Hola! 12-12-11

Hey Fam! 

  So today is a weird day, haha, because it is like a holiday here, but its for the Virgin Guadalupe, haha. Don't know who that is or why every Mexican loves her because I only know of the Virgin Maria. But it's cool, there are like lots of parties in the street and stuff. Weird, haha! Anyways, had an okay week this week although all of our baptisms fell through this week. :( But we got 8 people to church, that was good! We are hoping we will baptize a few this week! My comp fell of his bike this week.... ouch! He hit a speed bump and his tire bent, as you can see in the pictures and he went over the handle bars and his bike landed on top of him. Not fun, but after it is all done it is kinda funny to us now, haha. But at the time I was worried. 

 

They sell Dr. Pepper in my area! I am enjoying that! I got my package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!! It was awesome and my comp loves it as well. We already opened our Christmas stuff, we wanted an early Christmas! We had lots of fun with the guns you sent us, haha, great fun! I think that first day we wasted about a half hour playing with those guns. We were having a war to see who could hit the other in the head. Well, I won. I got my comp in the head from behind the counter in our house, haha. Never thought I could have so much fun with little play guns, haha! And the ties are great, haha. My comp says that he has never seen uglier ties in his life, haha, but I like them! And there are a few that are really cool. They are good looking ties. They're not even ugly but there are a few that are "wow" ties, haha. Well, I love you all and I hope all is well back at home! Don't forget to send me my Skype name! I love you all. Oh ya, I loved the beef jerky! I was so happy to see that, but for some reason was super hard, haha, but I still enjoyed it! I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola! 12-5-11

Hey Everyone!

   Hope all is well back at home! It was a very crazy week for me this week! We had the opportunity to go to Toluca and hear Elder Johnson speak to us as missionaires, Elder Johnson is from the quorum of the 70 and is the Area president over all of Mexico! It was really cool. I got a lot out of his talk! Of the things he spoke to us about, I got 3 big things: Repentance, that we are nothing without the Holy Ghost, and that we are Representatives of our Savior Jesus Christ! I feel that we can apply this in our lives. I can apply it exactly as a missionary, but each one of us as members of the Church can also apply these three things! It was a very cool conference! Then on Sunday, he came and talked to the District of Zitacuaro, which we are part of, so we got to go to that as well. It was cool as well! 

 

The only bad thing was that we didn't baptize. Our baptism fell through Saturday in the night. It was disappointing, but we will hopefully baptize this week 2 people! But, we really did see miracles in our area on Saturday. We went to the conference in Toluca in the morning and so we got back in the afternoon, like 6, to our area. Our baptism fell through and also all the people we had invited to go to the conference Sunday morning in Zitacuaro, they all fell through and said no. So, we had already rented a combi (like a big van/ bus) to take investigators and recent converts and they all fell through. So, I was so worried and was just like, "What are we going to do?" Then I just said, "Let's just work as hard and as fast as we can." We started riding our bikes around as fast as we could go and just visiting all the people we could think of. We went to try and find where an investigator worked. We didn't find it, but we were like, "Lets just go to her house and hopefully she didn't go to work." So, went there and she was home. We invited her again to the conference, because earlier in the week she had said no. Well, she said yes! When I was talking to her, my comp. said that he was just praying she would say yes and she did! It was a miracle in our eyes. Then we went and visited a recent convert and her daughter who isn't a member that we are teaching, that had told us no in the week, as well. But we went and we asked and she said yes and her mom said yes, more miracles! Well, then while we were talking to them (in their taco stand) all the people there eating were listening to us inviting them. Well, a girl and a lady that were eating there just looked at me and said, "Where are you from?" I was like, "The United States. I'm from Mesa, AZ." She said, "Oh, we just moved back here from Chicago. What are you doing so far away from AZ?" I explained and she said, "Can we go with you, as well, to this meeting you were talking about? We have always wondered what you guys did and why you walk around every day." Haha. We said yes they could go, haha. It was two more miracles! Then, we went to other converts and they said yes as well, another miracle! Then, we were close to an old investigators house so we said, "Let's go invite her. She doesn't ever go when we invite her, but let's just try it. Well, she said yes! Another miracle! It was an amazing night and all that happened in a couple of hours. The Lord answers prayers and blesses us if we are diligent! I know the Lord hears my prayers! Then today, we went to the Mariposa Monarca (Monarch Butterflies). It is where a bunch of butterflies come every year from Canada! It was a hike to get up this mountain, but then there were billions of butterflies. It was amazing! I sent pics! It was really, really cool. I have never seen so many butterflies in my life and the pictures don't even show the smallest part of them because on the camara it doesn't catch them, but it was amazing! I loved it! 

 

Well just one more thing, I was wondering if you could tell me my screen name for skype. I forgot it and if you know it the password. If not I think I remember the password, but I have no clue what the screen name is. Thanks. I love you all! Hope you are all doing good! Stay strong and trust in the Lord always! Invite the spirit to be part of your life and always listen to the promtings that you get! I love you all and miss you all as well!

 

Love,

Elder Despain

11-28-11

Hey Family!!!
      I hope that all of you are doing great back at home and I hope that you all had an awesome Thanksgiving! My week was really good and I had a much better Thanksgiving this year! To start out, we had a baptism on Thanksgiving so that was awesome!!! Then, me and my comp had a Thanksgiving dinner at night, haha. A hermana gave us ham and we got some stuff to make mashed potatoes in the microwave and we bought Dr. Pepper! It was an okay little dinner, haha, but ya it was much better than last year! 

About my area, it is big but I haven't been to any other towns, we just stay in Maravatio. Maravatio is kinda big but, not really. It has like two big stores and then the rest is just all little stores, and we never take a bus or anything. We have bikes and we get everywere on those! We just have a casa de oracion. We don't have a church building. Right now there is like 50 people that attend but like less than a year ago when this became part of my mission, there were only like 10 members so it has grown a ton. They say if we can hold an attendance of 60 they will build a church here. So that is what we are working for right now! 

My comp. is Elder R. and he is native from Jalapa Veracruz but he is a cool kid. I'm glad you sent things for him because he won't get a package. His parents don't really even write him. So ya, just let me know what you put in it for him and I will make sure he gets it. We have both enjoyed the last package I got. We are always eating candy, haha. My comp. likes American candy! Haha!

We eat with members, but it is the same 6 hermanas that give us food every week. Each one is the same day every week because there still isn't enough to like pass a list around for our food. But, it's good I like it! We are looking for a new house to rent because the casa de oracion is really small and we don't really fit anymore! I like it a lot here. It's a small town, but it's awesome. I love it! 

I fell of my bike this week, haha. I was riding down this big hill/mountain and I fell at the end, haha. I got a picture of it, haha. Funny stuff! Not a bad fall at all, but it made me and my comp laugh for a long time, haha! I love you all and I hope you are all doing great! Miss you all a ton! Tell everyone hi for me! Love ya all!

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola!! 11-21-11

Hola familia! 

   So this week was a great week. We worked hard and when it was Friday night, we didn't have anything to show for our work. But, on Saturday the Lord gave us miracles! We had two baptisms. It was really great. We were not expecting that. Starting the week, we had no one that wanted to get baptized, but it all turned out great. The Lord truly does miracles and blesses us for our efforts! I was supposed to go to Metapec this week, but we missed the last bus on Thursday, which is at 7:30 at night. We got to the bus stop at 7:35. :( We had to leave Thursday night to go to Zitacuaro, get there 2 hours later, sleep there in the night and then leave early morning to go two more hours to get to Metepec for the meeting I was supposed to have for District leaders. But, we didn't make the bus so I had to call the presidente and tell him I wasn't going to be there, haha. He wasn't too upset, haha. But he told me, "Since you aren't coming, that means you have to baptize this week." I said, "Okay I don't know who, but we will find someone, President." He said, "But Elder Despain, one doesn't count. I want at least two from you this week." I said, "Okay, I will do all I can. But, as of right now we have no one." Well, ending the week we had two baptisms - the second one at 8:30 at night on Sunday! Haha, it is great to be part of the work of the Lord because He truly does bless us! I love this work and I love where I am right now. It is a challenge, but I am loving it and what I love most about here is that I really get to see the members grow as well as our invesigtors, because almost the whole branch is new converts. Like this week, we taught 12 lessons to members which normally we teach at the most 5 a week but we have to teach the members here because they have to teach other members on Sunday. The teacher of Gospel Principles has about 2 months as a member, the teacher of adult class (Gospel Doctrine) has about the same and many other members who have big callings in the branch don't have much more time as members. But it is really cool to get to teach them and see them grow and to see their progress and see their knowledge growing! Also this week, I got stung by a bee in the armpit, haha, weird I know! Don't know what it was doing in my shirt, but when I got stung I put my hand in my shirt and pulled out a bee. It was weird, haha, but I guess now I have a little more sympathy for Julie and her Jamba Juice in the armpit, haha, because I don't get food there but bees just like to hang out and sting me, haha. I love this work and I am so grateful to be here and to be in the service of the Lord! I love you all and I miss you all! Stay strong and stay safe!!!

Love,

Elder Despain

 Me with a big donut. It was good! 11-10-11

Baptism of B. on Saturday. 11-12-11

 Familia C. S. saying bye 11-12-11

 B. y F.11-13-11 When I was saying bye to B. on Sunday, he said to me with a big smile on his face, "I'm mad at you because you convinced me to get baptized." Haha, but I have never seen him happier!

 M. y M. 11-13-11

 E. 11-13-11

B., S., D. y C. 11-13-11

Hola! 11-14-11

Hola Familia  
     Hola, hola!!! Well, this week went good. We had the baptism of B. It was really cool!!!! He didn't want to get baptized for a while and then he almost did last week when his mom got baptized and then this week he finally decided to do it and it was really cool! Also, this week came with a big surprise to me! I only have been in Culturas for 6 weeks, one change, so I was almost sure I was going to stay there. Well to my suprise, that was not what the Lord wanted! The president called me on Saturday to tell me that he had a special assignment for me and that I would be going to Maravatio, Zona Zitacuara, Estado de Michoacan (the farthest away area in our whole mission.) He told me that I will be working in the pueblo or small town of Maravatio. It is just a branch and the branch is just a part of a District. It still isn't part of a stake and there are no wards near by. He told me that I am in charge of making sure that everything is being done the way it should be and if there is something getting done wrong, to fix it, haha. Also, to keep baptizing so that hopefully in the next months they can choose a place to build a church building. But that will only happen if the assistance rate in the branch goes up, so that means we got to get baptizing! I'm super excited to be here and I hope that I will be able to do all that the president wants me to do! It is a very big change to go from the D. F. to a small town like this, but I like it and I think that me and my companion are going to have lots of success! My comp is Elder R. He is a really cool kid! I will also still be a district leader out here. I have two other elders in my district but their area is over an hour away from mine, haha. So that will be interesting, but it will be cool. Just means I will be traveling a lot to do interviews! So this will be a really fun a great experience for me! I think that I will probably be here until I finish my mission, but we will see you never know, haha. Anything can happen, but I feel like most likely I will be here till I finish!

Well, I miss you all and I love you all a lot, but I will have to cut this short because after 5 hours of traveling I don't have much p-day left, haha and I still have to wash all my clothes. And it's great I get to do it by hand again, haha. Good, good old fun!!!! Who needs a washer when you got hands, haha! I love you all and I hope you all are staying safe! Love ya!

Love,
Elder Despain

Hola =) 11-7-11

Hola familia! 

          Well this week was a great week! We baptised 4 people and it was really awesome! M. was especially cool for me. We have been teaching him for a while and he is going through some tuff things right now, but when his friend baptized him, he came out of the water and just gave his friend (the member) a big hug and started crying and the spirit for me was very strong and it was just a really special moment for me! It is the things like that and that feeling I had that makes everything we do worth it! It reminds me of why I am here and it reminds me of the great blessings that this gospel brings to our lives! I love this gospel and I know there is nothing that can help us more than this gospel! I'm so grateful to be here and I really and truly know that this is the work of the Lord! Today I got to go play futbol (soccer), and we had a carne asada as a zone like we made steaks and it was good! I told one of my converts yesterday that I was going to go play futbol with all the other missionaries today and she dared me to wear her old soccer uniform because it is pink, haha, so I did!!! Haha, it was funny! I'll send a picture. So ya, I took her up on her it, haha. I think she thought I wasn't going to wear it, haha. Also, this last week they took the Elders out of the area next to mine and so the president told me and my companion that we had to work there as well. So now we have two areas! But it's all good, it's more work and we have to be at church double the time on Sunday, but it's good! There are some problems with that bishop but I am working with him, so that we don't have so many problems! I love this work and I'm so grateful to be here! I hope that you  are all doing good! Just know that I am good and that I'm staying safe and that everything is great here! They told me that my package is in the offices, but I still haven't got it. I don't know why, but we will see if I get it this week! I love you all! Stay safe and remember that God loves us and that He does have a wonderful plan for each one of us! I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and I know that He really did die for me and I am so greatful for that eternal sacrifice! Daily I want to be better so that I can help Christ in this work because He really did suffer for every person but that sacrifice is in vain if they don't accept Him! I know that that is my job here to help everyone accept Christ in their lives and help them to receive all the blessings that god has waiting for each one of them! I love you all and miss you all a lot, but I know that I am were I need to be! I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola! 11-1-11

Hola Familia!

  I hope you are all doing good! I was very happy to hear from you this week and get your letter! This week was hard. The whole week went okay but then on Sunday, 4 people that were all getting baptized... didn't. They all fell through! We are hoping that this week they will get baptized, but it was very hard to have 4 baptisms fall through the same day! But it's all part of this work. I just hope that they all go through with their decision and get baptized this week and don't wait any longer! I love this work and I'm so, so, so grateful to be part of it in the good times and in the bad ones because everything is a learning experience and through challanges we can get stronger! I know that the Lord loves each and every one of us and that He lets us have challenges so that we can grow. Without the challenges, we wouldn't be able to become the person that Heavenly Father wants us to become! I'm grateful for the challanges that come to me, even though at times it's very hard to understand why! But God knows why so we just have to learn to accept it and become better through it! I just want you all to know that I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ, lived and died for me! I love this gospel and I am so grateful for the plan of happiness that God has for us! And I am also so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a part of this great work! I love you all. Thank you all for all you do for me! Mom, they said that they have my package in the offices so I should get it tomorrow! Thanks! I love you all! Stay safe and remember that great plan of happiness that God has for us!

Love, 

Elder Despain

I Hope You Are All Doing Well!

Hola Familia

   Thank you for the email Kimi and letting me know how you all are! I hope that you are all doing okay. I'm doing good. It was a hard week. Our baptism for this week fell through and that was sad. I just want you all to know that I love you very much. I hope that you can say hi to all the family for me and tell them my feelings for them. The news of Uncle Robert was very shocking. I was in our food appointment when the president called me on Saturday to tell me what had happened. It was a shock and very hard to believe. But I want you all to know that I know that God is a loving Heavenly Father and He does so many things so that we are happy and okay in this life. The very same day, I found out we had already planned to go to the temple to the visitor center. So when I found out, just after I went to the temple less then an hour later and I was there and I was looking at the temple and could remember the plan of happiness that God has for us. I could remember the blessing of eternal families. I know that our families are eternal and I know that we will get to be with our loved ones again. I know that this doesn't sound like much, but it was a blessing for me that I was able to be on the temple grounds that same day. I know God loves me and each and every one of us and I know because of that love He prepared that day so that I would be comforted! And so that I could gain a stronger testimony of eternal families and the plan of happiness! I know that God has a plan for us and I know that this life is just a small part of that plan! I love you all and I hope that you all have felt the peace that I have through the wonderful blessing that we have of the gospel. It truly is a blessing to have the gospel in our lives and to know of this great plan that God has for us. I know that God lives, I know that His son, Jesus Christ, lived and died for us so that we can return to live with God and so that we can have eternal families. I'm so grateful for the gospel and for my savior Jesus Christ, and for the opportunity I have to share this great gospel with everyone around me! I love you all. Thanks for all you do for me. I truly have the greatest family in the world! I love you all and miss you. 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola!!! 10-17-11

Hola Familia! 

   Hope you are all doing great! I miss you all but I'm doing great! I love this area! It is just a promised land for me in my mission. It took nine months to get to it and it wasn't all easy but now I'm here and it is a blessing! I'm having success here and I am loving it! Me and my comp are doing good. He isn't the easiest comp I have had, but not the worst either, haha. I love this work and I'm so grateful to be able to be doing it! I know that it is the work of the Lord and that is why I get to see miracles every day! Yesterday we baptized a lady named B. she is really cool. Her brother got baptized like a month ago and he got the priesthood this week and so he got it and like 10 minutes later got to baptize his sister. It was cool! The mom and the rest of the family is next. It may take time, but I think they will all end up getting baptized! I found out on Friday that one of my packages got to the offices. I still haven't gotten it, but they have it in the offices so thanks for sending me that. I should have it by tomorrow! We had a zone conference this week and the president's wife told us to write home and tell our families if they want to send a Christmas package, then they should start thinking about sending it soon if they want it to get here by Christmas! But I am already getting these two packages so I would say don't worry about a Christmas package. But, I have to tell you what she said or she may get mad at me, haha. I doubt it, she is awesome, but the president might get mad, haha. Tell Jayden Happy Birthday!!!!! Big 8!!!! Tell him I love him and that I wish I could be there for his baptism but that just the happy birthday will have to do this year. But that for sure next birthday I will be there!!! Happy Birthday Jayden!! I love you all! Thanks for all you do for me! Love ya !!!!

 

Love,

Elder Despain

I Love You All! 10-10-11

Hola Familia!
   This week was a good week! I was getting to know my area and it went good! We had a baptism on Sunday, yesterday! It was really great! He is a really cool kid named I.! We don't have a ton of people that we are teaching right now but we are finding new people and I think that we are going to have lots of success! I am really enjoying being in the DF. I have always loved the tacos in the DF more and I'm really enjoying eating them again, haha! I'll send you some pics of some tacos al pastor that we were eating outside of the metro! They are good and really, really cheap, only 5 pesos a taco, haha! Who knows where they get the meat from but it tastes good, haha! I got to go on exchanges this last week and I was with Elder G., who is my zone leader, and I went with him to do some interviews for him in his area! We found a lady on the side of the road that was selling hot wings so we bought some. They were so, so, so, so, so, so good! Not even close to American hot wings, but just the fact that they were wings and had BBQ sauce on them, they were like heaven to me! It's been a long time since I have eaten hot wings and even longer since I have eaten hot wings with BBQ sauce on them!!! They were good! Me and Elder G. were laughing because it looked like we were two starving kids on the side of the road because we were eating them so fast, haha, like we hadn't eaten in a really long time. But ya, it was funny. We like devoured them, haha. We both miss good hot wings! We are hoping to have a few baptisms this week as well, so that should be awesome! It has been raining again, which is weird. Everyone had said that the rainy season was over, but I guess not because it has rained like every day for the last 4 or 5 days, haha. But it's all good! Well, I love you all and I hope that you are all doing well! Let me know how you are all doing! Thank you lots for your letter Mike. I will read it right now, haha, well print it and then read it, haha! I love you all! Thanks for all you do for me!

Love,
Elder Despain

Mensaje del Presidente (Message From the President) 10-10-11

Attached to this is our reading calender in the mission! I wanted to send it to you all so that if you would like you could read with me and finish the Book of Mormon in 3 months. I'm a little ahead of you because I wasn't able to send this to you last week, but I'm sure if you wanted to you can catch up easily!

Love you all,
Elder Despain

(Elder Despain sent us the letter in Spanish so I translated the important part to English. For those who speak Spanish I also included the Spanish letter. Let me know if my translation is correct.)

My Dear Sisters and Elders,
It is with great joy that I write this week. A good friend once remarked that he likes the "changes" because it is the opportunity we have to "change". It is my desire to take this time to make "changes" that they know are needed to improve as missionaries. In doing so, we will be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Spirit.
There are some points I want to play with you so we can improve as a mission:
Let's read the Book of Mormon as a mission. I promise that if we search the Book of Mormon with all our heart and as a mission, we will see our spirituality and successes increase. One of the best ways to teach the gospel, is by "inspired questions." Besides that we draw closer to the Lord by studying this sacred book, I want you to mark and ponder all the questions made by the prophets and the Lord, found in the Book of Mormon. Doing this will make us reflect on what we do, and also give us "questions" that we can use when we teach God's elect. Attached is a calendar for what to read each day. We will finish the last day of the year. Continue to read only that which is indicted each day. I know that there will be a great power that will come upon us to be reading the same verses each day.

As you know, last month ended with more than three hundred baptisms, and I know we can do even more. You still have not reached anywhere near the limits of what can be done in the Work. It is important to our mission that we love more than ourselves or our companions. We still have missionaries who are not 100% compliant and do not want to give everything they have for the Lord. (The disobedient and lazy you know who you are). When we think that we do not want to give everything, let us remember that the Lord gave everything for us. I feel that as much as what you give to the Lord; We will receive that same amount from Him. It is an honor to be working alongside you in this great work. Keep firm (Stay Strong). We love you all and pray for you.   President V.

Mi Estimados Hermanas y Elderes,

Es con gran gozo que les escribo esta semana.  Un buen amigo una vez hizo la observación que le gusta los “cambios” porque es la oportunidad que tenemos para “cambiar”.  Es mi deseo que tomen este tiempo para hacer “cambios” que saben que son necesario para mejorarse como misioneros.  Al hacer esto, seremos más digno de la compañía del Espíritu Santo.

Hay algunos puntos que me gustaría tocar con ustedes para que podamos mejorar como un misión:

Vamos a leer el Libro de Mormón como una misión.  Les prometo que si escudriñamos el Libro de Mormón con todo nuestro corazón y como una misión, vernos que nuestra espiritualidad y éxito aumentara.   Unas de las mejores maneras de ensenar el evangelio, es por medio de “preguntas inspiradas”.  Aparte de que nos acercaríamos mas al Señor por estudiar este Libro sagrado, quiero que marquemos y meditemos todas las preguntas, hechas por los profetas y el Señor,  que se encuentra en el Libro de Mormón.  Al hacer esto nos hará reflexionar lo que debemos hacer, y también nos dará “preguntas” que podemos usar cuando ensenamos a los escogidos de Dios.  En un archivo adjunto se encuentra el calendario de lo que debemos leer por día.  Terminaremos para el ultimo de este ano.  Siguiera que todos leamos solamente lo que está indicado por ese día.  Yo se que habrá un gran poder que vendrá sobre nosotros al estar leyendo los mismos versículos cada día.

Como saben, el mes pasado terminamos con más de trescientos bautismos, y sé que podemos hacer aun mas.  Ustedes todavía no han llegado ni cerca a sus límites de lo que pueden hacer en la Obra.  Es importante que amemos a nuestra misión más que a nosotros mismos o nuestros compañeros.  Todavía tenemos misioneros  que no son 100% obedientes  y no quieren dar todo lo que tienen para el Señor. (ustedes los desobedientes y flojos saben quienes son).  Cuando pensamos que no queremos dar TODO, recordemos que el Señor dio TODO por nosotros.  Siento que en medida que lo que damos por el Señor; recibiremos esa misma cantidad de Él. 

Es un honor estar trabajando a lado de ustedes en esta gran obra.

Sigan firme. 

Les amamos a todos y oramos por ustedes.

Presidente V.

 Baptism of J. 10-1-11

 Baptism of M. 10-2-11

Me with cake on my face. They made me a cake to say goodbye. 10-2-11

Hola Familia! 10-3-11

Hola familia! 

  So, I don't have much time today because today was changes! But I wanted to send out a quick letter! I got changed and now am in a new area! My new area is in the same zone as my first area in the mission! The zone Culturas, in the area de Culturas! my new comp. is Elder C.! I'm really excited to work hard and have lots of success! I love you all and miss you all too!

I wanted to tell Christi Happy Birthday today!!!!!!!!!! Hope you have a great day! I am really so very lucky to have such amazing sisters! Thank you Christi for the example you have always been for me and for all that you have done for me! I hope you have a great Birthday! I love you! Also, Happy Birthday Becca on the 7th and Happy Birthday Andrea on the 8th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big 10 years old! You are so big!!!! I can't believe you are already 10, that's crazy! I hope you have a great birthday and I hope you know that your Uncle Randall loves you! and wishes you a very Happy Birthday!

I hope you all enjoyed conference. It was really great, I loved it! I loved Tad R. Callister. His talk was so powerful about the Book of Mormon. It was awesome! I also loved the talk that was about how it is never too late to start making good choices and it is never to late to repent! That was great too, but I don't remember who gave it, but it was on Sunday!

We also had the opportunity to baptize two people this week and it  was a really, really great experience! J. on Saturday and then on Sunday, M.! It was great and I love seeing baptisms! It is a truly great experience! I know that this is the work of the Lord and that every baptism is a miracle of the Lord! I love this work and I'm so grateful to be a part of this great work of the Lord! I know that our Savior, Jesus Christ lives and loves us and I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and He reallly does hear and answer our prayers! I love you all and I miss you too! Stay safe and make good choices and every day try to become closer and closer to the Lord! 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola Familia 9-26-11

Hola Familia,        

  Well, this week was great! We baptized this girl named R.! She is really cool. We have been working with her for a long time and this week she finally got baptized! Every baptism really is a miracle and I'm so, so grateful to have the opportunity to see so many miracles! It was such a great day to see her get baptized! Also in my district, we got 5 baptisms so that was another miracle I got to see this week. Although four baptisms weren't in my area, I still got the opportunity to interview them and see them progress! It is trully amazing to see so many miracles! This is the work of the Lord, I have no doubt about that because there is no way that any person could do this work alone. These miracles only happen because this truly is the Lord's work and we are just instruments in His hands!

It was also really cool to get to go to the center of Mexico, Zocalo! We saw lots of really cool old buildings!!!! Also we went into the Catholic church there, which is like one of the biggest in Mexico and it was really pretty. It was just full of cool paintings and like just all the building was really cool like with gold and stuff! Then, we got to go to some small stores and stuff and it was cool to get to buy and see things! So it's crazy. The streets there are all like hilly because after so much time, the weight of the buildings have made the ground seep in, in different parts which has made it all hilly and not level any more. It's crazy! So it was a great week and a fun one too!

So next Monday is cambios, changes, which is really crazy because I feel like I haven't been here long at all and it already has been two changes. I have no clue if I will go or stay because me and my comp. have been here the same amount of time so will just have to see. My letters next week may be short because of the changes, but we will see how it goes! I wanted to ask if you all had time to read the articles I said you should read. I hope you did, if not find them and read them!

I love you all and I hope you are all doing great! I'm doing great and loving what I'm doing! I love being in the Lord's service and I'm so grateful I am here! I love this work and I love these people and I'm just so happy and grateful I get to be here serving each one of them! I love you all! Stay safe!! I miss you all!

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola Como Estan!!!! 9-19-11

Hola familia!!!

   Thanks for all your letters last week and this week. I was worried that last week I wouldn't get any letters because I wrote a day earlier then I originally said, but thank you all for writing me! I love you all and I hope that you are all doing well! This week was a good week! It was Independence Day and so on Thursday we had a zone activity and we did a carne asada or like grilled meat! Then we watched "Remember the Titans," which was cool. The last time I saw a movie was Christmas, haha, so that was cool. The pres. wanted to watch it because it has a message about being one and being united!! It was good. Then we took some pictures with the flag, haha! It was cool. Then the next day we played soccer... like always, haha. It's fun! We also had a good week of work. We had a lot of success. Like, we didn't have much time to work this week becaue we had that activity and two juntas (meetings) and two p-days. So, it really only left us Wednesday and Saturday to work a full day, but we did have a lot of success. We were going to have a baptism but it ended up that her brother couldn't make it to see her baptism on Sunday so we ended up pushing it back till this next Sunday so that her brother can be there becasue that is really important to her. Although we were sad to have it fall through, we are really excited to have her baptism this Sunday! I love this work and I love seeing all the miracles I get to see here! I had the chance to do a lot of interviews for lots of different people in different areas this week and I just really love it. I love to get to know new people and I love helping people and I love being an instrument in God's hands! That is what I love most about interviews becasue the spirit is always so strong and I always feel like the things I need to say just come to me in a steady stream so that these people can make the decision to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptised in His church! I love this work and I know for a fact that this is the work of the Lord it isn't our work, but it really and truly is His work and we are just instruments in His hands! I'm so grateful that I am here and I am so grateful to be able to see miracles every day! I love this work and I love these people! Tell Mike "Happy Birthday" on Friday for me!!! Tell him that I love him and that I hope he has a great day!!! I love you all and I hope that you all are doing great! I'm doing great and like always, I'm staying real safe!!! I love you all! 

 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola Familia! 9-15-11

Hola familia!!!! 

 

I hope everything is going well for all of you! Don't worry about the package, I will call the secretaries and see if they can get it figured out. So I have been doing great! We baptized this Sunday!!!!!!!!! It was a true miracle, it is truly amazing to be a missionary because you get to see things like this! So we just were having a hard week we were working our hardest but every possibility we had to be able to baptize fell through, and we had made a goal in our district of 3 baptisms and one of those had to come from us. 

 

So, we were working and working but nothing until Saturday afternoon we went to eat with the hermana that had signed up, I had never eaten there before but we found the house and went in to eat. Well turns out, this hermana hasn't had the missionaries over to eat in like 2 years and has been changing houses a lot. But anyways we went in and she has 3 daughters and we were waiting because the food wasn't ready yet so we were sitting there waiting and her little daughter came out and was talking to us! I asked her, her name and how old she was and she said her name was K. and she is 9 and I said, "Oh that is sweet. Did you like your baptism like a year ago?" And she said, "I still haven't been baptized...." and I asked why and she said "I don't know..." So then we eat and as we eat I was just getting to know the family and the mom and we found out that her oldest daughter isn't a memeber and neither is the youngest, K., and so when we finished eating we asked if we could share a massage with them. They said yes. We taught about my two favorite things to teach, the atonement and baptism! At the end, we invited K. to be baptised the next day which was Sunday! She just lit up with joy and had the biggest smile I have ever seen and said, "Yes, yes, yes! I have been waiting so long to be baptised and we asked the mom and she said, "Yes, that is fine. We were talking about this the other day and asking why she hadn't been baptized and we couldn't figure out why. There just has never been the opportunity!" So we were able to teach her and then she got baptised on Sunday! I haven't seen many more happier people in my life! K. was so, so, so, extremely happy that she was finally getting baptized!!! It was awesome and we asked her who she would like to have baptize her and she said me. So I had the opportunity to baptize her. It was a really awesome experience for me! I know that this is the work of the Lord and that is why miracles like this happen, and I can truly testify to the scripture in Ether 12 that said that mircales and blessings come after the trial of our faith. This past week me and my comp. both felt that our faith was tried many times but we kept pushing forward and on Saturday we saw a true miracle!!! I know that the Lord hears and answers prayers and I know that this was an answer to me and my comps. prayers! I love this work and I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to be here in the service of the Lord! 

 

On Sunday, I had to give a talk, haha. It went okay I guess. I went a little over on time but it was alright. I think I am getting use to giving talks now, haha. Also, I was reading some things this week that I really liked and wanted to ask for all of you to read but I really, really would like for my sisters and their husbands to read these. The first is an article that I liked a lot by Jeffrey R. Holland called "An High Priest of Good Things to Come" (October 1999 Conference). I really liked it and I really would like you guys to read it! Also, two more things I enjoyed a lot. They are in this months Ensign. First, by N. Eldan Tanner called "The Eternal Nature of Marriage", Second, Robert D Hales "A Part of Heaven on Earth!" Those are really good talks. I translated the titles because I read them in Spanish, so they might be a little bit different the titles but ya I'm sure you can find them! Hope you can read them. They are really great! I love you all and I hope all is well. I will write again on Monday! Love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Despain

Hola Familia!!! 9-5-11

Hola!!!

   Hope all is well for everyone!!!! I'm doing really good!!!! This week was a great week, although it ended a little sad. We had a lot of success during the week but then all the people we had that promised to go to church didn't go.... sad. But we will have more success this week! I feel like we are finally finding good people to teach, like people that really actually want to progress! We are finally finding "los escogidos" or chosen people, like the people that God has prepared for us, the ones that are ready now to accept the gospel!

So just to let you all know, this next Monday I won't be writing home but I will be writing on the 16th! Because of the Mexican Independence, they are switching our p-day because everyone will be partying that day and we won't have any success so it will be a better day for a p-day and that Monday we will just work like any other day!!! I love you all!!! Thank you all for your letters. I love hearing from all of you!

Dad, I haven't gotten a chance to read your emails but thank for emailing me. I will read them tonight and write you next week! Also, thanks a ton Mom and Julie for sending off my package! My shoes are getting really bad, haha, but they will last until I get my new ones. The good thing is that my Eccos are still really good, but I can't use them every day because they usually get soaking wet after one day so I have to switch off so that the other can dry a day. Haha, it rains a lot here! alot! And in these last couple of days, it has started getting colder! Here it is already going into winter. Well, it seems like that any ways. I don't know where the time goes. I feel like we were just starting summer, haha. Every day more that I have here goes by quicker. It is crazy. The time just flies! But I'm so grateful to be here. I love serving the Lord and I love getting the opportunity to see miracles every day! This work truly is the Lord's work and I am so grateful to be a part of it! 

So the president told us that they are going to be sending emails to all of our families along with some videos so if you get those you should read it and watch them! I love my president. He is a great guy and really, really knows what he is doing! I know he was called of the Lord, every time I hear him speak to us it just amazes me the power and authority he speaks with! Also, you should get one video called La Expiacion (The Atonement). I don't think I have had any video impact me more then this one did when I saw it and every time I watch it, it still gets to me! You should definitely watch it as a family if and when you get it!!! It's amazing! Like I said, I love this work!!! It's not easy. At times it is really, really hard, but I love it and I'm so grateful to be here doing this work. Even when times get really hard, I'm still happy!! and I know it is because I'm in the service of the Lord!! There isn't anything that can make you happier! I know that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that He lives! I know that the sacrifice He did for us is real. I know He really did suffer for each and every one of us! I know that He knows how we feel in every moment of our life and is always there to help us, we must only ask for that help! I know He paid the price of sin for every person who has ever came to this Earth! But I also know that He will not force us to accept that sacrifice but that each one of us must accept Him in our lives through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through our Faith in Him and in God, through repenting every day, every time we mess up or make a mistake, through being baptized and accepting and taking His name upon us, through receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and listening to the promptings that we receive and through following His commandments until the end!!!  I know that that is what we must do to accept what He did for each one of us! I know that God wants to bless us because He loves us. But I also know that we have to do our part to receive the blessings He has prepared for us. But I have a firm testimony that when we do our part God always, always does His part and gives us all the blessings we are in need of! I love the Scripture in D&C 82:10 because it is so, so true! I know that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that this church that I am representing for these two years is the church of our Savior, Jesus Christ! It isn't the church of any other person or of any man but it truly is the Church of Christ and is established exactly how He established it when He was here on the Earth!  3 Nephi chapter 27 I love that chapter because it really does show why and how this is the church of Christ! I know that God loves each one of us and that is why He sent His only son to die for us. I know that wouldn't be an easy task for any father to do but because He loves us, He was willing to do it for us!!! I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God along with the Bible and I know that as we read and ponder the scriptures daily, we receive more of a testimony and grow spiritually! As I have been here in the mission, that has been a great blessing to me to really pray, read and ponder the scriptures and it has been a true blessing to me! I know that the scriptures are the words of God and that is why it is so important to study daily so that we can know what it is that God wants us to do! I know that this church is true and I know that what I am doing here is what God wants me to be doing right now and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here doing this great work! I love you all and I miss you all a ton! I hope all is well and I hope everyone is staying safe! Thanks for all you do for me!!! Tell everyone I say hi!!!

Love,

Elder Despain

One more thing I forgot to say. I had a cool experience yesterday well and last Sunday! Last Sunday, I got to confirm some one in church, so that was cool. I have always known how to do it but usually some one in the ward does it. But this last week they asked me to do it, so that was just really awesome! Then this Sunday I got to give the priesthood to this 18 year old kid that the other elders in my district baptized two weeks ago! We were in priesthood meeting and they were about to give him the priesthood and he was like I want Elder Despain to do it and I was kinda shocked because I have never done that before and I didn't think he would pick me. But it was really, really awesome! I have gotten to know him really well because I interviewed him a few times before his baptism and then he has gone with us to lots of different missionary activities, like the waterfalls. I have a picture with him up on the waterfall. I sent it to you all last week! He is a cool kid and it was a really cool experience for me! I love you all. Stay safe! Love ya!

Love,

Elder Despain 

Hola 8-29-11

Hola familia!

   So this week was a pretty good week! In my area, we didn't have a ton of success but I got to go to the temple! Elia, that I baptized when I was with E. Higuera, went through the temple and I got to go. It was so, so, so, so awesome! I sent some pictures you should have already got them! It was just a really great experience and the spirit was super strong and it just makes everything I have been doing worth it! 

Also, in my district we ended up having 4 baptisms! But it was crazy. They all had their date for baptism but when we got to church on Sunday, 2 of the 4 that were supposed to get baptized that same afternoon didn't want to get baptized anymore! So I interviewed them both over again during the church services and then they ended up getting baptized when church ended. It was great! I also ended helping to baptize one of them because she was super nervous to enter into the water and was really scared of drowning. But ya, it went good! It was a true blessing from the Lord! They all were really cool experiences for me how they ended up getting baptized. First, like Thursday, I did an interview for one of them. I had already interviewed her the week before but I was just doing another one to keep her excited about her baptism and just get her more ready and excited. But the last week when I talked to her, she didn't want to get baptized because of her daughter, who is 11, didn't want to get baptized. Anyways, I felt like I should promise her that if she got baptized that her daughter would follow her example in less then 2 weeks! Well, this week, like Thursday, when I talked to her I interviewed her in her daughter's room. Usually when you do an interview, it just is you and the person. But in this case, we did the interview in her daughter's room, but her daughter was in there doing home work so she was listening to everything. Well, when I was talking to her and promising her lots of blessings and just getting her ready and excited for her baptism, out of no where the daughter turns around in her chair and said, "Mom, I want to get baptized as well!!!!" It was just a blessing from the Lord to have her accept and follow her mom's example. It was awesome. When she said that I just like started praying in my head and giving thanks because it truly was a miracle and it was just truly amazing! It is so wonderful the miracles I get to see as I'm serving the lord! But ya, all the baptisms just were really cool and I get to interview like each one of them a few times to get them excited and convinced to get baptized and it was just really amazing and lots of miracles! 

So today, we went to waterfalls. It was pretty cool, but the funnest part of the whole thing is when we had to go down this really steep hill and we were like trying to slide down on our feet but everyone was just falling and we got all muddy. It was great and super funny, haha. I'll send pictures! 

In my new district, because we had changes, one of the elders, E. Barajas, got a kid! (un hijo) He is American. He is from California and I am really remembering a lot about when I got here and now I can really, really see how much my Spanish has improved, haha. But he is a great elder and I have been enjoying getting to help him out and teach him and translate for him when he doesn't know what his companion is saying or when he doesn't know what others are saying, haha! We took him to eat tacos al pastor today, haha. It was cool! They call me a lot, haha, on the phone and I explain to him what his companion is trying to tell him. It's fun! 

Well, I don't have much more time! I hope you all are doing great and that all is well back at home! Dad, I hope that is going great for you. Let me know how you're doing. I will make sure to keep you especially in my prayers! I hope you have a great time and that you can always stay safe! I love you all and I miss you all, too. I hope you are all doing well and thanks for all you do for me! Mom, thanks a ton for buying those shirts. I know they will be a great help to this kid and that he will really be happy and it really is great we can help him because he is making a big decision. That must be hard without his family's support, but is what the Lord really wants from him! Thanks Mom, you're the best! I love you! Please try and send it as fast as possible because he leaves in Oct. and you know how great the mail is here, haha! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Despain

Temple Picture 8-13-11

Moroni with the gold plates in his hands. This is one of 3 temples in the world that are like that. One is in South America, one here in Mexico City and one in New York! Cool isn't it!

 Part of my district 8-16-11

A big torta I ate. It was so much meat, it wasn't even funny. 8-20-11

 

 Baptisms in my district 8-21-11

 

Yes, that man is wearing a dress but it's because there weren't any more overalls. So ya, he used that. He was a good sport about it!! He kinda looks like Pinocchio's dad doesn't he???  He is an awesome man!!!!  8-21-11

Irven!!!! Super cool kid! 8-21-11