Elder Jake Herman in the Mexico City North Mission: Pretty Dang Good (Week 4 in Mexico, Week 10 Overall)

Elder 'SupHerman' having some lunch with Superman at Comics.

This week was pretty dang good. I’m adjusting to everything a lot better! A couple funny experiences this week, so we were looking to find a contacts house for a visit, and it’s impossible to find houses here cause the addresses are messed up. So I went to ask someone on the street if they knew this person. They said no and I was like, huh, well I can contact this person. So I say “Oh, well we are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we have a card for you” or whatever, ya know, and then he’s like “Oh well I’m a Jehovah's Witness” Crap. I failed to realize he had the whole outfit and all. After this I realized my comp was trying to leave, but I was still talking, haha. So I was like dang it what do I do now. So I asked him to tell me more about his religion cause I don’t know much about it. So he tells me his stuff and shares some scriptures. I asked him some more questions and after, all I could think was, well I am so blessed to know the truth! Seeing other religions and their beliefs compared to ours helps me realize how true our church is! Another funny experience is that I may have invited someone to be baptized that is already a member. So in Sunday School there was this girl and we didn’t know who she was. She said she had been to church 1 other time so I assumed she wasn’t a member. The lesson went on and the spirit was so strong! And I read a talk earlier this week about being a challenging and testifying missionary. So I’m feeling the spirit and all, ya know. So I decided to be a challenging missionary and invite her to be baptized. Then my comp interrupted and I was like what the heck! Then later he told me that she said she had talked to missionaries before and may have already been baptized…Whoops! But I mean we still don’t know if she’s a member or not, so I still think it was a good idea to invite her to be baptized!

Spanish has been pretty good this week but also pretty bad at times, haha. But I have gotten a couple compliments that I don’t have an accent so that’s good! But also kinda bad cause if I sound like I know Spanish people are going to talk really fast and think I understand it all, uh oh.

Spiritual thought of the week! So my awesome sister Chalise shared a talk with me last week that is awesome! It is called “Joy and Spiritual Survival” and it fit in perfectly for me this week! One big point that I loved about it is that when the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and his Gospel we can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives. I loved this scripture 2 Nephi 2: 25, Lehi says “Men are, that they might have joy.” First off coming from Lehi this is amazing. His two kids, Laman and Lemuel, and murmuring and just being a hassle, ya know, and he has all these hard things going on in his life but he says this. God created us to have joy! In Alma 13:22, the Lord declares glad tidings and great joy among men. Now this does not mean everything in life will go our way. That is not part of God's perfect plan for us. Doctrine and Covenants in section 121 verse 7 says “Peace be unto thy soul: for thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. 8 And then if thou endure it well God shall exalt thee on high!” How great is this! Endure our small afflictions and be exalted by God for eternity! And also in these afflictions Alma 32:38 says that the Lord has provided for us not to hunger or thirst. He gives us strength and there is no manner of afflictions that cannot be swallowed up in the Joy of Christ! God has a plan for us. Yes, we need to have afflictions and struggles to learn, but why can’t we be happy while enduring these things? Yes it is hard, but when the focus of our lives is on Christ it is possible, I can testify to you all of that!

Love Elder Herman