July 23 2012

This week flew by. It went great though. We saw a bunch of miracles and found a lot of new people to teach and what not. Firstly, I was sad to hear about that guy that opened fire in the theater during Batman. Thats a bummer. I always wonder why people do that...

Well on a better note, we had changes today, and I finally realized im not in little Campeche anymore. There is 3 other zones here in Cancun, and while at the bus station to see all the other elders off, I saw a lot of old faces that I had seen for a while. It was way sweet. Elder Laudie and I of course both stayed, but there were a lot of other changes in the mission. 

While knocking late one morning, just before a set appointment we had, we found a lady named Maria. She lives on the top floor of an apartment building that is surrounded by dozens of others just like it. I have no idea how we ended up at her door, but it happened. She comes out and seemed very happy to have us. While talking to her, she told us that late the night before, she had arrived from the state of Tobasco for problems she was having back there. She was looking for work, but more than that, she was looking to start over. She told us that she had prayed dozens of times between the time that she had arrived and the time that we got there, asking for a new opportunity and a new life. She is stoked for baptism and went to church yesterday and loved it. She is also very excited for us to talk with her 16 year old son who will be moving from tobasco to cancun this week probably. 

One of our more escogido investigators surprised this week with some cool info. His name is Arturo, and he drives buses for the city. We found him knocking, and he has taken a lot of interest in everything. Turns out that 2 days before we knocked his door, he found an Ensign at work and has been reading it. He liked it so mch that he was looking in all the secondhand stores he could find for a book of mormon. He remembered seeing one a long time ago and wanted to get one to read. He gave him one and he wanted to know how much it cost. We told him it was free, but that he had to read it. I surprised myself by saying that this book is worth more to me than anything else I have, and it doesnt cost a thing. I would be willing to give up any material posesion I have for that book. He has read a lot so far, and loves it. 

We also gave one to his daughter in law, who loves to read it as well. When we asked her how it was going with the book, she showed us how she had been marking her favorite parts, and not just that, but she was marking what she felt she needed to change in her life and then was praying after to ask for help and guiandance while making the change. She is 14. It took me 19 years and a mission to figure out how to do that, and she does after one week reading it. She says she feels something diferent, something special while reading it. She cant put it down. And sometimes as members, we go days, weeks, dare i say months without reading it on our own. We shouldnt take it for advatage. 

Those were just a few a the better moments from the week. It really was a great week. Elder Laudie and I have been slacking on the picture taking. We talked about it last night. We will take more pics this week! ¡Se lo juro! But we are working hard and having a great time along on the way. I hope everyone has a great week. Lots of love!

 

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

July 16 2012

So yes I did get changed to Cancun. This place has changed quite a bit really. They have all new buses that are way high tech and what not. Technology amazes me now. i cant imagine what it will be like to go home to all that. Speaking of buses, the other day a bus passed by plastered in an advertisment for Batman.... I just looked down at the ground and kicked some rocks. 

So the pictures are some random pics of me and missionaries, and today my comp taught me how to tie a bow tie! Its pretty legit.

 

My area is the right next to my first real area in the mission when i started, and a lot of the members from this ward knew tha they recognized me from somewhere. Back then i couldnt speak spanish and i only ever saw them for a second every sunday, so i was surprised they even recognized me. Im with Elder Laudie, from Pleseant grove utah, and is... something else. We get along great, and i already knew him for more than a year ago. to give you an idea, every morning to do 30 minutes of excersize, he gets up and dances to no music, but its the funniest dance ive ever seen. 

I dont have to much to write about this week. It was rough leaving my last area, since i assumed i was going to finish there. I couldnt say goodbye to anyone, since they told me at 10 at night and i was on a bus at 8 the next morning, but thats the mission. Im excited to be here though. Its a solid ward and they are very excited to help the missionaries. 

We are teaching an awesome family of 6 right now that are ready, they just have to get married and they are set for baptism! They are way cool. We also have an investigator whose husband is a less active that grew up in California, San Jose. Its kinda weird cause he always speaks to us in english but his wife doesnt know that much so we have to switch back and forth and its gets pretty interesting. We also have two young men we are teaching that speak better english than they do spanish since they grew up in the states. So i taught my first lesson in enlgsih the other day. It was way weird. I couldnt really

put all my taughts together to form everything i wanted to say, but hopefully i will get better.

well thats about it for this week. Times winding down now, its starting to scare me really. As i come to the realize that its coming to an end, I thank the Lord for everything he has given me, and i ask that he forgives my faults and for all those i could have helped if i would have been a litle better. I can feel his love and the confirmation that he has accpeted what i have given thus far, but i still have much more to give. I love this work.

Have a greatt week everyone!

Love,

Elder Kitterman

July 9 2012

They special changed me to cancun. Im back in the zone where my first real area was, and in the same chapel, just the area next to it.  i have no idea why or what. Im so confused, but i prayed right after getting the call and have been able to stay level headed about the whole thing. i will write more next week. my comp is elder Laudie from utah, and ive known him for a while now. hes a great guy.

 

More next week. I was on the bus alllll day today....again.

 

Thanks for everything. love ya

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

July 2 2012

Well we are literally on our way to Merida. We just stopped by really quick to write cause we dont thik we will have time in Merida to do it. So not a lot of time, but I do my best to give the DL.

We did two day divisions with some elders here in Campeche and I was with Elder Meador, who is a pilot. I made him promise me like 50 million times to take me flying when he gets home next year. He says he will if he lets me go to a track meet. done.

Remember when i told you guys at mothers day that I wanted to find a family? Well even before that Ive felt that we were lacking someone, and we.  Carlos and Aurrora, a young married couple with two little daughters, are the ones we have been looking for a while now. Its funny how Im now able to tell if there is somebdy im looking for. At the begining of my mission I couldnt ever tell the difference, but as Ive tried to pay much more attention to the spirit, I can now tell now there is somebody specific that we have to find. They are so excited about all of it, and are making all the necessary changes to be able to go to church every sunday and the whole shabang.

But on te other hand, there are always people lookig for us. We were going with Carlos and Aurrora to church yesterday morning, when a police officer came out of his guard house near a small school and field to cal us over. We sent Crlos and his wife on to the bus stop and went over to talk to him. He said he had a question. He asked us what the significance of a holocaust was. No, not the holocaust of the Jews, but a holocaust from the old testament. We explained it to him and about sacrifices and that they represented the sacrifice of Christ before his coming. He thought for a second and then said "i was reading about that in the bible, and it mentioned something about atonement too. What is that?" We explained it along with our short testimonies of Christ. We could see a fire slowly growing in his eyes. As tears rolled down his cheeks, he told us "Ive ben looking for so long for the truth. Where is it?" We quickily explained that it has all been restorted. We gave him a book of mormon, a few pamphlets, and a promise that we would come back later that day. 

We went back that night, and there he was waiting for us. He had read the pamphlets and a little of the book of mormon. He said "As soon as i can Im buying a white shirt and tie and im finding one of your churches." He doesnt live in our area, so we passed his direction along to the sister missionaries that are there. I was so impacted by this encounter that I bore my testimony in church on the blesing we have to be in the truth, and to know of the atonement. Imagine going your whole life without the knowledge of the greatest of most redeeming event to have ever transpired in the history of the world. Imaine not being able to use in your life, because you simply dont know. But here is the better question- If you do know it, do you use it? Whens the last time you used it? 

Im grateful for a loving Savior. Im grateful for an infnite scrifice that allows me to be clean and free of sins and burdens. Christ suffered all for you and I. If we realy love him, it will not be in vain. That is the great truth. 

Have a great week! Say your prayers, read your scrptures, and love more.  

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

June 25 2012

I will start off with thw worldly. Ashton Eaton seriously broke the world record in the decathlon? Thats sick!!!! Im so happy i got to go see that guy compete before leaving. It was a bummer to hear Clay DQed, but it happens. He will still alwasy be one of my favs.

 

My heart is very full after this past weekend. We had stake conference yesterday, and it was amazing. Two converts that I taught and baptized recieved the Melchizedek preisthood, one being Carlos, who, aftering being sustained to the office of Elder, was called up to bear his testimony in front of the whole stake. He shared an experince he had had with prayer, and then a sincere testimony of Christ. I couldnt help but think back to almost 3 months ago when we first sat in his living room and he told us that he never had intentions of joining the church. Nothing has ever felt more fufilling than that one sweet moment hearing him tell a packed stake center that this was the true church, and that Christ lives.

 

Daniel, who was also sustained to the office of an elder, was jumped Saturday night while with his family at a park in downtown. He was blindsided by some guy with a pipe and then kicked several times in the face while on the ground, despite the fact that he was already unconscious. He is alright, but will probably have to have surgrey on his eye that got hit to relieve the blood that is now causing preasure there. Also he needs a new smile. I talked to him on the phone when i found out, and the thing he was most upset about was the fact that he missed but sustained, but it still happened. The reason why this happened was becuase a few years back he wasnt the great kid andhad many problems with more than a few people. But after meeting his girlfriend, a verly faithful member, he changed everything and was baptized back in April. He is 20 and the nicest guy you could ever meet. Please pray for him.

 

Other than that, the conference was great because the speakers were amazing. Elder Johnson, an area 70, President Salinas and his wife, and the Merida temple president and his wife, all spoke. After the conference i was bombarded by a small mob of members from all over Campeche that I was close to in my others 3 wards here in the stake. It was awesome to see all of them again. 

 

Well im a litele shorter on time today, so Im going to get going on writing others, but it really was an amazing week. Sorry for no pics this week, for sure next week. Much love.

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

June 18 2012

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!! Hope all the dads had a good one.

 

Well this week flew by like no other. We were more busy due to the fact that my new comp is getting to know the area and all the people. Speaking of which, I know I always say this, but my new comp Elder Vazquez, is a strait of BOSS. He is the best teacher I have ever seen and is really chill and hard working. We get along amazingly well and already have some solid stuff goin. Im very extremely lucky to have gotten 2 great comps back to back. I admire him a lot because in 2010 he started his mission in the state of Chiapas, but had to go home for problems that werent even his, and after a year home due to breaking his leg playing soccer shortly after getting home, he came back out to this mission. He has been out in the field a total of 18 months, but 6 here in this mission. He looks like superman, only mexican... no joke.

 

Well this week has no really great highlights that stick out, but we did find a lady while knocking a little before lunch one day who desperatly needed the gospel due to illness and lack of hope in life. She is a close by neighbor to a really cool sister in the ward. Sunday morning when we went by to see if we could bring her to church she wasnt there. So we headed to sacrement a little dissapointed, only to get there and see that her member neighbor had already brought her and her grand daughters. She liked it so much and looked so much happier after the services. Her neighbor said to her "Why didnt i ever talk to you before? Why didnt i say anything??" and with many tears she answered saying it wasnt her moment and now it was. It was pretty tender

 

We also went to Champoton for interviews! Their district leader couldnt go so we got to go. I loved being able to go back. It brought back so many memories and it was great seeing a few old faces. This week is actually stake conference so i should be able to see some old peeps. By now i know like over half the stake. One year in one zone is a long time....

 

Well sorry for the lack of photos this week. It was rainging prett freaking hard the whole time so i left my camera back home most of the time. But i did get a few, and one of the baptism we had or Viridiana and Italia, who have been wating to get baptized since they were 8, but their families have never been active. Now their families are back strong and they were able to get baptized. They are only 10, but I couldnt believe how over joyed they were to finally do it. I feel that sometimes we take for granted even the big things such as being baptized.

 

Other than being ridiculousñy tired, I couldnt be better. I could literally fall asleep at this keyboard right now with no problem, but i have such little time left i guess it doesnt even matter haha. Im sechuled to fly in on the 6th of september, but im not sure on the hour yet. But we still have plenty of time for that. Thanks for everything.  

 

PS check out this car we saw parked on the street. Dad, picture that on the vette, it would look SWEEEEET!!!

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman

June 11 2012

i cant write today really, due to changes. No, i thankfully did not get changed. But something even worse happened, elder higginson got changed. I was devastated, but my new comp is way chill. His name is Elder Vasquez from the north of mexico. I will probably be finishing my mission here, since i have have two changes left.

 

They called and told us last night that elder higginson was going to a small town outside of merida and training, and we were both really sad. when he gets into to merida this morning, they called me from the offices and all started shouting saying he has something to tell me. They pulled a fast one on us and he is actually the new assistant. if anyone deserves something like that, its him. He will sorely be missed here.

 

I have a lot to write, but no time. we had another baptized this week, 20 year old Hugo who has a really cool conversion story that i will share if i can remember next week! Take care everyone.

 

p.s. I will probably complete one year in campeche. insane.

Love,

 

Elder Kitterman