Geoffrey's last four letters--we have been busy!

MARCH 26^TH, 2012

    Dear blog, I enjoy writing to you but I have been neglecting writing thorough personal letters to my parents, so excuse the shortness of this letter. However, I am overall very happy. Transfers were fantastic...very sad to see Elder Ríos go (he was the easiest and "most like me" companion that I have had) but it was good to get Elder Aguilar. He is almost finishing his mission, is from Puebla, and seems like a solid missionary. But it was such a joyful reunion to see Elder Walker (my ex-companion that I had for 6 months in Yajalon). I love him like a brother. Also, remember Victor and his family? We met him when he was drunk one day, and from that conversation many people have been brought to the gospel. He gave us a reference through which Anilu and Jordy joined the church and they gave us a reference through which Josue was baptized. Well, he and his wife got married and with their two kids got baptized a couple of months ago. That made me soo happy...and it was nice to hear something positive in spite of the many difficulties that they are facing in that area.

     Eneyda, who got baptized 2 weeks ago, is severely ill. Her body just like stopped working, and she can´t move anything. It was special as the Branch President and a few members were able to support her and drive her to the hospital in tuxtla. It was very sad to see, and she will be in our prayers.

     That´s all, folks...

ELDER PALMER

APRIL 2^ND 2012

   Well, i am short on time today...but a TON has happened.

     Also, quick update the baptisms attached are from the elders in Xochimilco right now. They baptized 3 (and next week the fourth of that family that Elder Sanchez and I were teaching.    So, thats great :)

      Also, President Cardenas called us on Friday and asked us, where are you?. We told him that we were in Benito Juarez, a little town about ten minutes away...and then he told us, Ok I am here Independencia see you there in the park of Benito in ten minutes. So we talked with president, and "coincidentally" (God is amazing) Benito Juarez is where our Branch President lives, so we met with President Cardenas and our Branch President, and the Assistants. That was fun. When I was in Dad´s mission, I thought it was so weird that sometimes missionaries would be nervous around him, but sometimes I feel a little nervous around President Cardenas honestly haha. Now, I know why. Especially when he drove 3 or 4 hours just to come and see us (and later return 3 or 4 hours).

      Also, Church was AWESOME! Ya...by the way, we couldn´t see General Conference (bummer)...there isn´t internet in Independencia, and the leaders told us to stay here. But, we had fast and testimony meeting, and Erick (a 15 year old really smart kid that will be baptized this Saturday) shared his testimony. He is an answer to our prayers...a future missionary, and leader in the church. Also, they announced that this Saturday will be the baptism of Mauricio and Claudia (a young couple...Mauricio is a brother of Arizz and Yadira that just got baptized), Cristopher, Erick, and possibly Ivan. We hope and pray that the baptism will all work out.

     After church, Erick wanted to go out with us...so he came and accompanied until 9 o clock...and presented us with various friends. He put the goal to finish the book of Mormon in a week and a half (that is faster than I have ever read it...and he’s never read it!).

     Oh, and the place of our church building will change this week! Woo hoo...and President Cardenas will put a computer in it for our Branch President! 

     Love y’all and thank you for your prayers...maybe I don´t know who is praying, but I certainly can feel the strength of many prayers on my behalf.

ELDER PALMER

APRIL 9^TH, 2012

  This entry will be short as I want to write a good letter to Mom. This week Christopher and Erick got baptized...they had soo much opposition but fulfilled their goal and are continuing with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for the Gospel. Erick has read up to more or less Alma 40 in just this week, and plans to finish the book this next week. Erick beforehand (as a 15-year-old) taught classes in the Catholic Church...he has soo much of the Bible memorized...and this week a bunch of the Catholic leaders and youth came to his house to persuade him not to get baptized, but he responded them by making them listen to him read all of 2 Nefi 27 and sharing his testimony of the Restoration. He is a strong kid, and rather exited to be in the church. Christopher is almost 19 years old, and right now almost no one of his family and friends is very supportive (but we are working with his mom).

     Jonny is a young man that goes on his mission to Puebla this week...the photo of the Branch is from the Farewell that he had. We will now have 2 missionaries serving from the Branch. Christopher told Jonny that he is excited for him and hopes that when Jonny gets back that he will already have left on the mission. There was a special spirit there. Oh, and we are now enjoying our new meetinghouse...its pretty good in my opinion.

     Mauricio and Claudia wanted to get baptized in a certain river that was full of people for the vacations...so if all goes well maybe this Saturday they will take that step.

    I love the Independence Branch of the Misión México Tuxtla Gutierrez!      

ELDER PALMER

APRIL 15TH, 2012

    We had 63 people in church yesterday. That is the highest we have had. Many families are reactivating and regaining enthusiasm due to the new location of the meetinghouse, Jonathán leaving on a mission, baptisms happening in the ward, etc. So, that is wonderful. Although, some things about church need to be improved...we should probably remind this one Sister not to bring her dog so it doesn´t sniff everyone during sacrament meeting, etc...but no complaints. 

     Elder Bednar will come this Saturday, and I am so excited to be strengthened by the Spirit in Tuxtla!!!

     I´ll update more next week...adios :)

Elder Palmer

March 12th, 2012

First I will answer Mom's questions...

Yes...we have money to travel...and we use it. We only hitchhike when we run out and don´t have money  in cash (there is no ATM within 2 hours of our area). But...we will try to hitchhike less, because I don´t thing it is really great as missionaries, but everyone does it here. Elder Hercules is still the financial guy...he deals with all of the finances of the mission.  Our zone is huge...but I imagine that our area is bigger than most of the zone combined. I think that our area is one of the biggest in the mission. If you look at google maps, all of the county of La Concordia and part of the Villacorzo county are just us. Its big. Our district leader is four hours away from us (oh and it is Elder Días, my ex-compa)

Brief summary of following for those who don´t have time to read my letter....:

1. Eneyda was baptized

2. We had a stake conference four hours away, where 46 attended (15 non members)

3. Independencia is officially under the direction of President Cardenas and not the stake president.

 

I would like to give you all a rundown of yesterday. We woke up at 3 AM and got ready. At 4 AM we passed by investigators houses to help them come to one of the meeting spots. At 5 AM we parted Independencia in 3 vehicles with 49 people (one combe, and two pick up trucks) At 9 AM we arrived at the stake center. From 10 AM to 12 AM we had the stake conference, with a visiting authority from one of the quorums of the seventy. At 12-2 we had the longest baptismal service I have ever been too, but it was really good with a lot of people (various Wards and Branches baptized). We left at 3 PM from Tuxtla Gutierrez, and arrived at 7PM.

 

Erick, one investigator ready for baptism but who can´t decide when he will do it, said that he felt a deep happiness as he saw the people being baptized there. Cristofer, a 20 year old that we found on Saturday, and accepted to come all the way to Tuxtla the next day with us, was really happy because he took 6 pamphlets, 4 Ensigns, a video, and a Book of Mormon from the material stand in Tuxtla and wants to read them all haha. He took notes in the conference. Mauricio and Claudia (and their niece and nephew Yadira and Aris) were able to be with their grandma (is a member less active) and finally all be in church together! I believe firmly that from that trip, the sacrifices that the investigators made, the baptisms that they saw, and more, that many of them will feel the spirit and fulfill their baptismal goals in the near future.

 

In the road to Tuxtla, Eneyda began feeling really bad. We stopped, gave her a priesthood blessing, and she felt better. Right before her baptism her right arm just like stopped working...but she went ahead and got baptized. We are praying for her, and hope that she will get better.

 

We bought two hammocks this week, so thats a bonus.

 

Mucho amor y saludos,

ELDER PALMER

March 5th, 2012

Well, here I am in Tuxtla! We just had an activity of 3 zones here in Tuxtla going to some pretty cool canyons and afterwards playing soccer until we dropped. It was way fun...and like always, I just love being around my buddy Elder Hercules. It is a special feeling in the mission as we progress personally and get to see ex-companions or just friends in the mission progress as well and become really good missionaries. Oh, and I heard that Elder Walker is doing great and having a lot of success in San Cristobal as district leader right now.

In February, at the end, we ran out of money to travel, so we hitchhiked a lot...which is way fast, economical, and easy here. Our record so far is 5 rides in one day. (Each ride generally is in a pick up truck for like 20 or 30 minutes between various towns--"pueblitos"). 

I also got a little sick this week...sniffle sniffle...but I am already getting better. Yay!

Church was a little bit lower in attendance, 31, however we have a stake conference next week, and that should help the work. The Branch will be changed in the Conference to be under the mission, not the stake. Also, the meetinghouse is being changed to a colony on the other side of Independencia called Ambar...there are more members registered there, so that should help.

We are happy because Eneida should get baptized after the stake conference, and because a new family came to church. Oh ya, and this week an elderly man in the branch passed away, so we went to his funeral. I have been to very few funerals in my life...however, I felt the spirit there, and I feel a greater testimony of the plan of salvation, along with a greater appreciation for the gift of life in general. 

That is something that i have learned from the people here...to be truly grateful for blessings. Thanking God for the food we have, the place we have to live, or the gift of life, etc...has taken on a whole new meaning. 

Ok...now I´m rambling, but Mom likes it when i ramble, so I let it go for a bit. 

Oh, and last thing...I promise...we changed houses this week, and I like our new house. There is a mango tree. The only thing it doesn´t have that I hope to add is a hammock. Oh, and mom we don´t have an oven. To cook, we have a "parrilla" or in English...a little portable electric stove. 

Much love,

Elder Palmer

February 27th, 2012

Looks like Geoffrey's letter this week is answering my (mom's) questions....

To answer your questions:

 

Dont worry about not having sent a bunch of packages. You have sent more to me than all of my companions have received, and I am truly grateful for all of the things you send me. I LOVED the little water dissolving healthy tablet flavored water things (nuun I think is the brand). And both my companion and I loove the fruit rope things. Also, the lemonade is delicious. Other random things like pictures of Christ, or post-its or pens are also great. If you feel a desire to send white short sleeved shirts, (Van Heuson is my favorite) they would be well received...just like 2-- one for me and one for my companion.

And as far as shoes, I have had to repair the doc martins 3 times. I am wearing some from the army that I bought from an hermano for 250 pesos. Shoes I can buy here.

 As far as money goes, I am good right now, they have to reimbolse us a lot, so that is why I am taking out a lot of money (for rent and pasajes, etc.).

My companion is amazing, but he comes from humble circumstances in comparison to the united states, but i think good circumstances for Mexico.  If you can send the talk THE FOURTH MISSIONARY in Spanish for him (maybe even by email) that would be awesome! Also, he loooves cooking, so if you have some recipes he would like it. What is the recipe for Texas caviar???

 

I just threw out a bunch of ideas, don´t feel obligated to fulfill all of them.

 

Here are a few more questions....

How is your stress level?             ...in Xochimilco I focused on developing patience, and that helped me a lot.

How is your Spanish?  Do you still work hard on the accent and learning new words?   

                            I could always improve more, but I am doing well...a mexican companion makes a world

                          of a difference...it is sooo weird for me to talk in english. I am focusing on trying to help

                          Elder Rios learn English, because he knows very little. he has a year in the mission, and Im

                           his first gringo.
 

 I am interested to hear if you decided to move or not.       We decided to move within the neighborhood we

                                   are in right now, because it is like the crossroads of all the little towns we visit for 

                                  another month. we reserved the house in Concordia for, in a month, if they authorize

                                   services in Concordia or something we could move there to a house really nice with

                                   room for the church services in the patio out back.

Can you just leave an apartment easily and go to another or do they have contracts?    

                      Sometimes we make contracts, but it is pretty easy to change whenever.

Any idea what an apartment costs?                        The normal rent is about 1,500 pesos (116 dolars)...for a

                                                                               pretty nice house (relatively to the area).
 

 What do you eat for breakfast and lunch..do you eat much with members or not so much in your new area?              Honestly, we don´t eat as much in this area...it is a very humble area. But almost always it is 

                       beans, tortilla, rice, and generally chicken. And in this area a bunch of fried fish.

Have you been sick any more like you we're at the beginning, or do you feel pretty healthy?         

            ( This answer is censored-for mom only)

Have you gained or lost weight?              I am about the same...just a little "softer" haha.

What do you do for exercise?              We play basketball...sometimes a little competitively, but it is way fun.

 I am feeling the need for more day to day details can you tell?         Ya, I can tell.

I am sending photos of the new house we are moving into...I am really happy too because there is a mango tree full of huge mangoes in the patio. But it is rather small...two rooms...and the bathroom out back. 

 

And that iguana I'm holding...ya. we ate that.

Mom, also, you can just copy some of what I wrote for the blog, because I ran out of time.

Love you like a Mexican loves tortillas,

ELDER PALMER

                                                     The iguana that we ate for dinner.

                              The apartment we are looking at renting.

                                                                 I (mom) am assuming this is the bathroom

                                                

February 20th, 2012

I have about five minutes...so this will be short...

Independencia is going well. Church yesterday was pretty good as a family of 7 came (from a nearby town--Benito Juarez) that we have been teaching. Also, an investigator from Concordia (another nearby town) came. The family of 7 is of Areli and relatives...Areli is preparing well for baptism, and there family has been listening to the missionaries for a few weeks now. Eneida, the investigator from Concordia, is a young lady that has left behind many unhealthy habits, and is humbly desirous to get baptized. She will have surgery on her gall bladder tomorrow, and so we hope that she recovers well and can continue progressing.

A week or so ago, we contacted a lady that had been drinking a bit too much Alcohol. She told us that she wanted our help. That is kind of a normal occurrence; however, as we visited her the next day we could see that the lord had prepared her. She has a brother that is an ex-missionary in Monterrey. Also, her daughter and son-in-law are very prepared and they all accepted a baptismal date for the 10th of March.

The 10th and 11th of March, we have to go to Tuxtla for a stake conference. The Stake President put the goal of 15 investigators from every branch or ward, so we will try to fulfill that. Also, we will probably have the opportunity to baptize a few of the investigators while we are there.

That´s all folks...time up

Much love,

ELDER GEOFFREY PALMER

Wow. A lot has changed. So, when they told me i was going to independencia in the Tuxtla Gutierrez Zone I was thinking that I would be in the city...I was way wrong. In autubus, I am four hours from Tuxtla Gutierrez...four hours from the other elders in our district. So, the area is very different...it has more of a rugged beauty with a few mountains and less of the jungly feeling. We have various cities and towns that we cover...including Independencia, Ambar, Concordia, Benito Juarez, Revolución, Jaltenango, etc. They are all rather spread apart. 

 

Right now we live in Independencia, where the building where we meet for church (a rented house--but the Sacrament meeting is in the open air). However, we are going to change houses to Concordia (about 30 minutes away) because we feel like we should go there, and there is a possibility of opening up a Family Group there and having Church services there as well in a near future.

 

As I passed through the Mission Office, President Cardenas took time to interview me. He started off telling me that my new assignment would be in an area where many have lost their excitement  and that has had a lot of difficulties progressing, and then told me that I shouldn´t worry because I am not being sent their as a punishment. He shared how it has 20 years being a little Branch. I thought that that was kind of an interesting way to tell me about the area, and it would have seemed negative if he hadn´t have continued on with what he said. He then told me to stay very excited about the work, told me about the potential there and the possibility of a future Family Group in Concordia, etc. I was way excited. I also am now getting to know the President more, and he is truly an exemplary man full of faith and excitement for missionary work.

 

So we are back to bucket showers, bucket flushed toilets, dirt roads, and a lot of traveling, etc. And the funny thing is...I love all of those things and kind of missed them in Tapachula. Also, I am way happy to be back in a little branch. In some ways I feel like I am in an area similar to Yajalón. Truly...I am very happy to be here. Also, my companion--Elder Ríos--is one of the finest missionaries I have been with. He is from Chihuahua (Ciudad Juarez) and has been in the mission field almost a year. He is one of those people that I would have chosen as a good friend even if we weren´t forced to be together (haha).

 

Church was good yesterday (43 in attendance), and one of the young men got his mission call to Puebla! Also, it was funny, because without giving notice I was asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting, teach sunday school for the adults, and to teach the third hour to all of the members combined (the third hour I was together with Elder Ríos). So, that was a good way to get to know the majority of the members.

 

There are two couples that are not members of the church that are attending, and just need to get married in order to be baptized (we are working on that...its a little difficult when some people were never registered as babies...so the government knows nothing of them). Also, a young 12 year old, Joel, is a relative of them and we found him on Sunday, he came to church, and will be preparing for Baptism. 

 

But ya, that is about it. Hmmm, anything else? oh, there is a Zone Conference this week that is coming...and it is now the season of Mangos here so I am eating a lot of Mangos and Watermelon.

 

Much Love,

 

     ELDER GEOFFREY PALMER

1 Nefi 3:7--"iré y haré..."

February 6th, 2012

What a surprise...TRANSFERS! I was 99.9999 % sure that I was not going to be transferred, however God had other plans. I am going to a place called Independencia, close to Tuxtla Gutierrez, with an Elder Rios. I am very sad to leave, but very excited for a new place to begin to work and get to know.

We just were saying goodbye to people, as I leave in a couple of hours. It was so sweet to see the elderly couple Giron Garcia (they should get baptized next week) get emotional and say goodbye. They have been through so much. I realized that I truly love the members and investigators here a lot. I am certain the Elder Sanchez and his new companion will have much success this coming transfer.

I have learned so much from this area and this time here. The importance of loving people and loving the work. The importance of being yourself, not imitating others. The importance of being happy. What a blessing this time has been.

Well, I am kind of really excited so I dont have much to write. However, I ate iguana and iguana eggs the other day!

Ánimo,
ELDER PALMER