7-8-19 through 9-30-19

7-8-19 Hola mis amigos! This week was just a normal week, nothing really happened. This area is pretty hard, i feel like i dont have the confidence of all the members here, its the first time ive really felt like that here in the mission. Honestly I dont like the feeling at all, but what do I do when there hasnt been missionaries here working like they are supposed to for the past 6 months before i got here. The new mission president told me that im here for a reason and that i need to try my hardest to get that confidence back from the members. I am trying my hardest but i feel like im not going anywhere with it, and we all know that missionary work is ridiculously hard without the members help. Theres also another problem... the sisters in my district arent getting along well and yesterday they told me that they dont want to work together... and that they want to have special transfers. Since the first week of this transfer i noticed something wrong with them, i tried my hardest to work with them and to make them feel loved. BUT they arent helping me at all when they arent even trying to fix their own problem. Its been a pretty good learning experience though, i really dont know what im learning but i feel like im changing into something better. But hey its pretty rough being a district leader, its not always fun and games. But what can i say, im really loving the mission and i cant complain about anything. Ive seen many blessings in my life and will continue to see them throughout my life if im faithful and choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. I hope all you guys are doing great and loving your lives! I love you all and you all will always be in my prayers daily! Have a great week yall! 7-22-19 How can you become new if you had not first become ashes? I was asked this question in the Provo MTC. Keep this question in mind throughout this email thread, this week was really interesting for me personally. I've been going through things in my life that I'd never thought that I'd be going through, and it made me really reflect about a phrase that Jeffrey R. Holland spoke in a talk that's called, "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments," which says," Someone said once that the future is waiting to be seized, and if we do not grasp it firmly, then other hands, more determined and bloody than our own, will wrench it from us and follow a different course." Also, I've been thinking about a talk given by John H. Groberg which is called, "What is Your Mission," and he says something thats really special to me and hope that it's special to you guys as well, he says," Everything we do should be done for the Lord. In our quest to discover our calling in life, the first and most fundamental thing is first follow the Lord, YOUR Lord, the WORLD'S Lord." Me and my companion were walking the other day and we very far from the house, all our plans got cancelled and we couldn't find anyone new to teach and then it starts to pour, that day I forgot my umbrella at the house, we were like 45 minutes way from the house, I left my wallet at the house thinking that I wouldn't have to use it that day. In my head I was thinking wow this day can't get any worse, my companion had a Pancho that he made with a trashbag but we both were still getting drenched, I stopped looked at my companion and we both started laughing, he said to me, this is my first time getting rained on here in Mexico and I'm glad its with you, and I just gave him a huge hug. As we were walking in the pouring rain people would stop everything that they were doing and just stare at us as we walked by, I felt like we were famous people but in reality people were probably thinking what are these young men doing walking in the rain like that? As 20 minutes passed by trying to get home as fast as we could a taxi pulled up to us! A man asked if we needed a ride and I said I don't have any money but he just told us to hop in. As we got in the car, he started to tell us that he saw us walk by his house like and hour ago but he doesn't know why he had a feeling to talk to us, he told us that he felt something in his heart, while he was at his house and it started to rain he felt the need to come help us, so I started to talk about the Gospel reminding you guys that we were drenched and I didn't feel like we were giving a really good representation of the church based on how we looked like😂 but I felt the spirit so strong in the moment that I had to share our message. So we arrived at our house and I ended with a simple testimony, the man(Joaquin) started to cry... And I'm not a really good when people start to cry, but he asked us," Why do we do this?" He told us that he's seen us everyday with a huge smile on our faces even though people don't like us and that we get rejected everyday. I just told him that personally I want to be like Jesus Christ and I think my companion does as well, we are here because we love our Savior with all our hearts and we want to help people get closer to him. So we ended the conversation with us getting his address and a planned lesson! So as I was saying I thought that day couldn't get any worse for us which I was kind of right about that but Jesus Christ knew what we were going through and knew what we needed in that moment. I'm so thankful and grateful that I have this time to serve the Lord. This week was also the FIRST Zone Conference with our new Mission President, President Redd, there is going to be a lot of new changes to change the CULTURE OF THE MISSION which I'm really excited about. So at each Zone Conference there's always interviews afterwards. And I was really stinking nervous for this one and I don't know why. So I walked into the interview with a huge smile on my face like always and sat down in front of President Redd. And he just stared at me for like a minute or so, as I was sitting there I was wondering what he was thinking about me. The first thing he told me was that "YOU ARE SHINING MY BROTHER!" He continued saying, I've had a lot of interviews with missionaries but you're the first missionary that shines to me, as soon as you walked in I saw that smile on your face and saw how handsome you were, Elder Rodriguez you just seem so happy to be here. (Which I am❤️) Honestly it felt like I was talking to my own brother, I cried a lot to him and told him the things that I was going through. But it felt good, I felt good crying to him because he reminds me of my brother back home. And I just needed to talk to someone like that. He asked me," why am I here in the mission?"  I simply told him that I'm here to be more like Jesus Christ. And he gave me a huge smile, and added a huge hug. I asked him, can you help me be more like Jesus Christ? He told me this, we all know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ answers our prayers but there are some that come over time or some that take awhile to be answered, but there is one that they will answer immediately. Be specific in your prayers, ask Heavenly Father what is one thing that you want me to do today and I can testify to you that you'll receive your answer before you end your prayer, but then throughout your busy day as a missionary remember the things you did that day and then at night you tell Heavenly Father what you did and how you feel about your day, and you just keep doing the same thing every single day. I have no idea why I haven't been doing this for my whole mission, it's something so simple and easy! He also told me this, I know if you do this you'll become more like Jesus Christ because you'll be guided by him everyday of your life! Probably one of the most important, fundamental things that will ever happen in my mission. I can't honestly wait for the future and being able to serve alongside President Redd! Anyways my peeps, I love what I'm becoming and hoping that you guys are loving what you are becoming. The end of the month I'll be turning 9 fetching months... Can't believe it honestly. My birthday is also in 2 months and I was thinking about something really cool if you guys were thinking about sending me stuff, I was thinking that for my birthday it'd be so amazing if you guys would send me a picture of us together and on the back you guys could write a memory we both had together or something that you like about me, or anything that you want honestly! What do you guys think about that? Let me know! I love all of you and I'm praying for all of you as well! I hope you guys have a great week and I'm just an email away if you wanna talk 8-12-19 Hello my beloved people!!! Sorry i didnt write an email last week, was really busy but have a little time today to write you guys a little about whats going on in my life. SO... the transfers were that im staying here in Fresnillo, Zacatecas as a district leader and also a trainer!!!! so im going to be here in this area for another 12 weeks at the least and im quite excited for my next transfers as i complete this training. My first son, Elder Escobar is from Guatemala and hes amazing!!! Its been such a interesting 2 first weeks but time has been flying by honestly, im so grateful for my leadership position and being able to be training a new missionary. Weve have had a lot of success in these past few weeks, we have brought a lot of people to church and the members are finally having confidence!!! and thats what im so proud of, because with the members we can do a lot of more work and double the work of the Lord! It has been raining in Fresnillo A LOT lately and weve been coming home like everyday soaking wet and its been such an amazing experience to be training Elder Escobar, its really nice to be able to show him the true culture of this mission, and if i keep on being perfectly obedient the good thing is that he will follow my footsteps and be a better missionary that ill ever be. Im going to be sending a lot of photos of what has happened these past few weeks and of my district!!! I love you guys and i hope you have a beautiful week!! 8-26-19 Still remember the day I went to pick up my companion in Aguascalientes to start his training, now its Week 5 and hes almost done with his first transfer in the mission field! Time just keeps on flying by especially right now as Im training and a District Leader, We do have our arguments and we do have things we think differently about like every other companionship, but we are trying to be the ideal companionship as President Redd asked us to be. Not easy at all but Im really glad that Ive been given the oppurtunity to be with Elder Escobar, hes been such a blessing in my life honestly. Not much has happened here in the area we are still working our butts off every single day and trying to be like Jesus Christ everyday! Weve met a lot of less actives this week and it was truly a blessing for us to get know each and everyone of them, getting to the know each of their conversion stories and the stories that made them seperate themselves from the church was a very humbling experience for me. I love you all and really hope yall have a beauitiful week and always remember that Elder Rodriguez is praying for each and everyone you! Thank you all for the support that you have given me, would never be able to repay you guys but always remember that Ill forever love you guys!!!! 9-2-19 Hello my beloved brethren and sisters! Its already Week 6 of the transfer which is the last week of the transfer. It been a really great transfer with my "son" Elder Escobar and a really fast transfer with him. I still have another transfer left with Elder Escobar and cant wait what we can do together in the future together! Been in la Zona Fresnillo for almost 7 months... its been a crazy time here. Been here most of my mission, i got to this zone when i had 3 to 4 months and now cumpli los 10 meses!!! AND Im still in the mission field and theres no where else where i want to be and I have no doubt about that! Los quiero con todo mi corazon y deseo las mejores cosas en sus vidas!!! Y para Levi and Chandra les doy felicidades y estoy orando para su pequena familia todos los dias! Les amo mucho Chandra y Levi! igual con Philip and Mackenzie deseo las mejores cosas por su hermosa familia me da mucha tristeza que no estaba alli para ustedes en ese tiempo pero quiero verlos cuando regrese de la mision!!! Ill be praying for you guys everyday and rooting for all of you! I love you and Have a beautiful week all of you!  Okay now here are some pics from our adventure today to the mine in Fresnillo!!!  9-16-19 This week was alright i guess, the ward that im serving in is at a high risk to be reduced to a district... I feel like that my companion and I care more than the members... and its really frustrating to me. Everyday we work so hard with the less actives and trying to bring more people to church but the members seem like they dont care about their ward going down to a district. I dont know what to feel about everything right now, but its been a good week we have been finding a lot of new people, Istela is one of them and she really awesome and receptive, shes going through a lot right now in her life and im very grateful that im here in this area helping her through her afflictions and difficulties! Hopefully we can put a baptismal date this week on her and her family! We"ll be fasting and praying for a lot of more success for the area and the ward. Here is a scripture that I found this past week that has really helped me a lot and it is found in 1 Corintios ‪10:10‬  and its says:  10 Os ruego, pues, hermanos, por el nombre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, que habléis todos una misma cosa, y que no haya entre vosotros adisensiones, sino que estéis perfectamente unidos en una misma bmente y en un mismo parecer. 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no adivisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same bmind and in the same judgment.   As you can see hermanos y hermanas we need to really be united as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I can testify that if we are perfectly joined together in the same mind and judgement we will all feel the love that Jesus Christ has for us and really help further the progress of missionary work and reunite all our brothers and sisters in the House of Israel! I know that through the Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon we can have the fulness of the everlasting gospel as we study personally and as families! I love you all so much! You all will be in my prayers everyday and night and I hope you all have a beautiful week!!!! DONT FORGET THAT I TURN 22 YEARS OLD THIS UPCOMING MONDAY!!!!!! Here are some pictures that i took this past week! 9-30-19 Hello my peeps!!!! This week was really amazing, My companion, Elder Escobar, and I have been working a lot with the Less-Actives of the ward im serving in and this past Sunday we saw an assistance of 80!!! It was a great view to see the church full again! We will be working with the Less-Actives and by helping them we can ask them for references since they know a lot more people than us. And we put a baptismal date for ‪the 19th of October‬ with Istela!!!! Shes so freaking awesome! We found her last week and shes progressing very well, she also has a daughter living with her and we contacted her yesterday and she seems interested in the church!! We are going to pray and fast for Istela and her family to be able to progess in this perfect gospel! We also want to put 2 more people on date this week and their names are Toño and Monse!!! So we need to be working hard and staying obedient to be able to recognize and feel the spirit and follow its promptings in everything! I really hope you guys have a prospering week with a ton of blessings!!!! Ill be praying for all of you and I love you all so much!!! Here are some photos of my birthday and of my week!!!