Me eating some chapalinas! grasshopper taco!!! ummm! 10-28-10

 

  

 

Me and My Area 10-29-10

  

Mi, me and a family in the ward! 10-31-10

  

 Saying good bye, it's true there is a lot of temptation in the mission.  The devil is always right at our side, trying to get us to do something wrong, haha.  But don't worry, we always win and don't give in, haha!

Novembre 1, 2010

Hola Familia!
First of all, Mom I used some money to buy Burger King for me and my comp, haha.  Sorry, but our food appointment fell through and we had no money so we went to Burger King and ate.  I bought my companion's food as well, haha.  So thanks for letting me use that!  Well, everything here is good but the 6 weeks have past and cambios or changes are today!  I got a call on Sabado (Saturday) from the president and found out where I am going!  This will be my first change of area in Mexico.  I'm pretty excited, but sad to leave this ward!  I found out that I will be going to Metepec and my area is called Atlatlahuca.  Don't worry, I couldn't say that at first either, haha. My companion is going to be Elder Arrecis.  When I talked to the pres., he said that my companion can teach really good but is having trouble following the rules.  So the pres. said that he was putting me out there because he knows that I will be obedient and help my comp.  This was a compliment to me and I was glad that the pres. feels that he can trust me!  Also, I am getting moved up to senior companion.  There is a junior and senior comp.  I have always been junior but this change I will be senior, which means I have more responsibility.  I am a little nervous, but I know that this is where the Lord wants me and that He will help me to overcome anything that gets put in my way.  I have really had the opportunity to feel and see the power of prayer and gain a testimony of it!  I know that we can pray and ask anything as long as we ask with real intent and with faith, the Lord will answer us.  I have seen many times that as I have prayed to know things in the mission, that as I ask with faith the Lord answers me.  I was able to pray and ask if this is the right area and right companion for me to be going to.  I received an answer that yes it is!  I already knew that because I trust my pres. and I know that he receives revelation for us missionaries.  That helped to strengthen my testimony that no matter how small of a question it is, the Lord does hear and answer!  I hear that my new area is really cold this time of year, but I think it will be alright!  A lot of missionaries also say that it is harder to baptize out there, but I know that if I work hard and have faith that the Lord will prepare people for me to teach and baptize!  My area right now is almost in the DF (Distrito Federal or Federal District) like our church building is in the DF so it is really close to like Mexico City, city!  My new area is way out in the State of Mexico and I guess it is just little villages or little towns so that should be cool, haha!   Well, I love you all so much and thank you for all that you do for me!  I am staying safe and everything is going good for me!  I am praying for all of you and thank you for your prayers.  They really do make a difference!  I love you all and miss you all!  Tell Julie good luck.  I am praying for her and send me pics when she has the baby!  I love you all!
Love,
Elder Despain

Zane's Letter and Randall's Reply

Dear Uncle Randall,
10-29-10

I am making my mommy type you a letter from me so I can say hi!  I miss you!  How is Mexico?  Daddy traded the jet ski yesterday for a motorcycle that goes on dirt.  I like to sit on it with Nate and pretend I am driving it with all the sound effects too.  I wish you were here to ride it with us.  Daddy says we are going to take it to Arizona to the reunion.  I am exited to go camping.  On Tuesday, I am starting preschool.  I am so excited.  In a few weeks, I will be starting soccer.  I love soccer.  I pray for you in Mexico every day!  I love you!

Love,
Zane Michael Gifford

 The picture is me waving at you!

10-30-10

Thank you Zane for the letter.  I love you too!  That is pretty cool your dad got a dirt bike, I mean a bike that goes on dirt, haha, and I love soccer, too.  I get to play it with Mexicans every Monday. I'm glad you like it too.  When I get home I will play soccer with you!!!  Because soccer is really fun!  Well, have fun at the big dirty.  I love you!  I love you too, Nate and also you Kimi and Mike even.  Well Mike, a little, haha no just kidding I love you too Mike!  Well good luck in preschool! Love you all!  And miss you too and I am praying for you all daily as well!

Love Tu,

Tio (uncle) y Hermano,

Elder Despain

E-mail back to Kimi 10-25-10

Hola Mi Hermana!

 Gracias por tu carta!  Haha, no, but really thanks for your letter.  It was great to hear from you!  Thank you for calling mom about the email. I'm sorry I made her worry but thanks for ending that worry as soon as possible, haha, thanks.  Ya, I heard about nick  Ferrin.  That has to be so hard for his family.  I knew him in high school, not really well, but i still knew him.  But I feel bad for his family and I am making sure to remember them in my prayers!  I am also praying for all of you.  Thank you for your prayers and for your letters!  And about what to feed the missionaries.  You could feed them grasshoppers, if you want to give them something they won't eat anywhere else, haha.  Mom said you all were grossed out by that, but really they are super good!  Well, I love you and good luck with your projects and with your girls at church and your boys at home.  Tell the boys I love them!  I love you thanks for all you do! 

Elder Despain

I wrote Randall back:

Mike says we will consider the grasshopper for dinner.  We might have trouble finding some with the rain though!

He replied:
Haha, true.  That might be hard to find them, but if you do just fry them up with some lemon juice and salt and you're ready to eat them! Haha, I love you thanks for the email!

Me catching grasshoppers!  Yes Jayden, they taste good.  So just tell Grandma to cook them up for you!  And yes, that big bag is all full of grass hoppers, haha, yummmmm! 10-24-10

 

 

The baptism of John!  He is super cool! 10-24-10

The fish I eat last week head and all! it was really good! 10-22-10

*Note From Kimi - I was on my e-mail when Randall sent these pictures.  Nate was watching Nemo when I received this picture and when he saw it, he thought Randall ate Nemo.  Randall's letter back said "No, not Nemo, just one of his friends!"

Carta de Elder Despain Octubre 19, 2010

Hola Familia!

 Sorry I didn't write yesterday.  We have been working super hard.  Normally in a good week we get about 7 new investigators and that is a good number, but this past week me and my companion worked super hard and ended up getting 21 new investigators, which is super good.  And really exciting because we will be able to teach a lot more because we have people to teach and most of them are super good investigators and really have a desire to learn and progress!  This week, I gained a strong testimony in patience and diligence.  The first 3 days of the week we were working really hard, but just everything was falling through.  No one was home and it just was really hard to keep going because everything just was falling through.  But me and my companion just kept pushing through and really just tried to be diligent and then about Jueves (Thursday) in the night we finally started having some success.  That night we found a family of 6 and started teaching them and they are just awesome, the family Martinez Moralez!  They are really great and from that point on in the week we really started having success.  In the scriptures it talks about not getting blessings until AFTER the trial of your faith.  Well, it is very true.  We had our faith tried, but as we kept working and prayed hard for patience and for help to keep pressing forward, we finally received the blessings.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and that He knows me and that at times we are tried, but as we put our trust in Him and keep pushing forward with diligence we are blessed.  He will never try us more then we can take.  Also, this week we found a family of 10 that is really awesome and we had the chance to start teaching them.  That was another blessing, but also I got a stronger testimony that your Father in Heaven knows every person and cares about every person and sends people to help us in times of need.  I got this stronger testimony from this family, the family Satina.  When we found them, we were actually looking for a reference but couldn't find it.  But we felt that we should go ask at this house, the house of the family Satina.  When we asked, they didn't know where the reference was either but we were able to start teaching them because they let us in when we said we were missionaries.  But this is where the testimony came from.  When we entered this families' house, we started teaching them.  We didn't teach anything about the priesthood or that we could give blessings but after the lesson, one of the members of the family asked, "Can you give me a blessing?"  And we said, "Yes!"  I am not sure how she knew we could give her a blessing, but we were glad to be able to do it!  She wanted a blessing because just the day before we came to their house she had gotten news that she had cancer.  She is a younger lady and has kids, so as you can tell that would be very hard news to get.  But I know that the Lord knows her and I know that He led us to them because she needed the power of the priesthood in her life at that moment.  I was very glad to be able to be an instrument in the hand of the Lord to help her through this hard time.  Also, the mom of this family, she is kind of old and has been feeling very sick and we were able to give her a blessing as well!  I know that our Father in Heaven loves every one of us and wants the best for us.  I'm grateful to be able to hold the priesthood and be able to help the people I am here serving through the priesthood!  And I know that there is nothing that could bless families more then this gospel.  It is truly amazing and when we live its principles we are happy and receive blessings in this life and blessing for eternity.  So ya, we have been working hard this week and we have seen the fruits of our labor and it is really rewarding to see these people progress.  But that is why I didn't email yesterday is because we had appointments to go to and ended up not having time.  So I'm sorry and I hope you didn't worry to much!   Tell Jayden happy birthday!  I know I am two days late, but I hope he will forgive me and know that I was thinking about him on Sunday!  So I had an interesting experience this week.  I ate grasshoppers!  We went and caught them with a family and then they cooked them up and we ate them, little legs and all.  I thought it would be really weird and at first it was.  But it actually tasted really good, haha! Yummm, grasshoppers, haha.  I love you all so much.  Know that I am safe and doing good.  I am working hard and receiving blessings.  I love this gospel and I know it is true.  I miss you all, but I'm glad I get to be here serving these people!  I love you all.  Thanks for all you do! 

Love,

Elder Despain

Me and Esperanza 9-17-10

The family of the girl that we baptized not last week but the week before, Jazmin Liliana. 9-25-10

Us white people watching conference in English, haha. 10-3-10

I have gotten bigger, haha.  That is my belt and as you can see, there is only one hole more, so if I get bigger I will have to buy a new belt. 10-3-10

Me and my comp, Elder Reyna, and my new jacket, haha!  Mom I'm wearing the fish tie that you sent me in the MTC, haha, love it! 10-5-10

 

Esperanza and the member, ex-missionary of about 2 weeks baptized her! 10-6-10

 The Baptism of Esperanza 10-6-10

A really big pig that an hermana has in our ward, haha.  Its big! 10-9-10

A cool rainbow 10-10-10

  A picture of the city! 9-27-10

 

Me and the Mexicans, we are on our way to Arizona.  We are crossing the border, haha.  No but really its part of the zone in a van on the way to a baptism. 10-2-10

Octubre 11, 2010

Hey Family!!!
Well, I'm doing great!  Everything here is just great!  This past week was great.  We worked hard and the Lord blessed us for that.  We had one baptism and it was so awesome!  We baptized Esperanza.  We have been teaching her for a long time, but ya she was finally baptized.  It was a really big testimony builder to me because she got baptized even though it was not what a lot of people wanted.   She is so awesome. She has a tienda, a little store, and she is about 60 years old. As we taught her, a lot of her neighbors and people that buy stuff from her like were calling her names and saying she was a traitor because she was listening to us and thinking about baptism. They all said these things because they are all catholic and Esperanza was catholic, but even though all this was going on Esperanza fought through it and showed her faith and got baptized! She got baptized Martes, so Tuesday, and she is doing good!  She also had opposition from her family but from her good example since her baptism, we were able to start teaching her husband who has never wanted anything to do with religion and that has been great.  I don't know if he will be baptized but just the fact he is listening to us is amazing!  It was just amazing to see her show real faith in the Lord and I know that she will get blessings for it in this life and into eternity and also, her family will get blessings and learn from her great example!  Oh one question, Mom you said Alexa is getting married?  That's great!   Tell her hi for me!  But my question is who is she marring?  Well, if you know who let me know.  Tell her congratulations for me!  You also asked me about if I get conference Liahona and the answer is yes, so you don't have to send me it.  All of us missionaries get the Liahona every month!  And you also asked if I was getting enough to eat and if I eat more then once a day and the answer is yes!  Last week I sent a pic of my belt and so as you can tell I am getting bigger and getting enough to eat, haha.  I eat way more then once a day!  People here are great.  They are always asking if we want food and also there are tons of places to buy food when I get hungry.  I just buy something so you don't have to worry about that!  The tacos here are so amazing!   Tacos with sheep in it is super good.  It's weird because I had never really eaten a lot of sheep, haha, but they are good tacos and the Gringas!  That's the name of a taco and it is just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!  So ya no worries.  I'm eating good! Haha.  Well, this next week should be great.  We have at least 2 baptisms, but maybe more.  We have just started teaching a family of 5 and they are really awesome and came to church and everything so I think they will be baptized soon as well!   I am truly seeing the blessings of the Lord as I work hard to serve Him.  The Lord truly prepares people to hear this message of the restored gospel and when they have their hearts prepared by the Lord before we teach them, they just accept it like they have know it their whole life!  It is a testimony that the Lord knows every person on the earth personally and can touch our hearts!   I know that this church is true and I love it so much.  I'm so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to serve the Lord.   I am learning and growing daily and it is such and awesome experience to be here.  I love you all so much.   Thank you for all you do for me and thank you for your prayers and letters!   I love you all and miss you all!  Know that I am doing good and staying safe!   I am in the Lord's hands and he will always watch over and protect me!  I love you all!
Love,
Elder Despain

Letter to Kimi Octubre 4, 2010

I know the feeling of weird weather in the middle of the day.  Here it is like Arizona hot then in the mornings and nights it is super cold, haha.  It is weird, but that is Mexico City for you, haha.  It was funny the other day me and my comp got lost in the DF (Distrito Federal), like actual Mexico City.  We live in the Estado de Mexico and Constituyentes is in the Estado.  But Loma Hermosa, our other ward, it has part in the D. F. and we were over working in that part and got lost, haha.  That was kinda funny, haha.  It's great to hear the kids loved conference.  I did as well.  It was really amazing.  The Spirit is so great in Spanish or in English.  The Spirit is the same, although I like it more in English, haha, because it is their real voice, haha.  I'm a little jealous of Mike in the dunes, but at the same time I wouldn't want to be any other place but here.  The mission is so great!  I love it!  Well, tell the boys I love them and I'm thinking of them.  Thanks for your prayers and I love you and Mike, too, haha.  Love you.  Thanks for the letter.
Love your little bro,
Elder Despain

Octubre 4, 2010

Hey Family.
Yes, General Conference was way great!  My favorite talk was by the prophet.  I don't know if it was in the priesthood session or not, I don't remember, but it was on choices and it was so great!  I loved it because choices make up this life and we need to make good choices, right choices to follow the gospel.  The way to make good choices is through prayer and through the guidance of the Holy Ghost!  But ya, I loved all the talks.  I watched part in Spanish and part in English and it is way better in English.  It is weird not to hear their real voice, haha.  But ya, I loved all the talks.  The spirit was so strong and amazing!  This week I used 282 pesos this week from my credit card.  I hope that was okay.  I found a store that had my contact solution, so I bought 3 big bottles so I hope that was okay.  I'm going to need to by another blanket and a bigger coat soon.  My comp said that the sooner I buy it is better because blankets and coats are cheaper right now.  In like a month, he said they will be a lot more money so I will need to buy those soon.  Just so you know that will be why money will go out of my account soon, haha.  Tell Andrea "Happy Birthday" and tell her that I am thinking about her and I love her! and that I hope she has a great Birthday.  Also, give Becca a hug for me for her birthday!!!!  This week has been really great and we worked really hard.  We didn't have any baptisms, but the people we are teaching are getting closer to baptism!  I love being here and getting to teach this wonderful gospel!  I love this gospel so much.  It is truly amazing!  It is really and truly what brings happiness in this life.  It is the way that God prepared for us to have happiness in this life!  I have really seen in this last month how hard the Devil works on those close to baptism.  Right before someone is going to take the step of baptism there is always something big that happens.  I know that it is the Devil working as hard as he can to stop them from coming into the gospel, but I have also seen the power of God.  As we share the gospel with the people, the power of God through the Holy Ghost is always stronger than the devil and always makes an impression over the people we are teaching.  I also feel like at times life is the same way.  When we are about to make a good decision, any good decision not just for baptism but any decision, when we are about to make it there is always the devil there trying to stop us.  As we put our faith in the Lord and pray and read the scriptures, we always have the ability to throw the devil aside and make that good choice.  So I just encourage all of you to read the scriptures and pray and always have the spirit with you so that you can resist temptation and push the devil aside.  He is working very hard to lead us away but we have to work just as hard to be prepared to face temptations and overcome them.  I love you all so much and I'm so thankful for all you do!  You are in my prayers and I thank you for your prayers for me.  They really do help a ton.  Know that I am staying safe and that all is good here in Mexico, haha.  Stay strong and always be praying and reading the scriptures!  I love you all!  Thanks for the letters and everything else you do for me!
Love,
Elder Despain

Kimi's Letter and Randall's Response 9-27-10

How are things going with your new companion?  We were supposed to feed the missionaries this week on Tuesday.  However, we found out yesterday that they are white washing the area and transfers are on Tuesday so we won't be feeding them.  It is kind of sad because they are working with a girl to get baptized and she will be one of our Laurels.  Her friend is in our ward but is inactive and so because the new girl has been coming to church, so has the inactive girl.  There was a tentative date set for the 9th, but is sounds like that may not happen now.  I hope switching the Elders will be a good thing and not a bad thing.  Well, it sounds like we will be babysitting the little boy, which is good, and will be starting next week.  This means that this is kind of our last week of total freedom.  We are having a LARGE heat wave here.  It is supposed to be 109 today in Southern California.  This is hotter than it normally gets in the summer and it is the last week of September.  We are going to go down to the beach today.  It is 10:24 this morning and 92 degrees outside already.  It is crazy.  Oh well, this is getting long so I will end now.  I love you and we hope that you are enjoying Mexico and your mission.

Love,  Kimi

My companion is great and we are working really hard and just tearing it up out here.  Its great, we had 2 baptisms this week!  So about your missionaries, I know that it is hard on members when missionaries get changed because I have seen that happen with my companions, but one thing to always remember is that there couldn't be a bad change.  What I mean by that is that their mission president who does the changes is called of God and he recives revelation on where to put elders and how to do changes.  I don't know this mission president of your elders but I know he is called of God and that if he made that change that it will be for the better. Every missionary has his calling and is in each area for a reason and they will touch the hearts of people that other missionaries couldn't.  So maybe these new elders will be about to touch the heart of this girl in a way that the others couldn't and be about to baptize her.  I have seen a lot in my mission so far that the Lord prepares people for the missionaries and as these new missionaries enter they will have people that are ready to hear the gospel from those missionaries.  So don't worry.  All will be good, haha.  I have been so blessed by being here and every day my testimony grows more!  I love to share this gospel.  It brings the people happiness as they live it and it bring me happiness to share it.  Always look for ways to share the gospel!  I love you so much.  Thanks for being a great sister.  You are in my prayers.  I love you!
Love Your Little Brother,
Elder Despain

This is the baptism of Jazmin Liliana.  We had Cesar, a member, baptize her and also Eduardo because we have been encouraged to try not to baptize people yourself, that it is better to have members do it so we have been trying to do that.  The next picture is of Jazmin's whole family!  Then a pic of me and my comp, haha.  This was from before he was my comp. but ya, haha, Elder Reyna.  The last two wouldn't load sorry.

Septiembre 27, 2010

Hey family!
So I am doing great!   My new companion is great and we are working really hard!  I love to be able to work hard and not have to push my companion to get stuff done.  It is really great to have Elder Reyna because he wants to be obedient and also work hard which is so great!  He is a native! Which is also great because he can help me to constantly be improving my Spanish and my teaching!  About the money, this last two weeks have been super hard because I had no money from the mission because I payed for Elder Lopez a lot in the last combio (transfer). He wasted a lot of his money but I had the money that I brought in here to Mexico and I was about to use that money to get through until tomorrow when we get more money.  I had the 100 American dollars that I had in the airport and I exchanged them to pesos here and so that worked out good to use that.  I also used my credit card once to by some shampoo at Wal-Mart, so thank you for letting me use that!  I'm so excited about conference next week.  It is going to be so great!  This last week we had two baptisms, Eduardo and Jazmin Liliana they were both great, although Eduardo's baptism was a mess.  We got to the church to fill up the water for the baptism and there was no water in the whole church building.  I have no clue why it wasn't working, but there was no water so we had to call our zone leaders and have them fill up the water in their church building so we could do the baptism there.  Then, when everyone got to our building for the baptism we had to get them rides to the other building in Molinito like 20 min. away.  Then after they all had rides we didn't have a ride because there was no room and it was pouring rain.  We had to run through the rain like 1 mile to get a combi (taxi) that took us to Molinito, then run about another mile to the building.  When we got there we were so wet.  We had umbrellas but when you're running and there is big puddles everywhere it doesn't really keep you dry, haha.  Then, when we got to the other church building, our zone leaders had just started the water and then left.  They didn't think it would fill up fast.  Well, they were wrong.  When we got there the water was overflowing.  We had to get that all cleaned up and then we were about to have the baptism.  That was a mess but the baptism was really great and it was amazing to see how happy he was after the baptism!  Then the other baptism went fine and there was water and we had it in our church building and that baptism was really great!  I love to see how happy baptism makes people.  It is truly amazing and every time, it makes my testimony of the gospel stronger!  I love this gospel and I am so grateful to be here and serve the Lord by preaching the gospel!  Don't worry, I'm staying safe!  Although I did get hit by a taxi this week, haha, but don't worry.  It was not hard and nothing even happened. I didn't even fall down or anything but it just goes to show how crazy this city is, haha.  I didn't even get a scratch from it but it is funny to say I got hit by a taxi, haha haha.  I love you all and miss you all.  I know that I am safe and that the Lord is always protecting me as I serve him.  I'm so grateful for this gospel and the opportunity I have to share it with others!  The mission is amazing.  I love it!  Thanks for all you do!  Thank you for being a great family!  I love you all!
Love,
Elder Despain

Septiembre 20, 2010

Hey Family!
So ya this week was very hard I'm not going to lie. What happened is my comp died. Well that's what you say when some one finishes their mission but you also say it when they finish before they go home. A missionary that isn't working is a dead missionary. Well this week I had a dead companion so that made the week very hard. I like Elder Lopez a lot and we got along really great but this last week was very hard. I had to push so hard to get anything done so it made the week slow. But he left to go home now. Although the week was hard it was still sad to see him finish and go home. But right now I am with my leaders of the zone. I have been with them since Saturday at about 3. It has been good being able to work hard again and not have someone not wanting to work. My leaders de zona are really cool, E. Peterson and E. Aguilar. We are about to go the combios and I will get my new comp. I found out on Saturday night that I am staying in my area which is really cool and my new comp. is Elder Reyna. He is really cool and the best part about it is I don't have any doubts about it like I did coming into this change because I already know Elder Reyna. E. Reyna has been in my district the last 2 changes so I know him pretty good. This next change should be so sweet and I'm so ready to work and have a comp I don't have to push to get stuff done! I have been working hard this last week to get some of our investigators closer to baptism and it looks like we will have 3 baptisms next week! Eduardo, Espranza, and this little 9 year old. I'm super excited to have them get baptized especially Espranza. We have been working with her for like 6 weeks so it is really exciting to see her take this great step! I love this work. I love having the opportunity to be here and serve the Lord. I'm looking forward to this change and I'm ready to work hard and see miracles. I have already seen so many here but I know that as I work hard I will see so many more. Tell Mike Happy Birthday and felizidades! I love you and miss you all! I'm glad to hear that Dad and Grandma and Grandpa got back safe. That is so great to hear their home. I didn't even realize that was this week. The time is just flying by and it doesn't seem like it. I feel like I have been here like 3 weeks but it has been over 3 months here in Mexico. I completed 6 months this last week. I got to burn a tie. I will send you pics of me doing that. It was fun. I love fire haha. Well I love you all so much! Stay strong and do whats right. Know that everything here is good and that I am safe. The Lord is always with me and as I serve the Lord he will always keep me safe. I love you all. Thanks for all you do!
love
Elder Despain