Week 51 (Riberas, Mexico)

I got to see the baptism of Javier. He was an investigator that Elder Neumann and I contacted in my last area. He got baptized this last week and they invited me to come back to my old area to see the baptism.

We just contacted him in the street one day by a gas station. We went with him the next day and taught a lesson. He said that he had been praying for help from god to make a decision to take a job promotion or take a new job in the U.S. and he said that when my comp asked if there is anything we can do to help before heading out. He said that he felt like that was god answering his prayers and saying I will help you with whatever you decide. He came to church with us that next Sunday without hesitating.

This last Tuesday I got to play soccer in the street with a bunch of kids. We started off juggling and then we played a game in the street. It was pretty fun and we got a bunch of contacts out of it. 

On Thursday I completed one year since I entered into the MTC. What better way to celebrate that with a giant bowl of cow stomach soup. It is called menudo. And the members fed us menudo this last Thursday. The worst part about it is the texture. Really slimy and slick. To get it down I ate like a million rolls. I would stuff a bit into the roll and then eat it. I bit into my cow stomach sandwich one time and by accident pulled out the whole square of stomach and it flopped right onto my chin. 

This lady that we contacted this last week named Caren, is going to get baptized this next weekend. We had just left the house and we were walking towards our area and we saw her struggling with a tank of gas to get it to her house. So we went over and helped her carry it home and we contacted her and she has come to church with us these last two weeks. 

My comp has been really down lately. I talked to him about it and he wants to go back home. Before he was a member he smoked, and here on the mission he has found that it is harder than he thought and the stress gives him the desire to smoke. He says when he smells it makes him sick but it is just the stress that gets to him. He had an interview with President Chaves today and talked to him about it so I guess we will see what happens. 

Apart from that everything is great, the area is growing and we are getting more work and finding more people.

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 50 (Riberas, Mexico)

I don’t have a lot of time to write but I wanted to at least write you something real quick. We had a meeting yesterday so I didn’t get a chance to write. So today we get to get off a quick letter.

Sorry about disappointing you guys and not sending lots of pictures but I have been doing better. 

Also I got the package that you guys sent me. It got here last week thanks for all of the treats and the ties. The books are really cool I really like the teaching tools one. The ties are great too, all the missionaries want them ha-ha. I like them a lot. I haven’t opened all of the presents but I will soon.  I can’t believe you are going into the fourth grade you are growing up so fast.

Something funny that happened to me and my companion happened the other day. We were talking to someone on the street and the guy asked how old we were and I told him I’m 19 and my comp said he is 25. The guy then asked if I was my companion’s son, ha-ha.

I miss you so much too, the time is going by so fast for me and I will be home before you know it. I will try and write you a paper letter and see what I can do because I’m not sure how to send off a letter. I will try and figure it out so I can get a letter to you.

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 49 (Riberas, Mexico)

Not too much going on here that hasn’t already been said. This weekend we are going to do an activity at the movie theater for the investigators. We are putting on the restoration video about Joseph Smith. 

This last week during a contact that we were doing, someone asked us how old we were. After they heard that I was 19 and my companion 25, they asked if I was my companion’s kid. Ha-ha I thought it was pretty funny because we don’t look alike at all, not even close and we are only 6 years apart, I’m not sure what the guy was thinking. 

Also another contact we did asked where we were from. I told them I was from the United States and then they asked my companion if he was a gringo too because his accent sounded gringo. I guess my accent is rubbing off on him and his on me. The day before I had been told that I speak pretty well. 

This week I went on divisions with my zone leader Elder Wray. He is from Utah. The lady who was supposed to feed us was on her way out when we arrived so she just gave us 200 pesos. We then went to this bacon burger restaurant and got some burgers and ice-cream. 

We have a few cool investigators but we have a hard time finding everyone. Everyone here is always out working or just away. It is just hard getting in and sitting down with the investigators. There is a little girl Ana that is eleven and her mom Susana and they want to get baptized but the husband won’t let them do it or give them permission. There is one lady named Juanita that is pretty cool and will get baptized the first week of August. Her only problem is she has kept pushing back the date. Another couple named Carlos and Veronica. They are really cool too but hard to find. The wife is about to have a baby and is always gone at the doctor and the husband is always working to make sure they can support the new kid. 

Love Elder Blanchard