Temple!!! (Week 88)

Victor's Baptism!

      Another good week on the mission! This week Victor got baptized! Haha, it was funny cause Tuesday his grandma was saying that they might postpone the baptism, then Wednesday was his interview and Victor was saying he wanted to get baptized this Saturday, so he did, haha. It was really cool because his grandpa, who is 86 years old, baptized and confirmed him! So that was a special experience. Then that same Saturday, as a zone, we went to the Visitors Center at the temple again! We filled up two busses and took 27 investigators! So that was amazing and a great time. Not gonna lie I cried a couple times. Its just a special place! So that was really fun:=

Temple Trip!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Well this week I made a goal to write in my journal better. So I have been writing spiritual experiences lately and it has helped a lot. It is so important to recognize the things that God does for us. One day I was talking to a missionary and telling him that I didn’t know if there was a spiritual experience in the day, because it was a tough day. He told me, well Elder that can be a spiritual experience, the Lord is testing your patience. I liked that a lot because it made me realize that hard times can usually be the most spiritual experiences that we have here on earth. It's when the Lord molds us to be the people we need to be. I also realized that we don’t go one day without having a spiritual experience. And we need to look for these experiences to feed our spirit and to strive more. I love this Gospel and I know that God loves us and wants us to be happy and return to his presence! I hope you all have a great week!         

Con Amor, Elder Herman 

I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus (Week 87)

Zone Conference Fun!

      Another good week. We had zone conference and that was a good time, and also September 16^th is independence day for Mexico. So the 15^th we had to be home early because everyone is partying, haha. But Saturday we had a cool experience. We were calling people from the area book and we said a prayer to find someone that would accept us and want to go to church, and the first person we called said we could go visit him that day! So that was really cool. I know God answers our prayers! Also, Victor went to church and we have taught him everything, so he is ready for his baptism! Wahoo!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      In our mission right now we are very focused on the attributes of Jesus Christ. Man I love studying His attributes so I can strive to be like He is. Something I love is hope. Hope makes life a lot better because we are more optimistic and positive. Many times we can be happier and endure trials better if we have hope. How can we have more hope? Studying the scriptures and finding the promises that God has made with us, and seeing the bigger picture. Hope helps us to endure to the end and to be righteous. In Doctrine and Covenants 59:23 it says “But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” If we keep our eye on the prize we will be motivated! Also I love the scripture in Ether 12:32 “And I also remember that thou hast said that thou hast prepared a house for man, yea, even among the mansions of thy Father, in which man might have a more excellent hope; wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.” We must have hope in Eternal Life, and that if we do everything we need to here, we will inherit this place that the Lord has prepared among the mansions of his Father. Hope makes life happier! I hope we can all have hope that one day we will all be with God again, living happily with our families!

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Elder Grimaldi & Elder Herman

I Love Being a Missionary (Week 86)

Elder Grimaldi & Elder Herman

      Another good week here in Mexico. The area has been a little tough lately. We have a big challenge cause church starts at 8! But we can do it. On Wednesday we got to celebrate last months achievements with President at his house, so that was super fun! I love my zone so much, they are all really fun and excited!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Man it's so cool being a missionary! This week we saw the importance of recognizing that we are called of God and that we have authority to do what we are doing. We had cool experiences as we went on the street talking to people and testifying that we are people called of God to help people come unto Christ. The power of a testimony is so strong! I know that I have been called by God to preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary, it brings so much happiness. I hope we can all be missionaries and always have the words of Christ in our mouths! I love you all! Que tengan una bonita semana!

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Elder Nava & Elder Herman celebrating a record month!

Zone Celebration at the Mission President's House.

Life's Good and a Happy 21st Birthday for Elder Herman (Week 85)

Birthday celebration with Omar and Monica, Elder Herman & Elder Grimaldi!

       Another great week in la obra missional! I am having a good time with my new companion Elder Grimaldi, haha. He's really funny. The area has been kinda tough, but God always provides. Nothing too special this week. Oh, but I had my birthday! I am now 21, how crazy is that! Kitula from Chilpa brought me some tacos and a cake so that was great and nice of her. And then on Sunday Omar and Monica came and visited me from Tultepec and we ate cake, so that was also great, haha. I love them!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Yesterday we were knocking on doors and we found a girl who doesn’t believe in God. Whenever we find people like that it just makes me think a lot. I don’t know how someone could live without knowing that they have a Heavenly Father that loves them and wants the best for them, or that there will be life after this that will be 100x better! I just don’t understand how someone could have hope for the future and strive to be better everyday. But let me just say that I know that God lives. I know that He loves me and that I am His child. It gives me so much hope and happiness knowing these things and its also makes me so happy testifying of Him and the happiness that I have because of Him. I know that these things are true and that it changes lives! I love being a missionary!            

Con mucho amor, Elder Herman

Birthday cake and tacos from Kitula!

God is Good (Week 84)

      Man what a week!!! So I am just so grateful to be on the mission in these times and to see the Lord's hand in the work! So first off we got to have the baptism of Rebeca! That was great, she is awesome! And we ate carnitas after, haha. Carnitas are really good but when you think about it, it's kinda really gross, cause they pretty much just throw a whole pig in oil and then you just eat it all in a taco, haha, with all the fat and guts and just everything, haha. But its good! And we had a historic week and month as a zone! This week in our zone we baptized 11 and we completed the standard in Tepalcapa! Prados (my last zone) was the first zone to do it and now we did it here too! So that’s great. it's really cool seeing it all work out! Haha. And in one of the areas they were going to baptize 6 that day and we went to do an interview and turns out there was no water! Haha, so we just went to another church. But it's funny cause there always has to be a test! So that was amazing and I really love this zone, all the missionaries are great!   

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Yesterday I gave a talk about the importance of studying, haha. I liked it cause I feel like it’s a topic I have been focused on lately. In John 5:39 it says that we need to study the scriptures because in them we have eternal life. If we want eternal life we have to study the scriptures! Why? Because to have eternal life we have to keep the commandments and if we don’t study the word of God how will we know what the commandments are? If we really love God we should study the scriptures everyday to be able to know Him better and to see what He has to tell us. The prophet Joseph Fielding Smith asked us, how many members of the church think that we have eternal life in the scriptures, but we decide not to prepare ourselves through our studies? We need to appreciate the scriptures more and read every day! I hope we can all read our scriptures every day to be able to know and keep the commandments and to have a good righteous life. I love you all so much, thank you for all the support!

Con Amor, Elder Herman

The Lord's Work (Week 83)

Andrea and Arely get baptized.

      Ok, well, wow. I am very grateful for the Lord's hand in the work here in the Mexico City North Mission! This week was amazing! First off we went to the temple Thursday as a misión and man I love the temple so much! I felt so close to the Lord and received so many answers! Then Saturday was the baptism of Andrea and Arely! Man it was a fight getting them baptized, but we did it! They have a year waiting to be able to get baptized and have been so faithful and patient and their baptism was just so great! And yesterday Rebeca went to church so she will be baptized this week! And well yesterday we went to the Visitors Center at the temple as a zone! We brought 26 investigators it was nuts! We filled up a bus and a combi thing too! I was so stressed out but we did it! It was such a cool experience! We are making history here in Tepalcapa and doing things no one has ever done! I know this is the Lords work and He truly is working.

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Wow, well I have learned a lot about humility here on the misión and it is something I am striving to get better at. Humility in the scriptures says that it is recognizing that we depend on God and the desire to submit ourselves to His will. When we are humble we give all the glory to God like all the people in scriptures do. We cannot do anything without God. When we are humble and recognize that God does everything, and we are grateful, we really do see many blessings from Him in our life. I am a witness of this, and I have seen the Lord work so many times in my life and I am just so grateful for Him. I am grateful that He has given me an opportunity to be an instrument in His hands! I love you all que tengan una buena semana!     

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Bryce (then) and Jake (now) at the Mexico City Temple.

Tepalcapa Zone Missionaries.

Mexico City TempleVisitor's Center

Miracles in Work City (Week 82)

Elder Nava & Elder Herman

       Well this week was really good! Well, in our área we have seen a lot of progress! There are 2 girls here who haven't been baptized but haven't been able to because the Dad refuses to sign a paper, because he thinks that if he signs it he is accepting that the church is true. But anyways we found a way so that they can get baptized, and they are going to be baptized maybe this week! But the girls are awesome, like they have shared their testimonies, and the other week one of them said the opening prayer at church! So they are already more than ready! So that was a cool tender mercy. Also the Zone is so motivated, it is great! We are going to baptize a lot of people! Wahoo!

Spiritual Thought Of The Week

      Well this week we have talked a lot about faith and prayers. I love faith and prayers! Praying is something basic and very necessary. Many times I have found myself praying just to pray or just praying and falling into a routine. When we pray we must ask for specific things, like I have said in past letters, but we also must ask believing that we will have answers to our prayers! I think sometimes we forget that God really is listening to us and really will give us what we ask for. But we need to remember that we always must do our part first, and then God will put in his part. In prayer we can explain to him our plans and ask him that he does something specific. We are all on the same team and we definitely need teammates to help us and well... God is our best player, so we need to give him the means to make great plays for our team. But we must support him and do our part. When we pray it is like we are in a huddle with God and we are planning up a great play to win the game, and we need God to do something miraculous. We also have to have faith sufficient to show God that we trust him and to give it our all. We know that, as it says in James 2:17 “if faith hath not works, it is dead.” Let's make good plans with God and then act with faith! When we do this we see miracles in every aspect of our lives and our testimony grows and we grow closer to our Heavenly Father. I know these things are true. I have seen it so many times in my misión! I love you all and I hope we can all call upon God to help us win our every day battles!

Con Amor, Elder Herman

Rain storm in Mexico City!