Alex:The Mission is a One-Time Thing.

Well on Tuesday we walked very far to a less active named Cielo, where she y her two brothers are members but her mom y dad are not, because the dad is in the army y never home. So we taught her to obey her mom y then we talked to her mom, her name is Martha, y we talked about the first lesson.  She reads the Book of Mormon y prays y she has her clothes for the baptism. She wants to get baptized, but she is waiting for a answer to see it is true. So we set a date to get baptized on March 12.  We visited her two time this week y she went to church yesterday. We are so happy for her.

So we visited Rosa y Manuel. They are all good. We taught them the 10 commandments, but this week we are going to visit y give them another date to get baptized, because this week they can’t because they have not a lot of money to get married. Rosa went to church yesterday y Manuel no because of work.

Well on Wednesday we went with President George y with all the missionaries in Tapachula - there were 45 of us - we went to a waterfall. 

On the way the shuttle stopped working so we had to walk up very very steep hills y the same coming back. But the path to the waterfall was so beautiful.  There was a old wooden bridge, but the waterfall was kinda small. I enjoyed the waterfall in Comitan a lot better. But it was a fun trip to hang. Well this was a good week. Love you all y thanks for all the love y prayers. GOD BLESS YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ADIOSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE ELDER VANBUSKIRK

Hi Mom. I’m on. Love you.

Of course your picture is great, mom. I thought you hated the fair y you said you won’t give them your pics again because the judges are not fair. haha

Did you send me the Chirstmas card yet? Mom I’m fine. Don’t send me a package. I’m fine but thanks. Love you. Just send your card in the mail with a few bucks. I just feel bad that you’re sending a package when I’m fine. But thanks.

I looked at Nate’s photos. Looks cool there y cold.

I’m doing so so. It is the members. We talked to the president of the mission yesterday y he is thinking of closing the area because the members are not doing their part to help with missionary work.  It make me sad because we work hard.

So how is the family? Wow sounds like they are busy, like always. I’m so happy for Luke winning at the track meet. He is so good. I cant believe that to my littlie buddyis turning 10. Give him my love y tell him good job at the track meet. When he becomes a teen he will be smelly y wont give you hugs, so just enjoy it ha ha. I sure do miss them y I bet nate is missing your hugs too.

Wow very good trying to learn some Spanish, Mom. Just practice.

How are you? Love you. Just have patience, like in DyC 24:8.

How is dad y work?  How was it with the lawyers y is Sister Flores working with him?  That will help Dad out a lot. He y his work are always in my prayers.

I know. I cant believe I go home in 6 months. It is sad I’ve got to leave. I love being a missionary, but I cant wait to see you guys again!  I cant wait. The time is going by so so fast! I know the mission is a one time thing.  Thanks mom. I can feel your love y testimony y prayers from here from all of you

It is so cool that we are spread out over the world. Haha.

Yes, Nate’s apartment looks so small compared to our big house here. Every mission is different but it is all about the mission life, haha.

Like always, I’ve got to go. Is there any thing you want to tell me? I need to leave. Bye, love you. Give everybody my love. Thanks. Caleb, love you.

Thanks mom, for everything y you love. Say hi to everyone y give them my love. Thanks y have a good week! xoxo

a big tractor at a member's home

Alex: I Got a Valentine!

Well this week was great. Yesterday was Valentines Day y we had 6 investigators in church y we made a goal to visit every one this week y give them a date to get baptized.

Well, here it goes: yesterday for Valentines I got one from an investigator named Sister Dominga.  I was giving a talk on faith y prayer y all the sudden, she looked up at me y grabbed the bouquet of flowers y she was walking up to the front y looking at me the whole time.  Then put them in the vase y then did the Catholic cross thing y looked at me. Then she sat down in the front of me. I couldn’t speak y everybody was looking y at visitor from the stake whoput his hand on his face. Well, that night a member invited us to eat with her y she told us this sister who had the flowers told her she wanted to go up to the pulpit where I was y give me the flowers y then give me a hug, but the member said no, so she only put them in front. It was crazy.

Well Rosa y Manuel didn’t go to church because their son got bit by a dog pretty bad.  We started to teach brother Juan’s nephew named Gustavo y he is trying to get off his addiction of smoking.

Well on Saturday we had Elder Oaks y his wife y Elder Reyes y his wife y Elder Clayton y his wife. It was so cool. Right when elder Oaks came in the room you could feel the room change he is so full of the Holy Ghost y we all shook their hands. Well Elder Oaks said he will be serving in the 12 apostles for 25 years in April. He talk about why there are so many less-actives. It is because when they got baptized they didn’t repent of all their sins, so he told us, look it says in the Book of Mormon to teach this people to repent. He said when you leave today, be a better missionary y it all starts with you. It was a great meeting! The spirit was so strong to have an apostle y two Seventys there.

I know this church is true y I’m so happy to be a missionary in the true Church of God.  I’m so thankful to share this gospel to all I meet. I know the Church is true y the Book of Mormon is the word of God. In the name of Jesus, amen,

Love you all y thanks for all the love y prayers you all give me.

ADIOSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Mom.  I’m happy Francisco went to institute! Love you.

How are you? Your pics are cool. Looks like you went to Disney. That must had helped out dad a lot with stress from work. I got his letter. How is dad y the work? Is everything better?

Okay, so what is new? My week was great. We didn’t do a lot because everybody was at the fair. No the pope being he caused no problems. I got your Valentine package. Thanks so mucho for your love you guys give me. We are trying to find new investigators y we are working very slow, but we hope we can see the fruit of our work.

Love you. Sounds like you guys are doing great y I hope all is fine with Francisco. That is all you can do. How are the boys?

So what is new at the house? Grandpa is always in my prayers.

No sorry no pictures. I left my camera in the bus after Tuxtla. Sorry. They have it, don’t worry. I will get it tomorrow.

Thanks Mom.  I feel like I’m getting better with my Spanish everyday little by little, even if my English is getting bad.

I got to go, Mom. Thanks for writing me. Give everyone my love.

Thanks mom. Bye. Love you. Have a good week.

Okay I will. Thanks Mom for everything. Bye. love you xoxox

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Alex: I Can Feel Your Love

Well what a week! Well yesterday we had 3 investigators in church. First our two investigators who have a date to get baptized Manual and his future wife, Rosa, because they need to get married. Y a girl who is a member brought her boyfriend who is a non-member. Y yesterday also we gave 5 blessing: 3 for comfort y 2 for sickness. That was pretty cool to do a lot of blessings in one day.

Well this Saturday the 13th we y all the missionaries of the mission are going to Tuxtla y have a meeting with Elder Oaks again like last year. I can’t wait. I can’t believe with this transfer I only have 5 left y time flies when you are doing God’s work.

 Well, one thing cool this week was we went to visit Manual. At first with Elder Luis Juan y his other comp, he didn’t want to listen or ask questions y even my first time there he didn’t. But on Saturday we went over y we saw y felt a great change in him. Now he trusting us y asking questions. We know he wants to get baptized. We just got to help him and his wife Rosa to get married. First he asked about the templo y about family living for all of eternity. Y his wife was surprised he ask these type of questions.

We are working hard with the members to work with us y love us. It is super hot here but we are doing the Lord’s work. Love you all y thanks for the prayers.

love Elder VanBuskirk

ADIOSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scripture of the week: Doctrine and Covenants 6:7

7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.

Hi mom.  Love you. I’m here.

Nate looks good y cold‬

I’m good y you? Hey when are you guys going to Disneyland again? I will pray for him. Are you guys going to buy passes this year too? Hey don’t forget to buy me a shirt there.

Tell the family Flores thanks for the letter y also Schvyer’s family. Tell Grandma Wilber in a text I got her letters y tell her I did get her gift card but I cant used them here. Please when I send my big letter can you send it by text to grandma phone? Thanks.

How is dad y the work? How are you y the boys?

Hey tell dad I will take out about 30-50 dollars to buy souvenirs at the affair for you, Dad, y the boys, ok?

I will probably get your Valentine’s package on Saturday because we are going down to Tuxtla to see Elder Oaks again like last year.

Mom I know you guys love me. I’m super far away but I can feel your love. Thanks.

Say hi to the boys and give them my love y they are always in my prayers y dad to y his work y you always. give all the boys my love. love you bye have a good week bye

I got to go. Bye. Love you.

xoxo

love Alex xoxo

Numbers people put on the wall of our house. It is a code saying we enter the house at 9 at night y so they can rob us before then, members told us it is 00900 or in other words 9 at night. 

un perro

Banana truck

Manjar it is a good rich pudding I will have the recipe soon. 

A Missionary of Love

Well hi everybody. It is hot here y because it is hot, it is taking all my energy away. So I’m always tired. But I will get used to it, don’t worry. 

 So this week we visited a less active named Rundolfo y we thought he just wanted to argue with us, but when we got there we talked about fe (faith) y how fe is dead without works.  He has some problems so we helped him out. Then the Spirit came over me y told me what to talk about y it was about the templo y fe.  After I was done speaking he started to cry y he said that is so true y thank you.  My comp was just staring at me. That is cool! We are able to talk right to the people with the spirit. Like it says in Preach My Gospel, there is only one language the missionaries need to learn: not their assigned language of the mission, but the language of the Holy Ghost. I can really see that in my mission speaking in Spanish with the help of the Holy Ghost. If I just give my part, God will bless me with the rest. I see that a lot in my mission.

Well again I made about 100 cookies for a family home evening y the president talked on keeping the commandments.  Then when I passed the cookies out everybody said they were good y they wanted me to teach them, so that was cool.

Well we had 4 investigators in church, but they can’t get baptized because one can’t get married y the other one, she only goes to church because I’m white. But we do have 2 dates of baptism: Rosa, who got baptized but lost her papers coming to Mexico y her husband Manuel on 27 of February. So we are so happy. Well that was my week love you all.

ADIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Mom I’m on. Love you.

I’m alright. Oh I see.  You replaced me with Franky and now you need to replace Nathan with an exchange student. Well in what month because I will be there for a few months before collage? It will be great time with the exchange student. Yes it is true; it is all up to God. Let's see. I will only be there for a few months anyway.

Hey every Christmas we have a family present.  What was the family present this year?

Hey it will be cool of we make family t-shirts for the family renioun? Did you finish y send your cards yet?

 Things I love most about my mission: serving others by making cookies. And also my president of the mission told me he put me here in this area because the people need a missionary of love y he said I was the one.  He said in my other areas members call him y they ask about me. That is cool.

So how is everything? Hey president wants to know how long are you guys planning to stay when you come down to pick me up? Love you. The rule is you have up to six weeks, for example I have a member there will let you guys stay y take us to all the waterfalls there. The rules of the church say you can be there up to the next transfer if you want, but I think a few weeks?

Yes, because I’m white that lady wants me to marry her. She is crazy.

Okay so what is new, love? How is Dad?

I’m sorry about his bad time at work. I will pray.

Send your cards this week!

I got to go to work. Bye. Love you. Tell everybody I love them y I pray for them y I will pray for Dad.

Thanks Mom. Bye Love you.

 Adioss xoxoxo

An interesting picture Alex sent using his waterproof camera.  Kind of cool.

in a bucket y i was able to take a pic 

Trying on hats with the Branch President's daughter.

the canal    

all the banana trees are the same bananas you eat here