Okay so another week survived in Mercedes Texas, there was some really awesome stuff as well as some not so awesome stuff. I got your package on Friday Morning thank you very much for sending that stuff especially the Pistachios they are something I really didn't have the means to by out here because they are quite pricey. The pencil set didn't really survive though which was sad for me but I can just pick up a few more it's no big deal. I also realized this week that although Batman is really cool, when you have a coloring book devoted to him you color him an awful lot and there just isn't a lot of variety. So feel free to find a sweet coloring book if you want I will keep on the lookout here. The comics are here as well I will send you a picture of my planner when it is done.
So this week I will start with the Guerrero Family. Mayra has a debt to a lawyer of around 200 dollars for a divorce that her current "Husband" David needs to finish paying before they can get married. Then on top of that she needs 72 dollars to pay for the marriage at the courthouse. So we have a bit of a problem, but luckily there is always a solution. We sat down with Mayra and made plans to cut certain things out of the spending for this next month so that she will be able to save enough to get married before the 24th of February. Elder Marble and I decided that what we were going to do to help was to buy from her homemade tortillas de harina. The reason being we can't just give her money, however we can use our money to buy food and so if she made tortillas we can buy them from her. So, what we did was we took a tall oatmeal can and put a picture of Jesus on one side and a big heart with Mayra and David on the other and made her a bank. Now, we thought we were just being a bit funny but it was something that really touched her heart as she realized that we really do care about her. She is progressing really well and I feel like she understands that the Gospel is really important. However, Josue and Regina are beginning to flake out on commitments and we are beginning to worry a bit about that. Josue the other day went and used some money his biological father had given him to buy some shirts. Well when he went to show us the shirts we saw that they were a bunch of saint T-shirts and one of the Santisima Muerte and the worst of all was one of Christ in his crown of thorns bleeding and it read, "Not my will, but thine be done". When we told him that he really couldn't wear those shirts I think it bothered him and on Sunday he wasn't at church so we will be addressing that tonight. Regina the 11 year old daughter doesn't like the idea of having to give up her short shorts and on top of that she is really chiflada and that needs to also change. I don't worry too terribly much only because I know that with this month we can help this family out, and I know Mayra wants it.
Mayra sent us to talk to her friend Melissa who then sent us to talk with a woman named Chela, or Icela. Now we contacted Icela late one evening and she asked us to come back a different day and we agreed and as planned we returned. Icela is a woman with a few piercings, three kids, no husband and a few tattoos. Now, I am not saying I judged her but I will be honest and say I didn't really expect a lot from her. As we sat down to teach her we had every intention of inviting her to be baptized as is the first lesson custom in the TMM (Texas McAllen Mission). First thing she told us is that back in Mexico she had been baptized in her grandparents church. That we expected...what we didn't expect was that her Grandparents were Mormon so Icela is a member of our church. So now instead of baptizing her we have a mission to re-activate her. So far she read in the book of Mormon and agreed to pray. She is a testimony to me that people can change, that no matter how far you stray you can always come home and that the savior is waiting.
Juan, I don't know he didn't come to church like he promised and so I don't have a lot to say about him.
Okay, so now to tell you about the most stressful day of my life. Saturday. Saturday we got a call from Norma saying that she wasn't going to be home for our Family Home Evening lesson that we had planned and that she would talk to us later, so we called her to see what was going on. She had errands to run but also a woman from her other church called her and told her a whole mess of horrible lies. That we believe Joseph Smith is a God, that we force women into marriage, that we have tons of wives, that we don't believe in God, That the Church sends out handsome young men on missions to convince vulnerable women to join, and that we wear black unicorn rings...that one was new for me. So as you can imagine this being the day before Normas baptism we were really freaked out. After that the whole day just started falling apart. Dropped appointments, avoided by refferals it was super hot...the list goes on. So finally 7 p.m. rolls around and we are prompted to go and visit Norma even though she hadn't called us. We prayed as we locked our bikes up for the thousandth time that day for help with Norma and as we knocked on the door she answered. As we talked with her she bore us her testimony that she knew the church was true and that it was the right thing to do but that she was very nervous. After talking more and answering what questions we could we as missionaries did what we do best. We left it between her and our Father in Heaven, we told her to ask him and that we hoped to see her at the church the next day. I don't think I have ever prayed harder in my life but as he always does, Our Heavenly Father came through and Norma came and we got to witness one of God's children enter into a very special covenant and step onto that strait and Narrow path. Norma is an amazing person, she had every reason not to be baptized. She had trials beyond belief, she got anti-mormoned, she was tempted by satan all over the place but she stood strong even till the last few moments before her baptism. That night we got to have our Family Home Evening with her and we taught the armor of God. As we left her home I thanked my Father in Heaven for letting me be part of bringing such a powerful spirit back to him.
This church is true, and a marvelous work truly is coming forth. I love you all so much and miss you but I know that I am doing what I need to be doing. This week I want you to read Alma 50, I want you to tell me what it is I am challenging you to do.
Stay strong and support each other, the family is the most important social unit in our lives and without unity they collapse.
I love you all,
Elder Bassett
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