Do You REALLY Know?

Elder Clayton, Hermano Tomas & Elder Hill at Vacquero
Okay..... thanks for posting happy birthday. Not sure it needed to be so flowery but thanks for the thought. 

Tony Hsieh, Jessica Dixon, Rachael & Matthew Homecoming 09

Rachael Gehmlich

Rachael & Matthew Senior Prom 2011

We have pretty much everything as far as food goes.
It´s pretty Americanized here in that aspect. We buy cup o noodles at the store. Yes, I mailed my ballot. 
Just one question about the collage that you sent me last week, who is the girl who is taking a picture of herself in the mirror with black, etc. (Rachael Gehmlich, dressed as gothic/punk/emo girl) I don´t recognize  who it is. 

(Mom was ROFL)

Rachael dressed as gothic/emo/punk girl

I am still in Tezontepec until 17 December. Pic: we went to the vaquero again with Hermano Tomas. 

This week was pretty interesting. We have been implementing a few changes into the missionary work here in Mexico and I would like to share a few thoughts on that..... 

David & Jaina's hijo, Elders' Hill & Clayton with bibs on!

Before two weeks ago, we had the goal to talk to 140 people in the street each week. AKA- contacting. If we were out finding people and they weren´t home we could knock on doors; what many people refer to as tracting. However, there has been a new change. We can no longer do either of those activities. We don´t contact unless inspired to do so and knocking doors is forbidden. Now the question may arise-- How are we going to work? The answer = more effectively. We now have the opportunity to have to work with members to help them preach the gospel to their friends and family. The missionaries are simply there to teach and help the members have their own converts. In the last three years 110,00 people have been baptized in Mexico; 12,000 are active. It is a frightening thought that only nine percent of my work efforts will be retained. It is clear that when members are involved in teaching and the investigator is a friend of those members they are more likely to stay in the church. It is a difficult change because now we are teaching the members how to be a missionary. "Every Member a Missionary" Another change is that the native language MTC programs will be reduced from 3 weeks to only 2 weeks, beginning in February. These changes, along with the new age requirements,  to me are sign that the Second Coming is that much closer. We need to be prepared to meet our God, just as the prophets have been saying.

One thing that a few members and even investigators have commented to us these last few weeks is about testimony meeting. I love testimony meeting, but there is something a little wondrous about it. If you think about it, pretty much everyone gets up to the pulpit and says, "I know that the Church is true, the BOM is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world." All of those things are true, but what these people have commented on is that everyone SAYS it, but how many people KNOW it and FEEL it? It was something that caught me off guard, but it is true. I think that sometimes we members of the Church are too traditional, in that we just get used to doing everything in the Church without KNOWING AND FEELING if it is true. Take Moroni´s promise and ASK if it is true. Moroni 10:3-5. With the new changes in missionary work we can´t wait until the last moment to know if it is true, and after the mission we have to keep that fire well fed. 

It was pretty cool yesterday because Irineo received the priesthood and came to church looking like a new man because he cut is hair. Some members called him Jack Sparrow, but now he looks like a well trimmed priesthood holder. Jaina bore her testimony this week, too, and I have to be prejudice and say it was the best. She´s not our convert, she´s the Lord´s convert. 

David & Jaina's hijo

Keep at it my friends. Loves, 

Elder Hill 

pics, 

We ate with David and Jaina this week and little David wanted us to wear bibs, so we wore bibs and took a picture.