though it doesn’t get cold here. The weather is pretty awesome now though, but still not cold at all. Just refreshing. 

Love you all take care!

A Baptism and New Area!

Guadalupe's Baptism!

Hurricane Watching

Lime-a-saurus

September 15, 2014

Dear Everyone:

This week was so awesome!

We got permission to go to the Mexican night at the stake center which is basically their 4th of July so it was a big deal. There was food and lots of traditional dancing, and singing. I have lots of videos but I think they’re too big to send right now. But Mexicans party differently than we do, we left at like 11:30 and our zone leaders where there until 12 or later! Ahha. When we left everyone was still dancing and partying. I don’t think they get tired. 

The next day we went and visited a less active family that’s super awesome. They’re almost considered active. But I’m really good friends with their son,Toto. He’s 24 and was a pretty hardcore gangster but he wants to serve a mission now. He was in jail for 4 years for grand theft auto and has been out for 8 months now. But he’s super awesome he taught me like 100 slang words so I can talk like a cholo now. But obviously I don’t talk like that here but when I get back home I will. 

We were talking about pranks we pulled in high school and stupid stuff we’ve done and it slowly escalated to him telling us about crazy stuff he has seen in the prison here. And the prisons are horribly corrupt. About 50% of the police are under the pay of the cartel if not more. But people have guns inside, tons and tons of drugs, xBox, and cell phones. So it’s not really a prison, it’s just a place where they put bad people. There are not really restrictions, and visitors are allowed to walk around the entire prison freely. So it’s very different.

He started telling us some of the messed up stuff he saw. He told us about how one time the police arrested some cartel members that are from a different state, so they’re the competition of the cartel here. And they brought them in, and he watched and heard them get tortured and decapitated in prison, and how a 14 year old girl who was visiting cartel members in prison watched, and he had to go in to the block of the cartel members and get her out. Then his mom started breaking down crying, saying that now she knows why Toto gets so angry and wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and why he punches walls, and struggles with drugs and alcohol, because she never had heard any of these stories. 

Then he started crying which was really surprising because he’s a pretty tough guy, and then they all started hugging and crying and saying they love each other and stuff. It was like a really hardcore episode of Full House. But it was really awesome to be part of that experience. We’re pretty close to them. They’re like a Mexican version of the McArthurs, and by that I mean that they’re an awesome family who we always hang out with. 

We had a lesson with Guadalupe, our investigator who is going to be baptized September 27th.  She has all the lessons and everything and is really ready and willing. She’s like 45 and sells candy to the kids from her front porch. She’s super sweet but learns a little slow, but she is super awesome! We started asking her who she wants to invite to her baptism, friends or family and stuff like that. She said it’s not important she just wants us to be there because were like her family. It was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Then she asked me to baptize her!!! So I’m really excited for that, and a little nervous, because it’s the last day of the change, and I’m afraid something will come up and well postpone it, and then I’ll get transferred. But I’m praying that I get to be here long enough to do it. 

Things are super awesome here, and I’m super excited for my first baptism! There’s a hurricane here right now. It’s not hitting very hard here, but in Los Cabos nobody has power. ahah. But I think I’ll get transferred after this change, but nothings certain. Also my Spanish has gotten a lot better. When people guess how much time we have here people have been guessing that I have a year in the mission. So that’s kinda a confidence booster. 

Don’t send peanut butter. I can buy it here. I know its heavy. You should just send me cool stickers for my binder and my scripture cases. I like the Seattle ones that Josh has on his laptop. Also don’t let the boys download stupid games on my laptop please! ahha 

Love you all and hope all is going well! Take care!!!

Elder Latimer

September 22, 2014

Dear All:

This week was pretty normal and slow. We did have stake conference, which was awesome. Elder Villalobos of the Seventy came and spoke. He’s such an awesome speaker. Pretty fun. I also found the coolest pitbull with a little story behind it. 

Some recent converts of the sister missionaries live directly in front of us so we eat with them every Friday this month. She gave us a reference of her sister that lives in our area that has cancer. And all the directions are horrible here. The houses aren’t numbered in numerical order and a lot of the streets don’t have names. haha. But we were looking for her and were kinda frustrated because it was really hot and we couldn’t find the house so we stopped to rest under a tree for a few minutes. Right after we passed this old lady on her porch with this huge pitbull. I have this thing where I contact anyone that has a cool dog by starting to play with it. I asked her if it bites and she said no so I started to play with it and started talking to her. We talked for a little bit then I asked her name and turns out she was the person we were looking for! So that was cool.

Anyone that owns a cool dog here is just asking to be contacted. I think like 40% of my street contacts have been through dogs. So that’s awesome!

We still don’t know about changes because there was a hurricane in Los Cabos. So president rounded up all the missionaries over there and put them in La Paz (other part of Los Cabos). We heard we might have changes 2 weeks after the change but who knows? We went to the offices today, and I get along pretty well with the office workers. They’re super funny and one of them told me I’m gonna be an office worker next change. And that freaked me out because I don’t wanna work at a computer, but afterwards he said he was messing with me. I sure hope so!

Everything is going pretty great here. We have a couple more baptisms lined up in a few weeks so I hope I stick around for one more change to see them get baptized. And everything is going great for Guadalupe. We showed her and her crazy neighbor (the crazy lady just comes over uninvited that President Velez said we shouldn’t teach her anymore but its whatever) the restoration movie. And the streets are really loud here and there are no noise laws here so people just blast music all day long. But we got to the part where Joseph Smith rebukes those guys in the jail for talking about killing Mormons, and the whole street went totally quiet. Ahaha. It was super cool. 

There’s not a whole lot to talk about this week. We did find a half dead mouse in our house. I say half dead because we have this stuff in the air in our house that kills cockroaches, but it doesn’t completely kill mice all the way. So we poked it with a broom and it would like breakdance and walk really drunkenly. Then we picked him up in a dustpan and he waddled out of it and fell and died on our floor... His name was “German.”

I also found a really little gecko during our planning session. I named him “Jerard.” Then let him go in the house so he could kill bugs. Then the next morning I found him dead and shriveled up because it’s so hot ahah. Sad day. 

Not a whole lot of new stuff going on. I have a lot of cool videos but they’re too big to send… so that sucks. I hope everything is going well! Tell the McArthurs and the Litchfields I say “hi!” So glad the Hawks are still good! But they’ll probably be mediocre when I get back but who knows! haha 

September 29, 2014

This week was pretty awesome and really busy. We were running around like crazy doing everything. We bought a cake for Jose because it was his birthday so that was awesome, and we had the baptism! So that was pretty cool. 

It was really funny because I guess here in Mexico people like splash themselves crazy with water before going completely under to avoid going into shock or something like that. But she randomly started doing that in the baptismal font, then inhaled a bunch of water and started coughing like crazy. Ahha. It was weird but the rest was really awesome! And I have two nice sets of scriptures because they give you nice ones in the MTC. So I decided to give them to her and I marked a couple of scriptures I liked and gave them to her with a note on the front page.

Also I got transferred to a new area called Libertad. I’m still in Culiacan, and I’m opening a new area! Were kinda lost right now because we don’t have a house, cell phone, map, and very little reference and members in our area. But were gonna work hard. I’m with Elder Zuniga. He’s from Florida but his family is from Honduras so he speaks Spanish perfectly. We’re gonna live with the other Elders for a few days until we find a new house. 

Elder Moya told me I’ll probably train someone soon so hopefully I’ll get to train Kaleb when he gets here! Well see but President Velez usually has the trainers chosen 3 changes in advance so who knows. 

We went around the area saying goodbye to all of our good friends, but we only got to see Toto and Guadalupe, which was kind of a bummer because no one else was home. But the family of Loisa Beltran (tjey live in front of us and are recent converts) Invited us over for dinner and made a little banner thing for me and Hermana Ramos because we were leaving the area. 

It’s pretty exciting to be opening an area though, I’m moving up in the world over here. I’m kinda glad to have a new comp though. Elder Moya is really cool but he’s a slob and never cleans up. So I ended up doing all the cleaning but hopefully Elder Zuniga is different. 

Both Bryce and Kaleb emailed me so that was nice to hear from them, You should tell Madison Fleming to write me too. I haven’t talked to her in a while. Also keep bugging Ryan to write me ahah and Jeff and Alex.  and Ben. 

But that’s all that’s going on over here! Glad you’re all doing well. Also the Hurricane hit really hard in Los Cabos but here nothing big, just rained hard for a day or 2.

Love, Elder Latimer

October 6, 2014

This week was pretty weird, but it was fun. My comp is a “pocho,” which means he’s of Latin descent but he is basically a gringo. He spoke Spanish before the mission and he’s from Florida.

We did get to watch General Conference live in the stake center, and we got to watch it in English, but when the Spanish speakers started we ran to the sacrament meeting room to listen in Spanish. My Spanish is getting really good. When I tell people how much time I have in the mission they always say, “but you spoke Spanish before didn’t you?” So that’s a good sign I’m getting better. 

We’re still living out of our suitcases in the house of the other Elders, but they’re really cool and it gives me someone to talk to someone. But it sucks living out of a suitcase. But we did find a house in our area so well be moving in this week. My area is a Pueblo, which means it’s like a lot of houses close together and its pretty dangerous from what other missionaries have told me. But I’ve already made a couple of friends who are “cholos” ahah. It’s not too hard because my cholo friend in my other area taught me all the slang in Spanish. So I use it with them, and they trust you more when you talk like them.

There’s a member family here that is AMAZING. They don’t have a whole lot but they’re like the most awesome members ever. They help us so much, and always try to feed us. They told us whenever we don’t have anything to eat or if other members can’t feed us, that we should ask them with all the confidence in the world to eat at their house and they will always feed us. The dad also gave us his work schedule to see what hours he can come visit people with us! He also has like 1000 hilarious stories, and cool little tricks that he teaches us. 

Also the picture below is a LIME! It’s like the size of a bowling ball! I’ve never seen a lime that big. They have so many cool different types of fruit here that we don’t have in the US. There’s so many stories I have that I want to tell, but I don’t have time. I have like 1000 hilarious short stories ahah.

I’m glad everything is going well! Also in Conference I thought President Monson was gonna give us some crazy new doctrine because everyone kept talking about the importance of following the prophet no matter what. I’m sad conference is over. It felt like I was back home watching it.

I don’t like it actually takes that long for stuff to get here, so don’t worry. Usually we get our packages in our zone meetings because the zone leaders will go grab it all from the offices and bring it to the meeting for us. So I’ll probably do that. 

Miss you and love you all! 

Elder Latimer

October 13, 2014

This week has been kinda nanners. Lot’s of really weird stuff. It’s really fun living with 4 Elders, but I would like more space, and a place to put food. And my package got here! Thanks so much for everything it was awesome!

This week was crazy. We were walking in our area to an appointment and we see a bunch of smoke like a house is on fire. So we get closer to our appointment and our investigator is outside screaming "Elders! Elders! Help me!!" aahha. She tried to set some trash on fire and lit up this whole plot of land where a house should be. hahha. So we spent like half an hour putting it out. ahha. 

We have some decent investigators, and all the kids here know us already so that’s good. ahha they always come out and want to hang out with us when we pass by so that’s kinda cool. It’s still kinda tough here because we don’t have any materials or anything or a cell phone. But we’re working hard, and I think were gonna see a lot of success soon.

We had a weird experience today. We took a taxi with all the Elders in our district to go bowling, and the cab driver asked if we could say a prayer with him after he dropped us off. So we said, “Okay, why not?” Then he was like, “I’m gonna stand in the middle of you guys and pray.” Then he started praying to the grim reaper or something weird like that. It’s like the Saint of Death that all the drug dealers worship ahah, so that was kidda funny.

Also I’ve been getting kinda worried because my big toe on my right foot has been hurting a lot lately. Like when I step on a rock wrong or side step or things like that. It definitely feels like it’s the bone and not a muscle. I don’t know because I know you both have that same problem. 

Also I started talking to this one guy who works in a little store in our area. We talked a little about the U.S and Mexico. And he started saying how corrupt the government is here and that’s why Mexico sucks. Then he was like "look at all this trash in the street, the government doesn’t do anything about it!" I was SOO tempted to say, "Oh does the government drive by in front of your house every day and chuck a bunch of trash in the street and speed off?" ahah But I decided I shouldn’t say anything. But it’s true, everyone here just throws their trash in the street, then they talk about how dirty Mexico is, ahha. 

We also had a shaving cream fight during divisions, ahah. 

Here’s my letter to Jace: 

Hey are you a girl or something? I’ve learned so many crazy tricks here in Mexico. I’ll have to teach you all of them when I get back. You would like it here there’s lots of kids your age that are always playing outside and the candy here is super awesome and cheap. I’ll have to send some home for Christmas! Tell me how you’re doing!

My Letter to Jonathan: 

Hey man! How are the Seahawks doing? When does the new Madden come out? How’s XC? What’s your best time? I hope everything is going good. There are some crazy people here, and like a thousand dogs in the street. Some of them try to attack us so we have to throw rocks at them a lot, haha, but a lot are really nice. Hope you’re doing well! 

Hot August and September! New Pics!

Companion and Investigator Selfie

Mission President with Zone

The Ward!

Local Fauna

Mothra!

Companion's Breakfast Burger!

August 18, 2014

Dear All:

Things are going pretty well here! We’ve gotten some really good progress with 3 investigators. We committed the three of them to a baptism date on September 20^th. Also I’m still here in my area for this transfer. Most missionaries here have 6 months in each area, but obviously it depends what President says. We have some really good relationships here and the teenagers here are awesome. We’re actually about to go play volleyball with them after we write today! So I’m excited for that.

We were waiting for the bus Saturday and I started talking to this girl and gave her a pass along card with our number and what not, then she told me she was an atheist. But I said that our message is for everyone and it doesn’t hurt to listen. She kinda shrugged it off. But the next day we saw her on the bus again and talked with her for about an hour after we got off the bus. She told me she doesn’t believe in God because both her dad and brother are in jail for 10 plus nears for drug trafficking. But we gave her a brief overview of the plan of salvation and she asked about the Book of Mormon. I explained it to her, and gave her one. We joked for a while after that and talked for about half an hour in the street and she texted us today saying that she was up until 3 in the morning reading the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation pamphlet. So we’re super excited about that! But she doesn’t live in our area... Sad day. But it’s okay, great experience! 

We also went looking for the group of teenagers we met, and we had a lesson with 12 or 13 of them sitting around on the porch listening in 100 degree weather in their last days of summer vacation, so that was something pretty special. Then we came back the next day and there was even more! haha We’re getting pretty well known in Santa Rocio. They’re all great kids, but were probably gonna start teaching them separately because obviously they all have different needs and questions and it’s really hard to focus on just one kid. We walked by again the other day and no one was there, but the family of one of the kids we’re teaching invited us in and we talked for a little bit about why we’re here and that God is our loving Heavenly Father. It went really well, I think. Plus they told us we could come over any time we want, and if we ever need anything we can call them! So some pretty amazing experiences this week!

I have some more stories about my companion, but I’m not gonna share them because I’m trying to be more positive. Also I only have 2 hours on the computer. No, not really. It’s just a couple of things. But were having some pretty good success together, and we teach really well together. Things are going really well here.

Glad that you’re all having fun at home! Also, I found a funny scripture this week in Doctrine and Covenants77:2 it’s a revelation received through Joseph Smith about the descriptions from Revelations. Basically we learn that animals have spirits. They’re different from ours, but they still have them! Which basically means ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN!!!! Ahah. And Genesis 4:24 is for Ben. It’s about his favorite band ahah 

Also we went to the hospital twice because Elder Moya thought he had Denge Fever, which is basically the Mexican version of malaria, and it sucks alot. But he was good, just a little sick. But we did find some other Elders from Washington! One lives in Aberdeen and one in Redmond! Small world! ahah so that was cool. Also if you could send me a new adapter thing for my camera memory card because that got lost in my wallet too, that would be great. Also forward me Josh’s emails! haha  

Love you all! Hope everything is going great!

Elder Latimer

August 25, 2014

This week was pretty awesome!

Really fun. We had a missionary activity in the chapel. We did Lehi’s dream. It was awesome we had an iron rod of pvc pipe and had temptations in a bunch of the rooms in the hallways (like music, tv, food) and a bunch of people showed up it was really fun and a great success. 

The members here are so awesome. We have so much fun and lots of laughs together, especially when we eat with them. There’s one member named Toto (his nickname). He’s a less active, but he’s super cool. He’s 24 years old and is an ex-gangster. He was in jail for 4 years for armed robbery, and has been out for 8 months now. He tells us lots of his gangster stories and how horrible Mexican prisons are! ahah But he’s super awesome and wants to serve a mission so that’s great. And he just got a hernia removed but he still came to church Sunday even though he could hardly walk! 

We’ve been having a lot of success this week. We found 3 new families who are super prepared to hear the gospel. One was a reference, and her name is Francisca and her sons name is Jesus. She’s been reading the Liahona (magazine) for like 3 years and loves everything in it. So we invited her to church, and she came with her son and she took notes on a napkin during gospel principles. And later that night we gave her and her son the first lesson, and they accepted baptismal dates, and her son even helped us teach the lesson using an object lesson he learned in Sunday school! Super awesome family.

We also found a new investigator her name is Itzel. She’s like 16 and has lots of friends who are Mormon. She told her friends that are in our ward that she wants to get baptized, and she came to the church activity, so were gonna follow up with her soon!

One of our investigators is kinda crazy. Her name is Aida. I think she has some mental problems, and she’s also studying the bible with Jehovahs Witnesses so she’s getting really confused. She came to church with our other investigator and her neighbor named Guadalupe. Guadalupe is super awesome -- not very bright but she tries really hard to study and understand everything. But, anywho, Aida told us it’s our fault her kids treat her badly, and they don’t listen to her. When in reality it’s just she doesn’t discipline her kids. And she is afraid of Elder Moya and says he isn’t charming or something like that, (she said that to the sister missionaries) and she wants the sisters to teach her. I said that they’re welcome to teach her, cuz she’s super difficult.

The sisters in our district had a baptism.  The man’s family was just baptized but he had to wait a little bit to quit smoking to get baptized, but he’s super tight. They bought carne asada tacos the night before. Then I spoke at his baptism, and Elder Moya baptized him. Then we confirmed him during sacrament meeting it was super awesome. We’re expecting at least 3 or 4 baptisms this change, so I’ll keep you posted. 

Were super excited and all of our patience is finally paying off! Everything is going great here

Love, Elder Latimer

September 1, 2014

This week was pretty great.

We had a multi-zone meeting downtown in Culiacan with President Velez, the assistants, and basically everyone. Our mission is basically 3 missions, Culiacan, Los Cabos, and Mazatlan. But we learned a lot of great stuff so we were all pretty stoked about that. They taught us we should pray really specifically to find new investigators. 

So Elder and Moya were working at the furthest point in our area that we don’t know very well because we didn’t have any appointments or anything. And we don’t knowIanyone so we decided to say a specific prayer, and I said it. And I prayed that we’d find a family sitting outside on their porch talking and that we would be able to contact them.

So we start walking and there’s a couple of guys sitting outside, and we decide to talk to them, and they’re all smoking weed and rolling more joints and stuff. And we contacted one of them, when we started talking to him he quickly passed his joint to his friend. Ahah. But he said that he wants to learn more so that’s pretty cool. We’ll see.

But we walked a little bit further and found a family sitting outside talking on their porch and we contacted them and they’re super cool and are pretty excited to learn more and meet with us. We need to find a time to go back this week and meet with them because they live really far away but were gonna try. 

We had some good lessons, but Francisca and Jesus and Guadalupe (investigators with baptismal dates) didn’t come to church Sunday because they got some emergency call to go help a family member or something. And I don’t know why Guadalupe didn’t come. But were gonna visit them more frequently.

We had an investigator blow up on us for no reason. I personally think she’s bipolar, and not just because she blew up on us, but for lots and lots and lots of reasons. ahah. But we went to her house to say “hi” and put another appointment during the week. And we got there right when the power company shut off their lights so she was pretty mad. But she told us to come in and talk so we did. 

Then she just blew up about literally everything that has ever happened in her life. Screaming at us saying it’s our fault her family is messed up because we didn’t fix her family and her kids don’t listen to her. And I don’t think she heard a single thing we said during it, but we both kept calm. I think she needs professional help. She told me that I’m racist, and I asked how and she said because the U.S doesn’t allow illegal immigrants. Then she said were selective because we don’t teach everyone in her street and how her neighbors must all feel bad because we don’t visit them. Then I showed her in my planner our plans to visit her neighbors and she told me to shut up. ahah. 

Needless to say I’ not excited to go back there. 

Also I battled the double headed dragon this Sunday, which in case you don’t know is when you have to go to the bathroom and puke at the same time and decide which one you want to do. (I didn’t really), but I was puking during sacrament meeting because I have golpe de color which literally means “heat punch” in Spanish. But I’m pretty sure its heat stroke ahah.

Then I went and laid down in a room during sacrament meeting and during the prayer and 5 year old decided to run and jump full force on my stomache during the prayer because he thought I was sleeping. If I wasn’t a missionary I would have smacked that kid. And a doctor in the ward checked me out for free and told me to drink electrolytes and assured me I should drink it now. So we went to a little store nearby and bought one. And I drank it really slow but then puked it all up again 5 minutes later. It was really funny because while a was puking a little kid in the ward was watching me in the bathroom and kept asking "Elder Latimer are you puking?" Then I’d say “yes” and puke again then he’d ask again immediately after. Ahah. This happened about five times. I was trying not to laugh while I was puking ahha.

But the members are super awesome. While I was resting up at our house like 5 different families came buy brought medicine, juice, fruits, and electrolyte stuff. So that was really helpful. I still don’t feel too hot today but we only have 2 appointments so I’ll see how I feel. Also this week it was over 120 again for two days when we practically walked all day which is probably why I’m sick. And it was about 85 degrees at night! Crazy heat here. But I’m surviving. 

That’s awesome about Jonathan and Jace up at the lake! Glad everyone is doing well up there! We’re hoping to have some baptisms before this change is over so I’ll keep you all updated! Take care. Love you all!

Elder Latimer

September 8, 2014

Hello! 

Sounds like everything is going well at home! Love hearing how everyone is doing. This week was pretty normal but we had a lot of fun and were still teaching a lot. We don’t really do much on p-days because it’s too freaking hot and there’s like nothing to do in our area so we take naps and go hangout with members in their houses. 

Everything is better now. I was at 100% by Tuesday, so I’m grateful for that. We had a pretty funny experience. We were working In Aguaruto, the more ghetto part of our area where are the big drug deals go down. And we had an appointment at 8 at night in the very very last street in the neighborhood (by the way Aguaruto is so big it could be its own area). So we were walking in sort of a dangerous part and some guy asked us if we were lost. Needless to say that didn’t really comfort us. But I always feel comfortable and safe here. I’m not really afraid to get robbed or anything. I mean if they want 40 pesos and scriptures have at it ahha. 

Yesterday we went to Aguaruto to visit some people, and every single one of our plans fell through so that kinda sucked. But teenagers love to yell swearwords at us in English because it’s the only English they know. They don’t do it in a mean way they just want to see my reaction. But I called some of them over because I told them I didn’t know what language they were trying to speak haha. But then I started messing with them and I was like "you dont know what that means right?" And they said, “yeah, it’s a swear word.” And I told them that it’s not a swear word and that it means, “I’m gay” ahahh. They all turned bright red because they had just yelled it like 10 times ahha. I don’t think they'll be swearing again soon ahah. 

We had another lesson with our crazy investigator. Well sort of. Her neighbor is progressing really well, and she has a baptism date for September 20th. And she comes over uninvited when she hears us. I think she has a multi personality disorder. Our mission president said not to visit her anymore and to tell bishop to talk to her. She came to church again and apparently was really, really rude to the sister missionaries during relief society. But afterwards she told me she loved relief society and has a really good bond with the other sisters in the ward... I think she’s delusional ahah. 

I feel like I’ll probably get transferred after this change, but nothings for certain ahah. This mission is crazy. You can never tell where you’re going to get transferred. It’s crazy hearing about my friends from college that are going to be going home in a couple months. I’m a little bit behind. I just hope they won’t all be married by the time I get back. That would be a huge bummer.

I think I’m going to wait to Christmas to send you all the stuff I bought for your birthdays and other holidays because it will be cheaper. Ask Joe, Jonathan, and Jace, if there’s anything specific they want from Mexico, and I’ll look for it. 

Glad everyone is doing great! We’re expecting some baptisms soon, and my Spanish is still getting really good. Still not fluent but I’m still dreaming in Spanish ahah so that’s tight. Miss you all! Love you all!

Elder Latimer