Week 8 September 18-24, 2018 Jugo De Tuna

HEY EVERYONE,

So, these past few weeks I have run into so many dogs. There are dogs everywhere when you think there aren’t any there are haha. One night when I was returning home from proselitismo a huge dog the size of Wrigley, our old dog, started chasing me and learning from a previous night that you do not run you hold your ground. I slammed on my breaks and jumped off my bike and this all happened to be in front of the bar. One drunken man yelled out and said He can sense the presence of the Devil In You Get OUT of Here. The whole bar cheered. it was really weird.

Speaking of bars, when we were riding home to do language and comp study, a few men called us over. It took me by surprise, I have never had someone contact me before. When we got up to us they offered us some Cactus Fruit Juice saying it’s really good. I really didn’t want to try it, my companion was trying to get them to stop, saying it will make me sick. But they kept shoving it in my face, so I said I’ll take a sip of the magenta thick cream-colored liquid. It was absolutely horrible, I never wanted to touch that thing again it was bad. I popped 5 breath mints in my mouth and handed the drink to my companion. He walked off to take a phone call, and then continued to teach them about the book of Mormon and then they asked why Mormons don’t drink. I explained the word of wisdom and how it helps keep us healthy. It was a great short conversation. After receiving their names and contact information, we left with bad tastes in our mouths. After asking why my companion walked off, I found out he had gone to dump out the drink because he realized it was juice mixed with alcohol. it was absolutely disgusting yet funny that my first drink was on the mission haha.

But I haven’t spent all my time around alcohol, On Saturday of my first week we were running late to get home on time for curfew on the Independence Day of Mexico. as we rode past this family, I had a strong impression that I needed to stop and go back. I told my companion, but he insisted that we kept going on. I insisted that we go back and so we did. Out of breath, I contacted the famila Lopez and told them about our message, It was a really awesome contact and they agreed to learn more about the gospel. We taught them about prayer this last Monday and tonight about the restoration. This family Lopez feels really especial.

So, on Thursday we went out of the casa after we got home to buy food. When I locked the door behind me, I found out that my companion forgot to bring the keys with him. We only have one key that works for our second story casa. with the help of a random person, the landlady, and her daughter we put two plastic tables on each other and a wood 2x4 latter on top, so I could climb through a window 15 feet off the ground. It was sketchy, but the Lord protects his missionaries, I got in the casa but was almost strangled to death because my neck got caught on the blinds.

The next day we had our noche Mexicana with both wards. My companion and I went on splits with some members and I was able to get ten references from the members. It was really cool to see them shout VIVA MEXICO, you should all look up videos of the flag ceremony. I also was able to ride a mechanical bull that was really interesting. I kinda regret it because when I fell off I hit my butt on the hard part of the bull and it hurt for a few days but feels better now.

My time here so far in Mexico has been great and crazy and spiritual. I know that the gospel is true, that my heavenly father truly loves me. You all are super awesome and I´m sorry if I couldn’t write you I get a lot of emails. Love you all. This church truly is the church of Christ.

Love you all,

Elder Snow

Email: jeron.snow@myldsmail.net

Letters:  Elder Jeron Matthew Snow Jr

              Mexico Pachuca Mission

              Boulevard Miquel Hidalgo s/n

              Colonia Villas de Pachuca

              42083 Pachuca, Hidalgo

               Mexico

Blog eldersnowpachucamexico.blogspot.com

Week 7 September 12-17, 2018

HEY EVERYONE:

September 17, 2018

This first week has been awesome we have been doing mainly contacts and trying to get new investigators. We have about 5 people that we can start teaching this week. But we haven't taught a lesson yet. A lot of the work we have been doing is receiving references and getting to know the members.

On Sunday my companion and I gave talks in Guerrero 1. They were great. After church we went to a member’s home that happens to be beneath ours. I ate the food and it tasted great but after we left my stomach didn’t agree. As we were walking up to the apartment it all came out and when I got inside more came. I ended up sleeping the rest of the Sunday.

The water still isn’t clean, but we shower with our drinking water heated up on the stove. Also, Saturday I ate worms, yes worms, it tasted good but its worms so yeah. On Friday I had to go on splits so that my comp could go to the district leader training meeting, I was able to give a blessing to a girl that was badly hurt from a car accident. It was really a tender moment. On the way back from the splits we accidentally overslept our stop and had to ride for 30 mins more to get back to Guerrero.

It really has been an adventure. The food here can be great but also not. and for some reason the members think we need to eat as much as entire cows hahaha but its great!  It has been great to get to know the people. They truly are amazing and full of the spirit. There are a lot of good people here. The spirit really is essential to doing anything in the mission field.

Love you all! sorry its short and I didn’t have time to write today.

Love,

Elder Snow

Week 6 September 7-11, 2018

HEY EVERYONE

It was sad to say goodbye to my district, but I am excited to go to Pachuca. So, we woke up really early to leave for the mission field, overall, I think that I got about three hours of sleep and was up from 3:40 am to 10:30 pm. I am still a little bit tired. When we got to the airport Elder Anrubio and I tried to do a little bit of contacting and we met this really awesome guy named Ricardo, we helped him with his job and moved some cleaning supplies. After waiting in the Airport, we got on a bus that was extremely fancy and came to Pachuca. It was about two hours and it when we stepped outside I really realized I´m not in America anymore. It was very dirty and there was an ad that we´ll just call not very missionary appropriate.

we kinda all looked like lost sheep and realized that we all need to go to the exit. When we got there Hermana and President Kimball greeted us and the AP´s did as well. He was a lot shorter than I expected but that is cool. It was a disorienting experience there were so many people at the bus station and so many different things all thrown together. After we took pictures we (ALL 20 OF US) got into three separate cars and visited the town square of Pachuca. It reminded me a lot of Park City just a little bit more Mexican. it was interesting to see all the different buildings and stores. after that, we went to the mission office/adjacent church. The president and his wife talked to us and we tried some pastes which are great. After that, the president started to do interviews one by one after people left they didn’t come back so we had to wait until it was our turn. By the time it was my turn I had waited for almost 4 hours and 7 people still remained. I went to the mission office and they had me wait there for a little and then I went and met with the president. It was a really awesome experience, he talked about how he wanted us to obey out of love not just respect. He talked of the time when Jesus washed the feet of the apostles and how that is the manner that we should serve like Christ. He then asked me if I would allow him to shine my shoes. I felt weird saying yes, but it truly was such an amazing act of love for a Mission President to shine my shoes. He then talked about my amazing companion Elder Cruz. He and I will be opening a new area in our mission called San Vicente Guerrero. It is a small farming town and we will be riding bikes. I then left the office and met my awesome companion. He is from Guatemala and has six siblings.

As soon as we met we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the bus station where we grabbed a bus from Pachuca to Guerrier. I really do stick out in height and hair color. And all seats here are made for short people my knees hit everything.

When we got off the bus it was pouring rain and our suitcases have mud all over them. The casa luckily was close, but Elder Cruz left his backpack on the bus, but a member of the ward here was there to meet us so we hopped in the car and his wife jumped out to watch our luggage in the pouring rain. After we came back to the house it looked really nice at first but then we found out that it was extremely dusty because the last time anyone had lived here was February 7th. Apparently, this area is a difficult one, but I am up for a challenge. We went to the store and bought some water and food, and then returned to start cleaning. I cleaned as Elder Cruz made phone calls. I swept and mopped the entire floor and it is still dirty. The dust is very thick. As I used the tap water to clean, I found that it was a bright strong yellow and has tiny disgusting black worms. It was not very great. Also, our toilet doesn´t work. I’m not sure what is gonna happen with that. I went to bed thinking of how many spiders I had seen. I slept pretty well though.

This morning I woke up and we decided not to shower since we would probably get dirtier using freezing yellow worm water. We are going to do a lot of contacting today to be able to start doing lessons.  That is pretty much all.

This is going to be an interesting next six weeks: I can´t wait to meet the people. My companion definitely with be a great blessing with Spanish and knowing everything.

Love you all and I know heavenly father loves you all.

Love you guys enjoy your clean water for me,

Elder Snow

Pachuca Mexico Presidente y Hermana Kimball

Dear Snow Family,

We are so excited to have your son, Elder Snow, here with us in the mission. 

He arrived this morning.  He will be a blessing to us here and know that he will grow and be blessed in his service.

Thank you for your sacrifice and for him. We know that your family will be blessed as he serves our Father in Heaven. 

Love,

Presidente y Hermana Kimball

http://mexicopachucamission.blogspot.com/

Special Experience

We had a really neat experience last Saturday, September 9th.   We got a call from the stake president. He started it out saying this is a very special call.   (I kind of freaked out thinking maybe we were getting some awful calling.) He then said he had just gotten off the phone with the Mexico CCM President.  President Hogge said at first when he saw the number on caller ID his first thought was "Oh no!  What is wrong?"  He said that the president of the CCM quickly let him know that this was a good phone call.  He then went on to say that he couldn't let Elder Snow leave without you (President Hogge) knowing what a wonderful young man Elder Snow is.  He has been an incredible missionary.  He talked about how he put you in a very hard district knowing you could handle it, and handle it you did.  He said you really helped those missionaries feel loved and taught them to serve as well.  He went on to say that the situation with a Brazilian companion would be hard on anyone but you were amazing at it.  President Hogge asked the mission President how many times he has made a phone call like this and the mission President said this is his second time.  President Hogge was so excited to call us and tell us this.  He really was so proud of you as are we.  The funny thing on Friday when I asked the mission presidents wife to take the picture (which I did say only if it isn't an inconvenience) she wrote back and said: "President Bennett said to tell you Elder Snow is our hero!!"  So within two days, we had heard wonderful things about you.  This was a very proud moment for us.  We were actually in the car about to head to Park City when President Hogge called us.  Dad and I both started to cry.  It was really touching.  I think President Hogge was pretty happy as well.  

Week 5 August 31-September 6

Hey Everyone

This past week has been crazy again, -no surprise.

Another member from my district had to go home early, it was a little hard to see her go. My district is extremely crazy and hardly ever focus, so I have to have a lot of patience. BUT they are so amazing. We’ve been going to the gym a lot and playing volleyball.

This last Saturday my Companion and I got the amazing experience to teach a real person from Mexico City. He is a member, it was such an amazing experience because he was deaf. It was such an interesting and amazing way to teach a lesson. Halfway through his wife came in so my companion and I would switch off between focusing on the husband and wife. He had recently become completely deaf randomly. As we testified of the gospel we shared a few scriptures to help strengthen him, but he strengthened us more. It was an amazing experience to share my testimony of resurrection and how I cannot wait to see my sister, Ellie, become perfect. It truly was such a special experience.

This past Sunday was amazing. I was able to bless the sacrament and bear my testimony. If you guys have not done family history, you definitely should it is such a rewarding experience. On Sunday I was able to find 15 names to bring to the temple. You should do it!

My companion is absolutely crazy. So, my mom put a picture of my cousin Kylie in a picture book and my companion saw it. He thinks she is really pretty and wants to marry her. (sorry kylie hahhahhaha) I found him one morning kissing the picture of her, I kind of flipped on him and was like ¡Wat da heck R U doing?! He hasn´t done it again because I hid it from him lol. But yeah that happened. Also, during dinner on Tuesday we had pizza and apparently Brazilians think barbeque sauce, mustard and ketchup are all great condiments to douse their pizza with. It is disgusting, BUT my companion ran around the entire comedor trying to get people to "convert" to eating mustard pizza. He even went to the CCM president and wouldn´t leave him alone until he tried it. I love my companion but boy he can be LOCO.

So that has been most of my week.

Love you all!

Elder Snow