May 14 2012

Hey everyone,

 

It was really great talking to everyone yesterday. I hope all the Moms had a fantastic mothers day!

 

So this is going to be super short, cause I pretty much said everything already over the phone. Oh, and heres all the pics ive been lacking lately. One is from thebaptism of Berenice, who continues strong, and the baptism of Carlos and Raquel. Carlos this past week recieved the aaronic preiesthood and hopefully they will be going to do baptisms in the temple on ma birfday. Sweet sauce.

 

This week was way tranquilo. We just worked and worked some more. I wish I could say I raised somebody from the dead or something like that, but Im still working on it. I wanted to thank everyone again for everything. I wouldnt be able to do any of this without you guys. Lots of love and a big peace out. Word.

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

May 7 2012

Carlos and Raquel were baptized on Saturday. Sitting here, thats the only thing that really comes to mind from this past week. Its still hard to grasp to be honest. We invited Pres Salinas because they wanted him to be there as well, and to our surprise he did come. We gave him the floor to talk to the packed house to melt everyones faces with some spiritual mojo, and he didnt dissapoint. He talked about, of all things, John the Baptist. He explained who he was and what he did. He explained how the people saw him, and his sacred power that he held that made it all possible. Then he got to the goods; Christs baptism. Then he talked about the need that we all have to do the same. It was an amazing talk that had everyone going for a while. Then we moved onto the baptism, and it couldnt have been better. I was asked to baptize Carlos, and Elder Higgy was asked to baptize Raquel. 

I feel overwhelmed, over joyed. This conversion was different, and I have tried for these past days to figure out why. We didnt do anything special really, we were just the mouth pieces. Not in a million years would I dare say that they got bapitzed because of Elder Higginson or I, but for the faithfulness of their son.  They finally found what they had been looking for for more than 20 years because their son did the right thing. We were just lucky enough to be here to see it all. All of the people I have seen has been very fufilling, but this one had a very special spirit. The longer the search, the greater the joy i guess.

Mexico is finally catching up with the states. We will very shortly start using mormon.org to teach and find people. The site is already up in spanish, but its incomplete. but in august it will be launched in many languages, and with Mitt Romney making a run at President, the first presidency and the 12 are pushing to get everything out on the table. The church is been investigated more than ever. Tell a friend!

Well thats about all I got this week. i know its short, but phone call is coming up. i cant beleive its already mothers day. It feels like we just talked like a month ago. But hey, whos complaining. I will talk to you guys Sunday! Paz.

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

April 30 2012

So we taught Carlos and Raquel this past week, the non member parents of the Elder Barera who just recently left for the mission. We have seen so many miracles with them lately and could feel they were getting close. On thursday at our appointment, Carlos told us he had something he wanted to read with us from the Book of Mormon. It was Mosiah 18. I wont tell you what it says, but it left us with our jaws dropped. Read it with their situation in mind. we went with the intention of putting the goal of getting baptized on the 12th of may, when to our surprise they start quietly talking about things and turn to us and say "couldnt we do it this saturday?" After we picked ourselves up off the floor, we started gettin everything put together to get it done. But Carlos, that very morning, had drank coffee, and we have a rule that they have to obey the word of wisdom for at least one week before baptism. He doesnt have a problem with it, he just for whatever reason drank some cause thats what they served for breakfast at the base (hes a marine). He didnt know he would be getting baptized two days later, but they wanted to. So we called Pres Salinas to get premission, but he said it would be better to wait. So they will be getting baptized this saturday. They told us everything had changed for them in the time that we had been teaching them. It is a huge blessing from their son serving a mission, even at the age of 25. If their is one promise I have seen completed over and over again in my mission, its that the Lord blesses them that serve him. So after 22 years of constant atending church, they will finally be members.

 

We also have another baptism for saturday. Its a 22 year woman named Luz. We have been teaching her for about a month and a half, and we were just waiting to go to church 3 times to be able to. She dreams about as much as Lehi did, all about baptism and the Book of Mormon and gates and what not. She runs track , long distance, and marathons as well. From what she tells us, she always wins, and sometimes thousands of pesos too. She is way stoked.

 

Today was changes, and we both stayed thank goodness. We are being blessed so much and I cant imagine it continuing like this with anyone else besides Higgy. (thats what i call him)

 

I have to give some shout outs! Congrats to Dahlin and Connie! As soon as i heard you guys were dating i knew it was a done deal. I would love to hear from the both of you more about it. Yes, i did get youre letter dahlin, thanks! If you can, push the wedding back like two more weeks so im there! But we will see what we can do.

 

Also, a huge congrats to Kyle. Way to go bro. Always always always strive to be worthy of the priesthood you know hold. It is the same power that the earth and heavens are governed by, and now you have it. Use it well. Its kinda like super powers...

 

Well I hope everyone has a great week! Lots of love to the homies.

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

April 23 2012

We spent something like 22 hours on bus this past week due to all the traveling. Im so sick of busses its ridiculous. On Monday and Tuesday it was going to and coming back from Cancun, and then we found out my comp was illegal so we had to go into Merida to fix his visa, when we had just passed through there the day before. Then we had to go to Escarsega for some interviews... I never want to get on another bus again. 

The conference with Elder Anderson was amazing. It was mostly in spanish because he speaks it along with French and Portuguese, but spanish is his weakest language. It was pretty much like a spanish speech with a lot of french sounding vowels and some portuguese words. He would say something he wasnt super sure about and then look back at President and the other 70s and ask "Is that even spanish?" But other than being some what comical, it was way good. he taught a lot of important things such as the step of suffering when repenting, and how its not optional. He also talked a lot about how the mission ends, and we need to be prepared to get going when life starts back up. It was weird, because tin the mission it is normal to feel like it never ends. The happines just keeps going forever! 

We are working very extremely hard with a couple that has a son that just left on his mission a month ago. They have known the curch for years and years, but have never made the decision to be baptized. President Salinas was able to come with us the first time that we taught them, and among many other things that he told them, he promised them that they would feel what they were looking for BEFORE 3 weeks was up. That was 3 weeks ago this past Friday, the 20th. We had kinda forgotten about that, but when we went to go teach them on Thursday, the 19th, it was quickily brought back up. The more difficult of the two (the mom) always had a hard time with everything. She said she always prayed but never felt anything. Well when we taught them on Thursday, she told us about dreams she had been having , and about how that morning when she prayed she felt something different, something good. Her husband then made mention of the promise that Pres Salinas had made, and everything just dawned on her. We then talked about what she still needed to be baptized, and it all came back to the Book of Mormon. She just didnt understand it, or why we have it. So the next day, the 20th, we explained it all as clearly as we could, and again it hit her. They are so freaking close, and even they know it now too. It was realy cool to see how it all worked out perfectly. Actually today they demanded that the relief society secretary that makes our food list, change it so we could eat with them. 

Other than that it was a normal week. Yesterday we were given the whole sacrement meeting to speak, just us two, and it went amazingly well. My comp talked first on how to be an example by obedience, and then I talked on how to prepare yourself to be a missionary. Then after, we had to give the principles of the gospel class, and then in preisthood the second couslers just walks in, hands us a talk from general conference of how the missionaries are a teasure for the church and says "I think you guys should teach this one" and walks out. Plus it was the end of a fast, so church was rather exausting, spiritually and vocally.  

Our baptism went well. She was sooo ridiculously happy to finally get to do it after having to wait for about 2 months. The members are kinda getting tired of having to come to our baptims though. When we dont baptize, they complain, and when we do, they complain. What do they freaking want!!!???!!!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week! Love to all. 

Love,

Elder Kitterman

April 16 2012

I cant really write tha much right now because in a few hours we are heading to Cancun and we have to be in the bus station soon. But i wanted to send off our baptism picture and say hi.

Hi

The baptism went great. We got a lot done this week and saw a bunch of miracles. Im stoked outof my mind to see Elder Anderson tomorow. Like a toddler at Christmas. Its going to be epic.
Happy Birthday Dad! Congrats on the big 5-0. A jag isnt a bad way to celebrate.

Well sorry for the shortness this week. Next week should be a lot better. Oh! There was special changes here in the zone and my old comp Elder Skeen will be coming in after the conference tomorow. Im way stoked to see him again. He will be allllll the way out in the middle of nowhere Escarsega, but we have to go out there prett frequently so it should be dope.

I bought a new hammock. I call it "the bat-hammock". I had it specialy woven with the bat symbol in the middle, and of course black and yellow. Its the worlds greatest hammock, and of course, its huge. pics included. (if your wondering why its hard to see the bat symbol, try and learn to weave a hammock and you'll understand)

There is one more pic of a family we are teaching right now, Familia Guzman. Its a family of 5, 4 over the age of 8. They are progressing very quickly and are planning to be baptized the 28th. Please pray for them to feel good about it, cause its a big change for them since we just met them 2 weeks ago, but they are such an amazing family. It was the oldest daughters birthday, and her dad is about to puch her head into her cake. Its a tradition here to take abite out of your cake and try and avoid someone pushing you into it. she failed.

Take care everyone! Sorry to hear about Todd being released. But everything will work out for the best. It alwasy does. Much love to all the homies.

Love,

Elder Kitterman

April 9 2012

Hey peeps,

I should be able to come up with something to write this week since I have two weeks to pull from... I guess we will see.

Things are going almost too well. The members here have really warmed up to us and are begining to hand over referencias faster than we can visit them. Im not complaning, but there is just not enough time in the day anymore. We are currently teaching a lot of people that are from part member families. Those are usually the best, since completing a family is like top notch missionary work, but these people are all people who have been investigating the church for anywhere from 5 to 30 years, and they have seen sooo many Elders and always ended up at the same point.

One of them is the husband of the sunday school teacher for the adults, and her along with her 3 daughters have been strong active members for many years. We knew that her husband wasnt a member, but we hadnt ever had the chance to talk to him. Well 2 weeks ago, President Salinas came and worked with us in our area for most of the day. We happened to be eating with this sister, but her husband wasnt home. She being telling us her conversion story and how she has always tried to get her husband to come to church and what not. President asks her how long they have been together and how many times the missionaries have taught him. It was 28 years and dozens of times. He looks at her, then at us, and back at her and says "These two missionaries are going to be the ones that baptize your husband. As holder of the keys of all missionary in the Yucatan peninsula, I promise you that he will be baptized by these two Elders". Those words will forever be burned into my brain. Looking back on it, I suppose that it should have made me a little nervous, or even afraid. But the it did just the opposite. It filled us both with so much faith that we have no doubt now it will happen. He is already seeing more progress than he ever has before.

The rest of that day went accordingly. Our president is known not only among the missionaries here, but by all the members that have heard him speak and all other major church leaders in all of mexico to be one to do that kind of stuff. He regualrly works with the Elders here, and one of the assistents went back and found out how many people that he has tught just once that got baptized, and it was over 80%. In fact, our baptism that we had Saturday, wasnt feeling to great about it, but that day he talked with president, and after 15 minutes in the lesson, he was never sure of anything more in his life. He is the 20 year old son of Deici, who got baptized 4 weeks ago that we helped get married. The baptism went fantastic.

This past week was pretty crazy. We didnt have a lot of time to do as much as we wanted to, but we are teaching a lot of amazing people. Yesterday, a family of 5 went to church and absolutely loved it. We are also working extremely hard with the family of a youth that just left on the mission. He is the only member in his family, and his parents are also long time investigators, but things are very different for them now that their son is in the mission.

We have another baptism planned for this week, maybe two. One is the boyfriend of a young women in the ward who has wanted to get baptized for a long time now, but just recently got permission to not work sundays, and the other is the lady who had to go to progresso two weeks ago.

Elder Niel Anderson is coming next week! Im almost forgot! He will be speaking to the etire mission in cancun next Teusday. I cant remember the last time I was so excited. We will be staying the night in Cancun, so that should bring back some find memories. Another 8 hour bus ride. Oh goodie.

Well I hope every has been doing great. I love you all to death and appreciate your letters and prayers.

Love,

Elder Kitterman

April 2 2012

Oh my gosh!!!!

We moved houses. Since our area absorbed an area they shut down a few weeks ago, we went and took a look at the house they were living in and it was way better. Our old house wasnt bad, just small. This one has an air conditioning unit in the room where we sleep. Love the little things...

Well life is crazy. i have no time. Literally we have go to district meeting right now. We somehow managed to get everything done like move (i hate moving) and wash the clothes, but no time to write. We had two baptisms this past week, but the third took off to Progreso for a week or so, but she wants to do it as soon as she gets back.

Im very sorry to hear about that 14 year boy Mom. That must be terrible for the family. I understand how much it might make you think about me being far away and what not, but dont worry. Im more protected here than if I was sitting in our living room.

I will have lots more to write next week. We are taking off to Merida tonight for a meeting, so that should be fun. Have a great week everyone! Les amo un buen.

Love,

Elder Kitterman