1 Month!

I've officially been IN the Mexico Tijuana mission for 1 month! I've already learned so much it's ridiculous.

This week we've had a lot of ups. More investigators found, people came to church, and LOTS of lessons! Good things happened this week, but it was pretty average.

Like, not so say that any week is super amazing or better than the other, but really, I just felt like I was doing an average job. I felt like I was just going through the motions.

I don't know what it was, but I just kinda felt sub-par. It was kinda depressing.

We found this North American named Keith, and when I heard that he spoke English, and that he was a VERY inactive member (he came to church) I nearly died from joy! I can finally teach the gospel in English! I'll be able to express myself much better now!

Not so. Keith is actually VERY hard to teach because we DON'T TEACH. He seriously talks and talks and talks about the most random stuff I've ever heard. He talked to us for about 20 minutes about a story in jail when he and his cellmate watched two guys get in a fight, and his cellmate "married" them or something. Literally, impossible to teach this guy. His wife isn't a member, and she only speaks Spanish. He doesn't understand a word of what she says, and I have no idea how in the world they communicate. It's just the weirdest thing. We're trying to teach her with the second counsellor, Hermano Quintano. It's so hard. Elder Ponce and I do not like going over there. I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't feel right when we are in their house. I actually feel like the Spirit leaves when we enter there. I don't know what we're going to do, because it's just so hard to teach without the Spirit, and I know we don't have it with us.

This week I also figured out how to beat homesickness a bit. We were talking with an investigator, and in the background of the house, I heard Toy Story 3 playing in the background. I immediately thought back to watching it in the Drive Thru, and watching all the other moves there. I thought about the memories I've made in Twin Falls, and started getting really homesick.

That's when I took a step back.

What in the world are you doing? I thought. Thinking about home does nothing for you right now. You really think that if you remember the stuff from home you're going to feel better? If you want to get rid of these feelings, grow up. Focus on what's happening now. It's great that you made those memories, and it's awesome that you have them for the rest of your life, but right now, you don't need them. Just stop thinking about what you did and think about what you're doing.

I've had very little, if not any, homesickness since then. I dunno. Something just clicked and I got over it. Thanks for your prayers, family. It's because of you.

I'm gonna try and get pictures and hopefully videos sent here, so I'm gonna end this here.

Did you find a reference? Did you find someone to refer? If not, why? What was your drawback? What could you do to try and improve? Do you have faith that the Lord is preparing people right now to receive the gospel?

Good luck in everything guys! I love all of you more than Savanna and Katie love kittens, puppies, and stuffed animals.

Be safe.

Elder Carter