Querida Familia,                                                                                                 February 18, 2013

What a crazy cool week I've had out here in Mexico! Probably one of the best weeks so far...well it's hard to say that because I've had so many cool experiences so far, but yeah it was a really cool week. But first, how are ya'll doin? Sounds like you're having a great time in St.George with the family and enjoying the warm weather. I'm glad ya'll get the opportunity to go down there.  Also, sounds like the house down there is going well.  We'll have some good times down there together in the future. When you talk about the drywall, tape, mud, and all those house building terms it reminds me of the building construction class that I took. Man, I loved that class. As far as house here in Mexico it's way different. They build them with pure cement from bottom to top. Pretty much nobody has carpet, it's just tile, or for the more poor people, cement floors. WOW the news about Ashley is somewhat shocking (I say somewhat because we would always say that she was going to get married) but yeah I was like WHAT?! when I read it. That's really cool though I'm happy for both Ashely and Sean. Tell them good luck and congrats from Elder Kitchen. Here in Atexcac the daughter of our Relief Society Pres. got married on the 14th and she is 16 years old!! In the pueblos people get married really young sometimes. The R. S. Pres. was pretty worried because she is so young and she got married to a non-member.  I'm glad that Grandma is okay, you scared me when you said that she got in a crash, but I was glad to read that she is okay. I thought it was funny when you said Grandpa drove down there to chew out the guy who hit her. I'm glad I wasn't the one who got chewed out by Coach Kitchen hahaha. Grandpa tell him: ¿Se durmió o que? ¡Despérate! Well sounds like you're all having a good week. Keep it up! Tell Grandpa Ellsworth: Ey abuelito estoy muy emocionado hablar contigo cuando regrese yo de la misión. Vamos a hablar en español por siempre jámas sale? ¡Podremos hacer bromas y nadie va a entendernos! Te quiero abuelo. Cuídate y echa le ganas.

 

Alright well I better start telling ya'll about my week before I run out of time. On Tuesday we had interviews with Pres. Reeves in Nealtican, and wow he is awesome. We had a really good interview,and he helped me realized just how much I've learned here in Atexcac. Last week there was a huge carnival/parade going on in Huejotzingo. We have to go through Huejo to get to Nealtican. WOW it was so crazy, but cool at the same time. The culture here is so deep. I really can't explain it very well, but I'll try. There was a TON of people and they all dress up in these colorful suits and they dance to marachi bands with they big rifles that they shoot off every 5 seconds. The rifles that they shoot are just pure gun powder, but they are loud and powerful. Aw I can't explain it I'm gong to send you pictures next week because I don't have time right now. I was such a cool experience that I will never forget. It's nuts because the carnival is actually pretty dangerous. People die every year from malfunctions of the guns and from drunk people haha but don't worry we are fine! I took some good pics and videos. The rest of the week went really good. We had 11 lessons with less active members, and 5 with investigators, which is really good for us here. Sunday was awesome! We had 3 investigators come to church and we counted 22 less active members as well! Mom you asked about the two yound kids and yes they are progressing really well. With both we are on lesson 4 and they are set and ready to be baptized on the 23rd this Sat. We also finally taught the full restoration lesson to Anita, so now she is progressing too, and we are almost sure she is going to be baptized as well. Really good week for us here. Anyway you asked about transfers and yes we did find out the news last night from our Zone leaders. We got the call and...I am being transfered! My first transfer out here. I have mixed feelings about it right now because I really do feel like I need a change of area, but at the same time we are really being blessed with more work here. Oh well it's okay, I just hope they all get baptized! Elder Olvera told me that I can actually come on Saturday to the baptism if I get premission from Pres. Reeves. Right now I'm on edge because I have no idea where I'm going to go. Tomorrow we have to be in downtown Puebla at the meeting at 11 am with all my luggage. It's all really exciting. Changes are good. I'm going to miss Atexcac and all the members though. I'm also going to miss Elder Olvera he is really cool  and we get along really well. Well we'll just have to wait and see what happens! I'll let you know all about it, and I'll send you some good pics next week.

 

¡Les quiero mucho! I hope you all have a great week. Keep up the good work at school and work! Remember the things that matter most. Do the small and simple things everyday alright? I love ya'll (I say ya'll now because that form is used a lot in spanish and in english its either you all, you guys, or ya'll and I think ya'll is the easiest) Echa les ganas familia. Hasta la próxima semana!

 

Con amor,

Elder Kitchen  

Los Cocinas,                                                                                                        February 11, 2013

Hey everyone what's goin' on? Here we are in another Monday it's hard to believe. Sounds like everyone is busy and well as usual :) Dad I'm glad you finally decided to go skiing haha.  Thanks for sharing some of your experiences with your Sunday School class, sounds like it's going good for you.  Anyway you asked a little about the weather and growing seasons here. They have been harvesting their crops basically ever since I got here off and on, and apparently they are going to plant again for the next harvest at the end of this month. Right now we are in the dry season, so it hardly ever rains. They say that the rainy seasons are in like June, July, and August. Right now in Feb. and March it's pretty windy up here, but not too bad. It's always been warm in the day, but it's starting to warm up even more in the days and nights. Also, you asked about transfers. Yes we have transfers in one week on the 17 we will know about the transfers and on the 19 we have the change meeting in Puebla (thats if one of us has changes or not). I love the people here and the area, but I've been here for quite a while now, so I'd say I'm ready for a change, but we'll see what happens. Whatever happens will be the Lord's will, so I'm not worried. Let me know how the little trip to St. George goes. I hope you guys have fun. You better be careful, Tyler and Cam are going to throw a party at the house while you're in St. George ;) 

Well it was a pretty normal week here in Atexcac. The days start to blend together sometimes, they are all pretty similar. We served a lot as usual and visited a lot of less-active members. It was actually a pretty slow week, but we made a lot of appointments for this week, so that should be good. Friday we had interchanges/splits with our district. Elder Olvera went to the lower area of Atexcac with Elder Matt and Elder Villa came up here with me. Elder Villa has 4 months on the mission, so it was  a rookie companionship for a day. He actually arrived here in Puebla the same day as I did, but he is native, so he was only in the MTC for a couple of weeks. It went really well. Something cool/interesting happened when Elder Villa and I came back home. The people were waiting for us to arrive so that we could give one of the grand kids a blessed. Apparently he saw a evil spirit of a ghost. So we prayed and gave a blessing on the home, and then we blessed their grand kid who saw the evil spirit. A lot of interesting things happen out here in Mexico :) Anyway yesterday we had a lesson with Rodolfo the other nino who is 10 years old that is going to get baptized. We set a date for him, and also re-set the date for Ennis, both for the 24th of Feb after the conference. I hope everything goes as planned...or I guess if I have transfers then I won't be here. Whatever happens is fine. Oh also, tomorrow we have interviews with our zone in Nealtican with President Reeves. That should go well, It's always good to see President. 

Well I better finish up. Thank you so much for all of your love and support each passing week. I love hearing from you and how you're all doing. Keep up the good work. Oh I got a whole bunch of letters this week...like 7. I finally got the letter from G n G Ellsworth that they sent a long time ago, and the Christmas card from the family. It's cool! Thanks for sending it. I think what happens is it probably takes a week or so to get to Mexico, but by the time they sort it, pass it to the leaders, and get it to us its like a month. Anyway I hope you all have a great week. I'm really having the experience of my life out here. I'm so grateful to be serving the Lord and preaching the simple truths of the Gospel that have the power to change to lives of others. We are all SO blessed. Until next week!

Con Amor,

Elder Kitchen

Querida Familia,                                                                                                 February 4, 2013

Another week has come and gone huh? It really is pretty crazy how the weeks go by out here. I remember always hearing how fast the time goes by, but now that I'm experiencing it, I can see how fast it really goes. I'm headin' in for my 6 month mark isn't that crazy?! I can't believe I've been out for that long already. It's a motivator for me to keep working hard and make the very best of the time I have left out here. 2 years is really not a very long time if you think about it. Anyway, sounds like everyone is going great back home. It was good to get an email from Tyler I'm gonna write him right after this. That's really cool that Richard G. Scott came to the stake conference! I bet it was awesome. I'll never forget when I was 10 ft. away from David A. Bednar in the MTC. There is a strong spirit with the apostles. Here in the Atexcac, our ward conference is on the 24th of February and we're going to sing in the choir with some other ward members. It's going to be a good experience. Dad thanks for letting me in on the Superbowl turnouts, sounds like it was a really good one this year. It's always cool when they turn out close by a field goal. Is Alex...something who played for Utah still playing for the 49ers? Sounds like it was a good game. Hahah Kit is getting fat again huh? You guys gotta hide that butter from her! I'm really glad to hear the Grandpa is doing so well. I knew he'd turn up alright. Tell him to work on that swing if he wants to beat me when I get home! Hey thanks Dad for sharing that analogy between golf and missionary work. It's really true. If you want to be a good golfer you gotta stick to the basics and it's the same with the Gospel. Oh and by the way Mom, Rdz. is just a short for the last name Rodriguez. To answer one of your questions/comments I love doing service out here. It really is a great way to get to know families and just enjoy the spirit of service. I can tell that our visits with the family helping them, by serving, while talking, brings a good spirit. We literally serve just about every single day after studies until la comida at 2:00. I'm a pro corn husker now. It's called sacar hoja in Spanish. Are ya'll reading your sciptures everyday? If not start today I promise that it will help in any aspect of life paired with sincere prayer. Either 12:27 start with that one :)

Anyway I'll let you all in on what went on here in Atexcac this week. We weren't really able to work with Ennis Torres this week because his family was in Mexico City all week. We went to get him to come to church, but he wasn't there. Because of that his baptismal date will have to be moved to the 17th, but it's all good he's doing good. Other than that we have been serving a lot and working with less-active or in-active members. We've had some really good lessons lately. Elder Olvera knows a TON about the bible, he has read it 4 times. Anyway we've been teaching the Restoration, but slower to less-active families on 2 principals at a time. Also, this week we went and visited a almost in-active family and shared a message with them. They have a 9 year old kid who hasn't been baptized, so were going to teach and baptize him too. It's cool because we are working with these kids, but at the same time strengthening their in-active families. Things are going good around here. We've been working with our ward leaders a lot more to get members to come out and visit with us. I've learned so much out here. I know I'm here for a reason.

Anyway, I better wrap it up because I still need to write Tyler and Pres. Reeves. I love you guys. I think and pray for you every night. I hope you all have a great week up there in Antartica haha. Dad get up there and ski some will ya! I'm starting to think that you're loosing you manhood with all those girls you're living with ;) Have an awesome week and don't worry about me I'm doing great. ¡Les quiero mucho! Cuidénse y hablaremos en una semana.

Con amor,

Elder Kitchen aka COCINA