Elder Lambert's week - 23 February 2015

Dearest friends and family,

This week has had its challenges, but the work continues.

We found out this Friday that the Los Andes area is actually significantly smaller than we thought....There is an entire half of a neighborhood that is a part of the Monterrey EAST mission. Because of this revelation, we have lost three new investigators. 

This revelation was discovered when the four Los Andes missionaries all went in to the newly lost quadrant to attend a weekly market and shop for watches shoes and other various things, when we came upon two unfamiliar young men wearing white shirts and black nametags. After a fairly long conversation in which they told us that their area covered all the way up to the street that me and my companion live on, we asked for their number and that of their bishop, and went on to call the mission president and our bishop to confirm what they said. Turns out only half of what they said was true, but we still lost several blocks of houses. The most fun part was the fact that the missionaries gave us a number for elders who are serving in a different zone instead of their own, so we couldn't send them the references of the people we were supposed to teach the NEXT DAY.

If you're feeling lost as to why this is an issue

Really Sean? Try to find Seando.

, missionaries are only allowed to proselyte within a certain area, and going outside of that area is big no no.

But, that aside, we are still teaching and bringing people closer to The Savior.

One young man of nine years old is already halfway done with first Nephi and we are continuing to teach him even though his parents say that he is not allowed to be baptized into his church of choice until the age of 12. His uncle and cousin are both members, but his parents and Gramma are Catholic. While his Gramma loves us as missionaries and supports her grandson in all things, his parents are significantly more hostile toward us. 

That aside, our lessons seem to be going well with him. I taught him all by myself the other day about the promise of the Book of Mormon while my companion....napped (he was exhausted from the stress of losing our area). I think I might just be able to teach effectively in this language.

If you're wondering how living conditions are in Mexico, it is likely just how you think. We have electricity and hot water, but our house is small and...falling apart. There is a tile in the shower that recently came off because the grout never fully dried. The paint on the ceiling constantly peels and falls off, and it's likely dangerous to walk barefoot. However, I have seen but ONE cockroach in my time there!

Some places are better than others though. When I went on divisions with the district leader's companion on Tuesday, their house is the largest one I have seen in Mexico! However, their water was only lukewarm, so there is that. 

Se que el Señor quiere ayudarnos en nuestras vidas, si guardamos sus mandamientos. Se que estoy en la obra del Señor y que hay muchos bendiciones para mi y para mi familia por mi servicio.

Much love,

Elder Lambert

Elder Lambert's Slide Down the Mountain - 16 February 2015

Goooooooooood morning friends and family!!!!!

Its actually mid afternoon right now, but...you know.

Todays P day adventure was a zone activity. We took a bus up to a big mountain resort/camping area where we were going to make burgers...until we discovered that the grills had been covered with cement....So we ended up going to the mission offices and using theirs. I got to see a member of my old CCM district at the offices, so that was fun. We did have a lot of fun atop the mountain, though. There were giant cement slides that we all enjoyed very much due to their inherently dangerous nature...I totally didnt almost injure myself....(sarcasm).

Also, I never realized how huge Monterrey was until I was at the top of the mountain! This city is set in a huge mountain valley and spans for miles, with a very distinct "downtown" type area set up only a few miles from the mountains. If my camera worked, I could show you.

It should probably be noted that Thursday was....My Birthday!!! Yaaaaaaay! It rained the whole day and I was freezing, but me and the other three elders went out for the special tacos native to Monterrey called campachanas at the end of the day, so all was well. 

One of our most quickly progressing investigators did not show up to church this week, so we have to extend his baptismal date another week, but another investigator has said that she wants to be baptized asap and we are doing a family home evening with her and her family this tonight (one of her sons and her brother were recently baptized and we are working with her other son). Truly the adversary works hard on our investigators, but truly the Lord blesses them all the same.

Se que Dios es nuestro padre amoroso y que El quiere que podemos regresar con El. Se que los desafios en la vida son importante por nuestro bien y que podemos aprender mucho cuando tenemos un buen actitud.

Los Amo mucho, 

Elder Sean Lambert

11 February 2015 - Trousers and bird poop

Dearest Darlingest friends and family,

Another week here in Monterrey and yet more stories to tell. I tore my first pair of trousers. I was pooped on by a bird. I got sprayed point blank in the face by a hose held by another elder. I slept on my kitchen floor last night. And today....I went to the temple!!!!!

The pants were discovered to be torn by an Hermano in the ward on Sunday. It's a pretty severe case of general extreme wear. The bird poop happened during a lesson with the man that we will baptize this coming week. He was working on his car and so we decided to teach him about the Word of Wisdom, sitting on the curb. While my companion was explaining something, a sudden onslaught descended from the tree above. It was not a happy time. The spraying happened while we were washing a member's car. A latino elder from my zone who was coming to sleep in our house for the temple trip today was playing around with the hose when he discovered the lever to let the water go.....I got wet, to say the least. I slept on the ground because the other elder got my bed and it was not nearly large enough to fit both of us. But it was fine, because very very very early this morning we got to take a taxi train and rickety bus to visit the Monterrey temple.

It was certainly an experience to sit through a Spanish session. I understood the greater part of everything said, too! I am eternally grateful to have a temple in my mission. The blessings of the temple and temple work are amazing. The spirit has rarely been so strong while I have been here.

Se que los bendiciones de los templos son bien poderosos. Se que podemos sentir el amor y presencia de Dios mas en el Templo que en ningun otro lugar.

Much love,

Elder Sean Joseph Lambert

PS: So, if you want to know what a typical day is like at this point, here it is:

Arise at 630 and do some basic stretches and exercises. Shower, eat a tiny breakfast and get fully dressed for the day. Study personally for an hour and a half from the BoM, Bible and Our Heritage. Study the missionary handbook, preach my gospel, and various other resources with my companion. Finalize plans for the day and finish with a little language study. Leave the house around noon and begin proselyting.

Generally we try to find our current investigators at their homes while we try and contact people on the street. If any person has someone who could benefit from what we have to offer, we knock the doors of those people, otherwise we don't really tract. On occasion we get a referral from members, and very very very occaisionally we get a member to join us in a lesson. Our area is one of the smaller ones in the mission, with only six seperate parts.

There are also day specific things like English classes and district meetings on Teusday among other things that come up.

2 February 2015 - Sean's second week in Monterrey

Querido Familia y Amigos,

This week has been a fascinating one. It has been rewarding and difficult at the same time. I am growing ever closer to the people of Los Andes ward. For a little more info, our area is situated in a relatively low scale part of the expansive city of Monterrey. There are no major metropolitan areas near us, but there is a fairly decent population. The homes vary from tiny dwellings with flooded bathrooms and no drywall, to very nice westernized homes. However, they all look pretty much the same from the outside. Most homes have a large gate before you get to the door, so you have to knock on the gate instead of the door, and they all have sort of an old run down townhouse feel.

Elder Alexander, my trainer, and I have been getting along really well little by little every day. I'm learning a lot from him and I think I might be able to do the work pretty well by the time we're through. I'm also starting to get used to the walkin' all over Hell and back part of the job, two weeks and several nasty blisters later. I have been blessed with enough energy each day to get through each day of work. 

Now let me tell you about this past Saturday: We started out the day with a decent study session, but during companion study, I was taught how to contact more effectively. When Elder Alexander asked me how many contacts I wanted to get that day I, being the typical me, blurted out "one hundred!" and so....that became out goal. It should be noted, that 100 contacts is the standard of excellence for a single WEEK in the mission. And so, we started out.....and failed. 

As excited as we were to try it out, we were unable to find 100 people that we could make decent contacts with because it was raining...and our drive ran out after our only full lesson. Now let me tell you about that one...

We have an investigator named Capi who has been investigating for 15 or more years because all the rest of his family are members, but nobody has been able to get him to agree to baptism. Capi has a strong belief that the church is true and that what we teach is the absolute truth, but he says that he has trouble accepting the church because the members are not perfect. Anyway, we went to teach him on Saturday because me and my companion felt that he was really really close to accepting baptism. We went to his home and taught him and challenged him to be baptized. We taught with the spirit so greatly that it was almost palpable in the room. I taught, in Spanish, with greater power than I ever have. But in the end, he just sat and played on his phone and wouldn't answer us.

This is what has been described to me as the most difficult part of the mission. The reason that we ask: "why isn't the greatest threat of missionary work pneumonia from sitting in the font all day" as Elder Holland would put it. It is truly very sad for me to see a man, who knows that what has been taught to him and what he has studied is true, remain in darkness because of his stubbornness and his silly doubts. However, I still feel that there is hope, and that through this experience I will be able to know what I must do to help people to receive the restored gospel.

Anywhoozle, enough with the sad talk. I know that trials will come because it wouldn't be a successful mission without them. I am hopeful for much success as I go along, and I am excited to be involved in my first baptism on Feb. 19th! That's right, folks. Juan Bautista has an official baptismal date!

Thank you all for you kind thoughts, prayers, and...other cool stuff. I love and miss you all.

Yo se que el ayuno es un gran sacrificio y bendición en nuestras vidas. Yo se que podemos venir a nuestro padre celestial atraves del ayuno y oracion. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

 Elder Lambert