26 January 2015 - First week in Monterrey!

Felicidades from......MONTERREY!!!

That's right folks, today is my first P day in my actual mission! Let me fill you in on the details: My area is called Los Andes and my trainer is named Elder Alexander. He is from....wait for it....Salmon Idaho. He's pretty cool, but progress in getting to know him has been...slow. I have a feeling that it will be dificult to find a companion that shares my specific set of interests. We hang out with two other elders named Wall and Scullin who are from Taylorsville and northern California respectively. We eat lunch with a member with them every day at 2 PM and that's really the only full meal we get during the day.

Speaking of the members, they are absolutely amazing! I am so grateful for all of them and how readily they accepted me as their new elder in the ward. They really truly love the missionaries and I am really starting to love them, and to love working with them.

The work is difficult considering all the speed walking and whatnot, but I'm still alive. We currently have three progressing investigators. The first, who is very close to baptism is named Rogelio. He is mute because of a hole in his throat from cancer. My companion and his old comp got him to commit to baptism when they told him about the atonement and Resurrection and how he would be able to thank our savior for giving him his perfect body with his own voice. The second is named Juan Bautista. He has had all the lessons with the old companionship and only needs to attend church three times in order to be baptised. We teach him once more this friday. The third is the only one that I was involved in getting to agree to take the lessons. His name is Israel. He speaks perfect English (yaaaaaaay!) because he spent the better part of his life in Texas, but was deported two years ago. He has as many tattoos as he has questions about the church (a lot), but he is very fun to teach because he already has a great knowledge of the Bible. He has a great sense of humor and I really like teaching him.

Missionary life is a whole bundle of fun, but it is a lot of hard work. I am grateful to the Lord for giving me the energy and dilignece I need to move forward and I hope I can repay him with my service. I am truly grateful for all of your thoughts and prayers as I go forward on my mission, and I hope I can live up to both your expectations, as well as the expectations of my Heavenly Father.

Yo se que Dios no ama mas que entendemos y que El quiere que nosotros aprendemos y progresemos en este vida.

Gracias y mucho amor,

Elder Lambert

14 January - last post from Mexico MTC

Hola Amigos y Familia!!!

This has been a very interesting week. Let me tell you about it.

Firstly, we went to Migración this week to take care of our passports and visas. I, and many other elders, got to sit outside in our suits on the coldest day since we got to Mexico City for somewhere around an hour and a half while our photos were being developed. We didn't get to eat any street food for fear that we would get sick. Now for the fun part. On our way home there were many sites to be seen: Cool architecture, interesting monuments, ruins in the middle of the city, and....some kind of protest. 

As we were going along, I heard the elder right behind me start giggling. I looked out the window and what did I see? A bunch of people holding signs and dancing...... There was a distinct point at which the call "look away, Elder" was heard throughout the bus. I let you figure it out from there.

Beyond that, there were many spiritual experiences to be had through study, prayer, and hearing the words of our priesthood leaders. Elder Nelson addressed us yesterday and spoke briefly on family history and how, through but one conversion, we can do the work of salvation for many souls. That makes me even more happy that I will be able to serve somewhere where there is a temple.

I am leaving early early early in the morning on Monday for Monterrey! I am excited but nervous to start putting my training to use for real investigators. 

Yo sé que Dios is nuestro Padre Celestial y nos ama mucho. Estoy agradecido por este oportunidad servir la gente de México.

Salud y amor, 

Elder Sean Joseph Lambert

7 January 2015 - Half-way Done MTC

Felicidades and all that stuff!

The CCM has been a wonderful time and It's almost over. I'm excited to enter the field, but I will certainly miss all the people here. We are already planning a reunion for after we all return. It will be great to see all the Cancun Elders again. By the way, it should be noted that most of my district is headed to Monterrey with me, with the exclusion of my old roommates and one other elder who are going to Cancun.

I was exceedingly happy to receive a package this week. I thoroughly enjoyed the apple pie and chocolate milk. I have discovered a love of a few different snacks here in Mexico. The first what I refer to as Spicy Random Things (in homage to what Jess called bridge mix) which is various different Mexican snacks covered in an extremely spicy powder. I am also fond of Mexican Doritos. They taste different from the ones back home and they have a few different flavors that I enjoy, not that any of you care...

Anywho, I shared my pie with some of the Elders who were leaving this week. The trio in the older district from my zone has been a great example to me these past weeks and have been a lot of fun to be around. It was sad seeing them go, and I'm not sure how I will feel when I have to go. We all sing God be With you Till we Meet Again the night before everyone leaves, and I don't know if I will be able to handle it.

Speaking of singing, I am continuing to lead the music at devotionals. This Tuesday devotional, which I will speak of in detail soon, was a little difficult because the pianist didn't know what the first song was supposed to be and played everything slower than I wanted to lead it. However, It was still a good experience.

The devotional was amazing. One of the Mexico area seventies, Elder Selinas, spoke. He told us that he had a message prepared for us, but when he prayed right before the meeting whether that was the right thing to say, he felt the impression that he needed to change his message. He ended up giving one of the most powerful messages I have ever heard completely without notes or any pre made structure. His spirit was so strong that, during our district discussion afterward, we were barely able to say anything about it. 

I hope that one day, I will be able to follow the path of the apostle Peter. Elder Selinas reminded us that Peter was a fisherman before he was an apostle. He reminded us that it was likely that Peter acted...like a fisherman before he became an apostle. Just as Elder Holland reminded us during the Sunday devotional that Peter cut off a man's ear and denied Christ three times before his death, but later became so filled with the spirit and power of God that people would come to be touched by his shadow to be healed. If I can find even a fraction of that power, I will be happy on my mission.

Yo sé que Dios vive.

Yo sé que Jesucristo vive

Yo sé que el evangelio de Jesucristo puede bendice todos personas and familias en la tierra.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Sean Lambert