The Power of Prayer

I know the power of prayer to be real and my prayers have been answered. 

This week was absolutely wonderful, I can’t even explain it! I was able to go back to my area in this ward and go visit a lot of the members there! I visited Antonio, whose wife that got baptized in March just had her baby and they are preparing themselves to get sealed in the temple when she fulfills one year in the church. We then ate with the Zapata family, where I recently attended their sealing. We visited the only less active convert that was in that area and aside from all her problems that she has recently faced, she committed to go to church and luckily I had the opportunity to go in the morning to church because Antonio asked me to participate in the baby blessing! 

One of my most sincere desires these last few weeks has been to end the mission with all of my "heart might mind and strength" and I have prayed for it. I recognize your prayers as this week I have felt more exited, positive and happy than any other. I don’t understand where energy comes from, just natural energy, and know that sometimes it is just a gift from God. I have been waking up every morning just completely exited for the day and to be able to look for opportunities to serve. This week will be something real special as well cause Ricardo, our investigator that is going to get married instead of asking his wife "will you marry me?" and giving her the ring, cause it was obvious that she was going to marry him, he said "will you be my wife for all eternity" ...not too shabby Ricardo. I think I’m just as excited as he is for his marriage!

The words of Ben Harper many times echo in my head "I am blessed" 

I know the Lord loves and guides us; I know and feel of the domino reaction of helping just one person. I have been able to witness first-hand the miracles that have taken place in Matamoros just cause a dopey kid decided to serve a mission. The people I have had the opportunity to teach, have taught and baptized their family and although I might not have been part of the baptisms of the family I think "what if I would’ve just stayed home" It fills me with the biggest sadness knowing that I might have not found these people to teach. I have found greater joy in this mission than in any other calling. I know that God desires to favor those who have faith.

Every day I have confirmations that the Lord is pleased with my work and inspires me to continue. Dad thanks a lot for your letter, if I wasn’t in a cyber cafe with other people I would have cried. I am grateful to have a better conviction of the feelings and impressions of the spirit.  Love you with all of my heart

Elder Shaun Rhodes

Turkey Lunch & jalapeno chilies

Well I took your advice yesterday, even though it wasn’t given to me and had to part with my Brown suit… I’m stoked for the kid; he’s getting his mission papers in quick. I’m glad you had a wonderful thanksgiving. Here it was perfect weather, turkey lunch and it really wasn’t too bad. The only thing that made me laugh was that jalapeño chilies were brought out… I passed this occasion.

The highlight of my week was actually last night when we found a recent convert a little depressed, she said more depressed than normal, and we were able to explain the single most important thing that has happened in history, the atonement. I thanked my father in heaven last night for knowing and understanding what the atonement is really about. Testifying is great. It’s really been the best thing as a missionary is testifying and teaching.

This week there was a ward mission activity and a few investigators came. It was the Mexican Revolution and we made treats called Buñuelos... they were delicious, we have a wonderful ward mission leader and it’s great to plan our work with him.

The pics were great and thanks for your help. My comp is doing pretty wonderfully, we had a nice talk last night and we realized that all he needs is confidence in himself. President this week in an interview was telling me my purpose of being with him and it’s definitely a challenge but it’s so far been a nice one.

Have a super week

Elder Rhodes

Last Zone Leader Conference

Yeah so this week was still super crazy... It was a wonderful experience to go to Monterrey and to my last Zone Leader Council, It didn’t hit me ‘til the end but we were singing the last song, our mission’s song ¨faith in every footstep¨ and I kind of broke down. I couldn’t really sing very well but I don’t think that was the problem. The problem was that after I had to say the prayer. It was probably one of my favorite prayers ever offered. It was interesting to be with some other friends that will be coming home with me and with Mom’s testimony it almost sounds like it’s my last week! No really thanks for your testimony Mom. 

Our work has been going wonderfully here in our area, we will be baptizing next week and I think my last week here as well, it crazy to think that there are only three more Sundays left in the mission. It’s weird. My comp and I are getting along pretty well, I gave him a new look and were doing a lot of exercise. I know that our prayers are answered and many nights I find myself just grateful to talk to God in prayer, what would life be like without it...

 Have fun this week and know that I Love yall.

Elder Rhodes

Such a Blessing

Shaun at the temple sealing of a convert

Now Can You Show Me a Happier Man than This

So yeah it’s been one of the craziest weeks of my mission life. On the bus ride to Matamoros I had a bunch of time to think, and asked myself the question ¨Will I just run into people I know now?¨ Well ten minutes later after the best bus rides here in Matamoros I ran into the father of one of the kids I baptized in Buena Vista 2. He immediately recognized me and is struggling a bit so he said he was going to bring his family to my ward on Sunday. It was awesome to see him.

We had a wonderful few days here and there are a lot of people that speak English... It’s been pretty interesting and pretty fun. It’s interesting to hear all the comments about the... and after every missionary leaves the people that don’t remember their names call them by their appearance. So all week I have been hearing the ¨white tall cute guy¨ I guess that sums up Elder Fowler... I mean Bryan.

We traveled to Monterrey on Friday night and got up early to go to the temple, to my surprise there were another two of my converts that were going to the temple as well, it was awesome to see them progressing. I hear that almost all the people I had the opportunity to be in their baptism are active and progressing very well. I am super grateful for the members that have taken their time and dedicated it to these people. I included the picture of Andres and Lizeth, Jaqueline, and Maura. It was real awesome because Andres chose me to be his host for the first time that he went through the temple, so I was able to talk to the temple president in a little instruction meeting before the session. Everything went perfectly and it was easily in the top experiences if not the top experience in my Mission. It’s something else to see someone that you taught, make covenants necessary for exaltation that I haven’t even made yet. Really something else.

We also have been working as much as we can here in Matamoros and are looking forward to a few baptisms in the next week. It’s amazing how the lord puts into your hands opportunities to help other make their first covenants. A thirteen year old kid walked up to us and hasn’t been able to get baptized yet, after talking with him I asked him if he had any doubts or questions... He just responded ¨I just want to know who is going to baptize me. ¨ Not too shabby.

Those Pictures sure do make me miss the snow. Go make a snow angel for me or jump from the hot tub to the snow and back in! 

I’m exited for the next few months here in Matamoros, I’ve seen a lot of people that again express their love for me and for the work I did while I was just starting the mission, but the biggest comment that they give me is ¨you’ve perfected your Spanish!¨ They always tell me I don’t have an accent... I think that if it wasn’t for their ridicule of my gringo accent and making me so depressed that I couldn’t communicate at the first of my mission, that I wouldn’t have learned and tried so hard... So I guess in a way I’m grateful.

Love you all and do something crazy this week

Elder Rhodes

Vendetta

Remember Remember the fifth of November the gunpowder treason and plot,
I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot   -Guy Fox

Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry fifth of November. My week was absolutely crazy, filled with some crazy adventures looking for some references with my companion, a really sweet baptism, and this week was changes.

The assistant told me "so what do you think of the changes... what’s going to happen?" I told him "Uh I bet were staying together..." He said nope and asked who I thought was leaving... Well I definitely thought my companion seeing as he’s been here two transfers and I only have one, and he said nope once again and told me that I was leaving once again. I’m headed to fill in for Elder Fowler in my Homeland Matamoros! I’m super stoked but just blown out of my mind! I couldn’t believe something would happen like that with only six weeks left... But yeah I’m going to have to pack up and I’m real excited to find out how my converts in my first area are. I’m super stoked. Actually, I received a surprise this week when Andres Isaguirre, one of my converts in Matamoros... called me and let me know that this Saturday he will be getting married and sealed, and I have the opportunity to go with. I just can’t believe just the great and exiting things that are going on in my Mission right now

Jennifer, the person that was baptized this week has a great testimony and is now helping her mom and dad get to know the church. We had a wonderful lesson with her mom last night and I believe that if she continues to be as sincere as she is, she’s going to be able to receive a strong testimony... Gall I’m just so excited. This week we carved pumpkins and I carved a star with a mustache, while my comp carved the classic... It was fun

Mom. Let me just tell you what really interests me. I think it would be awesome to learn about business. It would be awesome to get into something like real estate or business or law. I think I would be really good at it. I am fascinated by nature and think it would be awesome to study something on that route... I don’t really want to major in Spanish, but I would love to minor in it. If there is some type of nature degree or a way to study real estate I would absolutely love it. Or maybe even international studies and world something. I really like adventures so if that’s what they are looking for, well then. You know I’m down for studying what I would love. Mechanical engineering would be alright but not something I’m passionate for I think.

Thanks for finding the apartment it looks super perfect, I’m so excited as far as bedrooms go I really am down for just whatever. I think I would rather take the loft room if it’s at all possible :) Thanks for your work I love you as parents. And for finding out about all the schooling and stuff. I’m stoked to have the house with tanner and all them. I talked with Elder Fowler this morning and told him that you would take him out to dinner. I also gave him the garage code if it’s still the same and he might stop by and use the piano and ukulele. He’s feeling kind of nervous and real excited as well

Here’s the photos of the baptism, the pumpkins and the one from two weeks ago when I had nowhere to pee.

National Dance of the Yeti

This week was absolutely amazing; we are super exited for the progress in this ward. Last night there were guys dressed up in like the abominable snowman outfits and also ancient Mayan dresses and were just staring at statues and paintings of Saint Judas and the Virgin Mary... Others in costumes danced to the beat of a drum with wood on their feet to make noise. I call it the National dance of the Yeti, but supposedly a dance that the ancient Mayans did (Matachines) to offer blood and sometimes human sacrifices to God, and the Catholics totally schnagged the tradition and turned it into dancing for and offering candle sacrifices to the Virgin Mary and Saint Judas... It is definitely one of the interesting traditions here!

This morning we totally attempted to make the blender pancakes... We didn’t have brown sugar, it doesn’t exist, we had to use powdered milk because there was no normal milk, and the baking powder totally didn’t work. So they were like really heavy crepes. They tasted good but it’s just not the same. It’ll have to wait :)

We have a few baptisms planned for the next few weeks and I’m just exited to continue working with Elder Robbins. It’s getting cold here; I finally got to use my jacket! Yay for cold and jackets!

Love you a lot

Elder Rhodes

Mission Quotes

The beds here are great, the bed used to be totally bowed and bent down by obese missionaries, but we decided to flip it up and bolt it on so it was bow-up. So now it’s really high off the ground and I feel like I’m taking naps on a garbage can. It’s wonderful. I really love that it’s cooling down here, it’s totally livable now!

This week my companion and I were able to work together the whole week, something we usually don’t do for being on splits or having conferences or what not, and it turned out wonderfully, we were able to talk to a young man that read the first fifteen chapters of the book of Mormon and was super exited by all of them! He loved the Lehi's vision and knows the book of Mormon is true. Well we felt the spirit really strong and invited him to be baptized, he accepted and just as we were putting a baptismal date with him... He told us he is heading back to Durango next week... Well I guess the missionaries should get ready for a powerful convert. Meanwhile were loving teaching and helping him strengthen his testimony. We were able to work with a lot of members this week and I was able to give a talk in sacrament meeting about following the living prophet. It was nice because a lot of people told me that they were sleeping and my talk got them interested and made them awake! I guess that’s an alright compliment ha-ha. I either talk loudly or she really did enjoy it  :). I loved giving it and others said great work.

It’s really a great ward here and I’m super exited to keep working here and growing with the members. The experience of the week is that we saw an alcoholic fall straight on his face, which made me feel super bad and wanted to help, later, we were sitting outside talking with a less active family and this drunk guy passes buy and was totally locked out of his house... So he was trying to jump the fence with spikes and hit his stomach real hard and then just hung from the spikes in his jeans. It was real sad to watch him but I think he was safer hanging from the fence than falling on his face in the street. It was really hard to concentrate in the lesson cause for forty minutes we saw the best attempts to get himself unstuck... Poor guy tried to play it of normal when people passed by like an unable scarecrow just hanging there super chill... Life

I’m loving working with elder Robbins and we're lovin the progress in this area. I just wanted to leave with two quotes that I loved from this week

In High Priest meeting- "Thousands of insects just wake up every day dead"

And in a lesson with a young man- "The spirit is like a gigantic fan"

Ponder them... I’m just blown away by the deepness of these remarks ha-ha :) had to write them down.

Love ya Fam...

Testimony of the Fast

Hey...

So the trip this week to Nuevo Laredo was fun, I saw Texas!!! I grabbed a rock there as a keepsake for the closest I’ve ever been to Texas, besides the airport... but in church a little kid took it away from me ha-ha.

It was a ball of adventures and it’s nice to be back in the city. Definitely a crazy difference between the two. So we met with one of our investigators and talked about tithing and fast offerings, and he shared on how he was not sure if he wanted to be baptized... So we started thinking that there is no better way to put into action the principal of fasting than fasting with him to know if this is what he should do...

It was cool because he was the kind of person that was always in the streets, without a job, really not doing much at all, a few of his family members recently were baptized and he approached us with the desire to learn. Well he now has a job, took out all his piercings, and progressed really fast. Anyway about the Fast, he totally got sick cause he had never gone so long without eating, but my companion and I were able to gain a better testimony of fast because He was able to be baptized this last Saturday... in his baptism I played the primary song "when I am baptized" on ukulele and we both sang... which wasn’t too shabby  I feel like it was a musical weekend cause for sacrament meeting yesterday my companion figured out that I know enough piano to read the songs with one hand, and he with practice can play the other hand, so we played the hymns in sacrament meeting yesterday.

It was an adventure.

Elder Rhodes

Forest Gump

Conference is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you’re going to get.

So yeah I was just as dumbfounded and mind boggled from conference as I’m sure many of you were :)  It was just a wonderful experience. This time I watched all sessions in Spanish, one cause there wasn’t in English till Sunday afternoon and the other cause I just didn’t want to. :) I’m so stoked for all the new rug rat missionaries. I think it made a lot of people think "if it was like this for me what would I have done?" But the timetable of the Lord isn’t ours at time.

My companion and I were talking last night and he made the comment "Crap, now when we get home there won’t be any girls, they'll all be on missions!”.  I don’t think there could be a better place for them.

Some of my favorite talks were those of President Monson "make an inventory of your life" "see the potential of people" I loved the talks about Service and finding new ways to renew ourselves through service. I liked when they restated that we determine our felividad and that we shouldn’t just have an end goal but to enjoy the journey.  It was really just all great and helped me to recharge my batteries.

In Mexico it has always been that the missionaries can serve at 18 years old so there is not much change there and most of the families that I have talked to don’t want to send their daughters out on missions... But we'll just have to see what the futures got for us.

Hey we had a Zone leader council this week and its official; we will be coming home on Friday the 14th of December. I guess there was a mission rule that no elders can be traveling from the fifteenth to the thirty-first. So yeah...

Well I don’t have much time today cause we are going to be taking a bus to Nuevo Laredo which is on the border of the US and Mexico and were are going to be giving a training meeting to some elders and then were going to go on splits with them. So I really kind of got to go but I super stoked for the family and thanks for all the letters!

Dad by the way I was at Elder Holland’s talk in the MTC and it was way more powerful than it was in conference, I think it was because they had just put new seats in the conference center and he didn’t want everyone to soil them. Ha-ha I found out that Elder Holland is one of the only apostles that can make you pee your pants and feel the spirit so strongly. I really loved it

I hope that answers your questions that you’ve had but if I didn’t just send me a shout out. We are blessed

Dah dat dat da da I’m lovin it...

Elder Rhodes

I quickly emailed Shaun & asked how far away Nuevo Laredo’s bus ride would be… he replied…

Nuevo Laredo is three hours and ten Minutes! We’re leaving like at twelve or one... I’m going to read the book of Mormon to try catching up. Eighty days ends on the fifteenth of this month. But I’m only in Alma 55 so I think I’ve reestablished my goal to let me learn more and it’s going to be for before I get home! Love you Mom!

Down by the River

New News

So everything is working just fantastically in my new area... I’ll start off answering a few questions. My ward is a decent sized ward as far as compared to my last one. :) It has about 80 in assistance, and there are about 10 in Primary, 15 in young men and women’s, and like 10 in young adults. It’s a pretty fun ward with a lot of exited people, and a lot of work. There are a lot of less active families in our ward, starting with the bishop ha-ha... But with just one week here we have felt very accomplished. We have baptisms planned in two weeks, and we found someone this week that has been slowly prepared in his five years of being married with his less active wife. He accepted without doubt the baptismal invitation and went to church with his family. His name is Angel and he also has the goal to be baptized on the 20th of this month. There isn’t much coordination as far as the bishop and ward mission leader goes, but were going to see what we could do to further the work in this area. I feel like we are going to be helping a lot of people be baptized and continue on the straight and narrow. I’m really just excited to be here and to be working with the people in this ward.

Elder Robbins is from Logan Utah and is pretty crazy. I mean crazy like he’s fun to be around and has an interesting but a funny character. He’s has about 16 months on his mish and one month as zone leader so were still working things out on how to manage and help out our zone. We are going to have to be traveling to the border in the town of Valle Hermoso. We are over the missionaries that are there and it will be fun to travel again. It’s about three and a half hours away. He likes cars, mountain biking motorcycling, being at his cabin in Bear Lake, and riding snowmobiles. He’s the third child in his family of four boys. His other brothers have already served missions. We get along great, the only thing I see is that he’s not someone that motivates and lifts me to higher grounds, but were keeping it real and I’m learning how to continue to motivate myself and push forward even when there are things that he doesn’t like to do, like clean the house. Ha-ha :) I think I’ve come to a better appreciation of Mom. And a clean house. Never thought I would enjoy cleaning.

Anyway as for now that is all, were just loving the work and loving the time that God has given us to be missionaries. Do something crazy this week.

Briceidy (brees-say-dee) is the daughter of a family that washed and cleaned our clothes. They were very hospitable with me and we hung out a lot with them on preparation days making desserts and whatever. So the daughter went to Utah and is now studying English there and I told her that you guys would take her out and I gave her the number of Dad’s phone. So yeah. Just to clear stuff up.. It would just be a nice thing to do for a family that treated me very well in my last ward and always had their doors open to us. So she might call you and whatever.

Elder Rhodes

September Update

Here is a summary of September emails from Shaun:

9/10

Hey Fam.

This week was pretty normal but also had its greatness. We had our interview with the President on Wednesday and went on splits with the assistants on Friday. The president is great... It was a little hard this week with finding new investigators, this week there was 1. and having lessons. I’m still looking for the key to getting the members exited to always have missionary work like the Pharisees had scriptures "on the front of their head. Anyway the greatness of this week was that the Amaro Family is like a sponge, to all the good. They blessed the Sacrament this week and it went great, they also came to the service project where we hauled all the logs and rake the dirt road around the chapel and take care of the dead dogs that people threw out ha-ha what an experience :) oh it’s great. There’s really nothing new so I’m going to have to leave it with that... Love you!

9/17  I’m a Cougar!

Hey so I’m a Cougar! (He’s officially enrolled at BYU) That’s sweet. Hey what religion class would be best? I think it would be fun to master the book of Mormon, but it would also be awesome to have a new or old testament class!

There’s really nothing new here in my Area. We are struggling a lot to find new investigators... We don’t have any baptismal dates at the moment, and it’s been a little difficult lately. I’ll ask that you also keep me in your prayers.

I found out a mission "secret" but I think you already know... they told me that they called all the parents (not us) and let them know. I hear they have plans to send us home the 14th of December (instead of the 19^th)... just wanted to make sure you knew... or had heard something about it.

9/24                       What a Mish

So the news this week is that we went to the offices cause my companion had an interview with the president before he goes home, and immediately after the assistant, being in the offices, gave us our changes. Well it turns out that they decided to change me as well, so we have the homework of leaving the area nice and clean. They are going to enjoy the ward, and sincerely love it... as I have enjoyed it and sincerely loved it. It’s been a super great opportunity to learn what not to do and to learn what to do in a ward and in a calling. There are wonderful people here and it’s going to be a hoot where I’m going. Sounds like it’s another tiny ward, and my companion is going to be Elder Robbins an American. It’s actually really close to where I am at right now. Like five minutes away, so it’s still here in the city...

I’m excited to continue serving others and finding ways to help them strengthen their relationship with our heavenly father. It’s amazing the experiences one has on the mission. It rained crazy hard this week and I got crazy wet. It’s starting rainy season and I’m excited to not have another summer in Monterrey ha-ha, it gets hot.

Elder Rhodes

Clean Sweep

Email from 9/2/12

The Amaro Family is progressing wonderfully. We had a family home evening last night and it went wonderfully. The father and the son received the Aaronic priesthood in the office of priest and then went to a priesthood conference on Sunday Night. Actually the dad received the Priesthood and then ordained his son. It was a special experience and its fun to see their excitement as they learn even more. Asking questions like "and you guys carry your oil with you?" cause that’s what they recommend that all priesthood holders do! And Asking "How soon can I give priesthood blessings to my sons?" Those are like magic candy words flowing out of a converts mouth :) 

My greatest experience of the week was that of re-living my at-home Friday afternoon naptime dejavu. You know... the program you put on TV just to have something in the background to fall asleep to. Anyway sometimes it was golf that I put on because they whisper which makes it just wonderful for someone who really doesn’t want to watch golf but wants to take a nap, but other times I put on the show "Clean Sweep" the show where they go into a nasty pack rats home and throws away all their worthless junk. The show where the overweight single mom is crying cause she already chose twenty items to put into her kitchen and has to part with her mickey mouse salt shaker that her great-grandmother gave her. Anyway... I relived this show because we went on exchanges with an area in our zone. I got to the house and on stepping inside... the smell of rotten grease water and wet curtains came over me. It really like took my breath away. I couldn’t believe that missionaries could live in this place. The companionship was having a few problems and I would think "well of course, who wouldn’t living in such a disgusting house?" anyway we got to the house after a good day of missionary work and I got to work on the kitchen. Didn’t get that cleaned up when it was already ten thirty... so I made plans with the elder to get up early and spend the morning cleaning. From 5:30 till 10:00 we worked to get everything organized and that which wasn’t used thrown away. I was scared of contracting some type of contagious swamp and cockroach disease but after all was finished I took mental before and after pictures. The garbage men passed by and were definitely exited to find little treasures like a grease covered ten year old hot wheels car out of the eight full large black garbage bags. I was extremely tired afterwards but felt very fulfilled. I love service...

Elder Rhodes

A Clean Conscience

Well this week in our ward Victoria (Victory) we had the wonderful opportunity to see a family of six walk in just in time for sacrament meeting. They already know a lot of the members and are progressing extremely fast. Their baptism is for the 26th of this month. They actually even signed up to clean the chapel on Saturday :) Not even the members show up to clean the chapel ha-ha. Our ward is kinda sad... I hope they can be a pillar of strength and a flow of excitement here. They testified of the Book of Mormon and the truthfulness of the gospel. What a fun opportunity as a missionary.

Oh and our changes! I get to stay here to see their baptism and I think progression in the gospel. Elder Avila and I will stay together till Elder Avila goes home. Then I’m sure I’ll be here for another exchange to receive someone new here... and then I only have one exchange left. So looks like this might be my last area! It’s going to be another long time in the same ward. Another 9 month-er I think. Pray for me and I’ll do the same :) I said a prayer like I always do before receiving the exchanges and I promised to do all that I can do, expressed my feelings and desires and left the rest up to the boss. Well I guess our "natural eyes can’t see the designs of our God" ...yet :) I’m sure something will happen here that will serve for my good in the future and for my time in this area. I’m exited to keep being a missionary and just oh so jolly to see this family learning and applying.

Mom we kept things simple (at the Zone Conference) and tried to let the "spirit be the teacher" it’s a type of plan that elder Bednar taught us and President said that we applied the plan very well, letting the missionaries reason and understand on their own, leading them with basic gospel principles. It was pretty great. We taught on how to make and keep commitments. I just wanted to share one last thing. In my reading this week of the book of Mormon, the words and prophecies of Isaiah and the gospel of Jesus Christ, I felt something different. Every time I passed by "repent ye, repent ye" "ye that doth not repenteth shallth be thrusteth to an endless hell and woweth" and all the rest of the thousand times it says repent in second Nephi, well I guess you could say the whole Book of Mormon right? But every time I passed by one of those phrases and scriptures, I had a warm peaceful feeling, a feeling of "keep it up" and keep doing you best. Keep repenting, but nothing to do with guilt. I love reading the Book of Mormon having a clean conscience and knowing you’re doing your best. The "great comforter".

Thanks for everything Mum and Dud

Golden Family

Well no pictures this week, but it went pretty well. On Tuesday we received a reference from another ward of a "golden family" anyway we call him up, sounded exited, and go to meet him. Well it’s a complete family of 6, five in the baptismal age, and they are progressing really fast. They’ve gone to church, he knows the book of Mormon is true, his kids like the church and are excited to keep going, and we had a get-together with the bishop and they got along really well and stayed talking with them for a pretty long time... They will be baptized the twenty-sixth of this month. But I’m thinking I’m not going to be here for it because changes are next week. My companion only has one change left so if I stay, I'll be staying here for the next nine months... or I’ll leave. I’ll do what the lord wants but I’m thinking I might leave next week. Anyway that was the great experience of the week; it’s kind of really hot here, like really really hot :) Sometimes I imagine above my head the little energy bars that are above Pokémon or like whatever action figure that tells them how much life they have left, and in the middle of the day see it dropping really really fast ha-ha We gave a training meeting in the zone conference this week and president said it was the best of all the conferences he’d been to.

Nice compliment. I’m exited to keep studying and learning. I’m on track in second Nephi 3. Sounds like a lot of people are going to be doing it. Thanks for the support

Elder Rhodes

Shaun's recent photos

Three-some

E. Rhodes in Libertad

Romina's Baptism

80 Day Challenge to all

Hey THANKS for the great emails. It was definitely cool to see the lake and the pictures of Hermana Juana. that’s awesome that Connor Barlow’s coming here to this mission, it’s going to be just in time to miss him huh? Too bad, it’s a great mission, get him exited for it. There’s a lot of Mexicans here ha-ha.

We had the absolutely wonderful opportunity to have a baptism today... and writing in my journal last night I wrote "I don’t understand why, but I feel just happy" that’s definitely a good sign. Her name is Romina, she’s the girlfriend of an ex missionary and her family is really catholic, but she’s a strong person. A Paul type of convert. I’ll try sending pictures in the afternoon, I’ve been having problems with sending pics, whenever I try to put the card into the computer it says "format to continue" but I’m definitely not going to format it cause it’s got some GREAT pics... so ill figure out a way to get them to you. I’ve been getting professional at family home evenings now that were working a lot with members... I think that would be a sweet calling "stake family home evening representative"

Hey I want to start something, if you’re not already reading it, and tell tanner too, I haven’t written him but I want to read the book of Mormon once before I get home. I call it the 80 days challenge. Three chapters a day and you finish in less than eighty days. (Rachelle calculated if you read around 4-5 pages per day, you can finish prior to Shaun coming home) So you wanna read it with me? Family? Tanner? I started reading yesterday and fell in love with English and my English scriptures... Learned that sacrifice is going to come back in style, so I think next we’ll start reading the Old Testament :) Anyway I’ll try getting the pictures this afternoon to ya... love ya and tell Connor to drop his girlfriend and get ready to have fun... I can’t explain the feeling on exchanges this Saturday with a trio, we were three white guys eating in an authentic Mexican restaurant (seeing that were in Mexico)... it just doesn’t get much better than that, with the next day being a wonderful baptism.  

On Saturday I went on exchanges with a trio in another area. I’m still in a companionship, my companion just stayed in the area. I’m not in, nor will I be in a trio :) It was actually with elder Holly (the missionary I traveled with to get here, and another American Elder Sorensen who has like 14 months on the mission. I’ll try sending a pic of the trio I was with tonight with the rest of the pics. Love you family and thanks for the letters See ya  Elder Rhodes

The Young Women Have It Right!

My new comp is pretty great from Sonora, like right beneath Utah and Arizona in a city Obregon. He’s twenty as well and lived from 10 years old to 17 years old in Mesa, Arizona. He’s ends his mission in three months and it’s fun to just be able to rant in English or Spanish.
So I wanted to share something I learned this week, but that impacted me a lot. I was thinking of the young women’s theme song or whatever they say every week, and listened to a BYU devotional talk on... Divine Nature. It came to my mind that too much in the church, or at least in Mexico, I didn’t really pay too much attention in the US, we focus on "el hombre natural" the natural man is an enemy to god!!! Grrrrhhhh (evil sound effects) I’ve always liked that and how we can become saint by the atonement and all... but I loved 2 Peter 1... The only two places in the scriptures if I’m not wrong that say "Divine" is 2 Peter 1: 3 and four. We may be participants of divine nature. We are of a divine nature and have a naturally holy side, I think it is better to focus on our divine nature and the natural man will automatically go away... The young women have it right :)
You asked about our Ward and the new mandates for member referrals only... Oh the members aren’t that exited, it’s like one of the oldest wards in Monterrey so they feel like they have talked to all of their neighbors and it’s like a box.... Missionary work: Check      Don’t really understand the process. But we will be working with them and just being as excited as my twenty one teeth can be :) (I really don’t know how many teeth I have) But we have been able to find some new investigators through the part member families. Love ya!

New Mission Process - No Street Contacts or Knocking Doors

   Heeeey Family How are ya?
I’m doing pretty great here in Mexico. I have some bad news and some good news...
The bad news is that three months went by like a flash and Elder Fowler heads to Matamoros tomorrow :( How sad. But it’s been pretty great to have been together and we’re stoked for after the mission.
The good news is that Consuelo’s kids were baptized and it went really really well. It surprised us how well it went. They used to be fighty and whiney and shy and all that and we thought it was going to be almost impossible to get them to be baptized, but they have changed and the hermana Consuelo is doing great. By the way Scarlet who got baptized last week stood up and gave the cutest testimony ever. She’s such a cutie. That’s the good news. My new companion is going to be Elder Avila, who was actually in my district when I started in Matamoros. I’m just stoked to be with him. He speaks pretty good English, probably better than mine because I think he’s from like Tijuana and went to high school in the United States.
The mission is going to change kind of a lot in the next few weeks and for the rest of my mission. They started a new rule, (Richard G Scott) that it is strictly prohibited to talk with people in the streets, and it is strictly prohibited to knock doors. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. I thought if there is not going to be any of that.... What are we going to do? How am I going to get tan in the sun? Naw but really we are only going to work with members and member references. I’ve received like one member reference in these three months so... it’s definitely going to be a change and a triumph if we can do it. I think it’s going to be like a preparation for living in Utah. Pure Less active member activating! I’m excited to keep working. What a blessing it is be here and have such great experiences. Love you guys so much and I’ll try to get some pictures across. Elder Rhodes