Hey Mom and Dad! I didn't get Dad's e-mail. I don't know if he didn't e-mail or if it didn't get through.
This week went really well. We had a baptism yesterday of a woman called Rosa. She has so much faith. She was going to baptize her babies in the Catholic church, and her family was pressuring her to do it. She felt the Spirit while we have been teaching and decided to be baptized herself. She told her family and everyone that she's not going to baptize her babies in the Catholic church. She had even chosen the God-Fathers, so it was a pretty big deal. She went to church yesterday and to the baptism and payed her tithing, without being baptized. She told our branch president that she didn't have money yesterday to pay for tortillas. She is wonderful!
Yesterday was the famous day of the dead or dia de los muertas. It is interesting the tradition that they have. They make a whole bunch of food, and breads and fruits, and they put it all on a table in their house. The things they put on the table are called offerings. They believe that their dead ancestors return to their house to eat and join in the festivities. They actually buy a while bunch of flowers and make a trail of petals from outside of the house that leads to the table full of offerings. The trail of petals is supposed to guide the ancestor to the house. They make bread shaped like a dead person. They are partiers here in Mexico. They like to have a good time. Someone here told me that if there is not alcohol or music, it's not a party.
I still haven't gotten your box, but I'm going to go to a zone conference tomorrow. I usually receive my packages there. I did get the box from sister Brewer. She's so great!
Yesterday in the branch, we had the primary program. It was so good! The kids here are wonderful. There are actually a lot of little kids that aren't members yet that love the primary and just go to participate. Their parents don't like to go to church, but they go themselves. They all arrived at 8:30 sharp to sing! The little kids here are more faithful than the adults!
No one told me Jen and Emery were going to get sealed! When did they decide to get sealed?!?!?I had no idea! Oh well, that's awesome. I can imagine it all in my mind. Little Max sounds like a little bundle of fun!
I left La Mira pretty late at night, around 9 pm. I got to Cuernavaca a around 7 in the morning. It is a long bus ride. We first leave from a city in Michoacon called La Zaro Cardenas. From there we make our way to Guerrero to a city called Zihautanejo. From Zihuatanejo. We go to Acapulco, from Acapulco to Chilpancingo, Chilpancingo to Cuernavaca. When I got to Cuernavaca we all waited for President Spannaus to to tell us our new areas. From Cuernavaca, I made my way to Tepalcingo. We are the only missionaries here in Tepalcingo. There are other cities around s that still don't have members! There is actually another city about 10 minutes away that is much bigger than Tepalcingo, and still doesn't have anything to do with the church. We should probably start expanding now that Tepalcingo has a chapel.
The branch is doing really well. The people here are wonderful. It's so different from La Mira. I know it all depends on the attitude, but La Mira was a really hard area.
I love you Mom and Dad. Thanks for all the help and support. I feel much better! Tell everyone hi.
Russell
PS. Hey Mom! Could you also send me some Christmas C.D.'s from Mannheim Steamroller? You can make some copies of the discs that you have. It would be much appreciated! Love you, Russ
Elder West
