Dec. 2 2013

Okay so first off, Happy Thanksgiving. I didn't say anything last week about it because I had forgotten all about the holiday I will be straight honest. As a missionary holidays are just normal days just less people want to be bothered by you so the members take you and stuff lots of food down your throat. In case you were wondering, we ate a total of four times. We had 5 appointments but by the 5th one we just couldn't handle it anymore and we had to turn down the food, which they ended up just sending us home with anyway. However we couldn't get out of eating the pie which just about ended my life. 4 huge meals, like huge, like imagine a normal Thanksgiving meal and then imagine it is a Hispanic person serving you and then on top of that they think that the more you eat as a missionary the more blessings they receive. Just for future reference, blessings don't work that way there is not a correlation between quantity of food in missionaries and the amount of things heaven blesses you with. Other than that it was a pretty good day, only that the whole zone got sick and they blame me for it because I was the first one down. I don't feel too bad for it though they all have cars and stuff. Only problem has been that with sick missionaries comes the need to babysit them while they nap. At first I was like, "Oh sweet I can actually just sit down and relax for a while because Elder Tew is going to nap. I love that idea." That excitement lasted through like 2 or 3 chapters in Alma and then I realized that I hated it. Sitting around is like what every missionary says they want until it actually happens then you find yourself staring at the clock like you did when you were in High school and realize time doesn't like to move when you want it to. However I think we are all over the sickness thing and so Christmas should be a sick free holiday which is good because Christmas is a great Missionary holiday because everyone is thinking of Christ at least a little bit and you can make them realize how important he is.

Other than Thanksgiving not a whole ton has been happening here for us we have been working really hard on finding but it isn't coming and I think the reason we aren't finding is because our companionship has lost sight of the little things. I notice that sometimes, unfortunately more often than not certain members of the district and stuff are getting up at like 6:35 or sometimes even 7 and those little things cost the district. I was reading in the Old Testament and there is a story in Joshua after Israel has gone and destroyed the City of Jericho and they are all hyped and pumped and ready to go get their land and they go to the next city, this little city of Ai and they just get worked by these people. Now Joshua is pretty distraught and goes before the Lord and asks him what was going on. He received a promise from the Lord that the children of Israel would go unopposed in claiming there land. Well the Lord had told Israel that none of them were to take spoil from Jericho or else they'd be punished and after an investigation Joshua finds that only one man had broken the rule. He had taken a Babylonian garment and some gold and hid them in his tent. Because of this one guy and his disobedience all of Israel was punished and I realized that sometimes the Lord makes the innocent suffer the consequences of the actions of others. When a missionary is disobedient everyone feels it. The same goes for our families and such, we are all in this together and so we all go down together. I came to the conclusion that that has been happening in this district because a few of the Elders aren't quite consecrated enough and tend to be a bit disobedient and it is killing us so that has been one of our focuses. It is hard to break a missionary of his habits and so sometimes there is some butted heads but they are just going to have to get over that because I am here to have success.

We did get a surprise Tuesday Morning in the form of Elder Sawyer. I realized why it was they cancelled our original Trio and it was because they were going to send us Elder Sawyer from the Mexico City mission because he couldn't get his Visa so he couldn't stay for more than 90 days in Mexico. Now there are 3 of us which makes things interesting. Biking in 3 is not the most fun thing and I think when we approach doors people thing they are getting repo'd or like bounty hunted or something because 3 guys are just crowded around their door trying to shake hands and get in their houses and stuff. He is also pretty green so I am claiming him as my adopted son, so that means I have a son, a step-son and now an adopted son in the mission. Hopefully I have lots of posterity because I want to see great grandchildren in the mission that is a goal I have. Also at times in the trio I feel like a babysitter who is trying to make sure everyone knows they are pretty and then trying to dish out scoldings and stuff when they are necessary all while trying to make sure everyone is disfrutando la mision.

Our investigators are on ice right now and we are looking branch out in our finding ideas we have lots of our members committed to finding us people to teach and stuff that just sometimes takes time to bear fruit so we are being patient. This transfer seems to be all about patience. When the Lord wants to teach you something he has a tendency to lay it on pretty thick so I am learning all about it.

As this Holiday season approaches or I guess Christmas I want a birthday/christmas gift from all of you. It is very simple. Well I guess they are cause I want 2. First I want all of you to find someone to reach out and minister to. I want them to feel the Love of Christ through you. Second, I want to hear about it. I am going to be selfish and request it in the form of a written letter. If I don't receive a letter from you I will do what I do with investigators who don't keep committments and drop you for a while and then we will see from there what goes on. No I won't drop you but I would like letters and such. If necessary an email will suffice but just remember it's my birthday and stuff. I love you all very much. Make this a holiday season to remember. Door bell ditch someone and leave them a basket of things they need or surprise someone with a lunch trip or something. Be charitable, learn to give and learn what it means to truly be Christlike, that is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Bassett