December 30, 2013 - Carmen

Hey Everybody!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! I know I did! It was about 95 degrees here but it definitely felt like Christmas. 

Elders in the shape of a Christmas tree . . and Chester.

This week wasn't entirely amazing, but we did get the chance to hear from Elder Walker again yesterday. He came to the stake center to tell us everything that we need to do this year in order to be more productive missionaries with the members of the wards we are in. He is a really cool guy and you can definitely tell that he is a member of the Area 70. We had a great Christmas here though. President Morales came with his family on Friday and brought everyone new microwaves for Christmas! CRAZY! He also brought the packages that you all sent me! Thank you all so much for the gifts. They meant the world to me. (the LEGOS were perfect) I spent a good hour and half just snaking and building legos all night.... Perfect Christmas for me. I had a great time reading letters and opening presents, even if it wasn't with you guys, it still felt like Christmas morning back home. It was a great holiday by myself. =) 

A little tree of my own.

This last week we committed Hermana Dulce to be baptized! She has a date set for the 11th of January. So we are quickly getting her prepared as best we can before she steps into that covenant with God. She knows its true and its so cool to see her change in the blink of an eye. She is so ready for this step in her life. Its pretty exciting knowing that I probably will be the one who gets to baptize her also. Hopefully this one happens! We are still working with Hermana Keila (16 year old girl.) She is part of a less active family, and is having problems with her mom because her mom doesn't want her to be baptized without knowing for herself if its true. We are trying super hard to push her mom out of the picture so that she can make the decision on her own time but she has been asked to be baptized. We are just waiting on her response. Pray for her!

A day on the streets of Carmen.

Apart from those two investigators, we are trudgin along trying to figure things out still. We have had a lot more success here in Carmen and I definitely like it a lot more than my past two areas. Its been such a hoot having the companions that I have had here in Carmen. Elder Sepulveda and Larsen. Love em both!

I want to let all of you know how grateful I am to have you in my life. Every single one of you. I would never be here if it weren't for you all behind me supporting me with the decisions that I have made. I plan to work this coming year really hard with the new resolutions I have put for myself and I encourage you all to do the same. I plan to be more confident with the things that I do and say. I want to be that type of a person. I know, with you all supporting me, that I can make that possible and you all can help me. Thank you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! 2014!!!! 

Kia Kaha,

Elder Proctor

Feliz Navidad from the Mission President and family

December 23, 2013 - Carmen

Hey everybody!

Well let me be the first to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! I know I wont be able to talk to some of you through the Skype calls so I apologize, but I hope all of you have a great Christmas this year!

The transfers went well and we have probably the nicest house in the entire mission. It has clima (AC) and it is the perfect size for two missionaries. The bathroom looks well kept and its about as nice as any regular bathroom in the US. I am pretty excited about the living arrangements here. We also have a newbie, Elder Larsen (from American Fork) and his companion Elder Sepulveda who is from northern Mexico but speaks really good english. They live right next to us in another nice house that is on the second story of a members house. Its a really nice place to live. We also have a pet! A pitbull named Chester. He is a flippin monster of a dog! I thought Rider was ripped.... wow. This dog is like the Rock, I swear. Hes really cool though, and a nice company to have when you had a rough day. Apart from that, the weather and what not isnt a whole lot different from that of Villa. Its still above 90 each day but the good news is its less humid and there is always a little bit of a breeze so its not that bad anymore. I really like it a lot more than in Villa. 

As far as the investigators go, we are white washing the area (when two elders go into the area not knowing where anything is.) So we are trying to figure where all of the members live and where the last missionaries had left off with everything. Its a little tough because the area is pretty small. (bigger than deportiva though... whoo!) We have a member in the ward that is from Kaysville, Utah named Colby. He served his mission here and came back to marry a lady that he had taught.  He speaks really good spanish and english. The good news is that he owns a hotel downtown and we eat there twice each week! Its a nice hotel, for mexico. I really like the area here though. We havent had much success yet with the investigators because we are still so new to everything and we are trying to get the members to help us out with finding where everything is. We have a couple that have some potential though! 

To answer Moms questions:

1. I am enjoying the cooler weather of this place. We spent this morning playing soccer on the beach without shoes on.... it was super hot, but a lot of fun because I've never done that before.

2. The package you sent didn't get to the offices before I left. I havent recieved anything yet. I was watching for it though. It should come by the end of the month if we have a Zone Conference.

3. I haven't received an exact time frame of when I will call, but it should be around mid-afternoon, like somewhere in between 11 and 2. We think we are going to call from the church here so it should be a good connection. Hermano Colby, (the american) is going to hook us up good. =)

4. I really love the helado here.... that's the ice cream... I haven't found another treat here that I like yet. We had a weird type of caramel apple yesterday though and it was alright. =)

Well, that's about it that has been special this week. We are trying so hard to get baptisms here its insane doing everything that we possibly can to get one. Its harder than it may seem. Con la idioma... esta bien. Yo prefiero ingles mucho mas porque yo puedo decir todas las cosas que yo quiero pero con español, no puedo. Un poquito deficil pero toda esta bien. I hope that things are all going well for each of you during this busy time of the year. I love the Christmas Season! Even here its a pretty big deal. Its about the same, except here there isnt any snow. No hay nada aqui! I wish all of you a very merry christmas! Stay safe during this time of the year! Have fun! I miss you all so much! Kia Kaha!

-Elder Proctor

Last week in Villahermosa-December 19, 2013

A member took the Elders to TGIF

Hey Guys!

I had a really tough week this week. Saw a dog got run over by a car... it was awesome. Anyways. We havent had a whole lot of success this week but the good news is that we are both being transferred to Carmen! This is where Elder Haglund is and I hope is still there. Carmen 2 is what it is called. We are being transferred together which doesnt happen very often but its only because there are 9 new american sisterss that are coming in tomorrow morning so they want us out of here. It was tough saying goodbye becuase I really loved the ward. I got along with the bishop really well and his family. I felt like I was a part of a big family here, but we just werent having the success that we had hoped. Its a good thing though and Im super excited becuase Carmen is right next to the beach. Hopefully this new area will be a good fit also. I hear its really nice, along with the house and the people there. I am super stoked though.

Last picture of the Villahermosa District

We had a party on Friday night called the Cena Navidena with the ward. I have never had so much fun with a ward before at a ward activity. They asked all the missionaries to have a little concert for the ward at this party thing.... I obviously played all of me... Crowd loved it... haha It was pretty fun to play the piano though for a group of people. Had some food, told santa my wishes for the year and got to see hermana Cinderella at the activity also. She showed up a little late with her younger daughter. It was so cool to finally see her. We found out that her ex husband was the governor of a state in mexico and she moved away because he had some troubles with the law... Pretty crazy to hear that we were talking to the first lady. Shes living in adultry though with another guy named TOmas.... THe baseball player. He ended up leaving though because she really wanted to change, so he left to Veracruz to go play ball there. It all happened so suddenly. So at least shes making progress. Too bad we wont be there to see her be baptized. I know eventually that she will make that committment. Depends on how good these new sister missionaries are. Ohala! (hopefully) I will send a picture of her and santa at the party from friday. 

EP with investigators

Apart from that, the big news was that we are getting transferred. Nothing special, really happened. The area has been super difficult for the both of us. Elder Gray has lost over 15 pounds from walking. Luckily, I havent lost anything, just have gotten nasty tan lines everywhere. The weather is cooling down for the next few months and its been raiining a lot also so it makes it a little bit more tolerable.

Im staying positive with the new transfer coming and learning as much as I can. Chances are that next transfer I might be a trainer depending on how good I am with the language. Ahorita, estoy aprendiendo cada dia con diferente palabras y todo. Elder Gray me ayuda con las palabras que yo no entiendo cuando estamos en una leccion, pero, como yo dije, estoy aprendiendo. 

Elders y Hermanas and Santa

I love you all so much and cant wait to talk to you next week about the new area and how its all going to be. Stay strong with everything you do. -Thank you Keaton for that letter you wrote. You really are such an inspiriation to me and you are a huge reason as to why Im here. Along with Sadie, you two are the people I want to set the example for. You two are amazing.- I am so lucky to have such a strong family behind my back pushing me to my highest potential. I know I say this every week, but you guys are so amazing. I would never be here if it werent for you all. Keep up the good work!

Kia Kaha!

A Member took the Elders shopping.

Cinderella, her daughter and Santa

-EP

How 'bout dem apples?

The week in the Villa & Second trip to Palenque Ruins

Hey Everyone!
Terribly sorry about last week! We had a rough trip to and from Palenque so we didnt end up getting back until later and had no time to go and write the family. So i apologize about that. But im here this week so esta bien.
Okay well this week, other than palenque wasnt much of a huge change. We found an investigator named Teresa that is about 60 years old. She used to be a Jehovas Witness... HAHA. Anyways, we taught her and managed to get her to commit to baptism! The bad news is, we are leaving next week and she has to go to church 5 times before she can be baptized... so we arent really too happy about it. She is golden and accepts everything we are telling her, but not just because we are telling her it... she really prayed to know if the BoM was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet. Shes a golden investigator and I really hope to hear when she gets baptized. Shes awesome and super sweet.
So yes, Elder Gray, Stoddard, Espinoza, Grass, and I all went to palenque last week. I was the only one who had already been and a lot of them are over 15 months in the mission... HAHA but We woke up at 4 in the morning to catch the three hour bus ride there. The bus broke down on the way there so they crammed us into another bus that was already packed with people. A 40 person bus doesnt fit 70 people.... But hey.... It was funny. Elder gray even managed to buy a trucker hat off of some homeless guy for 15 pesos also! It was hilarious! But Elder Grass and I were crammed near the back of the bus, standing for a little over three hours. Legs were killing me by the end of the ride, but I managed to have a good time looking at the ruins again. It was nice to be able to speak english with some of the other elders that were with us.
I am doing better, still adjusting, even after five months, but time things are goig well. I am going to be transferred, along with Elder Gray, next monday because the American sisters are finally coming and they want us out of here to house them. So we are leaving. Dont know where, but we know its going to happen. We are both just saying our goodbyes to everyone and the ward is throwing us a Cena Navidad this coming friday to say goodbye to us all... its kinda sad because I love the ward, but I cant do anyting about it. Oh well.
I dont really need anything new... but just send me pictures and letters... I dont need food, and if i do, then I will let you know, but right now... Im good. Glad to hear that everyone is staying busy! Seems that the christmas spirit is coming in... sucks that there isnt any snow here though. Its always hot. emphasis on always... Doesnt really feel like December, but We are doing our best to celebrate.
I LOVE YOU GUYS AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE HAD AN AMAZING WEEK. STAY SAFE AND STAY STRONG WITH ALL YOU DO! I COULDNT BE HAPPIER TO HAVE SUCH A STRONG FAMILY AND SUPPORT SYSTEM BACK AT HOME! YOU ALL MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!
Kia Kaha
Elder Proctor

Villahermosa Photos

Down time with my camera.

The branch threw Elder Proctor and Elder Gray and this little girl a birthday party.

Elder Proctor and Elder Gray visit Villahermosa Temple

The only way to be cool is with my favorite ice cream.