Letter #23

Que ONda= FAMILIA,

 It has been 7 months, that is so weird--- and also its been another week, only 2 weeks left in this transfer.  Time is going so fast.  Day to day it feels like weeks, but the weeks feel like days, if that makes sense.  I finally understand haha, missions go fast!

 

ps early: I  didn't read your email mom, its long ha and I don't have much time.  But I will respond to the Q´s you left.

 

Q´s

 

1.  DID YOU GET THE PACKAGE WITH THE WEDDING PICS AND CALENDAR?

no, not yet, hopefully tonight, but I doubt it ha.  When did you send it?  The mail is super slow now a days, for everyone including Mexicans from home.  I am excited to get it!

 

2.  HOW ARE YOUR RETAINERS?

They´re good-- ha, I  haven't  worn them for awhile.... but yeah—they're fine.  I'll check how they feel today when I get home, I forgot this the morning... ;)

 

3.  FOLLOW UPS ON JOSE AND ALL THE OTHERS FROM LAST WEEK.....

more lower...

 

4.  WE LOVE YOU!

REALLY YY??!!!!! YAHHOOOOO!!!!! ;)

 

We had a great week.  No me diga.  I have to start with a story about our investigator,  Raul... his wife is a member, Pili, and has been for about 7 years, but he has never been interested in the church, para nada!  About 5 months ago he had toe surgery for a delayed response to an ingrown toenail, and they had to cut off like half his big toe and because it was so infected.  When I got here, he smoked, drank and was just NEVER interested.  I taught his grandson Juan, who was going to be baptized my 2nd transfer but his dad wouldn't let him-- I don't know if you remember me talking about him. ANYWAYS... he  never accepted our offer of a Priesthood blessing for his healing.  It still bothers him, and he is in a lot of pain,  and quite honestly, it's disgusting.... hahaha—it's like a HUGE scab... but our bishop and other leaders have passed by their house to offer a blessing, and he never would let them.  WEELLLLL, like 10 days ago, we passed by his house at 8:45pm , on our way home, only to ask his wife if she could come with us to a lesson the next day.  We showed up, and he let us in, and we just start talking to him while his wife was busy.  He complained about his toe, and my comp asks him if he wanted a blessing- he paused for about 10 seconds, and then accepted!  His wife then came in, we told her we were going to give him a blessing and she was shocked!  Absolutely shocked!  We gave him a blessing, and after, he said that literally he felt the pain in his toe cease when we laid our hands on his head.  Then he said ¨creo que me voy a la iglesia este domingo.¨  I think I am going to go to church this Sunday.  NO WAY!  His first time in the church ever was 2 Sundays ago, and he literally loved it!  He's like 70, so he doesn't work, so we taught him every day last week, and everything was going sooo goooodd....!!!  We set a baptismal date for 4th of February on a Friday.  He was super stoked!  We left, stopped by Saturday to teach again, and he let us in, then said he wasn't going to continue.  He tried to give his Book of Mormon and pamphlets back to us.  At this point, we were devastated.  No way!   Not again, please..... we were with him for about an hour and a half, just talking, bearing testimony and reminding him of what he was feeling. I know he felt that the Chruch was true.  We left with him and he had not changed his mind.  We were so bummed!  He basically told us not to come back.

 

Then the miracle happened with him.... again!  We passed  by our other investigators Sunday morning, and they weren't there.  It was 11:35pm, 25 minutes until church, and we thought--- let's just stop by Raul's house and we showed up,  Pili, his wife had already left for church, and we walked in his house, he walked into the room with a polo shirt and a hat, and when he saw us, he said. ¨I am coming to church!¨  No way!  I honestly thought it was pointless to even stop by his house, and now he was coming! We left his house, he stopped both of us, and looked at us. ¨olviden todo lo que dije ayer. voy a seguir.¨ FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID YESTERDAY. IM GOING TO CONTINUE!!!¨  Noooo way—neither I nor my comp could believe it.  I ran out into the street and did a heel tap off the curb about as high as I've ever done it before, sooo excited!!!!

 

Then it gets better, at church, we had the class 2nd hour, principles of the gospel class, and we talked about baptism.  He is on!!! 4th of February, and his excited!  After church, we were standing next to him and people were filing out to leave and he was inviting people to his baptism, 4th of  February. We could not believe it!

 

We also have a baptism this week and I am so happy!  Also about Jose-- he didn't come to church yesterday... something is up with him-- we´ll see this week.  We also have Mario and Ulysis in teh capilla, they both have their baptismal dates for 4th of feb along with Raul.  It will be amazing if we can get them all. Dori is a bum... we have a cita with her tomorrow.  And we have some bien potente citas with new investigators this Tuesday and Wednesay this week—we are full already.  I am excited!

 

So this week, apart from blessings and miracles we've seen, was way fun.  I had divisions with a new elder from Chile. We had interviews with the president in our house!  Holy cow, we cleaned our house DANG good before he came. and  I'm here today, survived the interview ;)

 

What else?... ummmm oh sooo I got this supper cooool voice recorder in the mail last week, and I've been obsessed with it.  I just attached all the recording I did--I just attached them all, cause I couldn't tell which were which, but one of them is a talk I gave in church yesterday. obviously it's in Spanish, but I thought I'd attach it for Rob, Dave, Natalie, Bri and all you wanna be Spanish speakers ;)  haha.  Really it gives me shame ha, I have the WORST accent!!!! and I couldn't even make it 2 words before I messed up already... its ¨buenos tardes¨ at 12:30 pm...haha. I still sound the same as the first day I got here!  It is soo bad-- but enjoy!

 

Well fam, I'm outtie, love you all. Thank you so much for e´rrr thannggg, lub u aLL!

 

over and out,

elder C

Elder Connolly Mexico Letter #22

 

MEXICO CARTTA #22 Richard Connolly richard.connolly@myldsmail.net 4:03 PM (5 hours ago) HEY FAM!   You know it was a good week when you dread P-day... the day you actaully HAVE to work....clean, wash, buy... so this week was amazing.   We were sooo blessed this week, I don't even know where to start.   Q´s   1.  Did you get the package with the calendar? No, maybe tonight!  I got mail last week that was sent in November, haha stuff about thanksgiving and stuff--and it was Januray 9. The mail has been really slow.  I would blame the mission office but it got in Merida stamped January 4th.   2.   Best part of the week WOW, there was sooo many--- read below!   3.  Tell us about your comp fam. He's a family of 5 siblings, and I  think he's the 2nd oldest.  He is from Sonora,  Mexico, lives on the border and his dad works in the US.  Ummm, his whole family is LDS, raised in the church.  By the way, he says ¨hola confam!¨  Ha, and he's a hard worker and very organized.   So the work.........its good ;) too good.  I have been trying sooo hard this past transfer with Elder Dominguez.  He is in my generation, we have the same amount of time, and he is just excited to work.  Unlike my past 2 comps, it just different working with someone that is as excited to work has he is.  I have learned alot of things from him already.  We´re both new and really still learning how to run lessons and it is exactly how I like to learn.   So, we had another storm here, like the ones in September, raining like crazy, but I think this one was the biggest!  What else... we had a FHE with Sandras family, wow it turned out sooo well. I It is just a waiting game until they get baptized.   I hope I am here when it happens--I love that family... but ACCEPT IT-- DANG IT!!   Sooo the coooolest experience was probably with Jose--we taught him the word of wisdom and he´s been saying he wants to quit since the beginning, and this time we took his alcohol from his house!   We said we´re starting now!  We told him to go get ALL the alcohol from his house and he brought out this round glass handmade bottle in a little sac, about 1 liter of alcohol, and gave it to us.  Then as we were about to leave, he said, ¨I want to break this habit myself and  I am gonna get rid of it.¨  So I said ¨GREAT!  I'm taking a video!¨ haha !!! I have a video of Jose and  him saying some last words to his Booooz, then he threw it at the brick wall in front of his house and broke it!  It wasss soooo awesome! No way!  I couldnt believe it! I  went over after and took a picture of it... beeeeeer never smelled SOOOO gooood ;) haha!   We've also been teaching a members' mom this transfer who literally took a 180 degree turn just in this week!  On Tuesday she was unsure about her baptism, then by friday, we stopped by and she is just dying to get baptized.  We said, ¨Hermana, està leyendo?¨  You have been reading? and she said yep!   Then we said, ¨¿Està orando?¨ and she said, ¨Hasta gritando!¨haha ( Us: have you been praying? Her response, ¨ until yelling!!¨  hah!  It is hard to translate things now, hope that makes sense or if it's even funny to read in English    I have been soo happy.  She is my first investigator where I  have found her, taught her all the way, and is going to be baptized on January 28th.   It really is just sooo amazing to see people change--I love it, and it sooo addicting.  I have to admit that  I have changed alot, and I would say that I am a little weird,  but I can honestly say that I have never been so happy ever in my life.  The Lord really is blessing us so much.  It feeling indescribable  and excitement inside when you hear from investigators say that they know the church is true and they-- understand what you are teaching and they are excited to get baptized  absolutely  indescribable!   We had 9 investigators in the capilla on Sunday!!!!!! NINE!!!!!! I am just lovin' life right now--you couldn't  have wiped the smile off my face yesterday, no matter what you did.  It seems like this week we finally saw results from our efforts.  I feel so blessed.  There were literally miracles every day—some days literally felt like everything just fell right into place and  just by chance. Dori is doing well--and new ones: Raul and Mario and about 4 more I wish I could write about all them.  We have a FHE tonight with a family that I am wayyy excited about.   This was the family that I have been wanting  for them to get baptized for soo long!   We´ll see how it goes!   I am out of time and I have to go.  I love you all.  Thank you all for everything. GO LAURA! --first one to send me her wedding day pics at the temple!  You rock!!!!! Thank you soo much. Now I need the rest of you 10 siblings... you know who you are.... love you all!!! thank you , thank you, thank you for everything. I haven't been grateful enough for everyone of you-- your prayers, love and support. peaceeeee!!!   NOTE FROM MOM--I SENT THE REST IN THAT PACKAGE THAT HE SAID HE MAY GET TONIGHT-----SO YOURS ARE ALMOST THERE........   Tean bean familia, cuìdense mucho!   elder C

Letter #23 (I think he meant #22)

Hola FAM!

 

Welllp, we had a busy day today!   I can't believe we remembered to email home, we were running all around the whole city ha. It is so funny ha, one thing that hit me today that one of the blessings of being a missionary is learning how to do EVERYTHING with NOTHING!  If that makes any sense, it makes perfect sense to me.... haha I think it would have taken me about 30 minutes at home to do what took the whole day here ha. I´ve really learned some patience, planning, priorities and thinking before acting—ha!

 

Anyways, wow sounds like a lot Is going on at home.  Teej and Liz left! ¨COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH!! I SEE IT RAININ´ FIRE IN THE SKY!!¨  thats awesome, i cant wait to come stay at your house and hit the slopes at Aspen SKi Resort! SWEEEEett, free lodging ;)  . more trips to St Geezy, more snow, all sounds good.  Hope you all set New years resolutions, and high ones!  and mom, that picture you sent with all the BOYZ´s parents at the dinner didn't work-- send it again or just send it in a carta.

 

Wel,l this week seemed realllllly busy, but when we added up our numbers for the week, it was one of my lowest weeks as far as numbers, which was discouraging. But Ithink we made alot of progress with the people we taught.  We have a noche de hogar, FHE, with Sandra Lunas family tonight, yessss we are still working on them.... AHHH. And-- we have another family of 4 I am super excited about-- they were going to come to the FHE tongiht but couldnt.  So we´re teaching them on Thursday.  We set baptismal dates for the mom and the daughter this week, and we met the dad last night.  They are sooo perfect, the family I have been looking for.  I focused my fast yesterday specifically on a family, finding one and getting them to the temple and this may be it.    Ohhhh pleeeeease!!

 

José is doing good, but still drinking-- he´ll get baptized eventually if he can drop the alcohol.... it's hard. We have a few others kids, Luis and Ulysis, 14 and 15 and an old lady Mary.  Dori is really great-- she just needs to get to the capillllaa! We found this Cuban guy that's such a stud, and wow I thought I could finally understand spanish...when he talks, it is like a drunk slurrrryed version haha.  The members are a lot more helpful lately--which is allllwayys a great thing. Thanks to the change in time from church starting at 12 now instead of 8 in the morning-- I walked into sacrament meeting yesterday to about 30 more people than normal!  I was shocked! I am so happy the ward is backs on its feet.  The change in the time is a blessing. And also GREAT news-- we got our ward mission leader this week.  I want to be the ward mission leader when I get back-- if there even are any in SLC wards...everyone is Mormon ha!

 

I finally got some pictures to load, enjoy the ones I am attaching.  I  have loads more.  Mom, did you send me the calendar yet?  I am actually way excited to get that!  Well I am outtie!

 

THANK YOU all, Les amo muchísimo! Laterrrr

 

-Elder Connolly

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

5 attachments — Download all attachments   View all images   Share all images  

P1060933.JPG 2445K   View   Share   Download

P1060994.JPG 4859K   View   Share   Download

P1060969.JPG 4969K   View   Share   Download

P1060868.JPG 4517K   View   Share   Download

P1060950.JPG 3871K   View   Share   Download

Elder Connolly Mexico Letter #20

Bash ONda Fam!

 

Wow!   It was a great week this week, I absolutely loved it. This is what the work is all about.

 

To start with, my companion-- he's pretty tight. He is in my generation, got here the same day as I did, So we are both way young-- we´re gonna learn alot together I think.  I knew it was gonna be good when he said, ¨Im gonna correct everything you say. Your gonna be fluent after me.¨   DOWN. It's actually great to have a Mexican comp again-- I loved having gringos, but its sooo easy to get off track and lose the spirit.  It helps that he doesn't like the music I like, know the worldly things I do, or knows the streets of SLC!   haha. This transfer is going to be great.  We set a very high goal for baptisms-- not gonna tell it to jinx it haha, but we´re gonna work our hardest.  We get along great, the only thing is that he´s suuupperrr.....organized... which is good, but toooo much.  We spent 700 pesos on cleaning supplies last week!  We actually make our  food now in the morning!... and I even iron my shirts now!!!!.... haha. and it takes him like a whole hour to get ready in the morning... they say the mission is a good marriage prep training.... I am learning patience haha. but no reall--, he is good.

 

So funny story:  I was reading Preach my Gospel on the toilet--I always receive the best personal revelation on the toilet, and a mouse ran into the bathroom and I broke my pants.... it was funny.  And we finally bought a 27 peso water heater...about $2 dollars haha.  I have  used it once, but now I actually prefer the cold water.  It is freeezing but I like it. I´ve also been listening to the NEW music I've been getting, the Lower Lights is Sarah Sample!  No joke, I thought I recognized her voice and I opened up the flap and there was her name and face, how cool!?  And AnderFam, wow, thank you soo much, I still haven't gotten through all the CD´s-- I love them!  Gracias por todo!  And I did write letter to Jesus this year, 2011, as tradition. but it's in Spanish. sooo yeah, it was a good week!

 

Some stuff I need:  sooo our motto is KIA KAHA this month, my comp and I both saw the movie ¨Forever Strong¨ and the first night when I gave him a shirt to sleep in and it was highland rugby, it was just made to be to pick that as our motto. Of course it means ¨forever strong¨ in Tongan or whatev, but did you know that it means ¨baptise millions¨ in chinese???...well it does.. ;)   Anyways, I was wondering if someone can send me the lyrics to the chant.  It's a simple google search, copy and paste.  Unfortunately I can't do that... thanks!

 

So the work went amazing this week.  We have a full week of appointment this week already as well!  The Lord is blessing us.  Cool story, really quick, I gotta go, but so yesterday, we go to church at 12 noon now, and we left our house at 9:30 to pass for 13 people!!!!!  Welll..... none were home when we passed... it was a bummer ha.  But happens a lot.  Anyways, we go to church, 1 came with her son-- MAry, so 1. another came with her grandma, someone we we´re expecting, and then after the sacrament, José walked in!  I was sooo happy-- I ran over to him, he told me ¨I told you I was coming.  I keep my word.¨  What was a greeeaat anticipated day, that looked bad for a minute and, then ended up having 3,  It was sooo great.  And the sacrament meeting and talks was one of the most spiritual meeting I have been in. Mary´s son got up and gave a talk and Mary starting crying and our other unexpected investigator was crying.  I think it was the most powerful sacrament meeting I have been to in Mexico-- and Jose was there too.  It was greatttt.

 

Well fam, I gotta go, love you all!

 

-elder C

 ps, Mom I lent my mobile washer thingy to an elder and he LOVES IT. haha I havn't used it, but it works! thanks

 

pss. I tried to put some photo up, but it didn't work. next week. laterrrr

Elder Connolly Mexico letter #19

HOLA FAMILIA!!!!

 

Wow! it was sooo much fun talking to you guys yesterday, especially when i hung up... soo surreal. haha. For those I talked to, thanks for being there!

 So Christmas... was AWESOME!!!! I hope the pictures work, and you can see our Christmas tree... haha about 1 foot tall! Sooo awesome! and wooooww, I've never been sooo stuffed in my life, I was soo full, we ate sooo much haha. It really was a Christmas to remember, especially being with Elder Sorensen, he's just awesome. And sooo funny mom that you talk to her on missionary moms haha, potente!

 

So I did recieve a new comp, same area. Haha mom tells me I tricked a few people that I was in CUBA hahaha, my bad?  haha!  His name is Elder Dominguez and he is awesome,--hes young like I am, same generation as I.  I  sort of knew him from before, and we´ll be great together, we are already getting along great. I attached a picture of him. Our companionship will be the giant and the shorty! haha!  He is pretty short but esta potente. I am wayyy excited for this change! I got a Mexican!  Sooooo now I'm Spanish can get better!!!  haha ;)

 

what else....

 

I kinda already told you all the news yesterday in the phone call ha, but I was working in my area and our neighboring area for the past 2 weeks and its been super busy-- trying to keep up on both sides, just having enough time to go to the appointments in each area, running back and forth and stuff. oh dad, i finally met Ryan Rriksons wife's brother haha, so you can tell him.  It was at our Christmas party with the pres!

Well this is really short, I'm sorry. I'll write all my miracles this week in the letter next week! ha. love you all! enjoy the pics, I have more for next week---it wont let me attach more. laterrrr!