Monday, August 22, 2011

Hna. Jessica Keele- Aug 22, 2011

Hola familia!!!

Okay this is going to be quick...

AHHHHH Soo close!!!! Jamie it´s only days away, can you believe it!? I can´t!!! haha :D

Okay, so news about my eye! I woke up today, did everything normal then at about 10 when we were getting ready to go, I noticed this blood spot on my eye as I was putting in my contacts, I tried to take it off because I thought it was a piece of fabric, but it wouldn´t move and then I realized what it was. So I took a picture. It was really little. Anyway, we go out for about two 2 hours and my companion says "OOH, IT GREW!!! She started scaring me, but at the same time, I didn´t believe her. Well, we get back to the house and it really had quadrupled in size!!! I know mom´s not going to want to see, but I´m sending pictures. {Jessica didn't end up being able to send the eye pictures, thank goodness!}

The other pictures are from the other day. When we ate lunch with a member from the states, Hna Bennet, she gave us a huge bag of marshmallows!! :D So my companion and I roasted them with what we had in the house, and I found a few chocolate cookies that almost taste like graham crackers! :D But they were smaller than the marshmallows, haha pero bueno!! It was yum!!!

Bueno, Love you all!! Keep doing good
Love,
Jess

Awww It stopped letting me download pictures! :( I think I´ve got a few though. So anyways, until next time!! :D

Elder Jordan Keele-Aug. 22, 2011

Wow, this week went by fast...

It's been a fantastic week. And things are going crazy. As mentioned last week, we were planning to baptize Doricela and her two kids yesterday. Well, last Sunday we found out they weren't quite married, so the plan was to marry them on Friday and do the baptism on Sunday. Everything was going fine until Tuesday night when the Assitants called. I was surprised by their call, but even more surprised by what was said. He told us that President Hicken wanted us to travel down to the Distrito Federal on Friday morning because I would have a meeting on Saturday along with all other missionaries in the mission who are going to be training beginning tomorrow. Long story short, that changed our plans big time.

We went over Wednesday morning and respectfully talked to Doricela to explain our situation and tell her that she could still go forward with the plan if she so desired. She said that she'd feel much more comfortable if E. Castillo and I were there for her baptism, so we just made some quick adjustments. They were married on Thursday afternoon and baptized that same evening down in the lake. We ran into so many little issues and problems trying to throw it all together so fast, but the Lord made it happen, and what a blessing!

So we've been sleeping in the assistants house since Friday and have just been working with them. It's been great and I've learned so much. Tomorrow I'll receive my new companion, (whoever he is) and sleep at the Zone leaders house in Pachuca tomorrow night. We'll get up early Wednesday morning and finally head back home to Molango.

Thank you for sharing some of your neat experiences and thoughts. I know, even though I haven't met him, that Travis and Jamie are just perfect for each other. I'm so excited for next week to hear all about it. Good luck this week in your final preparations! Also, thanks mom for telling me about your temple experience. I've always loved hearing about them, and I look forward to the day to be able to go every week. We tried to go today, since we're living like 20 blocks from the temple, but it's closed. Hopefully, President Hicken will let us go with the branch again on September 2nd.

Congratulations to Rachelle for getting married, James for getting married, Jamie and Travis for almost getting married, and Aubrey for kind of almost getting married! This year is just packed with Celestial commitments! ha ha

I hope everything runs just perfectly this weekend. Ha! wouldn't that be nice? But whatever happens, like you mentioned in the past, what is the most important is the ordinance. All the fun and fancy free stuff isn't really a huge deal, and whatever bad things happen will just be laughed about for years to come. Just remember to smile and be happy :)

I love you and am so happy for each of you. Kids, good luck at school. I hope you learn to love it and use your time and mom's money wisely. Take care and hasta la proxima...

Elder Jordan Keele

Monday, August 15, 2011

Hna. Jessica Keele- Aug 15, 2011

Hola Familia!!!

Today´s going to be real short, but how are you all doing!? I love and miss you all so much!!! :D

This week was good. I had a very neat experience with one of the members here, Hna Perrington. She´s from the states :D). We asked her to accompany us to an appointment with an investigator named Gabriela. Gabriela has been super sad. Her mom passed away just a few months ago, and she´s got a whole bunch of other problems. When we went to go see her, she opened the door crying. We sang a hymn, said a prayer, and started talking about the Savior and his love for us. She still cried and we weren´t really reaching her either. She doesn´t open up to people, and she wouldn´t tell us what was wrong or what we could do to help. Then Hna Perrington, la miembro justo, just straight out told her "I love you and the sister missionaries love you. I know I just met you, but seeing you like this makes me just feel sad because you're my sister!!!" She gave her a hug and let her cry in her arms. After that she opened up more! Awww, it was so sweet! I know that the Savior has so much love for us. He wants to just hug us and love us when we are having a hard time!! Sometimes he does that through other people. Hna Perrington was definitely the Lord's arms in that moment for Gabriela. We talked about how he loves her, and we know it, but she didn´t believe us. But when Hna Perrington took the step up and just SHOWED her the love that he has, she opened up! Aww!! I love my Savior, I love my Father in Heaven, and I know that they want ALL of their children to return back to them! Well, I have to go now, but I hope you are all doing well! Keep working hard and keep being the Lord's hands here on earth!!

Love,
Jess

Elder Jordan Keele-Aug. 15, 2011

Hola familia y amigitos,

This week has been... interesting. We were called on Wednesday morning and told we had to go to Pachuca for a Leadership Training with President Hicken. That kind of changed our plans a little bit. We had to hurry and get things together, move things around, and we left at 5:00 PM to go to Pachuca. The bus had a bunch of problems and turned our normally 3 1/2 hour trip into a 5 hour trip. But, we made it safe and sound at the ZL´s house around 10:00. Then, Thursday morning as Pres. Hicken arrived at the church, he pulled E. Castillo and me aside for a 'Molango Meeting', something normal that happens about every time we see Pres. Hicken. As we closed the door, Pres. Hicken said "Elder Castillo, you're moving. Elder Keele, you'll be staying in Molango, and you'll be training." We're still not sure if I'm training a greeny, or if that just means I'll be training another missionary on how to be a missionary in Molango. But, we'll have changes and find out a week from tomorrow. E. Castillo has been here since December 30th, so it was about time he had a change.

Just briefly, we're working with that one family: Lucio, the husband and he's a member, and his wife Dorisela, and their two kids that are going to get baptized hopefully this next week. However, we just found out last night that they are not married yet, and we're still hoping to get it all taken care of in the next couple days so they're all set for Sunday. We're really hoping that they get baptized next Sunday so Elder Castillo can go out with a bang, but it's all in the hands of the Lord.

Wow, sounds like a really eventful day! And not much money was spent... I know that's how you like it, Mom, and those are usually the best memories anyway. I've never been excited to go to cemeteries, but it actually sounds like a lot of fun. And Hyde Park too. Now that I know a little bit more about William Hyde I feel that connection. It was fun to hear about all your little adventures, and I'm so glad everyone is safe. My companion E. Castillo went to Utah State and said that he knows Hyde Park pretty well, and that he loved it. Cool info.

It's got to be hard for Derek, because I know out of all of us so far, he's probably the one that is most wanting a job to prepare for his mission. But like you said mom, something good will come out of this trial and it'll all work out. One of my favorite quotes that was quoted by Pres. Monson is "Do your duty, that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest". I've found that to be so true on my mission. In the hard times where we aren't seeing much success, I know that as I just work as hard as I know how to and truly do my best, the Lord fills in the gaps every time. However, the hard part is not losing the faith, because then it doesn't work out so well. Just trust in Him and you'll be overwhelmed by the huge blessings that he's hoping you'll earn.

I love you all and am happy for all of you. Jamie, good luck this week in your final preparations. Take care!

Elder Jordan Keele

Monday, August 8, 2011

Elder Jordan Keele-Aug. 8, 2011

Hola familia,
Things are starting to pick back up again here in Molango. On Sunday, our family of 5 FINALLY came to church like they said they would. Lucio, the dad, who we found two months ago is already a member but had never been to church here in Mexico because he was baptized in Tennessee.... long story. Needless to say, they finally took their first step together towards eternal life, and we're looking forward to going down to the lake again probably in two weeks. It's been too long since I've been there!

Jamie and 'Trav', your wedding invitation looks wonderful! My weird feelings about it all are finally starting to wear off. I'm so excited for you both!

It seems like school just finished, and it's already starting soon... what's up with that? ha ha. I think one area that I've grown the most from my mission is my desire to learn. Of course about gospel stuff, but also about Math, English, History... It all seems fascinating to me now. I look forward to going back to school in the future.

Elder Castillo and I got word, (still not super official yet, but almost pretty sure) that we'll be together for at least another cycle after this one is up. Which means Molango will be my home until about the end of October-ish. I can't believe we're already talking about the end of the year. We should have some years with like 30 months sometimes, because 12 just isn't enough.

Mom and Dad, thank you so much for your testimonies. It brings so much comfort to know that all that I'm going through and learning are things that you've already gone through and learned but that are important for me to gain that same conviction. The mission has truly changed my life, and I'm forever grateful for it. It's changed me so much. Your words are becoming so much more meaningful to me and precious as I grow in my knowledge of my Divine Redeemer. He blessed me so much for having put me here on earth as your son.

Thanks for all being so supportive, loving, kind, generous, productive, motivational, strong, consistent, good, helpful, and other stuff. It's a blessing to be a part of this family.

Have a great week! I love you all, and take care!
Elder Keele

Hna. Jessica Keele- Aug 8, 2011

Bueno! Hola familia :D

Sounds like everything at home is busy but coming along! That's great! :)

I wanted to share a thought of one of the attributes I´m trying to work on... Patience!! I was reading in Jesus the Christ and Elder James E. Talmage was talking about the man, Jairus, whose daughter was dying. He went in faith to find the Savior so that He could come and heal her. The Savior followed the man to his house but while they were on their way, the woman who was sick touched the robe of the Savior to be healed. The Savior took the time to stop and find the woman who touched Him.

When I thought about the man's situation, he was in a complete crisis, no? It made me realize how impatient I can get especially during times of crisis. While on their way to save his daughter's life the Savior stopped. What Elder Talmage points out is that Jairus never showed impatience. Instead he was patient and waited for the Savior to continue in His own time. In Preach my Gospel under patience it says something like... Patience is the capacity to hold up delay without anger, frustration or anxiety. It is the ability to wait with faith for the Lord's timing.

That´s an attribute I´m trying to develop because there are so many things missionaries can lose patience over! So many unnecessary delays to our eyes that can´t see the future, but I've just got to remember that this is His work! He is in control. If He´s got the time to stop for another, I´ve got to learn to have the time to wait with patience. He is the one that is going to win in the end, and I'm on his team. Que Bendición!!

But then when I thought more about it it´s not just my missionary life that is going to be full of delays because before my mission there were delays in my life of plans that I thought mattered most. And there ALWAYS will be delays or inconveniences on plans that matter most to us. There was a quote in the same page of Preach my Gospel by Thomas S. Monson that I can´t remember now, but it was about that too. While we are in the moment of crisis or delay, we sometimes feel like it´s just happening to us for inconvenience! But the Lord is still in control of whatever that happens in our lives. He loves us and wants what´s best for us, so if I follow through with patience and wait for His timing, I can have confidence that He will always pull through!! :)

I´m so glad that Elder Talmage mentioned that because I would have never noticed a lesson on patience in that story. But it´s so true, the man never showed disbelief or impatience while the Savior stopped to find the woman who touched His robe during his crisis. I just have to be patient like Jairus in keeping my faith and waiting for the Lords timing in all things.

So, one other thing. I want to ask for your prayers. Andrés, who got baptized a few months ago, hasn´t come to church in a while and on top of it we haven´t had any contact with him for 2 weeks. :( So if you would please pray that he can have the desire to come back, we would greatly appreciate it!!! Other than that, everything's going well! We´re going to have interviews with President this Friday!

I love you all so much and thank you for the examples that you are to me!! :D

Love,
Jess

Doing some routine planchando (ironing)


Jordan at Hno. Abrego's ranch


Jordan in Molango


Elder Jordan Keele-Aug. 2, 2011

Good afternoon,

Elder Castillo and I had the opportunity to go to Pachuca Thursday night and work for a day and a half alongside our zone leaders. I've always loved doing exchanges, and this was the first time we went since I've been here in Molango. I learned a lot, and as always came out very motivated to work harder and harder. We're starting to hand out pamphlets like crazy to invite everyone to come to church on Sunday. We hope to see many people benefit from that effort.

Maria, the wonderful, faithful, diligent lady that we baptized a couple months ago brought her sister to church. It's so funny, because they're exactly the same ha ha. We had actually knocked on her door a few days before and I said to myself, wow, she looks a lot like Maria... sure enough, she was her sister. They are just two really shy and quiet old ladies, but they're among the elect, and it's a blessing to work with them. We hope to help Eugenia progress to the waters of baptism just like her sister did.

Elder Castillo and I finished reading Jesus the Christ on Thursday morning. What an accomplishment! It's by far the biggest book I've ever read, and it feels great. I learned so much from that book and am excited to start reading it again sometime.

I forgot Marie and Rachelle are both getting married too. Wow, everyone's going to get married before I get home! But that's a good thing. Congratulations Nicole and ..... what's the guys name again?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this world that we live in. Here in Molango, when it's not cloudy, we see tons and tons of stars. I love star gazing! It truly does make you think about the privileges we receive. We probably need to be better at appreciating things. Well, I do anyway.

I'm happy to hear about Stephanie's progress. Tell her I love her so much! It's raining hardcore right now, just thought I'd let you know.

Later today I'll send some pics, but this computer always messes up my camera and memory card, so I'm not even going to try it here. But they have cheap and fast printing, so it has its pros and cons. I love all of you! And thank you so much!

Elder Jordan Keele