Week 25: Another Temple Dedication in Mexico - Tijuana Temple

Elder Salomon and I

Bueno!! (that is how everyone answers the phone here)

Thanks for the updates. I totally forgot that back home there is a christmas choir. And I am happy to hear that so many people participated. We also had our christmas choir performance yesterday. The only thing is that I think back home everyone can sing a little better. haha! No, but it was really good. I really love hearing all the different hymns in spanish. Also it was really cool because all the different wards in the stake had their own part. Sadly, we didnt get to participate, but it was cool to see all the different wards participate. There also were not any special musical numbers just choirs from different wards. Also it was really awesome because there were a bunch of people from Macapule that went. They are not in our stake but alot of them went because they have family members that were singing. But is was really awesome to say hi to all the people from my old ward. 

Also this Sunday we had the dedication of the tijuana temple!!! It is so awesome and cool that in my mission I have now seen 2 dedications of temples and both are in mexico. It was really cool because the whole time Elder Uchtdorf was making little jokes. He really is hillarious. And it was funny because all the americans would laugh first because the rest of the people had to wait for the translator. 

One of the things President Uchtdorf said that I really liked. He said that translatores are like the holy ghost if you listen closely you can hear and understand the message that is being taught. Or something like that :) 

Libertad is really awesome. We dont have that many investigators, but we have alot of members and they all want to help, so that is really great. Also I think I forgot to say that Elder Tice, my companion from the CCM is in my ward, so we see each other pretty often. Libertad is also alot bigger than Macapule. I have not seen what our sacrament meeting is like because of the temple dedication, but I will see this week. 

This Pday was the first time that we actually did something really fun. My comp and I, my old zone leaders and the missionaries in my district all met at the church this morning and we all played soccer for a while. It was really fun to play and to just hang out and talk with the other Elders that are serving here. 

That is so awesome that you were able to show the Savior is Born video at the choir performance. We have the video in spanish but it is not as good because the words dont match with what the people are saying. Alot of the Latino missionaries like to see it more in english rather than in spanish. haha. 

Here in Mexico christmas seems the same as it is back home. Everyone has christmas trees a few people have christmas lights and it is awesome because there is a family that has invited us to have carne asada with them this christmas. 

And, Yes, I opened my first gift today, and we put the lights in front of our door. My companion said that we should make an M with the lights above our door. And I was like "Why M? for Missionaries?" and he responded, no "M" for Merry Christmas haha. It was just funny because this whole time we were speaking spanish. 

As for my christmas call, our president has told us that we can talk for 50 minutes and that we can use the computer of a member to call. So I think we are going to call from the house of a member, but as for the time we dont know yet because we are going to do whatever works best for the member.

Well that is about it. I love you all so much and I am so excited to talk to you all on christmas. 

Con mucho amor

Elder Snyder

A blind man who is a recent convert here in Libertad. He came to the Temple dedication with us.

Me and Elder Tice and our companions.

Christmas package arrived safely and all 12 days of Christmas presents were there. :)

Week 24 - Transferred!

Saying Goodbye at the bus station.

Hola

So alot of things happened this week. Hermana Richardson finished her mission and she left for Obregón on friday. And we also recieved our cambios. 

So to answer the big question... Yes! I have been transferred. I am still in los mochis :) but I am in Libertad B with Elder Salomon. A different stake and ward, but I am happy and sad at the same time. I am happy because I get to change areas and I dont have to contact the same people over and over again. But I am sad that I have to leave right before Christmas and I am going to miss all the members that I have come so close to over these past few months. But the crazy thing is that Elder Tice and Elder Reid are in my district. The same people that were in my district in the CCM. 

Elder Salomon is 22 years old and is a recent convert to the church. He's from Monterey, Mexico and he is pretty cool. I am also the senor companion here because Elder Salomon just finished his training. It is very crazy... our district is so young.

But our house is so awesome! I cant wait to take pictures and send them to you. It is so much bigger. haha We live in a house that is right above a member, who also has a daughter that is on a mission. But ya, there is actually space! It is so awesome. I dont really know too much about Libertad, but I am really exited to be here. Elder Ochoa is kind of freaked out that I have been transferred, he says because he doesnt know the area very well, but he knows the area more or less. So when everyone has transfers, we all meet in the bus station because it is the only place that everyone knows. So we went to the bus station, and I found my new companion and we said goodbye to all the missionaries that were leaving. Then we left and went to our house in Libertad because all the missionaries that were in Obregón werent going to arrive for a while. Then while I was unpacking my stuff, we got a call. It was from Elder Ochoa and he was asking me what the name of the street is that we live on. Ahhh! Hopefully he will be alright in Macapule. haha!

I am doing really well. In the beginning, for me the mission was pretty hard. Thankfully, I had an American companion that could understand me and communicate, but still I could not understand anyone when I arrived, and I was always so dang tired. The first month of my mission, I was practically falling asleep in our lessons because I could not understand anything. But I think that happens for everyone who serves a mission in a different language. But now, I am doing really great. I can understand everything that people are saying, and I can pretty much say anything I want in Spanish.  Its not perfect, but I still have a lot of time to perfect my Spanish. :) But truthfully, I am enjoying my mission. Yes, it is really hard, but I am happy and enjoying it.

As missionaries here we are doing everything we can to get the members excited about sharing the church's Christmas video, "A Savior Is Born." So if there is anything that you can do for the missionaries in your ward, I know that they would really appreciate it. 

Well that is about it. Thanks for the pictures, and I am so excited to see you all on christmas! :)

Con mucho amor

Elder Snyder

With Carlos and Lolita. Going to miss these great ward members. 

Got my Christmas Package!

Reunion with my friends from the CCM

Week 23 - Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas

Hola 

¿Cómo están todos?

Well another week has gone by and we have arrived at the last week of the cambia (transfer.) We still don't have any investigators that are progressing but we have found a less active sister that we are trying to reactivate. We decided to contact this señora that was leaving her house. As soon as we started talking to her, she was like… actually, I am a member, and told us to come into her house. She told us that she and all of her kids were baptized in the church, but that she has not been to church in ten years. Then the next Sunday, she came to church and brought one of her granddaughters who is not a member. She also came last week and she made comida for us also.

Also hermana Richardson is going to finish her mission this week, which is sad because she has been in my ward and our district ever since I arrived.

But this week we have really been focussing on the new intiative of the church which is "Ha nacido un salvador" or "The Savior is Born." All of our meetings and lessons have been about this video. And in the 3rd hour of church, we were in charge of teaching. We ran the 3rd hour like it was a zone conference. We started with a hymn and a prayer and then we, the missionaries, lead the training for all the members. We showed them all the video and asked them what they thought and why it is important that they share this with their friends and family. Then we discussed the different ways that they could share this video with their family. Then we had all the members do a role playing exercise where they all had to contact one of their friends and gift them a card. It was really cool and kind of funny to watch all the members act like missionaries. But that is kind of what the church is all about, right?  

There is still hardly any progress here in our area because it is so dang small. A large portion of our area is taken up by the Ley, Walmart and Sam's Club. It is like a quarter of our area. So we keep feeling like we are talking with the same exact people. But I really hope that I will be here in Macapule for one more cambia…just because I have gotten to know all the members here, and I would really like to spend Christmas with them.

And instead of having turkey for thanksgiving this year, I had turkey enchiladas, so that is basically the same thing right? :) I am glad that you all had a great Thanksgiving and sorry that this letter is not too long, but really not to much has happened this week. I hope that everything is going well. Love you all so much.

Love

Elder Snyder

Our Christmas presentation during the 3rd hour in church to help the members share the video "The Savior is born."
 

A Family Home Evening with the members

"The Monster Dogg!"

Not really missionary attire, but it was actually cold in our apartment!! It has no insulation and the weather here now is a lot like California, cold in the morning, hot during the day, and then cold again at night. I never thought I would say this, but I almost wish I had packed a sweater. haha!

It rained all day Saturday and one of the members made this poncho for me out of a trash bag! haha! But it stopped raining right after.

Week 22 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Hola family,

I love mondays too haha. And I love being able to write and read letters to finish off the day before we have to go work again. I am so excited to skype with you too…only one more month. And in answer to your question... I am pretty sure that there is no Thanksgiving here in mexico but tal vez si hay. 

The work here is going very slow... none of our investigators are progressing. None are going to church, and it feels like every time we have a member come with us to one of our appointments, our investigators are not home. Its annoying because we didnt have that many lessons with members this week, so then everyone is calling us and asking why dont you have more lessons with members and yeah all that. But yeah we are trying and that is what matters. :) 

One of the goals that I want to start with our district is to have a noche de hogar everyweek (FHE). Family home evenings are really the easiest way to have a lesson with multiple investigators at once and for the investigators to get to know someone in the ward. It is also a really easy way for members to get involved with missionary work and the missionaries…because it is really easy to invite friends to family home evening and then the members dont have to stress about preparing a lesson because the missionaries have that covered :) But ya, Noches de hogar always are successful. 

Oh, mom and dad,  I FINALLY RECEIVED YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!! yeah my package all of a sudden appeared at the church. Someone told me that there was a package in our church locker. And yeah, sure enough there it was. So you dont have to worry anymore haha. I am really greatful for the hymns made easy book. We went to the church today and I was able to practice piano again. 

Oh and we had intercambios con los lideres de zona. So that was fun...the zone leaders told me that I would be staying in Mochis, but when they arrived at our house in the morning they told us that I was leaving and going to del valle and that elder ochoa was staying. It was really funny because elder ochoa got all mad and I don't know... it is just really funny to hear people complain in spanish because they start talking alot faster than normal. But one of the best parts about going to del valle was that I got to eat the "monster dogg." There is one guy who is a member in del valle that has a hot dog stand and he sells this one dogg called the "monster dogg." He has bread specially made for this dogg because inside fits 4 sausages. It was so delicious. And I forgot my cable today so I cant send the picture but dont worry i will send a picture the next time I am at the church. 

Mom, you asked me to share what I am most grateful for this year…I am so grateful to be born and raised in a family that has the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. When we teach the principle of how the gospel blesses families, I think of our family and all the blessings that we have received because of the Gospel. Living with the Gospel in our lives is truly the only way to find lasting happiness. I am so grateful I was blessed to be born into our family and with the Gospel. I cannot even imagine how hard it would be for me to find it, if I had not been born with it, and I think of how I would have missed out on all the blessings that come from having the spirit to lead and guide us in our lives everyday. A mission really gives you another perspective, huh. ;)

Love you all so much, and I am so happy that you will all be celebrating Thanksgiving. 

Til next week!

Love,

Elder Snyder

Week 21 - Sam's club here we come!

So this week started out really rough for us. We walked for hours and hours. We were contacting all the people that said we could pass by their house, but they were either not home or later told us that they were catholic. That is always the excuse people use. They tell us that we can pass by a different day, but then when we come by again, they tell us that they are catholic and don't want to listen. So in the start of the week, it was really hard to stay positive, but things turned out to be all right at the end of the week. Sadly, our investigators still are not coming to church. I feel like the hardest commandment for these people is to keep the Sabbath. 

But other than that, things went pretty well. We had a meeting with the president and the assistants. It was really awesome because it was a meeting for all the district, zone, and sister training leaders. The meeting was awesome. We learned how we should be running our district meetings, which is something very helpful for me, and we learned how to work more with the members. And one of the ways that I think is awesome is to have a family home evening with the members where the members invite a family and then the missionaries teach a short lesson. 

Oh and something interesting that happened this week was that we recieved a reference from the sisters of someone who has a daughter that is at BYUI right now. So we contacted him this week and he told us about his daughter at BYUI. Then he called her up on his phone and gave it to me. And I asked her where she was living, but I don't remember now where it was. But it was really cool... we talked in spanish and because this guy has a lot nicer phone than we do, I could actually hear what she was saying on the other end. His daughter told us that we have to teach her dad, so we are going to continue to follow up with him. 

Also as of today, Elder Ochoa and I are officially Sam's Club members. Haha! Yeah, there is a Sam's Club right in our area. We mainly bought the membership because Sam's is one of the only cheap places that you can go to print photos. But we got a really good deal and it will be really nice to be able to go there. 

Love you all so much!  Thanks for everything that you do for me.

te amo

Elder Snyder

Week 20 - Staying Positive!

Querido familia,

First of all, I love you all so much. I love reading all your letters and all the support that you give me. Thanks so much!

So this week started out very good. We found alot of new people to teach. By wednesday, we had 10 new investigators. But then on thursday, friday, and saturday it all went down hill. We barely had any lessons. We could not find any of the people that we had taught at the start of the week. And we were walking for most of these days. It was pretty hard to stay positive, but that is our goal for this week. We also fasted this week to help us to find new people and to find someone that will want to be baptized this cambio. :)

I never realized before, but to be a district leader requires a lot of phone calls. It has helped me alot though, because I have gotten much better at understanding people on the phone. Im still not perfect, but now I dont have to guess what people are saying all the time. 

Sounds like Parker had a great missionary opportunity by choosing not to go to Disneyland with the band on Sunday. That's cool that he was able to talk to his friends about his reasons for not going. I really wish that I would have had the knowledge I have now of the importance of the Sabbath day when I was swimming and in high school.  As a missionary it is so much easier to see that the Lord only asks us for one day. While we should always have our thoughts focused on him, he really only asks for one day - and by keeping the Sabbath day holy we show our willingness to keep all of God's commandments. And through keeping this commandment podemos ser perdonados de nuestros pecados. 

Sorry I dont have too much to write. It was alot of walking in the hot sun this week. But I know that this next week will be better! 

Love you all so much. Your letters really brighten my week and help to motivate me to work hard.

Love Elder Snyder

Week 19 - "All Spanish From Here On Out"

Hola Familia,

Loved the Halloween pictures. Looks like it was super fun and your mexican pumpkins were pretty hilarious. Here in Mexico, it is called día de los muertos (Day of the Dead), but I honestly didn't notice a difference from any other day. Everything seemed completely normal to me. The only difference these past two days is that there has not been anyone home or in the calle (street). On weekends, it is much harder to find people in their houses because everyone leaves to visit family. And especially this week with día de los muertos. So we have walked around in the calle and literally have not seen anyone. 

But my first week with my new companion went very well. Elder Ochoa is hilarious. Literally everything he says makes me laugh. Also he does not speak any english so it will be all spanish speaking from here on out. He has been a member of the church for a year and 6 months and he and his brother are the only active members in his family. But he is so fun. One thing we have in common is that we both like spongebob. It is especially hilarious to hear him quote it in spanish. I dont know why, but some things are just funnier in spanish. 

So, I finally had my first interview with the president en miércoles (on Wednesday). It was very cool to speak with the president. He told me that he has been praying for me more than any other missionary because he has given me alot of responsiblity. It was really cool to be with him and I hope to be able to do my best to serve here. He also told me that I no longer have an extra hour of language study, so we now have to leave the house at 1030. Which doesnt seem like alot but going from leaving at 12 to leaving at 1030 has been a huge change. We have also been contacting more because we need to find more people to teach. We were both really sad this saturday because we fasted that our investigatores would come to church but none of them did :( It is just so dang hard for people to come to church. That is honestly like the hardest commandment for them. 

But that has just about been our week. Alot of contacting in the street. But today we went shopping. And it was pretty awesome. There is a Suburbia (basically a Mexican Walmart) in our area, so we went there to look for pants and ties. Well they didnt have any ties but they had pants. And the best part was they were on sale for like 135 pesos. It was incredible. Then when we got home Elder Ochoa taught me how to hem my pants. And they actually turned our really good. (So you dont have to worry mom, haha!) But that was about our week. Not to many things happened this week just alot of walking.

I hope that everyone is doing well at home. Love you all so much.

Con muchísimo amor

Elder Snyder