O Sea, Hay Tamales

This last week was superb! I can't even begin to tell you. We met all of our lesson goals. Every week we set goals to work towards, and this week we met them all! We worked so hard, and were so surprised to see our end results at church yesterday!  Woot woot!

The members of this ward really stepped it up and visited with us every day! We were thrilled! We also got permission to work in the other half of our ward, which means we had a lot of great references!

This past week we met with a man, he's a less active, he told us how he was offended and would never come back to church again. He basically told us not to visit him but, to visit the people that wanted us or needed us. Then, the next day we went on visits with our ward mission leader and we found the same man in the street, he suggested that we go talk with him and I told him no, he doesn't want us.

YE OF LITTLE FAITH!

We went and talked to him and set up and appointment...which we happened to forget about the next day, oops!   Then on Sunday we were waiting in the door and HE WALKED IN!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. He was a completely changed man. He told us sorry, that he wasn't at home yesterday, he had another commitment. THE LORD IS SO GOOD.

We have been working with another YSA he has a tough heart, and pierced ears. We talked to him and invited him to church. He told us he couldn't come because he had work. Then, during the first song he walked in and get this, without his earrings! I couldn't believe my eyes!

We also had THREE investigators come as well, they were the three that I never thought would come either. Truth is we dropped two of them because we thought they were so disinterested but, now we are going to visit them this week! I can't wait to see what June holds for us! The President really wants us to baptize EVERY week in June, and we are thinking that we can do it!

One of these investigators told us that she knew  the Church is true, everything that we had taught. I can't wait, we are going to visit with her this week and challenge her to be baptized in June. Cross your fingers, and PRAY!

Today we got to go to the beach! It's about 30 minutes away but, a member lives there, and she taught us how to make TAMALES! They are sooo good, if you forget the fact that there is a liter and a half of pig fat in them! We made 60 and our fridge is stocked! Mira Mar, the beach, is what I thought Mexico was going to be like. I am thinking we should all invest in a Vacation home! It's beautiful and private!

I have learned a lot of good lessons this week, and I am so grateful for the chances that we have to better ourselves!

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Riedelbach 

A Great Week!

This week went by really fast! We had a surprise visit from our President on Wednesday. I always love it when he comes. We always learn great things!

On Saturday we had Stake Conference which meant we had to travel to Villahermosa. A member of the 70 came and spoke to us about the Work of Salvation. I was re-energized to share the gospel with everyone I meet!

I guess the big news for the week is that Fritz and Giovani accepted our challenge to be baptized! We don't have a date for them yet but, we are more than excited! They are the two oldest boys I told you about last week. Fritz read 10 pages out of the Book of Mormon and even marked it up. He is such a great little kid! They all have the biggest brown eyes. Seriously, they are the cutest. We are going to have a Family Home evening with them tonight so, I will try to take pictures. I will keep you posted on their progress and baptism.

This week my companion hit her ONE year mark and we threw a small surprise party for her! It was a lot of fun! We had some good laughs and some yummy cake!

Today we bought a BEAUTIFUL new fridge, but I forgot to take pictures....next week!

Sorry this letter is really short! I hope next weeks will be longer!

Have a wonderful week and be good!

I love you all!

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. It happened again...I truly am a bird poop magnet!  :(  So gross this time!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so grateful I got to talk to you all yesterday! It really was a great day!  I love and miss you all!

I had to give a talk in church, and let's just say it was a big slice of humble pie. I am totally going to study more this week!

I want to share an awesome experience with you all that I had this week! We went out with some of the Young Single Adults on Saturday to find some less actives and invite them to the activities. We left at 11 and didn't have any success. By 6 o'clock I was so frustrated as we had prayed and fasted to be able to find a family to teach.

We decided to hit one last name on the list. Here in Mexico not all of the houses have numbers so, it's kind of a hit and a miss. We found the name and started walking down that street, one of the Sisters knocked on a door and no one answered, we moved on to the next one and nothing. The next house was a horrible looking tin shack. We decided to give it one last shot and we yelled Buenas Días! and waited. Nothing. We decided to call it quits, and just as we were walking away we saw a dirt covered little boy. We stopped and started talking to him when his Grandma answered the door, with a knife. She was just sharpening it...yikes.  :)

She asked us who we were and why we were there. We told her that we were members and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her eyes lit up and she invited us in. We were searching for her kids and she told us that they didn't live there, but that she was a member too, and that she was raising her 4 grandsons.  As we walked in her yard I saw 4 dirt covered shirtless boys, they all stuck their dirty little hands out and gave us a hand shake.

I have never been in a poorer house in my life. There were so many animals running around everywhere, and they don't even have a floor, just dirt. I felt so sad for these people. We sat down and immediately the members started talking to her and asking her questions about her life. Her husband died and left her with very little money, and then her son left her with four kids 10, 8, 6, and 4. She doesn't have time to work because she is always taking care of the kids. We decided to give them a book of Mormon and a pamphlet. When we handed the book and pamphlet to them the little boys eyes lit up, and the 10 year old started reading it to his siblings in the back room. I smiled so big! I couldn't believe my eyes.

We invited them to church and the Grandma said that they would come because they needed it in their lives! At Church yesterday we didn't see them in sacrament meeting and I was so disappointed but, they came for the last two hours! I can't tell you how happy they all looked. The little boys all ran up to me and told me how their classes went and how fun they were. I know that the Gospel is going to change their lives! We are going to do everything we can to get them help and to share with them our testimonies!

They really are an answer to my prayers! I am so amazed at how much our Heavenly Father really loves us! I am constantly surprised at the faith of the members as well. WE wouldn't have found them without their help. They seriously jumped right up at the opportunity to share the Gospel and to help others! We are going to visit them this this Wednesday with a handful of members! They all want to help and we are so excited!

I know Heavenly Father answers our prayers and is always watching out for us! The field really is white to harvest! We just have to have faith and go out and find! I encourage you all to pray to have a missionary moment this week, whether it's to share your testimony with someone, invite a less active to church, go visiting teaching, or home teaching, share a talk or scripture on Facebook, or send a text to someone whose struggling with life, whatever it is just do it! Then email me at elise.riedelbach@myldsmail.net or write me a letter with your experiences. I want to hear what you are all doing,don't let the work move on without you!

I love you all and am so grateful for your testimonies and for all of the support! 

Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. another bird pooped on me today. I don't understand, I am like a poop magnet. :)

And it is SO hot here...I am dying but, on the plus side we do have fancy fans to cool us down.  :)

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!

*Elise sent her letter in Spanish today, she explains why in her letter.  I first posted the Spanish version, and then I translated it with Google.  The Spanish to English translation is not the best.  I tried to clean things up a little but, I am still not sure what she was trying to say in certain parts.  We are very proud of her though, and very impressed at how well she is able to speak and write in Spanish.  

~Candace (Elise's Mom) :)

Pues, este semana será grande para mi! Cumpliré seis meses en la misión!!! Para celebrar voy a escribir en español!

Mi área es muy buena! es un pueblecito muy chiquito pero, muy lindo. Estoy muy animado aquí! Mi compañera es muy buena, ella es llena de caridad y amor, un atributo de Cristo que estoy trabajando. Es muy chistoso cuando tenemos una meta y Nuestro Padre Celestial provee una manera a cumplir. Ella es una buen ejemplo para mi.

Tenemos pocos investigadores pero, son muy buenos. Hermano Mario es oro, el quiere cambiar su vida muchísimo. Ahorita el es trabajando en la palabra de sabiduría. Yo nunca vio alguien como el en mi misión. El siempre asistir la iglesia y es muy feliz, quiere bautismo, solamente necesita quitar sus adiciones. Su fecha es por 24 de mayo. Estamos orando mucho por el.

Los miembros en el barrio son buenos. me siento como tengo mucho tiempo aquí. Estoy muy feliz! Sé que nuestro Padre Celestial tiene un plan para todos las personas en la tierra. Yo recibió un más fuerte testimonio de eso todos los días.

Chistosas cosas: En miércoles estábamos caminando cuando yo sentí algo en mi zapato, chicle. y luego yo casi cayo y mire mi zapato y poo poo de un perro...fue horrrrrible. fuimos a una casa de una hermana y limpia mi zapato, guacala! tengo fotos!

y en Domingo fuimos a la capilla y mi compañera dijo Mire su mochila! Fue poo poo de una pájaro. no sé pero, creo que los animales le gustan a usar el baño en migo.

Estábamos comiendo con el obispo y un montón de papa se cayo de mi boca. que vergüenza! todos se rieron de mi!

Y durante una comida nosotros rompimos una termo de agua! El agua no se podía parar! hahaha Fue muy chistoso. Mi compañera tomaba bastante agua este día! Ah las cosas en la misión!

¡Amo a todos ustedes!

Hermana Riedelbach

So, this week will be big for me! It will be six months on my mission!!!  To celebrate i'm going to write in Spanish! 

My area is very good! It is a small village but chiquito, very nice. I am very excited to be here! My companion is very good, she is full of charity and love, an attribute of Christ that I am working on. It is very funny when we have a goal and our Heavenly Father provides a way to fulfill it. She is a good example for me. 

We have few investigators but, they are very good. Brother Mario is gold, he wants to change his life forever. Right now he is working on the word of wisdom. I never saw someone like him in my mission. He always attends the church and is very happy,  and wants to be baptized, only he needs to remove his addictions. His baptism date is May 24. We are praying a lot for him.

The members in the neighborhood are good. I feel like I have a lot of time here. I am very happy! I know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for all people on earth. I receive a more powerful witness of this every day. 

Funny things: On Wednesday we were walking when I felt something on my shoe, like chewing gum, and then I almost fell, I looked at my shoe and it was poo poo from a dog ... it was horrrrrible. We went to a home of a sister and I cleaned my shoe, Gualaca! I have photos! 


On Sunday we were going in the church and my companion said look at your backpack! I looked at it and it was poo poo of a bird on my back pack.  :(  I think that animals like to use the bathroom, on me. 

We were eating with the Bishop and a heap of potatoes fell out of my mouth. How embarrassing!   Everybody laughed at me! 

And during a meal we also broke a thermos of water! The water could not be stopped! Hahaha it was very funny. My companion was soaked in water this day! Ahhh! the things that happen on the mission! 

I love you all!

Hermana Riedelbach