Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 74

Heyo party people! I just want to start out by saying that my area is awesome! Super safe and all the members want to help us out with lessons and give references. The President also attends to the ward before ours, so we saw him this Sunday and that was a weird feeling. Not bad, just weird seeing him. Being a zone leader isnt that stressful in the way of taking numbers and checking on obedience. BUT what IS hard is being the example to the zone. I have been reading in Matthew a lot and what I noticed (kind of obvious) is that before he asked anyone to do anything, he gave them an example to follow. He did it at least once and then asked the rest to do it. He put the model for them to follow. 

On worse news. We have been having some problems in our companionship. Elder Meneses and Elder Cruz have gotten super angry at each other and fought a lot. I am super grateful I have gotten way more patient on the mission and learned to try to understand people.. So we have already had to sit down and talk twice this week to figure some things out. It has been one roller coaster of a week. But it is getting better, Cruz just gets frustrated, something that I can understand. So we are working on that. We have two baptisms lined up, one for this week and one for the 12th of March, so we are pretty excited. I will be training my zone tomorrow in a zone conference, so wish me luck! That is about it, Love you guys! 

Love 

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

PHOTOS! (I had to buy a new memory adapter)

Just toured some parts of downtown Queretaro and went into the big church

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 73

Well, Just a LOT! First off with transfers, I got sent to Queretaro FINALLY!! I am super excited! But here is the not so great part. I GOT SENT AS A ZONE LEADER! Not a fan. I am in an area called Colinas en Queretaro and am Zone Leader over Queretaro Arcos, which includes the assistants to the president. My new companion is Elder Cruz and he hasn't been zone leader either. The only reason I am not freaking out so much is because we have Elder Meneses, an Elder who was supposed to go home today, but agreed with the president to help show us the area and train us a little as zone leaders for the next 2 weeks then he is heading home. But it is still kind of crazy! I am ZL 1 and yeah.

 Saying goodbye to Elder Villacis was hard but saying goodbye to the branch was even worse. I shared my testimony last Sunday and started bawling. I then went with all the members and investigators and started saying bye. That was super sad. I had a few of them write in my journals and some of the members we were especially close with wrote in my journal and the Branch President almost cried. I grew really close with them and was sad to have to go. Valentine's day exists here, in full swing but something I really liked here was that they have many more types of cards than we do. The have the classic I love you and all that, but they also have forgiveness cards, ranging anywhere from just being rude to your significant other all the way to have been very VERY unfaithful. It was a fun thing to see.

 I left my baptism there and Marisol will still be having her interview this wednesday and will be baptized. We supposedly have a baptism for next week but I have no idea. I still have no idea where I am going but that will all hopefully change in the next 2 weeks. Nothing else to report, everything is good here and will have more stuff to say next week. BYE I love you guys and happy late Valentines Day!

 Love
 Elder Alex CHadwick Eaton

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 72

Well, that is just plain depressing mom :P I dont like this feeling of having only 32 weeks. But life goes on, and time keeps getting shorter :) Sorry i havent been sending photos, the cyber cafes here suck as you well know. Everything is going good, nothing much to report. Transfers are this week and I am pretty sure that I am going to leave. After 6 months it was a little obvious :) but I am happy, I feel like I have done a good work here. We have an interview this Tuesday, so if everything turns out good we will be having a baptism friday. She is an amazing investigator named Marisol.

 This was the last P day of the transfer, so it was pretty depressing to say the least. We all bought ice cream and sat down together on a bench. We just laughed and had a good time. It was fun but sad. Thats all I got! Transfers Sunday night, Ill tell you what happens this Monday! Love you and BYE!

Love

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

Queretaro Mexicon Mission Week 71

Well, things are going good here! We have a baptism planned for next week, so keep praying!!  Elder Villacis and I are still going strong! We found a ton of new investigators and are now in the process of seeing who is going to progress and who will not. We are getting along great, we have had some problems with the sisters in our district. Elder Villacis and Hermana Lezama butt heads A LOT! They are both great missionaries and are very effective, they just have a lot of different ways of doing the same thing. I have had to diffuse a few heated discussions. Now I know how dad feels in work. It is not all rainbows and butterflies!

Also, Burgandy told me that you guys sold Mo (our cat)........ Want to tell me something about that? :) hahahahaha I knew there was one of 2 possibilities when I went with my beloved: he would die or you would sell him. Everything else is good here! I love you! BYE! 

Love 

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 70

Its super crazy that Cole just turned 15!!! Give him a big birthday hug for me! And a big kiss on the cheek ;) Everyone is getting so old!! AS for the 15 year old Cole being better than the 14 year old Cole, I cant tell you how many times I have heard that :) hahahahaha I am doing pretty alright here, It is pretty calm, the sisters had a baptism and Elder Villacis and I got to baptize them. It was super cool I actually interviewed the mom, her name is Leticia. She had been having a lot of problems with her family and they were really against her getting baptized. She was already crying when I got into the interview and she started off by saying that she didnt want this, she didnt think she could do it. She didnt want to wreck her family.

So you could say I was already pretty stressed out right off the bat. I have never made a more sincere prayer in my heart than in that moment. I started off by reading 1 Nephi 1:1. I told her that this was the story of my life. That I had been born of more than goodly parents, but rather AMAZING parents. That they had taught me who I was, who I needed to be, that I was taught that I was a son of God. That even though I have had many afflictions in my life, I know that I had been highly favored of the Lord all my days. Leticia told me that she had always felt that God had answered her prayers until this week.  So Then I shared D&C 121, just the first little bit, when Joseph Smith says, "Oh God, where art thou?" and then God's response. I told her that even a prophet feels abandoned by God at times, but nothing can be farther from the truth. That God is always with us, in the excellent and bad times. and I told her that God would always answer her.

After that, there was a silence of about 2 mintues. I felt the Spirit very strongly and I simply felt impressed to let her reflect and meditate. After that, I did something that has truly changed my life. I asked her if she would like to ask God right now. Something I have never done or expected to do in my entire life with someone. I realized in that short moment as we were getting ready to kneel down, I realized that I was putting my trust 100% in God, that he would answer her prayers, that he would tell her to get baptized and that this was the true church. And I have to tell you that I was scared God wasnt going to answer. And I was proven so wrong. She asked me to say the prayer. I was doing 2 prayers at once. One out loud, and one in my heart. I asked him to answer her, and me. I asked him to help us both. I started crying at the halfway part because it was like someone was with me. I cant describe the feeling exactly, all I can say is that I felt someone there with me that had the same desire I did, to let her KNOW! To let her know that THIS is what she should do.

I finished and we waited for a little bit. We stayed kneeled down for another 4 minutes in silence, Then she started another prayer. She thanked God for giving her an answer and asked for the strength to carry it out. We got up and I asked her what she should do. She said she wanted to get baptized this Saturday and I was just...... wow. I have learned that God really does answer prayers, and not only when He decides to, He will always answer us when we need it. Thats all I got, I love you guys, and take care!! Happy BDAY COLEY! King Cole is still King ;)

Love

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 69

I am doing pretty good. My companion and I are still on fire, and this week the President came to Dolores!! It was super awesome! He hogged all the time (as usual) and what was awesomeis that he taught exactly what we have been teaching all the investigators and the members. During all of it, we had a lot of members looking at us, with a look that says "oh, I guess you guys were right after all". I learned a lot too, then after that, I talked a bit with the president and the assistants. They finally realized that I have never been to Queretaro. And President promised me that I would get a chance before I get home! So that means my last transfer I will go there ;) hahaha 

Ok, Annie playing xbox, that makes me like partly jealous of Crayton. All the times I invited Annie to play with me, and she said no. I guess it is different when you are her husband. We have a couple new baptismal dates. One is from a sister named Marisol, and she is progressing super fast. Another one is a guy who has been with every single church in Mexico, most recently with Jehovahs Witness. It is going to be pretty dang intense! Other news, yesterday when the President was here, we asked him if we could watch the Avengers 2....... AND HE SAID YES! We watched it this morning with the sisters and it was amazing! One less movie I need to watch, when I get home. We enjoyed it a lot. To answer your questions mom, yes they have doughnuts but they are terrible. Nothing like Krispy Kreme. People have heard of Martin Luther King, but dont really know him. There are very very few black people here in Mexico. There are more Gringos than black people.  

As for requests of my birthday, I would love 3 musketeers. Anything else you think that would be great, I trust. The thing I miss most about the states would be the diversity of cultures. I stick out like a mormon missionary in the Vatican. I cant wait to stop recieving so many stares. I have gotten use to it, but I still get tired of it. Some bad news, my greenie went home. Guess he couldnt handle it /: I found that out today, and I was pretty sad, but stuff happens. I love you guys!

Love

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

No photos today, Computer isnt working :)

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 68

  About Elder Villacis, he is from Ecuador, 22 years old, balding, and awesome. We get along great, we got here in the mission at more or less the same time. He is a great missionary and Elder May, Villacis, and I are already planning on rooming together in college. His English is almost prefect, so I have been helping him to get to perfection. It is kind of a relief that I am with someone that wants to be on the mission. We found 9 new investigators this week!! It has been super fun, we get along great, and we have stayed up talking until 2 twice, so we are buddies now :P

The baptism has been postponed. We have no idea what is up with her. We feel like she still isn't completing the commandments. So we told her she shouldnt baptized. It was sad but we want her to do it right. I would rather have 0 baptisms on the mission than a million baptisms done only to baptize. I am doing pretty good here. With this transfer, I will have 6 months in this branch. but I am totally cool with it. I do love the branch, and they trust us a lot! I have definitely established some lasting friendships here with the members. So we will be coming back to visit here fo sho ;) I love being in an area for such a long time because I get to see people grow in their testimony and make changes in their lives. We are getting along great with everyone and I am super happy we are working so hard.  Pretty crazy that Annie is moving to Fresno! How did that happen? Well, thats all I got familia! I love you guys and miss you a ton. 

Love

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

PS Dad, I cannot wait for Pride Prejudice and ZOMBIES!! I TOLD YOU GUYS IT WOULD BE A MOVIE SOMEDAY!!

Photos

1)the birthplace of mexican independence

2) We went to a museum of miguel hidalgo, the guy who started the war of independence. Fun fact, he was a priest and had A LOT of lady friends

Queretaro Mexico Mission Week 67

Well, new years was pretty calm.  Nothing much to report, we got back to the house at 8:40, then had nothing to do. We played poker, but using monopoly money. MISSIONARIES!! It was pretty fun, not gonna lie. My companion decided to stay on the mission so that is pretty great! He got moved to Queretaro, I stayed here. I received Elder Villacis, he is from Ecuador. We got here on the mission at the same time, and he is pretty legit, It is going to be pretty awesome! Our baptism got postponed until this Saturday because of some problems in the interview. She had to get interviewed by the counselor to the mission president, and everything turned out great!

I am doing pretty good, we had a couple investigators in the church, so that was pretty good. We have one investigator that has a life a lot like Grand theft auto. He was a taxi driver in Leon and his stories are psychotic!! He has almost been killed like 3 times and has gotten into car chases and gotten in trouble with a lot of people. But He is a really good guy. I really hope that he keeps on going strong. I still love the area, everything is super calm. That is all I got to report. I love you guys and miss you a ton!!

Love

Elder Alex Chadwick Eaton

Photos

1)The house of worship on the street. Pretty great eh?

2) A cake that some members gave my companion when he knew he was going to leave