Week 16

This week went fast. It helps that it was missing a day, but still fast. With is being Christmas and New years, our schedule got shuffled a bit but now we are back to the normal schedule.

New Years day was another Zone Activity, mostly just fun. We played mafia and ate pancakes, felt like a normal activity with my friends at home.

Still house shopping, we need to find one this week so that we can have everything prepped before the new elders get here. Finding one near the city center is nearly impossible for our price range so we have to start wandering the more remote areas of our area to find one.

This week we had something called a Rosca de Reyes. It is a Catholic tradition and is really just a giant pastry doughnut thing but it tastes pretty good. There are also little plastic babies baked into it that we called monos, or monkeys (they are supposed to represent the Christ child I believe). the people that ended up with them in their piece had to wash the dishes.

And today we got another companion so I get to be in a trio. He should be open up the new area in about 2 weeks so we get to show him around.

Not much has happened with our nivestigators this week but we are close with a few.

Love you guys,

Elder Hokanson

Making Goodie Bags, and Christmas Dinner for The Elders

Week 15

Wow it has been a long week. Pretty much every day has had something happen that threw off our normal rutine, But It has made this week interesting.

Christmas we had a zone activity where we made a bunch of goodi bags for members of the ward ad investigators. then we went outside and played basketball and soccer. Funny part is that in my almost 5 months here, this is the first time that I have actualy played soccer. That night we ate at Hna Patti's house, she is a less active that we where able to bring back (i will talk more about her in a bit).

The next day was not fun. We got to lay in bed all day because both my companion and i where sick. We think is was form eating at Hna Patties since we both had similar simptoms at the same time. The worst part is that it burned an entire day and we couldnt help any one. I am fine now but that was not very fun at all. 

Then I got to hang out with the Zone leaders. I made it through but only bairly since I hadn't fully recovered yet.     Other than that, work went on as usual.

We are working mostly with 2 families right now, Hna Patti and Hna Violeta.  Ironicaly they are both single mothers with a son and a daughter. Hna Patti's son Juan was baptized about 6 years ago but when he was asking about reciving the priesthood, he is 14, there where no records. We have his membership number which means that he was baptized but there are no records of the actual baptism. He and his sister, who is 8, have an interveiw with bishop tomarrow, so we will find out when the will be baptized then.

Hna Violeta is ready for her baptism in the 12 and hopefully i don't get transfered again befor her baptism.

Love you guys,

Elder Hokanson

Santa arrived in Mexico!

Week 14

Honestly I didn't think I would get to write a letter this week but I have the opportunity so I will.

The Christmas devotional with President Flores was a lot of fun. We watched Despicable Me 2 in Spanish, not quite the same but still really funny. Then we had a gift exchange and President Flores gave us all an interesting gift.... parasite pills. Not exactly what I was hoping to get this Christmas but good to have anyway.  Getting home was interesting trying to balance all of my packages, yes I got all of them, and my bag but I had a lot of fun opening them that night. 

We have one investigator who is just amazing. Her name is Violeta and she was a street contact from the week before I got here but I have been part of most of the lessons.  We texted her to make sure that she would be able to make it to Church this Sunday and in her response, was something along the lines of ''Yes and can I be baptised already?!''. It broke our hearts to tell her she needs to wait another couple of weeks since she has gained her testimony and is ready. But rules are rules.

Also found out this week that we are dividing our area and next cambio (companion exchange) there will be Compastre 2. We are uber excited to get to be able to focus on a smaller area and to have more help here. We still have a bunch of prep work to do before they get here.

 

Love you guys, y Feliz Navidad

Elder Hokanson

Elders Downtown

Week 13

I have learned a lot about my new area and it is huge, probably twice the size of my first one.  The bottom of my area actually is in Torreon but the other side of the city from Colon.

Otherwise, this week was full of random moments

-The lady cutting my hair was shocked that my hair was naturally brown. It was an odd conversation.

-One of the Elders in my zone, Adam Barnes, was good friends with Makenzie, my aunt, in high school.  The world is small, even here in Mexico.

-Last night a couple in our ward brought us a Christmas dinner since they bring one to the missionaries every year but they will be out of town this year.  It was a good old Thanks giving feast. 

no really, I felt like I was at grandma's it was that good. Turkey , stuffing , mashed potatoes. and even a Jello salad. (Elder Villega is from Costa Rica and has never had it before) It was a very pleasant surprise.

 

Feliz Navidad

Elder Hokanson