Elder Hyrum Portlock: November 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

November 30, 2015

Well for this week on Monday we were walking down the road at night when a drunk man starting to talk to us, we usually don’t talk much with them because they never remember us.. hahaha but we said good night and he shouted! I’m Fransico!!! And I remembered that it was an old investigator! So we went back to talk to him! And he said that he has been waiting for us! So we said that we would pass by, he also had a cigarette in his hand and Elder Fackrell said Fransico you need to STOP smoking!!! And he said I know I know tonight is the last night and Elder Fackrell said NO! RIGHT NOW!!! hahaha and Fransico took the cigarette and through it on the road and stomped on it! We shouted for joy with him and gave him a big hug and he looked up at the sky and shouted “God lives!!!!” Wow we walked about thinking that it was such a great story to put in the journal hahaha! On Tuesday we got a call from a member and asked us if we could give a blessing to someone in the hospital, so that was a neat experience. On Thanksgiving we bought pizza and shared what we were grateful for. But here in Mexico NOBODY knows what thanksgiving is hahaha so we were teaching everybody what it is. I got the Mayan Tree of Life which is in Tapachula engraved on my bag! It looks awesome!!! We also had a movie night with the branch and watched “The Other Side Of Heaven” (: and ya, that’s pretty much my week haha(: I love ya so much! Elder Portlock

My zone

a little bit of Tonala

A meat market place

Who wants cow... YO!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

A little bit of Mexican culture

Monday, November 23, 2015

November 23, 2015

Well this week was great! We had about 7 investigators in the sacrament meeting. The work is progressing forward(: OH! and we had a few spiritual moments. Well I think it was Saturday the last week we were walking down the road and an investigator (who is the brother in law of my convert named Sandra,) he said ´´Elders! come into my house! Sandra’s brother is sick!´´ So we passed in and talked to her brother for a bit. He has cancer in his stomach from drinking all his life so we decided to give him a blessing. The next day well...on Tuesday this week we found out that he passed away on Sunday. and Sandra said that she heard that we gave him a blessing. She was super calmed to hear that her brother died in peace with a blessing. ..Also this week my converts Karla and Brian have been accompanying us and teaching some people! It’s amazing to see and it makes me feel super happy inside and it talks about Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-16... Other miracle this week: Well we were walking down the road heading over to a members house to eat dinner and usually we always walk down the same road. And we decided to walk down a different road. And in the distance we could see sister Gabi! And so we ran up to there and she was all excited to see us(: and then she started to talking to someone and she invited us in to give a short spiritual thought and a prayer. And it turns out that her daughter got baptized about one year ago and the mom couldn’t get baptized because she wasn’t married to her boyfriend. But the sad thing is that he died... and she wants to return to church again. So we started visiting them and they came to church this Sunday!!! whoo! And Friday we ate more clams hahaha. It’s ....awesome! (: on Saturday we helped set up the Christmas tree for a member (: it made me think of home (: and ya that was my week (: I’m also REALLY enjoying our air conditioning that we put in the house :D well l love you all(: LOVE ELDER PORTLOCK

This was a weird tree.

Railroad tracks

The Christmas Tree

Divisions with the Young Men

Monday, November 16, 2015

November 16, 2015

Well in this week Brian has been doing awesome!!! He did visits with us and I love to hear him testify and invite others(: I think that the next week he will receive the priesthood(: We were working super hard this week and had tons of investigators ready to go to church! Like we had about 9 investigators for sure that were gonna go! But only 4 showed up... I guess that’s still really awesome! (: But Felicita didn’t go and she has her baptism the next week, but now were gonna postpone it for another week. But that’s all fine, were still happy and going forward with faith. oh! haha I love being here in Mexico! Weird things just ....happen... hahaha We were walking down the road and we saw someone peeing in the middle of the road and we walked past him and he just stared at us like nothing was happening hahaha! Other! We went to go see a less active member and here in Mexico you either knock with a pen or something really light or and you just shout and say good day. Well in this moment we were shouting saying heyyy the mormonada!!! And she said WHAT???? And we shouted back, los gringos! los guerros! ( the white people !!!!) And she said WHAT??? (But usually she knows it’s us) Well she opened the door and it wasn’t her.... we felt so embarrassed! ahahaha ok, that wasn’t that funny..... hahahah but the scripture of the week is Mosiah 28:3(:

Have a good week(: love ELDER PORTLOCK

My District

Water in a bag

Monday, November 9, 2015

November 9, 2015

Wow Dear Mom, the family and friends (:

This week was an amazing week! Wow! Well Lunes after I wrote home we went to an old family that Elder Gamboa and I baptized, it was awesome to see them and they gave me a birthday cake(: after we visited some old families from Elder Fackrell’s old area here in Tuxtla. And in the offices we stayed with all the other zone leaders(: in the morning of my birthday we went to the church for our conference of all the zone leaders, wow we learned a ton of stuff about leadership! And then they all sang to me while I danced hahaha. It was awesome! After the conference we went to the temple(: after the temple we went out to eat at Chiles and during that I guess Elder Fackrell told the people that it was my birthday and I didn’t even know it, and they just randomly came out of nowhere and started to sing for me and they gave me a little brownie and some ice cream(: then we went back to the offices for another night. On Wednesday in the morning, Elder Fackrell went to the migration to renew his green card, so I stayed in the offices with my old companion, Elder De Jesus! Then after that we headed home to Tonalà! And wow! I thought that Tuxtla was hot when I got here on the mission! And now visiting Tuxtla it feels cold! hahahahahahha. I guess Tonalà really is an oven! On Thursday we started to plan for our zone conference, we made them an evaluation card that they can evaluate their lessons with their companion. It was awesome! and on Friday we had the zone conference, haha we did an object lesson and we had a cake, and for the lesson the cake represents the gospel, (it was all planned before) I asked elder Fackrell if he wants a piece of cake, so I started to cut it and then I shoved it in his face, then I asked another elder if he wanted cake and so I cut out a piece of cake very carefully and put a cherry on top and I gave it to him(: then I asked the missionaries how are we giving the gospel to the people, are we shoving it into their face or are we giving it to them very nicely so they can enjoy it? It was great(: then after we went on interchanges and I went to Puerta Rista with elder Gomez to help him out with his area, we were able to teach some lessons RIGHT ON THE BEACH! Wow it was amazing!(: in the night we got back home and boom!!!! we had AC! Ya, that’s right we kicked the hot heat butt and put AC in the house(: it’s so amazing(::::: :D on Saturday we had Brian’s and Lupita’s baptism(: Elder Fackrell baptized Brian and I confirmed him a member. And I baptized Lupita and the branch president confirmed her a member(: wow Brian has been an chosen son of god! He has really changed his life(: and Lupita has been waiting for a long time to be baptized so she can progress, her next goal is to enter the temple in one year with her husband(: she gave her testimony and cried and said, “I’m so happy that I got baptized because I want to have my family for all eternity.” (: it was really amazing(: and well that was my week(: for the changes this week Elder Fackrell and I will be staying the same as the zone leaders and ya(: were super exited (: oh! and my son in the mission Elder De Jesus is going to be the next AP woooo! I feel supèr happy(: I you all so mucho! have an amazing week(: P.s Good job Emily on your talk! your awesome! I’ll share it with the people here in Tonalà(:

Con Amor! Elder Portlock