Week 67: Conference and Transfers!

Me and my new companion with the Ward Mission Leader from Libertad

Hola

Well, as all of you know Conference was awesome! I got to see half of it in english and the other half in spanish and it was great.

We also had cambios (transfers) and Elder Ramirez went to home to Mexicali. So we had a few going away parties and a few cakes from the members, and we got to finish it all on conference weekend. So on saturday, I went to Mochis with Elder Ramirez and got to watch the 2 saturday sessions in english with all of the other gringos. (In the picture, another Elder is taking the picture of me, so I am not alone with all those sisters, just in case you were wondering. haha!) But all the talks were awesome! They especially talked about the Book of Mormon this conference. Then at 5:30, Elder Walhstrom and I went to go drop off Elder Ramirez at the bus station. We didnt end up leaving until about 6 so we got to the priesthood session a little late. So I did not get to see all of it. 

But after the priesthood session, we had to try and figure out a way to get back to 4 milpas (there are no buses at night). So I saw the mission president's counselor in the priesthood session and started talking with him. Then joking around, I asked if he wanted to give us a ride. I was very surprised that he said, of course. So Elder Walhstrom and I went with him to pick up another missionary who did not have a companion either, Elder Reyes, and then went to 4 milpas to spend the night. So we had a sleep over of 3 missionaries saturday night.

The next day we helped to pick up all the members in 4 milpas and bring them to the Rosales branch so that they could watch conference. We loaded all the members up in the back of a pick up truck and headed out. We then watched conference that was projected on one of the walls of the casa de oracion. So I had to watch all of conference in spanish on sunday. 

Then during the break in between the 2 sessions of conference the branch president brought food for everyone who came to conference. So Elder Reyes, Walhstrom, and I helped to make sandwiches along with the branch president and his wife for everyone. So that was pretty fun. And it was so nice of the branch president to buy all that food for everyone. 

Then we went to Macapule for the rest of the afternoon. I got to see Carlos and Lolita again from my first area. And it always makes me so happy to see them and talk with them again. It is also alot more fun when you can speak spanish alot better. :)

Today we received our transfers and I received Elder Salazar, he was in Libertad also. Elder Salazar is from my generation and he is from cuidad mexico. I also know him really well because he has always been in Sinaloa like me. He was in my district in Macapule when I was the DL. But he is really funny. I am really exited to be his companion. I hope that we will see many miracles this transfer. 

Well, Yussen is going to be baptized soon. His baptismal date is for the 22 of October, but we are going to see if he wants to get baptized a little sooner. 

I love you so much. I hope that you all have a great week this week. 

Love

Elder Snyder

Going away party for Elder Ramirez

Watching Conference with the Gringos

Saying goodbye to Elder Ramirez at the bus station

Our house...I know, the walls look scary. The house is pretty old, but it honestly doesn't bother me. We hardly live in the house…we basically just sleep there. The 3 beds are for when Elders Wahlstrom and Reyes came.

Week 66: Our Branch is growing…little by little!

Our Branch

Hola

So, it's General Conference this weekend and I'm super excited. I enjoy conference more and more now. After teaching the importance of living prophets so many times something starts to stick. I think I am going to watch it in the Rosales casa de oración. I also have to make plans with other missionaries because Elder Ramirez leaves for Obregón to go home on Saturday and I need to bring a companion with me to 4 milpas because we have to help the members attend the conference. And I think I will be watching it in spanish. There will not be an english room this time. Oh well. But I am afraid that I will miss the saturday morning session because I have to go with Elder Ramirez to the bus station, but I think I will download it and watch it later.

So this week it rained alot. And for those of you that know, we dont have any paved streets in our area so there was a lot of mud. We came home with very muddy shoes everyday. But it is okay because when it rains it is not super hot. Actually we had kind of a funny day. We decided to use the highway to ride our bike to Rosales which is like 40 minutes away. And as we started riding we could see the rain coming right at us. It was like a mile from where we were so we started riding even faster hoping that the rain would not catch us, but we were not fast enough. So there we were in the middle of the highway in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain. We rode our bikes until we arrived at some sort of farm. There we took shelter with a bunch of other guys that work out in the field. And there we waited for an hour for the rain to stop. And by that time we were completely dry again. 

6 hours of church was pretty great too. We had a lot of people that went to both the branch and the extension. It was awesome to see the faces of the many less active members that we have been visiting go to church. The branch is getting bigger little by little. 

But other than that a pretty normal week. Our super golden investigator is progressing amazingly. He now wants to start reading Jesus the Christ because he loves to read. its awesome! 

I love you all so much. Thanks for telling me about everything back at home. 

Elder Snyder 

A cat we trapped in a birdcage.

Church members in Rosales and 4 Milpas