WEEK 18

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!

Hola!  

This won't be to long since I got to talk to you guys yesterday so just some stories of my week. 

I bought 7 boxes of Hershey kisses and gave one away every day the week before Christmas. It was awesome and I just put it under their tree without them seeing so that it would be more of a surprise.

We saw one family(Dorantes) again and they were super grateful and they gave us candy and bought us socks haha so that was a fast blessing of charity haha. 

We had a Christmas activity at the house of the President and there were about 53 people there so it was packed haha. We had silly games, ate some really, really good food "American" turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, salad and more oh and pumpkin pie and chocolate pie .. it was soooo goood it reminded me of some good home cookin. Mom and Grandma haha. I ate soo much, afterwards we had a piñata and did the white elephant present exchange, and then that was about it but it was pretty fun. 

We made plastic ties for our Christmas party as a White Elephant Gift.. We are showing them off!!!

I got to watch a movie!! Buscando dory! Finding dory. It was good and I understood most of it. After we played hacky and basketball. 

I had a talk on Sunday and it went pretty good it was 10 min, and about love and charity and how we can light the world with these attributes. John 3: 16

I got to talk to you guys!!! It was nice seeing you guys!!! Best gift of Christmas that I got here in Mexico haha. 

Oh and I'm staying in my area but I'm getting a new companion .. Elder Mozombite from Peru. He is really cool and we talked a lot before. We both just finished our training. We are having transfers tomorrow. 

So before I even knew who my new companion would be....We already bonded and were taking selfies...

Welcome Elder Mozombite!!!!

 l

Love and miss you guys!! 

Siempre Sonreìr :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL BACK HOME!

So HAPPY I was able to see and share with my family on this day! I hope each and everyone of you were able to spend time with your family and feel the true meaning of Christmas!

WEEK 17

So this is my last week of my training and the transfers are on the 26 of December. Most likely I am getting a new companion but who knows. I will know when I get to talk to you guys Sunday! It's crazy that my training is almost over but I'm ready I believe.

So the area Politecnico had a Christmas dinner on Saturday. It was pretty good we had 2 families of investigators come and some inactives. They had videos about Jesus´s birth and some musical numbers and after the dinner. The investigators were the Dorante's family and Andrea and her mom Isabel and their kids. Their kids are crazy haha and they always wanted to be with us and one little girl would always look at me and smile and act all depressed haha it was kinda funny. They had ponche there and it is really good. It's like a bunch of fruit juice together with apple slices and a stick of sugar cane and it's all hot. 

At the Christmas dinner a family that isn't in our ward ,but her mom is , were there and we had dinner last Sunday and it was really fun talking with them and they like to joke around. Anyways, they were there and they said that they enjoyed last week and want to have dinner again with us and they really like me for some reason haha. 

We have a Christmas party this week at the President's house so that should be fun and on Sunday we are going to use the computer of a member to talk to you guys. I will be talking around 1 ish my time because church ends at 12.30 .. o and I have to give a talk this Sunday also about Christmas. 

Alma 60:23 

That's about it. Love and miss you guys! Get in the Christmas spirit and remember the best gift that God has given us (Jesus). 

Siempre Sonreír :) 

Love, Elder Bastian de Ciudad de México 

Youngest daughter's birthday party @ The Dorante's house!

Making a wish

NOM NOM NOM

J/K Mom, I will use my manners (this time..haha)

WEEK 16

El Espíritu de Navidad

¡Hola Familia! 

I don't have a lot to talk about this week but I'll make it good and short. 

I am getting over my sickness so that's good. We changed into the bigger room this week and it is way better! I like it . We probably have one of the nicest homes out of all the missionaries in my mission. I had Tabasco sauce this week and its not spicy at all haha so I'm getting used to spicy foods. Oh and a cool thing is that I can read in Spanish almost as fast as I can in English and understand it... this is only in preach my gospel haha but still I thought that was pretty cool. 

Study Area

My sleeping quarters

Not too bad, it doesn't have mold everywhere like the last place

Our Kitchen

Mi casa

So we had another baptism this week. It was for Sergio and everything went good. He was way prepared to be baptized and way easy to teach. 

So cool story time.. Last week I was on splits and found a new investigator and this week we taught her. Her name is Rut. She kinda reminds me of you mom haha. But we didn't know what to teach her so I was just asking questions to past time until we thought of something. My comp just asked her if she was a member and she said no.. and not only no .. she said that she respects our religion and that she is Catholic and how she thought it was rude how we go around telling people that they need to be baptized and how she was born Catholic and she didn't want to change the person that she was. She just went off haha. But as she was talking I was thinking about what I should say. A thought came to my head of what I should say and I knew I had to say it but I didn't know when the timing was right. So I said to myself that I will wait until I felt the spirit. So my comp shared a scripture and after he explained it I started talking and I won't tell you everything I said because it is very long haha but pretty much I said that as missionaries all we do is help teach and invite people and how she has a good testimony of her church and we weren't asking her to change but to only have her testimony grow and that we can share our message with her and she can pray about it and make the decision for herself. And there is more but ya that's the most of it and I felt like that is what she needed to hear and she said that she was going to pray about it so that was an awesome experience! And I know that the spirit is really the teacher not me haha. 

That's about it but I miss and love all you guys!! Mosiah 24. 14 - 15 

Love, Elder Bastian de Ciudad de México 

<3 Siempre Sonreír :D

Me and my comp eating biscuits and hot chocolate

A LITTLE OF CONVO WITH ME AND MOM:

MOM: Can you not use the stove? Or do they just really like plastic wrap there? haha

ME: We can't use it haha we have a small electric one 

Are you driving my car?

MOM: I haven't the last couple weeks but we are planning on keeping it running

ME: OK because I don't want mice in it and when you listen to my sound system don't blast it at first if it hasn't been ran 

MOM: I'm not running your sound system. I don't wanna ruin it. And I will put traps out there in your car for when we aren't driving it. And are you really feeling better?

ME: Well listen to it quiet haha it needs to be ran a little bit and ok sounds good .. and ya it was only a head cold and it's getting better .. 

MOM: Ok I will listen softly and speed in the car! And glad only head cold and not throwing up...eww

ME: haha just don't crash haha and ya that would be horrible haha 

MOM: I won't speed in your car silly. Now I can't speak for dad haha

ME: haha I'm the only one that can drive that car to its full potential haha 

MOM: I agree with you on that one!!!

ME: o man I miss driving so much haha all I do is walk 

MOM'S THOUGHT: I LOVE MY SON! MAKES ME SMILE!

WEEK 15

¡Hola!

Just a pretty typical week for me. I changed houses but I am living in a small room for now because there are people in the room that we should be in. They are moving out this week tho so that's good. And the baptism this Saturday for Ricardo might be delayed. We are not sure tho haha we need to have another sita con el appointment with him. BUT.. we are for sure having a baptism for Sergio haha a new investigator since last week. He moved here from Canada and he had lessons with the missionaries there and also with us now and he is ready so that's really nice and he has no problems with the commitments or anything so it was pretty easy to have a baptism for him haha. Oh and he does not speak English if you were wondering. 

We had splits again this week and I stayed in my area with Elder Arteaga. I was in charge and had to do all the lessons and who to visit and everything and I like that. I found a new investigator and also an address. So prettty successful. 

We watched a Christmas Devotional from the First Presidency and that was really good. They talked about Jesus and his life and everything that he did for us and they also talked about the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was in Spanish but I understood most of it I think haha. 

Other than all that not much has happened. I'll tell you some random stuff tho. The new hermana that we are living with had a kitten and she named it Hillary haha 

A girl was selling cupcakes and said that she would kiss me if I bought one.. I didn't buy one haha 

And I am getting sick which is no fun but it's only a head cold don't worry... and I have some Mexican drugs haha. 

I saw Elder Paul today and we shared some stories and talked for a little. 

That's awesome that you sent that package!! I'll be looking forward to getting it!! It was really expensive tho you didn't have to. 

I wish I would've been there for the blessing. All my cousins are going to be old when I get back. 

Love and miss you all! Get in the Christmas Spirit and remember the real reason of Christmas and watch Ilumina el mundo on youtube and also sigue el ejemplo de jesucristo.. the Christmas one. They are good. 

Mathew 5: 14-16 

Siempre Sonreír :)

Love, Elder Bastian de Ciudad de México 

WEEK 14

Happy ThanksGiving everyone!! or in Spanish.. ¡¡Feliz Acción de Gracias!!

This has been a pretty eventful week. sooo

First, I ended up not eating at that familias house because they cancelled.. so for thanksgiving I ate a super torta haha. Pretty much a giant sandwich and we didn't do anything special but ni modo. Oh and I weighed myself this week and I weigh the same. 

We had splits again and I went with Elder Flores into nacional area. He know no English but we still had fun and I learned a lot from him. We rode in a moto taxi which is just a motorcycle pulling a cart that we sat in. 

Moto Taxi

 We went to Dorantes familia this week and we helped them decorate their Christmas tree. The daughter is a member but that's it and we are trying to work with them. 

 Oh and I am changing houses on Thursday now. But I did play basketball again today and that is always a good time. 

 Soo.. I ate chapulines  .. which is grasshoppers haha they aren't that bad actually. 

Here I go.....

Yummm

 So a cool story. I gave Ricardo a blessing .. in English.. and he is one of our investigators with a baptismal date on 10 DEC. Anyways it was for comfort in his life because he has a lot of stuff going on but the next lesson we had with him he said that even though he could not understand the blessing that he felt comfort in his life and was making better decisions and pretty much described everything that I said in the blessing so that is really cool. So just know that there is power in blessings..God's power.  

 So.. I ended up doing the baptism and it was a really good experience. Everything went pretty smooth and I said the words right. And after I could see a change in him and his face lit up and all the members were really nice to him and made him fell comfortable so that is awesome. 

 So about packages they say to put pics of Jesus or Mary on it so that people don't open it. And no I didn't receive the bday card from gma.. But I got one from stake president so maybe ask him how.. 

(Mom explained to him that we were against time with him leaving from the MTC, that's probably why)

Anyways that's about all I think. So Love and Miss you all. And it being around thanksgiving I want to say that I'm thankful for everything that you do for me and that you da bomb. And you are just that good. (Insert Mom's sniffles and smile all in one)

And I'm thankful for all my familia and this gospel and how it blesses lives and that we have the restored church here on the earth and how much it has helped me and helping me and will help me. And thankful for the plan of salvacion. Thanks for everyone that has been apart of my life and I know I am who I am because of all of you. <3 (Now insert your smiles and sniffles here)

 Mosiah 4: 9-10 Helamen 3:27-29 

 Siempre Sonreír 

Love Elder Bastian de Ciudad de México 

WEEK 13

3 MONTHS...

Hola familia! 

So this week will be 3 months for me. It is weird how fast and slow it is going at the same time! So I'll start with the investigators. We have a new Investigator, Her name is Celenia I think haha and she was so surprised of all of our answers and she was saying " oh ya that makes sense" haha so that's cool. Estanisloa is getting baptized this week! We asked him questions to see if he is really ready to get baptized .. and he is. is really cool to see when someone is truly ready to get baptized. We asked him who he wanted to do the ordinance and he chose me haha not really sure why but that's cool it will be my first baptism. The president said he would rather have someone in the ward do it so we will see. 

We had a companion exchange this week and I was with Elder Caroca and he is really cool and he is from Idaho so it was nice speaking English haha. It helped me a lot because he taught me phrases and words that are not in the dictionary. 

This week we went to an older hermanas house and we gave the sacrament to her and I blessed it in Spanish for the first time so that was a good experience. 

Oh and today we went to go eat but we didn't have a lot of money so when we were ordering this family that is in our ward but they are inactive paid for us and we talked to them for a little bit. We are eating at their house on Thursday so that is really cool and they are really nice. 

Not doing anything for thanksgiving so that's kinda a bummer but ni modo.. that means oh well. I am going to miss the food so much on thanksgiving!! I think that is what I miss the most food wise is a nice thanksgiving dinner. Try to have fun without me. 

We are also moving houses this week because she raised the price. 

That is pretty much all. But have a good thanksgiving week.. there is a lot to be thankful for!! 

That's good that everything went well this week for you. Tell Elder Ramirez that he better find me haha and that I might be in a different area when he gets home. 

Love and miss you all a lot! <3 Alma 30:43-44 

Love, 

Elder Bastian de México 

Siempre Sonreír (always smile)

I didn't take any pics this week but had to give my mom at least a selfie!

WEEK 12

¡Hola familia!

So Today was transfers or cambios and I am staying in the same area with the same companion. 

So my Spanish gets a little better every week but I just cant wait til I can understand everything. We have a couple new investigators so that's awesome! The one hermana.. I forgot her name... but she is awesome! she is only about 28 mas o menos. But she was willing to let us in her house and talk to her. She read the pamphlet that we gave her in the street and she had questions and everything! She was about the perfect investigator to teach and she was really interested the whole time and she wants us to come back. The only thing that's not good is that we cant visit her this week because she is really busy with work. The other investigator lives in the dangerous place that I mentioned before haha so we had one lesson but is hard because her hearing is bad and she can't read so that makes it really difficult. 

We had a meeting with the president this week to see how the first 6 weeks was going for us. I saw my buds from the ccm so that's awesome. After, we had a service project and we painted. 

So we had flautas for dinner with the family that I live with and they were talking about how the house is haunted and how they have seen weird things in the house. so I live in a haunted house haha. 

Oh and we played basketball last p day I forgot to mention it but I wrecked.... and that

So Hermana Andrade made me another agenda so that's really awesome of her! She also left me a note. it says ..

"It was very good to know you. Thanks for your friendship. We will always be good friends. Thanks for the blessing you gave me. I know that you gave me it under the influence of the spirit. That helped me strengthen my testimony on the power of the Priesthood. You are a worthy missionary, stay how you are and you will bless many people. You will always be great and choose the right. You will always have a true friend in me. 

Sincerely, Hna Andrade.. Lima Peru 

That was a really nice note haha. I am glad the I can be a good example of the Priesthood. 

Happy Birthday Lytton!! esta viejo haha you are old. 

Hope you enjoy your time in Ohio . Pray for peace. And don't worry I will be safe I have the lord on my side and the spirit at my side. And just do whatever in the package. And the tacos are super good here haha I'm glad that grandma could experience that. I eat that at least once a week haha. and go cowboys! of course they are doing good when I can't watch them! 

That's all I think. Love and miss everyone ! Siempre Sonreìr :) 

Alma 32: 28- 43 all the verses haha and its about faith 

Love Elder Bastian de Mèxico <3 

the agenda and now the translation.. haha the blue first one says " we will always be brave and we will be prepared to defend what we believe" - President Thomas S. Monson 

the one with amor says .. " Amazes me the love that Jesus gives me" and the long one is 1 nephi 17:13 

They all say go Trump!!

My friends from the CCM

Service project

All of the agenda books are explained above in letter