Bugs, bugs, bugs

First Happy Birthday Grandpa! If you were turning 82 here everyone would sing you a song about mañanitas (little mornings) and then chant "que le muerda" until you went to take a bite out of a cake, and right when you get close someone would smash your face into the cake! It's fun really... 

Lately though, we've had a problem with an abnormal amount of bugs getting into our house. So I've taken the time to talk about the 5 main bugs that we seem to always find in our house. 

Ants... They're everywhere... they're not like the ones in PA where they're all big and black, but are more like a millimeter long. Somehow they seem to find every crumb on the floor. And when they do... well they always bring friends, so when we get home at night we end up having to kill like 20 ants that have all circled around one tiny piece of food. 

    We found where they're coming from though... So we decided to carry out operation "mata las hormigas"(kill ants) and filled their base with toothpaste... 

    Yeah we didn't think that one through very well, they just found another route... 

Crickets... I can't sleep with these things at night. Somehow they always end up in this one spot outside of our bedroom window on top of the bars (All the windows have bars. That's gonna be weird when I get back!) 

    But then I have to go outside at like 11 with a bucket of water and splash the window till you see it climb out and jump like 10 ft in the air, and then kill it. I'm getting too old for it.... 

Cockroaches...  I have no idea how these guys make it in. They're fast though!! And they scare the crap out of me... I stepped on one with bare feet the other day.  They've become more and more common though... I started a pile in our back patio today (When I say patio I mean cement square with a thing to wash clothes) 

Wasps...  so we have a hole in the top of our bathroom to let out steam. I'm not sure whose idea it was, but it's a little counter productive because all it does is let in leaves and sticks and dirt... but these giant wasps always fly in through it and terrorize our house while were gone. 

     One day we watched them and noticed they always fly above our cupboards,(there's like a 2 inch gap) and then leave.

     So we looked up there and yeah... they're building a nest... 

     Now we leave the bathroom door shut every time we leave. I'ts always a fun game every time we get back, and we really have to use the bathroom  Who opens the door first? Because most of the time there's a wasp waiting on the other side... 

Black Widows... I thought they were only a myth before I got here... but yeah we've found 2 outside our doors in the past month. They're scary and big. I hope they don't get in.. 

To solve this bug problem we decided to buy Raid, the heavy duty stuff, and we sprayed our house.... 

and.... I forgot to wash my hands after. and then ate. and then got sick... Thursday was a bad day, but I'm okay now, no worries :) (He said he took some medicine and he feels fine)

I'll keep everyone updated though on how it goes. 

As far as investigators, I had a cool experience this week. I was reading, and it talked about how we should invite people to pray about having "missionary experiences" with their friends. 

    But when I read that I was like hey! I want to have a missionary experience. So, I prayed about it. 

     The next day the first lady we went to go see wasn't there.. So we knocked at her friend's house. 

"good morning, were looking for your neighbor"

"Hey you guys talk about the word of God?"

"yep"

"come in come in!" 

Then we met her family and she bought us an apple soda, and now were teaching her. I love being a missionary. I know this stuff is true. 

Elder Arvanitas

This is a family in Nick's ward that feeds them every Sunday.  One of their daughters is wearing his companions name badge.  

Holy Week

Semana Santa!(Holy Week)

Honestly I had a ton of hopes for this week. But...... everyone's on vacation. This week was a lot of just walking and empty homes. 

That's okay though cause there was still all the traditions that they had planned for this week. 

Friday is the start of it where everyone decorates with dark purple and white and make shrines and everything. Also there's huge groups of people that walk around while one guy carries a cross. Apparently it gets really intense in other parts of Mexico, where it ends with the guy hammering nails through his hands, and hanging up on the cross for 2 hours or so. 

    Probably not the best way to show respect but yeah, traditions... 

Saturday. Saturday of Glory. It's the day where everyone throws water at each other. People dump buckets of water out their windows to get you wet... "Supposedly..." 

    All that stuff used to happen then the police came in and yeah, you know, ruined everyone's fun. So no one got wet that day.... Except Elder A....., because I threw a bucket of water at him after lunch one day :) 

Sunday. Nothing happens. I feel like this is the day when people just get back from there vacations, and stay inside all day cause they're all hungover. 

But that was my week. Except for the fact I didn't see anyone carrying a big cross, and I didn't get wet. Mexico's changing a lot, and a lot of people are moving away from that traditional catholic background here.  A lot of people we talk to just say they're "creyentes" or believers and nothing else. 

As far as lessons go this week, there weren't a lot. But this week everyone should be back so I will have lots of stories I'm sure... 

Love you guys, 

also Happy Birthday to Sydney. 

Elder Arvanitas

This was Nick's response to my letter:

Did you hear about an earthquake in Mexico City? We didn't feel it.. so that was lame. 

Sorry about the Koreans.(I told him about the ferry so he would understand Syd's letter) 

And the Grubers.(we found out our dear neighbors are moving :() 

also I forgot it was Easter until right now.. 

Mostly pictures

I'm  kinda out of things to talk about this week. It was a lot of walking around in the heat looking for every person that we had in our lists. I'm exhausted... 

So its just a picture week... 

I asked Nick for a thought or an experience.  Here is what he gave me.  

This week we had a day where a bunch of our appointments fell through. And we didn't really know what to do. So we ended up going to the local grocerie store to get something to eat for dinner, and also pick up deodorant for my companion. 

It was about 7 minutes into our search for deodorant when I saw it... 

and at first I didn't believe it... I had to look twice.... 

Soriana Brand Root Beer. 

That's when I realized that miracles really do exist :) 

Steve asked him if the family from the funeral ever came back to church.  Also, he told Nick we see a change in him as do others who have told us.  

Yeah they never came back. Oh well. 

That's cool that people see a change in me. I'm trying to be better.  

It's all due to my mission president though. He's going to be an Apostol one day, I swear. Everything he says you can just tell it's exactly by the spirit. These sister missionaries had an investigator that refused to be baptized so, they introduced him to our mission President. 

He shared with this investigator the scripture in the bible about don't cast your pearls before swine, and told the guy he didn't want to be baptized because he wasn't taking it seriously. 

He got baptized a week later.. 

crazy huh? 

It's hot and air conditioning doesn't exist here. 

Hiking to the mountain they climbed several weeks ago.  

A church in Tequisquiapan

Food they bought with the money somebody gave them.  

Having some McDonald's with Elder M......

Some weird graffiti.  

Nick says this is how they go to church.  Weirdos!

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A new way of teaching

Well since Syd went with the cop out (is that a phrase?) and just decided to send pictures this week, I guess someone has to step up and actually write a real message. (Oh Nick, someday his sister is going to smack him for these comments.  He'll never learn. )

I guess the biggest thing that happened so far, happened last week. We got instruction that everyone that we're teaching needs to have a date to be baptized, and if they don't, then we just have to accept the fact that they're not ready at this point in their life, and leave them for other missionaries  to go back at another time. 

 So this week was all about putting dates with people. 

Something that  I want everyone to know, that when we do these things it's not about just having someone extra in the church, or about getting more money or donations in the church. It's not that at all.  But, it's actually about changing someone's life. 

Imagine this.... We walk into your house and we're like hey here's a pamphlet!  Maybe we bring a little boy with us so you let us in. (that's a joke... we don't do that..) 

But then were like "Hey! Wanna be baptized this day?" 

What are you gonna think? 

"Who the heck are you and why are you at my house?... go away." 

I mean, why would you listen to us if you didn't feel like you were missing or needed something in the first place? You wouldn't. 

Sometimes though, we find those people who truly do need us, who are at their breaking point in life, where they're just "done" with everything. They're exhausted, in pain, ready to give up on everything because they can't feel happy anymore. 

You can't feel happy when the only thing you can focus on in life is how many things you've screwed up. 

We met a lady like this this week. 

She has had a problem with basically everything on the list. alcoholism, drugs, an abortion, etc. etc. 

When you look in her eyes, you can see that she's just lost the light she once had. She's at that point of giving up, where she's lost what seems to be all hope. 

One thing.  If any you ever feel like this, know that hope is never lost. We can always start over, new. 

That's what were doing with this lady right now. She has a date to be baptized in May. 

Well, we're going to do everything we can so she can be on this day. Because, in that day when she's baptized, she's going to make a covenant with God. In doing this, I know she'll be clean from all the things she's done wrong in this life. 

And for once, she'll feel clean, free from all that pain and the light that once filled her eyes, will return. 

I promise, this change that we, as missionaries, get to see in the lives of people is the prettiest thing in the world. 

And, I feel like the luckiest person in the world that I get to be a part of it. 

Love you all! 

Elder Arvanitas

A house, an old man, and a funeral

Let me just tell you how much I love it here in Mexico. In these past 7 (almost 8!) months, I've felt like I've met so many different people and lifestyles. I've met people from California, Utah, Arizona, Virginia and Wyoming. From Columbia, Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. And well of course, Mexico. Honestly, a lot of people when they look at us and go "2 years! Dang!" I'm starting to realize it's not that long. It really is the Best thing I could of done with my life at this point.. 

I don't regret a thing. 

Some stuff that happened this week... 

Building a house 

We've started to go out with this guy to help this one lady construct her house. The only problem is the lady is about as ancient as the Mayan Pyramids, so she can't do anything. For the past 3 years though, she's been living in this house that is literally like if you take the lids off of all the industrial garbage cans in the city, and nailed them all to wooden beams, that are supported by buckets of who knows what, with a dirt floor and a bed... 

I think it's time she has a real house. 

But for some reason the bishop didn't send anyone to help with building her house as a service project, because it's too far away... 

which that doesn't make a lot of sense... 

so we're helping a less active member of the church do it. 

And in the process, learning how to build a house from cement :) 

Veronica 

We went to go see this lady named Veronica who is a less active member we talked to like 2 weeks ago. 

So we go to her house and knock... nothing... nothing... 

Then all of a sudden, this old man walks out in tighty whities with just a mad expression on his face. 

"Hey is Veronica here?" 

"oh no jovenes, she hasn't lived here for a long, long time, and who knows where she went.." 

"oh..." 

"..."

" well actually we talked to her, here about a week ago, so do you know when we can find her?" 

·short pause·

"you can find her here tomorrow at 8" 

"thanks!" 

old man... lying in his whitie tighties... didn't stand a chance. 

Sandoval 

It's a family here that consists of  40 different people, and none of them go to church. 

But what happened is that one of the oldest members, died this week. So even though we didnt know her, we ended up going to her funeral this week. 

I just sat there, lost in my thoughts the entire time. Honestly, at some point in the ceremony she went from being a nobody, to someone I felt like I knew. My eyes got watery, and I guess I'd be a liar if I said I didn't cry a little. 

but that's okay :) 

because in that moment I realized something. 

I feel like pain is the most common thing that brings us together. More than often, I feel like it's the pain of death. The pain of losing someone that means so much to us, someone so important, that has brought us so much happiness in our lives. 

And it's in this moment of despair we cry out "why would this happen", "why did this have to happen right now.." 

Its hard, and it hurts. I know it does. 

But I also know that this is not faith.. because one day were going to see these people again. 

Of course its hard to imagine seeing someone return to life again, because well, no one has ever seen it since Jesus came down to earth. 

And the people didn't believe that he was going to resurrect either! His apostles were even suprised when they saw him after those 3 days! 

I guess in this I can only share my favorite scripture, which is in Romanos 8:38-39 which says.. 

 Por lo cual estoy seguro de que ni la muerte, ni la vida, ni ángeles, ni principados, ni potestades, ni lo presente, ni lo por venir,

ni lo alto, ni lo profundo, ni ninguna otra cosa creada nos podrá separar del amor de Dios, que es en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.

(38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to^aseparate us from the ^blove of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

More than anything, I can just only share my thoughts. I know that this life is not the end. I know the reason Christ came to earth and died, and then was resurrected was for this reason. I ask you guys to remember that too. 

Even if you dont believe in God, at least believe in my words, and I know one day when we both die, you'll believe in him. 

Elder Arvanitas

Magic Milk

So after two weeks of living like poor people, with only our mattresses and suitcases... Our stuff arrived... 

Now we have tables and chairs and an ironing board. Everything you would ever need as a missionary, except for a refrigerator... that's gonna take another 2 weeks I think. 

But that's okay because we have magical boxed milk, that you can leave unrefrigerated for 5 weeks and it will still be good.. some say it's chemicals, some say it's minerals, but I say it's magic.  

Speaking of magic, everyone is superstitious here. We've gone to like 4 houses where they tell us about the brujas (witches) that walk around in the hills and mountains at night. They see big colored balls of light walking up the mountain, and when they get to the top they just shoot off like comets. 

I must admit, I'm pretty interested in seeing these magic light balls... 

 So according to what Syd said, she's been teaching a lot of people that have been taught for a long time. 

 

It's different here... 

We're actually having a different problem with trying to teach too many people.  We end up losing a bunch of time in focusing on people who really are not interested in progressing, and just like that, we visit them. So this week we dropped more people, which is always a little sad, but at the same time it's for the better, most of the time. 

I don't know if I ever told you how the mission president read us this scripture in Jacob 1:19, where it talks about if we stink at teaching people that are a potential, that their sins will stain our shirts in the last day. So that's no fun.

But, if we do it by the spirit, and with faith that we'll find more, well,  God is going to bless us.

I guess the last story of the week though. Last week we dropped like 5 people and we were a little nervous about who we were going to teach this week.  In the end, we found 6 new people (a mom and her daughter, a free mason (still have to check for the ring), a 19 year old girl, and a dad with a son with anger management problems, I think). And end of the first lesson with the mom, she asked us at what time she could be baptized. That was really unexpected. 

I love you guys.  Thank you for your thoughts and your prayers. I can feel them. 

Elder Arvanitas

Discouraging week

This week...... 

Honestly it was one of the most discouraging weeks of my mission.  I have no idea why either. But sometimes you just get stuck in this rut... 

Less success --->  Less motivation 

Less motivation ---> less desires to work/ worse quality of work 

worse quality of work ----> Less blessings/guidance 

Less blessings/guidance ----> Less success 

and it's just a never ending cycle that just sucks... 

The only way out is to re-motivate yourself to work.

I don't know, I think the most important thing is that we be honest with ourselves.  

But to not get carried away and be "too hard" on ourselves, but at the same time to not be guilty of levity. 

And this is what I did Saturday night.... 

I was like "Elder Arvanitas, you sucked this week. You let a lot of people down, and just got lazy, and you didn't work that hard. Why are you here?... etc." 

Then I realized I'm really grateful for the opurtunidad to be here. It's really a blessing, and I love getting to know the people here and helping them with their problems. 

Sometimes repentance is not a huge event, but just a promise to yourself to be better.. 

So I was better Sunday and it was one of the best days here in San Juan. 

Also! I learned something today though. Everyone is so worried about being equal in the world.  I was talking with Elder M.....  about this. He tells me, don't let other people take advantage of you! Then he told me this story about one of his other comps who used all the dishes, while he washed the same dish every night and by the end of the week his comp was like hey it's my turn to clean the dishes.. so he did all of them... 

Then the next week the same thing happened only his comp said hey! it's your turn to clean the dishes and he's like no, you got them all dirty... and then they got in an argument about that.

To me that's stupid.. I'm not here to be equal  or argue about doing dishes. I like my house clean, and can't focus when it's not. So,  if I need to do something simple like that, I'll do it. 

Well that's about all. Love you guys, take care. 

Elder Arvanitas