Well, I mean, whats up? May 26, 2014

Anyway, we have had a pretty good week here in Chichicapa. I can not lie to you guys, I did enjoy it. I mean, it started off with my paying a missionary to eat hot sauce and it ended with one of our new investigators going to church. I mean, what more can you ask for?

So first with the hot sauce thing. So us missionaries frecuent a place that is called the ´Carboncito´. They make some real good tacos there, actually I am pretty sure I sent a picture of the tacos once. Anyway, so they always serve three different kinds of hot sauce, one thats like a guacamole, one thats like a mild type hot sauce and another one thats really just kind of too hot for me. Anyway, all of the elders in our district were there eating when I said, "I would pay somebody 200 pesos to eat a spoonful of this stuff" I was just kind of thinking out loud, but then Elder Flake gladly accepted. It was really funny. We took video of the whole thing. At the beginning of the video he was explaining what it was he was going to do but then he saw that the waitress was coming and he kind of freaked out and said "I think she knows what we´re up to!" and quickly eats the spoonful of salsa. Within seconds he was all red and sweating, but he said it was worth it haha. It was a memorable moment for sure.

Anyway, later in the week we did divisions and I went to work with Elder Smiley. That was pretty great because I got to speak English ALL DAY.  I love english. But yeah, thats about all there is to that part of the week. On Thursday we did some service and after nearly cutting my companions finger off with a shovel (okay, it really wasnt that bad, it was more of a scratch) we had the opportunity to teach a family of five people and it was Awesome. I mean, first they told us a pretty funny story they had heard about Joseph Smith being a Catholic, but after we explained the first vision and everything the spirit was really strong and all of the family committed to praying about what we had taught. 

On saturday, we took an investigator, Sandra, to a baptism. Her little nephew David also went with us. I gotta be honest, the whole time I was worried because there was a kid who kept screaming, but at the end when we talked with Sandra about it she had really liked the baptism, so did David. David told us he wanted to be baptized haha but he only is five so we told him that he would have to wait. But yeah, the next day Sandra went to church and everything and it was just great! I mean, we have had a bit of a dry spell here in Chichicapa, but it looks like we were able to get things going again. The Lord has been truly helping us out here, I can not lie to you guys. This whole mission experience has just been great, and I am experiencing new things every day and the Lord is truly helping me to learn and grow. I love you guys and I hope that you are doing well!

Talk to you next week! I will try to send some photos next week! 

Love Élder Kyle Andrew Ríos

In Mexico, Monday is Lunes May 19, 2014

I mean, so here I am on the computer once again.  I´ve got a sticky keyboard and I´m low on time, but I mean, the letter will be great.. or something like that. Anyway, this week was pretty good, thats what I always say right? But it really was.

 

 I mean, tuesday, we had interviews with the president. That went good, I really do like President Morales, he really does all that he can to help us out even though I feel like he doesnt have a lot of time because of all the missionaries in the mission. 

 

On wednesday my companion and I were in the house ALL day and I had not idea what to do with that much time. We were told not to leave the house because of some fair in Comalcalco where everyone gets intoxicated... so we were at home and I slept a good majority of the day. It was just weird. I got incredibly bored. It was kind of good to relax though. 

 

Alright, in later new, our area, chichicapa got flooded the day that we were in the house. Which was a good day because I mean, we were in the house, and it probable discouraged all the drinking that normally happens with the fair that was going on. But thursday we went out in the rain and helped one of the members whose house was surrounded by water. 

 

 

This week, we have really had some great experiences with the Book of Mormon. As we have read it with our investigators who havent been keeping their reading assignments, the spirit has been incredibly strong during the lessons we have had. We have had a rough couple of weeks in chichicapa, but I know that we are going to be able to find the people that the Lord has prepared to receive the gospel. 

 

Anyway, I love you guys. I will talk to you next week!

Isaiah 54:4-5

Mosiah 5:15

April 28. 2014 Left my wallet on the bus

I mean, I am going to get this whole letter writing business going. I mean, we will see just how long this will go for. I unfortunately will not have pictures to add into this email, but I mean, sometimes words are nice to read to... so it'll all turn out well

Alright, here is one from last week.

I, uh, left my wallet on the bus this week. That just wasn´t okay. I mean, I paid for my passage and then I started calling some missionaries and members to make good use of the time and I forgot to put my wallet back in my pocket! We were sitting there eating with the bishop and his family when I finally figured out that I didnt have my wallet. I was not a happy person, I had already lost my credit card where we got money from the mission each month and I was not ready for that to happen again. But little by little I just started feeling that everything was going to work out well. So, just so you know, the buses just kind of pass as they please, its not easy to find the same bus twice in a day, especially since there are easily at least 15 that are constantly passing through my area in chichicapa. Anyway, when we got back to chichicapa, I told my companion that I just felt like the bus was gonna pass by with my wallet, and he may or may not have told me how nearly impossible that would be... and so we kept walking and I kept looking over my shoulder feeling like the bus was going to pass, and then I saw a bus. And I told my companion that it was the one, and he told me not to get my hopes up, but uh, it was the right one. and I got my wallet back, and it was really just great, I opened it up, and my mission credit card was still in there. The nearly 400 pesos on the other hand..... well they weren't there. But, I am just really glad I got my wallet with the credit card back. It was just almost a bad thing. I mean, I feel like I deserved the losing the money part because it was an amateur hour mistake on my part, but yeah. all is well. 

Anyway, this week we had the opportunity to go out with a couple of members to go visit some of the less active members. We went with Adan and Veronica. They are awesome. I mean, one thing that has been different here is that if somebody moves houses or needs help, there just isnt always that kind of brothership there where the members go and help out, but Adan and Veronica are awesome. They just sincerely wanted to go see some people but they didnt know where they lived so they actually asked us to accompany them. While we were in the house of one of the members, you could see the sincerity of these two as they shared what they could to help the members out and it was really just exactly what the members needed. We had members that had not gone to church in a long time goon sunday and I am fully convinced that it was just from the decision that adan and his wife made to really be a friend to the other members in the ward. It was just a bit of a learning experience for me. I feel like I can't fully explain everything here, and it may not have the same significance for you guys as it did for me, but it made me see a little better the importance of having that kind of unity and love within a ward and the effect that it had on the other members. 

I love this whole mission thing, its just really great. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to be out here, and I know that God has been helping me out. 

Anyway, I love you guys! Talk to you later! 

Doctrine and Covenants 136:42

                                   137

Love, Elder Kyle Andrew Rios

April 7, 2014

Hey guys. So, ya know, as normal, I hope all is going well for you guys. I mean, I have been doing pretty good. I am not gonna write a whole lot this week, just the simple stuff.

So this week we went on exchanges. I went with my good friend elder Suares again. He's from Honduras, he's a good guy. I really learn a lot from him. He knows a lot about the gospel and the scriptures and its just kind of astounding. I would like to keep learning about the gospel, I feel like I was just crazy negligent with reading my scriptures before, but I have really started to like it. I mean, the day just isn´t the same if I don´t get to start it out with the normal studying.

 Friday was a really cool experience. Every week we have a ward family home evening and one of the families in the ward is assigned each week to share the message or teach the class, however you want to say it. Anyway, this week, one of the recent converts here named Guadalupe, and her son Hernan had the opportunity to give the class. Guadalupe decided to talk about one of the general conference talks from a couple conferences ago called "I know it. I live it. I love it" by Ann M. Dibb. Guadalupe talked about how taking the decision to be baptized was hard for her because of the pressure she received from some of her friends and the judgments that were being passed because of the person she was before and how the gospel had changed her life and made her stronger and proud of the choice that she had made to make a covenant with the Lord. I really just felt like a proud parent or something there as she taught the lesson. She is one of the strongest people I have known, she always surprises me when she shares a story from her life or something that she had to pass through. I know that the Lord doesn´t make mistakes and that He puts us exactly where
we need to be. 

Saturday and sunday were general conference days. I loved it. My favorite quote was "one should not roam through garbage." I just really liked the guys accent. haha, Elder Urbina and I are the only americans here so we went into a seperate room to watch conference in english. It was our little america, and it was great. I love the english language, in case any of you were wondering. I really enjoyed elder Russell M nelsons talk, and elder Hollands talk. Those were probably my two favorite talks. It took me awhile to understand the importance of having a living prophet and apostles in our day, but now that I understand a little better I am incredibly grateful. 

Anyway, I wrote more than I thought I would. Love you guys. 

By the way, I am thirteen months into my mission. time is flying by. 

Love, Elder Rios

March 31, 2014

We played basketball and soccer today and it was really great. I really just have missed playing sports. I sweated a lot, and the sun was just not helping me out. I felt kind of gross to be honest, but I did not suck nearly as bad as I thought I would after all this time. I mean, I never was the best, but I can say that I am still not the worst. So that's a good thing, right?

Anyway, this last week went pretty good. We ate the almost american hamburgers again from one of the members. I even took a picture of them. I just miss a good burger. And try as they might, the people of mexico just haven´t been able to make a Grade-A, top-notch hamburger. I mean, I guess it makes up for the fact that the tacos that we make aren´t like the tacos they sell here in the taco stands... They sell some really great tacos. And cheap. And, its just real nice.

This last week we had a movie in the park. Or, better said, a movie in the park in front of the catholic church. It went pretty good. And only one person was rude and didn't want to talk to us. So that's a good thing. We had a bunch of people show up and so we are planning on doing it again. We were a little disorganized on it though, we could have done it better. So when round 2 come around, we are going to find new investigators left and right with that.

We also started teaching Claudia and Carlos this week. They are pretty cool. Its a single mom and her kid. They don´t have a whole lot and they have kind of had a bit of trouble financially, but you can see that Claudia does all she can to take care of her children. Its really just a humbling experience to be in the homes of some of the people that we teach. I always thought that my mom was joking when she used to tell me that there were people that lived in houses the size of our living room.

I love being here as a missionary. Sometimes there are days that are stressful, but the Lord is always helping us out and I really couldn´t ask for more.

I love you guys, hope all is well.

Love, Elder Kyle Andrew Rios

Side note: I promise I wasn´t trying to kidnap that iguana.

Palenque Ruins Feb 17, 2014

 Here are the pictures I promised to send from the  ruins in Palenque. It was awesome, you can see so much that is related with the book of Mormon and it helps you to see a physical evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was an amazing experience, the bishop took all the missionaries in our district and we were there all day.It was incredible, and I really hope to go back there before the end of my mission. 

February 17, 2014 Letter

So uhm... I mean you guys might be a little disappointed at this, or maybe you might not but I´m not going to write a whole lot today. Actually you´re probably all relieved. But yeah, I am kind of feeling like I got a time crunch thing going here so yeah. So everything is going really well in my area. My companion and I are getting along well, and I have learned that Spanish just gets a little different in every Spanish speaking country. They just have their own way of talking. I don't know if I said it last week but sometimes my companion says things that are swear words where we are at. But in his country they aren't. 

Anyway we have had some fun this last week. We have done everything from taco parties to contacting strangers in the park on valentines day to share the gospel. I mean, all in all, its been pretty good.

 So yeah. That's how that goes. Anyway, I love you guys. Talk to you more next week.

Love Elder Rios

Hebrews 12:1

1 Peter 2:20-25

D and C 38:23-25

Missionary Amber Alert Feb 10, 2014

February 10, 2014

Missionary Amber Alert!

So, did you read the subject line there? Not to freak you out or anything, but we had one of those this last week.... But I will get to that. So I haven’t written in two weeks and I feel like something isn't quite right in the world, but I am writing you guys now so don´t even fret. I feel like a whole lot has happened, and the worst part is that I couldn't possibly describe it all in an email... Maybe if you just want to take a pen and a piece of paper you can write down your questions and in a little more than a year I would be more than happy to answer your questions personally. 

Anyway, for those who don’t know, last week we spent the day at some ruins in a place called Palenque. It was awesome, you can see so much that is related with the book of Mormon and it helps you to see a physical evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was an amazing experience, the bishop took all the missionaries in our district and we were there all day. I kinda sorta forgot my camera this week so I won’t be able to put any pictures, but there’s always next week. It was incredible though, and I really hope to go back there before the end of my mission. 

Alright, now I will tell you really quick about the missionary amber alert. So, Friday, it turns out our cell phone wasn't working, and we didn't know. It was turned on and everything, but we couldn't make or receive calls or texts. I thought maybe nobody wanted to talk to us ha-ha. But anyway, Saturday morning, my companion and I were studying and I just kept hearing somebody yelling 'buenas!' which is what they do here instead of knock on the door. But I thought that surely it wasn't for us, it was probably for our neighbors because none of the members ever come to our house. Anyway, after about twenty minutes of hearing that, I told my companion we were going to see who was yelling. So we walked out of our apartment and down the stairs and there at the gate are four members of the ward. I just kind of stood there surprised. It turns out that our district leader had tried to call us all day the day before and since he couldn't he called the bishop Saturday morning, who called all the ward. So the whole ward was looking for us, some of the members had cried and thought we had been kidnapped, and when the members had asked our neighbors, our neighbors had said we never returned home the night before.. so yeah. Everyone was freaking out ha-ha. But now we fixed our cell phone and what not and life is good. My companion afterwards, since he is new, was stunned by how much the members take care of us. They really watch after us as if we were there own kids. 

Alright anyway, getting onto the next topic, so there has been a huge change here in the pueblo of Chichicapa. My companion got transferred, and I got a new companion. Not just a new companion, but a brand new companion. I am now training a new missionary. His name is Elder De La Cruz and he is from the Dominican Republic. He just started his mission and I am going to be training him for the next little while. He´s kind of a funny guy, I won´t lie to you. The man knows how to crack a joke. But that has been a crazy change. When our district leader told me I was freaking out and I just kept thinking 'How am I going to teach someone else how to be a missionary? I don't even think I know how to do that!' but everything has gone really well. I am actually really excited and the Lord has made me see that He had already prepared me to be able to fulfill my responsibility. It has been an awesome week. We have placed four baptismal dates with our investigators which has more than I have ever placed in one week. It was actually like within four days, but it was crazy. The Lord has been blessing us left and right. I love this whole mission thing. It's been an awesome experience, and I just hope that I can do all that the Lord asks of me during this time. Anyway, as you guys know, I love you and I hope all of you are doing well. I will keep you all in my prayers. 

Love, Elder Rios

D and C 35:24-27

D and C 123:17

Hebrews 10:35-39