Ok. Well, my new companion is named Elder Leon, from Puebla. He is in his second transfer, so I am finishing his training. He is a straight up focused good kid, that just got out of Benemerito (the mexican high school of the church). He is pretty excited about the work, and yes, I am enjoying a lot as I teach him. We get along really well, and I really like working with him. I am going to give him lots of oportunities to work and learn, and not do everything myself.As I share things with him I realize that I have learned a lot on the mission. Mom...you asked me what I have learned on the mission-- I have learned principally the importance of being humble before God in the hard moments, and keeping ourselves humble in the good moments. I have learned of the importance of having sincere motives as we invite others to come unto christ. I have learned the importance of recognizing that conversion is a process, and the converts, less actives, investigators, or even we will occasionally have obstacles. Big or small. But that everything is in our favor to keep on going and living the gospel. I have learned of the huge importance it is to not become complacent with what we have or where we are at, or what we know. I have learned of the importance to not only DO things, but to WANT the right things. Also, I have learned a lot about setting some goals, and planning how we can fulfill that goal, and reaching it.Those things are some of the things that I am learning while here. I recognize that I haven`t arrived at a final point in my learning of these topics, but more that they are things that I AM learning and that are helping me to progress. I feel happy, because I don´t even feel tempted to get trunky. I am really happy with the work here right now. We found various fmailies that are progressing well, and we have about ten people with a baptismal date for November 11th. Also, we baptize in rivers here, so that will be fun.I am working harder than I ever have until now. We are contacting, teaching, and working with the members a lot. Also, we invited eleven people to get baptized on a specific day this week. In a couple of weeks, they are going to institute a whole new way that the missionaries are going to be working. We are literally not going to be allowed to go tracting. We are going to work 100% with the members. But we still don´t have details about that yet.My goal right now is consistency. I want to study well, plan well, and just work hard every day until the end of my mission. I hope that we can see miracles in the process of families coming into the waters of baptism. The members here are great, and I am also going to develop good friendships with them and keep working with them. They have a small Casa de Oracion (house of prayer), but are so close to getting their own Chapel built (they are already looking for the piece of land). 72 people came to church, and it was a little suffocating in such a small room haha. But we are excited and we are trying to break mental barriers and reach our potential. I think one of my personal focuses will be to take advantage of my studies right now. And to immerse myself in the 8 principios.con mucho amor,ELDER PALMER
I almost forgot to mention that we found a scorpion in the bathroom outside. Our house here is a lot poorer than some others I have lived in. We have a roof made of like shingles---red clay things. And the bathroom and shower are outside. We don´t have a sink. and the house is just one room with a wall divider. However, I kind of like it and put up my hammock and I feel at home here. haha. Also, it is super hot here. I am putting on sunscreen every hour but still getting burned. However, they say that like in a month it should get a little cold here. Who knows if that is true or not.
