Dear Family

Sorry for the short notice, it seems that we have so much time here that it just flys right by us. Must be the wind off the shore. Elder Smiley and I are doing very well although the people in Veracruz usually tell you more about what they think of you -- which is nice that you cut out the small talk that never leads you to much, but that also hs its consequences when people let you know they don't want to hear about it. The few times people hve denied to pray with someone from another religion have been here in Veracruz. But the members, and the investigtors that do want to learn are as great as ever. The ward is up and running. 

One of our investigators, Christina (18), ran into another man that just decided to enter a church and made herself a missionary telling him all about everything we do. Very exciting coming from a girl you were questioning if she was truly capturing the message to its fullest. 

Well, gotta run again. Take care.

Elder Andrews

Coatzacoalcos

The sun hits hard, but the ocean breeze takes off the kick. It's a really nice place to be.  I told Elder Smiley that every time we step outside I feel like we are going swiming because it just has that smell in the air. Although no one really swims on this part, it still holds true to its smell. 

My area may be one of the coolest in the mission seeing as you can't get to it unless you cross the river by boat. About 7 minute travel. The small boats make windy days interesting, but thankfully I only have Colitis, and it does not appear that I am as sea sick as I once thought I was. It was interesting to get in what seems to be a tiny boat with all of your suitcases and cross a giant river, but it is even cooler than it sounds. I have since crossed a few more times for other missionary matters which makes it so I can now say I am experienced in my river crossing. 

Aside from the usual, the members here are more than great. Many of them have told me I look very serious, but its mainly because compared to Candelaria, this little village of Allende seems like a ginormous city, and so I'm still a bit lost trying to figure out where I am. You'd think it would be easy since 2 of my limits are water and the other one is just until you stop seeing houses and so I just have to remember practically one street. But its the getting around inside my area that is what gets me. So, I am a bit more quiet just as you would expect any rural boy to act when placed in a city. But, I like it a lot.

I cut Elder Smiley's hair today. The Bishop must have known from the way that I asked him what he thought that I had cut it, seeing as he replied: "It reminds me of when I lived on a ranch. It looks like a donkey ate his head." Haha. The good news is that Elder Smiley said I at least cut it way better than the sister that cut it for him previously, so I figure that's a plus. I still can't get over that his name is :) 

The Bishop's jokes make me wonder about Mexican sarcasm seeing as I was always told it doesn't exsist. But it most definitely does, although it is true that they are not quite used to Andrews humor. The fact that they think I'm very serious and that I tell jokes with a straight face just makes them laugh more. 

On a more spiritual note, the area is great. The members really work dilligently and we are in store for some great things. I can say as Ammon said: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die (Alma 17:23).

I am loving the work here. Find joy in what you do, and try to do it well.

Take care of yourselves,

Elder Andrews

Notes:

When he talks about "limits" he means the boundaries of his area.

Coatzacoalcos

Transfers. I'm headed to area Río in Coatzacoalcos. If you look on a map it is right on the Gulf of Mexico and on the bank of a river as well in a small town called Allende. It should be a good change to end my mission well, especially since my new companion's name is Elder Smiley. 

As for other news, I'm short for time. So you guys lose to Brando as I prepare some pictures for him and his Line of Authority. 

Love you all,

Caleb

Oh, also, I have now finished all the Standard Works in Spanish. Cool stuff.

Teach to Improve

I must have just realized that I am the American missionary with the most time in the mission. And it's been that way for 3 months now. An interesting thought. How time passes and the mission gets passed into new hands. But, I'm still alive and kicking. :P Although sometimes you do start to feel like a very old man. But I help where I can. Life in a small branch does get tiring, and sometimes the success seems low, but we always try to look instead for something that we can improve. I still lead the hymns, but maybe this week we'll teach someone how to do it. We worked on teaching Maribel (Brando's mom) to cut hair today. I felt, maybe just a little bit, the satisfaction that God must have when he teaches us to do something. Maribel cut the hair of 3 of us and it was like I did it, without hands! But that Maribel had taken what she had learned from me and had been able to do something productive. 

Sorry, kinda ran out of time. We went to a wedding of one of our investigators. Brando's cousin. She is 16. And we randomly ran into a domestic squirrel. But, we keep on working.

Teach someone something this week.

Love you all,

Elder Andrews

Maribel (Brando's mom) cutting Elder Andrews' hair. 

Elder Andrews with a domesticated squirrel.

The Busy Life of a Missionary

So, I would tell you a lot of details in this email, but, there won't be much time because you'll be too busy. This week we went to Villahermosa to visit a General Authority (he is a 70 in the Presidency of Mexico...of the Church). We had to leave an entire day early as to make sure that we would get there on time. Let me describe my travels for you.

Wednesday. 10 AM convey (a bus that is a bit bigger than a mini van kinda thing with seats all along the walls of the car) leaves Candelaria to Tenosique (where our Zone Leaders are). We arrive at 1:30 PM. Work with the Zone Leaders for a few hours. At 5 PM we leave Tenosique to Villahermosa and arrive around 8:30. In Villahermosa Elder Rangel (my former companion) is waiting for us and takes us to his house for the night. 

Thursday. 9 AM we are in our places waiting for the General Authority. 10 AM Meeting starts. 10:10 AM President Morales asks me to start translating to all the new missionaries. 10:12 AM Only 2 sister missionaries want me to translate. 10:13 I'm speaking English. 10:14 Isn't it kind of rude to talk while he is talking? (Just kidding, but I found out I love translating.) 1:30 PM Finish translation. From then on I work in Elder Rangel's area with him and another elder waiting until 6:30 PM we are waiting for another meeting for leaders of the mission to start. 6:45 PM I see Obispo Chablé--the man who might not have really done anything, but the only reason I really stayed in the mission. 7 PM Meeting starts. 9 PM Meeting ends. 10 PM Three other missionaries and I in the Zone get together and are on our way out with leaders of the District (almost like they were Stake Leaders). 10:30 PM They took us to eat tacos. 11:15 PM we are leaving Villahermosa. 2:10 AM we make it to the Elder's house in Balancan. 

Friday. 9 AM looking for a way out of Balancan to Candelaria. 10:35 AM Find convey to El Triunfo. 12 PM Arrive in El Triunfo. Take taxi to Candelaria. Arrive at 1:30 PM. 1:32 PM a member happens to drive next to the taxi and takes us to our house. We go to work.

Saturday. 12:30 Recieve a call saying we need to be in a meeting in Emiliano Zapata. Cancel all our appointments. 3 PM Looking for a way out of Candelaria. All the buses leave in the morning. 3:30 PM Take a bus leaving the mission to Campehce. Get off halway. Wait on the highway trying to catch something going back the other way. (See picture) Many drunk ranchers stop. We teach them on the side of the highway (See other picture). 5:30 Another bus passes. Get on bus. Make it to Villa Chable at 7 PM. Get in taxi. Arrive at the chapel in Zapata at 7:20 PM. The meeting starts late at 7:25 PM. Meeting ends at 9 PM. 10 PM I am in the trunk of a CR-V heading towards Candelaria. 12 AM Arrive in El Triunfo and spend the night with the Elders there.

Sunday. 5 AM Wake up. 5:30 Get on the ONLY convey to Candelaria. 6:30 AM Arrive in Candelaria. 7 AM Get home. 7:20 AM Shower. 8 AM Prepare my class. 10 AM Go to Church. 5;30 PM Elder Segura and Elder Lott (the fat companions that couldn't fit in the trunk) show up to Candelaria.

Monday. Wash my clothes and put everything back where it belongs. 10:11 AM Get a call. Zone Class tomorrow in Tenosique at 9 AM... 4 PM Call saying I am teaching Zone Class here in Candelaria to fewer Elders. 

All in the busy week of a Mormon Missionary. Good news is I'm not sick.

Love you all,
Elder Andrews

Waiting on the highway.

Teaching drunk ranchers on the side of the highway.

Eldor Andrews and the Lord of the Key Ring

This week I got a little sick. Who knows really what it was. Maybe it was my famous PB&J's. 

Peanut Butter. It all started when I opened...or thought I was going to open... my peanut butter. Turns out someone in the store opened it half way and took a scoop of penut butter out with their finger. I can't blame the other missionary for not checking, cause I wouldn't have, but that's the last time that I ask another missionary to buy peanut butter for me (it does not exist here in Candelaria). 

Strawberry Jelly. I have always bought the same jelly. They only sell strawberry, so that's what I normally end up buying. I have bought it so many times I wouldn't think much about it, but this time as I finished up the bottle I found at the bottom a deformed, rusty, key-ring.

What could go wrong then with my bread? Wouldn't it be more normal to just have moldy bread? But, beggers can't be choosers. Just interesting that two things so odd could have happened in the same week. So, I unded up with a stomach infection. To save some time explaining, I have attached a photo of the test results that show what would be normal, and then the actual result that they got from me. I slept almost 3 complete days do to the anti-biotics. 

But, things are going really well. Brando got the Aaronic Priesthood this last Sunday, and his mother even assisted with him again. This next week will be interesting as we will be getting a visit from the 2nd counselor in the Presidency of Area Mexico. So, we'll be pretty much everywhere except for Candelaria in this week. Haha. But somehow we'll get some work done.

Keep on going on,

Elder Andrews

Oh yeah, and on my test results they mispelled my name and put "Eldor" instead of "Elder" and it kinda stuck since my scruff was coming in as I didn't wake up unless it was to take a pill for a few days. Sounds kinda like an elf. 

I'm fine now though. Thanks. 

Notes: Caleb is clearly getting used to Spanish. When he says "assisted" this is Spanglish from the verb asistir meaning "to attend". Another instance is how he says the "Presidency of Area Mexico" based on the sentence structure in Spanish.

Micro waves

On trivial news, the whole mission upgraded to get microwaves and so now we don't cook on an electric grill. Truth is, I didn't even need the electric grill to make my fiber cereal, but it is a nice new touch to get to make popcorn again.

But, on a more spiritual aspect, I'd like to talk about our own micro waves. I hope to change the way all of you constantly think and act as you let even the most common things in your house testify to you of the truth.

So, to set the stage even a little bit more, I will share with you a few experiences that come to mind as to make my point.

Many times I have talked to people that obviously do not want to talk to me. It is interesting how it all works out, but it is what it is. Each person gives off their own tip, their own "micro wave" if you will that you can perceive by the Spirit.  For example, if you are talking to someone and they refuse to look you in the eye would be a "micro wave" to show that they really aren't interested. I usually keep talking to help them at least get enough confidence to tell me to go away. Haha. If I can't help them in the gospel I might as well help them to become more self-reliant, right?

In the past week we noticed that Brando was a little off. The "micro waves" he gave off were slight and he never told us his problem although we are close friends. He was always with us as he goes out to visit with us for an hour or two every other day, but you could tell that his Spirit was not there, His "micro waves" included randomly having to leave to do something else and not looking us in the eye too much. In general being more quiet.

There are many investigators that we have that actually give off good "micro waves" and show sincere interest, but when it comes time for us to actually have a teaching appointment, their macro waves say something else as they are sometimes not home.

What is a microwave? You'd have to ask my dad to know specifics, but most of us can know that somehow it sends little waves (microscopic you could even say) of light or energy to heat up or prepare really any type of food. The general idea at least.

So, I would ask each one of you, what are your personal micro waves that you send off?

Your personal "micro waves" could include simply being obedient to what the Lord says. Sometimes it is important to see the "micro waves" the Lord send you, to decide how you can bounce them back at others. Seek inspiration through personal prayer and scripture study so that you too can be a "microwave".

With love,
Elder Andrews

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:16)

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (Luke 22:32)