Hey guys!

Well this week was a lot better than last week. 

Remigio got to Church! So he is still progressing, his biggest problem is just drinking, he hasn't drunk in about a week though, so I knw that your prayers are being answered:) 

We also found a wonderful couple this week called Jazmin and Ediel. They were some references from a member. They are a young couple with two little chilluns. They are awesome. They don't practice any religion right now, and are super receptive. They accepted to go to church and baptism for the 16th of May! They look like they could progress a ton! We only need to be really constant with them, we are just hoping that they are not going to have any big probelms...so please pray for them so that they can overcome whatever might come!

So this week we have killed like 5 cockroaches that were about an inch long each, not counting their antennas.

So this week we went to a part of our area that is called Pacula. It was about 2 hors away in car. Yeah. Pretty far. But actually there is a part of our area that is about 4 hours away. So our area is basically the size of the Kennewick mission maybe:) Anyway Pacula is way cool. I will send some pictures. It is just mountains and pine forests, just like at home, absolutely beautiful. I have never seen anything like it before. We went to go and visit someone that I never thought I'd see again. Turns out one of the families of members from Zumpango has about 100 acres of land out in Pacula and they decided to go and start to work. Weirdest thing in the world to see them at church, but it was really cool to see them all the way out here:)

Thanks fam and don't forget to pray, study the scriptures, and share your testimony with someone daily! I love you all!

Elder Paz

 Hello family!

So this week was a lot better than last week...we found a lot more and it looks like we have got some more solid investigatores.

So Remilgio is awesome. He has come to church just one time, but he really liked it. His biggest problem is getting over alcohol. He is going to need a lot of help with that. He is really good. He lives by himself and is a Mechanic. A member brought him to church and that is how we got to know him. We see a ton of potential in him!

Ester came to church this week, for like the billionth time. She really just needs to decide what she is going to do. She knows the Church is true. She loves going. She knows that God wants her to get baptized, she said so her self. Her kids are already members, and she is basically a member. 

I am just loving this area. Me and the comp are getting along great. The area is beautiful, there are actually a lot of treed areas, something I haven't really seen too much of in Mexico. The progress  is a little slow, but sure. We are making lots of plans with the ward council and the members are really good. all is well in Zion.

So other than that life is good. I love you all!!

Elder Paz

 Hello family and friends!

Wow, these last changes were huge! So my dreams have come true. Everything I ever wanted to do I am basically doing now. I once again came back to the Tezontepec zone, this time in one of the biggest areas in the mission, its called Ixmiquilpan. It was actually part of my district when I was in the area Tezontepec. We have about 4 or 5 municipios, which are like counties I think. We can go hours in one direction by transport and we are still in our area. One of the members told us, I don't know if it was an exaggeration or not, but he said that we can go 6 hours from the church and we are still our area. That's what I'm talking about:) It is country again, really similar to Tezontepec and Santiago. 

So my companion is Elder Garcia, he is a new guy, straight from the MTC in Provo. He is from California, but his parents are Mexican, so he already knows Spanish. We are getting along really well:) 

Also I am a district leader again:) We are just a little unit of 4 elders here in Ixmiquilpan:) Oh and obviously my companion and I are opening area...a lot harder than I thought. This week has actually been pretty hard, but through the exercise of a lot of faith, I feel like we have a foothold on everything. The area wasn't in a great condition when we got here, but we are getting to know the investigatores and members and it is going well. 

So we really need you guys to pray for Alvaro and Mayra. They were actually going to get baptized a few weeks ago, but for some weird stuff that happened, it didn't go through. lately they haven't even been accepting that the missionaries visit them. So the first thing we need that you do is pray that they will let us visit them:)

Esther and Vicente area another couple that are really good but have been having a lot of marital problems. They need to realize the blessings that they can get from living the gospel. They have already been to church, they just need to get back together, get married by the law, and then get baptized.

Well I thank you for all that you do for us! I love you all so mucho and hope that you have a splendid week while you study and apply your conference talk notes! I love you!

Elder Paz 

 Hey people!

So I am finally leaving my área...the truth is that its been a great almost 6 months here in Tecámac, and I'm going to miss this área and zone a ton.

This week Chucho got baptized!!!! But oh man was it a wild ride...never have I had so many problems with a baptism. So first of all he didn´t even have all of the required Sundays because he had to go with his dad a few times. So we had to ask permisión from president. Then his mom just about didn't let him for several reasons. But in the end everything went well. The service started over 2 hours late, but it was as beautiful as ever and Chucho had a great experience:) He is super excited and I am so happy that I was able to see him be baptized before I leave this área:)

I know I am not going to be here this week, but I would love it if you all could pray for Karina and her sister, Diego, and maybe the Perez family as well! They are all wonderful people and could use all the help that they can get!

Well I sure as heckfire hope that you all have a great rest of the week!!

 Hey everyone!

Well we had a great week! We had 2 new investigators at church this week! Their names are Karina and Diego. Karina is a 20 year old with a Little daughter that is about 3 years old. We found her through a member and she looks like she is going to progress a lot:) She is really interested in the message about the Restoration and about temples. What she really needs is to find peace and happiness by living the restored Gospel of Jesús Christ!

Diego is an incredible person. He Works as a security guard of a "privado". I do not know how to say that in English but its basically a Street that's closed in with a big gate and there is a security guard that will take your ID and let you in and out of the place. Anyways He contacted the sister missionaries that live in his Street. He got to church by himself this week! We didn`t even teach him and he got there! He loved it and is really excited to come again and has a baptismal date for the 18th of Abril. The only thing is that he has had a ton of problems with drugs, alcohol, and all that kind of stuff. He is really need a lot of strength so that he can stay out of all of that! Pray for him!

Chucho did not go to church this week because he had to go see his dad who lives in another town. We are not completely sure when he will get baptized, but we are really hoping for this weekend still.

I love you all!

Elder Paz

 Hey kids! Well this week was wonderful:)

I am just really excited for this week:) we had new people in church this week! Griselda, Israel. They are awesome! They need to receive an answer quick style!!! 

Also Chucho is progressing! HE came to church this week and his date should hold for the 28th! He really needs to have a lot of faith to get out of the family problems that he is having...but he has a ton of desire and we are really excited to get to teach him!

Also we found a new family this week. They are the Escamilla Perez family. They are wonderful. They have gone to church for years but have not gotten baptized because they need to get married. Pray for the dad to have his heart softened and his desire lifted!

As a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon and I read a really cool scripture in 2 Nephi 4 this week, I think verse 28. Basically it teaches us that if do not want to let Satan win, then its as simple as not giving him room to do so. If we are always involved in a good cause, a good thought, a good desire, then it will literally be impossible to sin. If we can control ourselves so that we are always doing good, then Satan will be conquered! I think that all of us can examine our own lives and look for more ways to serve the Lord, and if we do that, it will be that much harder to allow Satan to have room in our lives! Just don`t let him in!

I love you all!

Elder Paz

 Hello people!

Well this week was amazing and just alright at the same time...

It was harder because we didn´t see very much progress in the work. The new family and Chucho did not come to church...however I still have hope for them:) We are just going to have to see what happens:)

I think that the highlight of my week was when we had council of Leaders this week and at one point I had the great opportunity to talk to my mission President just one on one. He taught me a great lesson about fighting against Satan. I am going to explain what I learned: In this life there are a ton o challenges. And well some of them can be challenges that we will have for our whole lives. It could be anything. Now with all of those challenges, we are bound to fail several times in trying to overcome them. Some challenges are so hard for us that we will fail several, several times in them before we can overcome it. Every time we fail, our first reaction will probably be sadness. That´s fine, that´s natural. But what we can not let happen is lose our hope. It does not matter how many times we fail at something, the Atonement of Christ id  infinite. Satan wants us to think that we can not overcome our challenges, and every time we fail, he tries to give us that feeling that we will never win. That is contrary to the teachings of Christ. We can always win, we may lose a battle, but that means absolutely nothing for the war. We must always have the hope in Christ, and never let our determination falter. Every time we fail, we must analyze what has caused the failure, and then change it. That is what being perfect means. Always changing for the better, always progressing, and always becoming more perfect. When we give up and stop progressing, that is when we need to be worried. However if we are always changing and progressing, and becoming perfect in Christ, then we will be fulfilling the will of God. That is the point of this life!

Well I ate some delectable cow stomach this week. Then the next day some chopped up Habaneros. Not a good combination. Enough said.

I love you all so much!!

Elder Paz