June 4, 2018




Mom and Dad,

As always, thank you so much for your emails. Its fun to hear about whats going on at home and good to know that everyone is doing well.

I barely remember what we have been up to these last few weeks. Its all a blur but at least ive been writing in my journal as much as i can so the memories arent all lost to history. One of the best experiences that we have had in these last couple of weeks was finding Toni. We were looking for someone with our ward mission leader (Hermano Mata) a few weeks ago but couldnt find their house or get ahold of them by phone. We scrapped the plan in the end and ended up without plans. Hno. Mata called a friend and managed to get a referral for someome that we could go visit. He gave us a ride there and dropped us off with only a name, Toni, and 1 peace of information, that she speaks mostly english. We knocked on her door and she came to the window initially saying that she was very busy but eventually letting us in. It was a little weird for us to speak in english. My companion, Elder Falslev, struggled a little more than i but it was overall a good experience. I can realate a ton to Toni, when she asks us questions she is very sincere and interested and they are questions that i have asked before like, Where did god come from and who does he talk to when he has a problem or if we are going to live forever wouldnt that get boring? I dont know if it is a more culturally american thing to ask these types of questions but it has helped me relate to her more than any other investigator. Both my companion and i have felt like we were brought to this area to teach her and that that is part of our unique purpose in this area. Wer have also spoken a ton of english these last weeks. We have somehow run into a lot fo people that speak more english than spanish and it feels good to be able to express ourselves more freely. It also feels good to feel like we have a special purpose here as two english speakers and that there are some people who we are in a unique position to help.

Mom, what a story about your patient. I promise to be careful whenever i use power tools. If it makes you feel better im pretty much set for the next 18mos. Also, i loved hearing about your stay in california, I absolutely loved the few days i had to myself over the summer there. Pres. Nelsons message is very interesting to me. Its interesting to think that we were reserved specifically for this time to do this work. It sure doesnt feel like it sometimes but its good to know that we always have access to heavenly help.

Dad, It was awesome to hear about your ride with Ben and how he is doing. He emailed me too and it was good to hear from him. I cant wait to ride the summit with you when i get back. I know that this work is very important but sometimes i have trouble really loving it. I cant help but think sometimes that there are so many other things in the world that i enjoy more even though i know that this is important. What would be your advice for me to help me really be coverted and develop a love for missionary work?

I love you guys so much! I hope you are doing well and know that you are in my prayers as always.

Love

May 26, 2018

Mom and Dad,

It's great to hear from you as always! It sounds like it was an eventful one. I'm glad Kel had a great birthday and that you have all been able to enjoy Memorial day.

It's really hard to see that Adam is going through a very difficult time in his life and to be in a different country, surprisingly close but still very far away. I will keep trying to email and encourage him as much as I can from here and of course, he will be in my prayers.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! We didn't do much on my actual birthday but today my trainer Elder Trejo invited us out to a great seafood place and then took us to a members house where they had baked a whole host of things. It was really fantastic. I really felt the love from the time and effort he put into everything and it was awesome to see him again and hear how he is doing.

Dad, when I read about the symphony I laughed out loud. I remember the last commissioned piece that we went to and it was disappointing as well. What a relief that they will never be able to forget the greats. Rachmaninoff's story really is a motivational one.

Unfortunately, that's all I have time for this week. I will never look at time the same again, the hours fly by here.

I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Love,

Isaac

May 7, 2018

Mom and dad,

I don't have a ton of time but thank you so much for your emails. This Sunday at 4 (PST) we are going to try to set up our mothers day video calls. If that doesn't work out I'll try to let you know of any changes.

Today we had transfers and I have a new companion elder Falslev. He has one transfer more than me and will be our new district leader. He is also going to be my first non-latin companion and I his. We both want to improve our Spanish so I think we will speak almost exclusively in Spanish if we can over these next six weeks. This last transfer with Elder Rodriguez was a little difficult but I'm excited for this transfer and think that the two of us will be able to do a lot of good work. We are both excited, optimistic, and ready to work hard and with that, we can do anything.

Today it was awesome to be able to see a handful of people that I know when we had interchanges. I saw elder mora and elder James who is now training and a district leader! I also got to see a handful of the missionaries from my old area and it was awesome to be able to touch base and see how we are doing. I always leave these meetings feeling excited to be working alongside so many other elders and sisters to preach the gospel here in Mexico!

That's about all I have time for this week but I love you all and can't wait to talk to you this Sunday!

Love

Isaac

Ps. I bought the wood from national wood products in salt lake

Also, offer john miller whatever it is that I have. I liked your suggestion. I just received my card this week but it looks like I won't be needing it. If I can come home debt free, however, I'll be ecstatic even if I don't have a penny to my name. Just make sure that once my accounts are empty that they don't begin to incur fees. Thank you so much for taking care of all of that for me!!!!

April 30, 2018

Mom and Dad,

Wow, lots of news from home this week. It's exciting to hear that Adam is now fully independent, still clean, happy, and making his own way in the world. Every once in a while he sends me a short email and they are some of my favorites to read. Oh how I wish that I'd appreciate what great friends I have in my brothers before I left. It's also super exciting to hear about Kaia and Addie! I was able to meet Sam over the summer living in California and he is really one of a kind. I really like him. I'm sorry to hear that Coulson is not a fan but hopefully, he'll warm to the idea.

Dad, I'm glad to hear that the garden is going strong. It's the simplest things that I miss the most. If Aaron and Kel get used to those hot peppers then I can make some spicy Mexican food for everyone when I get back. This morning I ate fresh serrano chiles with breakfast and have generally come to love super spicy food. We meet a lot of people who plan on crossing the border but I've not seen any sort of line here. Today we met a man who got deported, hates Mexico, and plans on crossing illegally as soon as possible. He also happens to be interested in the Jehovah's witnesses and mistook us for them starting a conversation with, "hey, my uncles a Jehovah witness too and he has always tried to get me to join but I'm only just investigating." we quickly cleared up the confusion but he was still super friendly. You meet all sorts in Tijuana. I'm glad to hear that things are going well at auseon too! I hope everything works out. It's very encouraging to hear that you're really seeing the blessings at home.

Mom, Thanks for all the updates. With the same family news, you and dad always have different takes which I love. Also, thank you for the suggestion. There are 700 members in our ward with a weekly assistance of about 120 so there are certainly lots of less active families. We haven't been able to see Uriel which has been frustrating but we have a lot of hope that he'll keep progressing. Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement. Patience with myself has been hard because its hard for me to find the line. I always feel like I'm not working sufficiently hard and that's where I get down on myself. Hopefully, I can learn to find a better balance there. If you could send a box of graham crackers (3 packages) so that I can make 7 layer bars that would be awesome. Also, I gave away my flash drive so if you could send me one that's decently durable that would be awesome. Thank you so much!

In general things are going well here in Tijuana. We have had a little bit of difficulty but it's more in us than in the area. We were introduced to the niece of the bishop in our ward the other week. Her name is Michelle and she is not a member but her dad is less active and she has been coming to church. We started teaching her and she has learned everything very well and very quickly. She really understands everything we teach and has a desire to change her life. Unfortunately this week her dad said that he wouldn't give her permission to be baptized or to keep going to church so that was a little setback this week but we are moving forward doing what we can to help her and acting with faith.

I love you tons, thanks so much for your emails! I hope you're all doing well

Love,

Isaac

April 23, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week we worked hard and began to see some results of our work. It's been hard for me because we have barely taught anyone over this last month but we are finally finding more and more people. Also, this Saturday one of our investigators, Uriel, is going to be baptized! His friend originally just invited him to church and from there he wanted to learn more. This same friend has invited other friends to church in the past and one other has been baptized as well. Sometimes seemingly small invitations can end up making a big difference.

The part of last week and really the last several months that was hardest for me was feeling inadequate. Feeling that I'm not spiritual enough, prepared enough, that I don't have enough knowledge of the scriptures and that I don't do enough. Yesterday morning in church I was feeling this especially acutely but in the afternoon when we started working I felt much better and really enjoyed the rest of our day. I have often run into the council to forget myself and go to work as a missionary but this had proven hard to apply. My current focus is going to be trying to apply this council and work hard enough to qualify for God's help.

Dad, your idea of teaching English is a good one. We are the only missionaries in our area and my companion doesn't speak English so it would be all up to me. This week I'll look into it and see if we can't possibly put something together. I've never taught English before but where there's a will there's a way.

I was excited to hear about your week and see the pictures that you sent. I loved your backpacking story. It sounds like Hamilton was fantastic and I can't wait to see it when I get back. In the picture, you all look great! Aarons' hair is really something. Your impressions from his life remind me of a scripture that I read yesterday in doctrine and covenants

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I love the idea of being anxiously engaged, it sounds to me like this was something that Hamilton did well. I also love that we are agents unto ourselves, we have the power and ability to do an immense amount of good and often we are the only thing stopping us.

I love you guys so much and hope you have a fantastic week!!

Love,

Isaac

April 16, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week was another kind of tough one. I am really starting to realize exactly why people say that serving a mission is so hard. That being said if its hard now that means im learning and improving and will be better off later.

We have one investigator that is really progressing right now and has a baptismal date for this Saturday. His name is Uriel and he is sixteen. Every time we meet with him he is very interested and insightful and that makes it really fun to teach him. Even though he is just sixteen he is very mature and really has his head on straight. He has a lot of faith as well, that's one of the things I love about the people in Mexico, in general they are a people of faith.

Dad, thanks so much of sharing the story about kel and your spiritual insight. Your comparison is spot on and I can definitely relate especially after this week. I also loved hearing about the land cruiser. I have so many memories of putting something all together and then having to take it all back apart again because of the tiniest mistake. It's maddening but its also how we learn.

Mom, I am always impressed with the missionary moments that you share with me. It encourages me to think of the people that we run into that really are prepared and who truly appreciate and apply the gospel in their lives. It's good to know that I am in your prayers, thank you. Us missionaries need all the divine help that we can get. There is nothing that I can think of that I need here. I'm not sure what i'll do with a package just now. In reality I don't have much time to need anything more than the basics. If you want to wait a little to send the package I can try to think of anything that I need. More than anything I love to receive the handwritten cards and letters that you send me. Thanks so much for thinking of me!

I love you guys so much and hope everyone is doing well

April 9, 2018

Mom and Dad,

It's good to hear from you as always. I knew Adam would be leaving soon but it's still a surprise to hear that he really took off this week. It's only just hitting me that we will likely never live all together as a family again. When I left I unconsciously felt like I was stepping out of life for two years and that when I returned everything would be the same.It's still a little surreal to hear about all the things that are happening back at home. I'm glad to hear that adam made it to california safely and hope that he is doing well. I am of course worried for him but I hope that with the responsibility of living on his own he will start to learn and grow into the person that he has the potential to be.

This week it feels like not much happened. A lot of appointments fell through and we spent a lot of time out in the street walking. We did however have some good experiences too. Sergio and Anabell are a couple that the missionaries here have been visiting for months. Sergio is a less active member and Anabell is just learning about the church. They aren't married and their situation has been a little complicated so they haven't really been able to progress much. This week we visited them and anabell said she really wants to be baptised but is frustrated because of their situation. In the end she and sergio set a goal to get married in 2 months so that she can be baptised! We also visited a less active member family this week and found out that they are mariachis. That visit turned into a mariachi jam session and was one of the most enjoyable parts of the week.

Unfortunately I am out of time but know that I am doing well and love you all. Bit by bit I am trying to improve and become a better person and better missionary. It's never easy but the important things never are. I hope everyone is doing well at home and that you have a fantastic week.

Love

Isaac

April 2, 2018

Mom and Dad,

As has become usual this week flew by. The expected and notable highlight was conference which, as missionaries, is both a huge break and a boost. Unfortunately it was all in spanish and it's just not the same. To not be able to hear the prophet and the apostles in the voices that we know so well was a bit of a bummer. Also the translation into spanish misses the eloquence and humor that makes it so engaging to listen to our church leaders. That all being said it was still a hugely uplifting experience. Also what exciting and sweeping changes! As missionaries we won't really notice the differences in full but going forward things will be different. What an exciting opportunity to refocus and rededicate ourselves to what it really means to be a latter day saint.

One of my favorite parts of conference was the remarks that pres. Nelson gave at the end of the priesthood session and especially his closing remarks. He has all the priesthood stand starting with deacons and going through all the levels of the priesthood until all were standing and then we all sang together. What a powerful experience! Unfortunately whomever chose the hymns hasn't read the spanish hymnbook recently because there is no translation for either of the hymns that we sang in that session for spanish. As a result the vocal participation in Mexico and latin america was likely very low during those musical numbers but the spirit was felt nonetheless.

Also, today marks one week in Independencia and this week I have had the chance to get to know my new companion, the members, and the area here. Elder Rodriguez and I have gotten along very well. We seem to have a lot in common and I have enjoyed our first week together. The other night we were talking about what music we like and he started singing parts of his favorite songs. I recognised many of them and joined in. By the end we were singing all the beatles songs that we knew together. Technically the beatles are not missionary approved but I thought it was awesome the way we were able to relate based on the music we love. This is one of the things I love about music, the way it can bring us together when we share it.

I have also come to know and love the area I am serving in a little more. Today we went for $1.50 haircuts at a barbershop where students train and learn to cut hair. It reminded me of dad one of the first times he went to get his haircut in provo. The fact that they were so cheap was great but it was also the best haircut that I have gotten here in Mexico, go figure. In our area as well there may or not be a costco. Its right on the border and I'm not sure whether it's ours or not but I think we will definitely be able to go.

I loved hearing from both of you about Brian's piece being played by the BYU orchestra. How exciting! I wish I could have been there to hear it, please congratulate him for me!

That's as much as I have time for this week but I love you guys so much and love hearing from you about how things are going. I especially loved your insights from conference. I hope all is well at home and look forward to hearing from you next week!

Love Isaac

March 26, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week absolutely flew by. On saturday we had to wait all day to hear about transfers but when we finally got the call we heard that Elder Mora would be staying in Tecate and that I would be heading to tijuana to receive my new companion and new assignment. After almost 5 months in Tecate I was at once expecting a new assignment  and in part hoping to be able to stay in Tecate for another transfer. We managed to find a member who could give us a ride and this morning arrived in good time here in tijuana. I received my new companion (Elder Rodriguez) and our new assignment to the Independencia area of tijuana. I know almost nothing about the area or elder rodriguez so far but from what I've seen I really like the area and it feels good to be living in a more urban area again.

Unfortunately that's all I have time for this week but I'll send more in the way of details next week.

love you all!

Isaac

Ps, dad, thank you for putting up the blog, of course it's fine for you to post my letters!

March 19, 2018

Mom, Dad, and Grandma,

This week went by really quickly. This transfer is almost over already, we only have 1 week left. As always we won't know until Saturday but I want to spend one more transfer here. It almost feels like we are still exactly where we started but I'm trying to be optimistic. Thank you both for your words of encouragement. It really does help to be able to read all of your positivity, encouragement and advice every week.

Though we didn't have much success this week we did at least have some funny experiences.

on Sunday at church as we were leaving gospel principles I saw some less active members and started heading over to say hi to them. As I was walking over, a little kid who was running around in the chapel, tripped right in front of me. I bent down to lift him up and heard an impressively loud ripping sound and instantly felt a lightness in the area of my left thigh. I stood up quickly and reached down to find that my pants had given up the ghost in an impressive manner. The entire seat of my pants all the way down to my knee was completely ripped open. I quickly made my way to the bathroom hugging the wall and backing up all the way. From there my companion and the Sisters looked for solutions to my problem which included thread without a needle, and staples. In the end they found a pair of baptismal pants that fit passibly and we all headed into the third hour. Altogether it was an absolutely hilarious experience for everyone and I thankfully thought it was as funny as everyone else and didn't terribly mind. This experience totally reminded me of dad and how no matter what goes wrong or when, he is always able to laugh it off and never gets upset or frustrated. That is a trait that I want to develop and am working on here in the mission.

We also had a zone conference this week and found out that from here on out we will do almost no contacting and rely almost wholly on members for referrals. That will be a challenge for us because we have relied almost wholly on contacting to find people to teach. In this last transfer we have received something like 2 referrals from members and had very little success. This feels like an inspired change and as we implement it I think we will see a lot more success but it will be neither easy nor quick to implement. That being said I’ve always liked a good challenge and this is certainly something worth working for.

I read Alma 26 1 through 5 this week and found it to be inspiring and wanted to share it. I specifically like that Alma is talking about the incredible blessings that they have received and that the best of all was that they were able to be tools in the Lord's hands to do missionary work. It really is a blessing. Some days it doesn't feel that way but it really is and the blessings are great let alone the joy that comes from helping others find the truth.

That's all I have time for this week but know that I am generally doing well and in good health. It's not usually easy but that's as it should be. if it were easy we wouldn't learn or grow any.

I love you all and hope everyone is doing well

Love,

Isaac

March 12, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week was a little difficult here in Tecate but nonetheless good. We have had a little difficulty with our investigators because they have been unwilling or hesitant to do what they need to in order to progress and we have had a lot of appointments that have fallen through. Never the less, we were able to find a good number of people this week and hopefully in this next week we will be able to teach more and help our investigators progress.

Spring forward was also this week, a fact we realized when we arrived at sacrament meeting just before the closing hymn. We were embarrassed and completely surprised because we haven't heard anything about it. The experience helped me realize how in and yet out of the world we are living. As missionaries we live completely focused on the work and haven’t the first clue what's going on in the world. Even something so universal as daylight savings time completely escaped our notice. What an incredibly liberating way to live. To the greatest degree that i will experience in my lifetime i am living in the world but wholly not of it. This week i was able to appreciate that and also the many other blessings and opportunities that are inherent in missionary work. In short, i am coming to appreciate more and more what a blessing it is to be able to serve as a missionary even when there isn't a lot of success.

The Spanish word of the week is Regatear which roughly means to bargain or haggle. This morning we went to the sobre ruedas (flea market/swap meat). Here close to the border its common to have these every day of the week in a different location. Usually it's like a huge garage sale and there are always a ton of things from the states so it's fun to see what there is and buy things that are super cheap. This morning I saw a cast iron skillet that i wanted to buy (what I'm going to do with a skillet for the next year and a half I don't know). I asked for the price and the man who was selling said 70 pesos but I wanted to pay 50. I decided to wait and when we returned half an hour later i offered 50 and he accepted. In american dollars i paid about 2.50. More than anything that was my first experience bargaining in Mexico and therefore feels like a milestone to me.

That's all I have time for this week but i love you all and hope to hear from you this next week,

Love,

Isaac

March 5, 2018

Mom and Dad,

Once again the week has flown by. We had a hard wek this week because a lot of appointments fell through and we don't have a lot of investigators who are progressing well. It's hard to see others having success and baptizing converts in the mission and feel like we aren't making a difference here. That being said there's nothing to do but keep trying regardless of how things are going now.

Today we had a zone p day activity at the chapel in Ojo De Agua. The idea was that we would all make hamburgers and hotdogs and have lunch and then head back to our areas to finish our p day. For me it was an opportunity to bake as we would be in a building with an oven for an extended period of time. I had all the ingredients for cornbread so i got them together and we headed off to the activity. When we arrived we were the first so i  preheat the oven, mixed up the batter and baked the cornbread. When it came out it was quite good and i was elated to have been able to bake for the first time in the mission. I left to practice piano for a while and when i returned i found a kitchen full of smoke with 4 elders cooking all manner of ingredients for hamburgers and hotdogs. To say the least it was a slightly questionable operation. If anyone from any department of public health had seen it they probably would have fainted. In all the smoke an Elder handed me a spatula so I could take over flipping burgers while he ran outside to breathe some fresh air. It was actually difficult to see in the kitchen because of the smoke but we finished and eventually turned out an edible product and everyone was fed. I wouldn't necessarily recommend having a district of Elders cook for your next special event but everything turned out alright and we had a good time.

On a more spiritual note, this week we had stake conference and it was wonderful to hear some of the talks and council that were given to us. It was also fun to see the 5 or so senior american missionary couples that are serving in the Tijuana temple. One of the Sisters came over to introduce herself to a group of us missionaries and when I introduced myself she said, hey another gringo. It's always nice to run into the occasional American down here. As part of the conference several soon to leave missionaries shared their testimonies and it was beautiful to hear their conviction and desire to go out and share the gospel.

Mom,

What an incredible experience to be able to see and hear the prophet speak in person! In our home stake in Oakland no less! I can't believe it. It's interesting to hear his council and focus on raising the youth of today to be prepared to work as effective servants of the lord. I was glad to hear in Aarons email to me this week that he is planning on taking Spanish again this year. Hopefully he and Kel both can be blessed to learn Spanish so that they can enjoy the benefits for the rest of their lives. It would also be incredible to have 4 Spanish speakers in the family!

Dad,

Thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear that 83rd sold, how exciting! It's a bummer that Auseon is back but hopefully it can be turned around quickly and still be profitable. It's awesome to hear of continued lee family adventures in auto mechanics. I miss that a lot and I hope you can get the other boys involved to that they can learn and have the same fun memories that I have. Thank you especially for your thoughts on learning to work with others and the story from Rick Jorgenson. I was actually thinking about that very idea this morning as we left the house so your timing was inspired. Learning to really love people (companions, investigators, etc.) Is still something that I am trying to learn to do. Hopefully with continued effort and a little help I can develop this week point into a strength.

Thank you both so much for your emails. they are always a source of strength for me. Also, this week I have enjoyed the music and the chocolate and ginger candies that you sent immensely. The first time I bit into one of the ginger candies I realized how much I had missed the taste of ginger. Not to mention the new shoes, I now have shoes that dont allow me to see my toes from the front and which are dirt and waterproof. This is a serious upgrade.

As always I love you guys so much!

Isaac

February 27, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week was a long and at the same time short one. We had interchanges for two days with the zone leaders and that was probably the highlight of my week. I got to work with elder Swapp from whom I learned a lot and with whom I had a great two days. He helped me a lot with the feelings of inadequacy and struggles with testimony that I have been having. It was also humbling for me to see a handful of the people whom we met this week and the staggering difficulties that they have faced in life or the conditions of poverty in which they live. There are a lot of exceptionally strong and brave women here in Mexico who have suffered immensely and yet continue to work incredibly hard to press forward and support their families. It's difficult to see the hardships that people have to endure but at the same time it is inspiring to see the strength of character that some of these people possess.

In other news we prepared a baptismal service for Armando this week and were able to get everything together with the notable exception of Armando. At the last minute he called us and told us he wouldn't be able to make it and we haven't heard from him since. The experience made me think of the importance of making sure that people are prepared for baptism and that even though we know everyone can benefit from accepting the gospel it's not always the time that the Lord has prepared for them to receive the gospel. Hopefully we can continue to help Armando progress in the gospel and learn to be better missionaries with this experience

As for temporal things thank you so so much for your work in cleaning off all my stuff. As for uncle John, what a hero. I am truly blessed to be a Lee, and to have such loyal family members who are also such great examples to me. Seeing a couple of the pieces of gear made me smile like the indestructible tripod. Also seeing Carlos in the middle of it all was great. I'm glad they were able to get all of their gear and yes, I absolutely want to be friends with them for life.

As for investments I agree that a more stable investment ought to do better. Whatever you think best. thank you so much for managing my money while I'm gone.

I received your package today because we had interviews with the president. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I was elated to see so many of the things you sent and i still am looking forward to reading all the letters. All arrived intact and unmolested.  

That's all for this week, I love you guys so much!

Love

February 19, 2018

Mom and Dad,

What a week. I barely have any time to write because the computer isn’t working well but I’ll relate what I can from the week. The big highlight was, of course, having a new companion and all of the changes that come with that. Elder Mora, my new companion, is from Colombia and has just two transfers more than I do in the mission. He loves to play the guitar and specifically loves rock. His Spanish is completely different from Elder Trejos so I am still learning and adjusting. He is also more talkative than elder trejo so we have gotten off to a very different start. It has been good for me to be able to have more responsibility and I have tried to improve specifically in my diligence and obedience this week. We have been able to find a lot of new investigators this week and we are hoping to be able to help them progress. Generally I am feeling good but I still often worry about the weakness of my testimony and struggle a lot with doubt. When I read emails from my friends in the mission I see all of the good things that they are doing and all the miracles that they are seeing and of course feel happy for them but also inadequate having not seen many of these things myself. As always, however, there is only one thing to do that being work hard because if it's going to get better that's the only way. That's all I have time for this week but I love you guys a ton.

Isaac

February 12, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week went by in a flash and as of today I have officially finished my training! Because we had transfers today there was a lot of anticipation all of last week. When we got the call on saturday we found out that I will be staying here for another transfer but Elder Trejo has been assigned to a new area. His new companion is Elder Ambrose, one of the other americans who was in my district in the CCM. Elder Trejo was a great companion and I learned many things from him. I hope that we can keep in touch throughout the rest of our missions and afterwards.

Today we went to tijuana and picked up my new companion. His name is Elder Mora and he is from columbia and has just two transfers more than I do in the mission. We have known each other only for a matter of hours but I'll let you know more of what he's like next week. In our companionship we will both be senior companions and therefore share responsibility equally which will be a good opportunity for me to step up and take on more responsibility than during my training.

Also, this week we got to visit La Rumorosa and I sent all the pictures that we took in another email. the picture in this email is of me and my companion elder mora.

Dad, thanks for the advice and uplifting stories. I especially loved the one about the olympics, how inspiring. I'm trying to write in my journal but it's hard to find time and the desire in the same place at the same time. I will redouble my efforts starting tonight. As for the car, the things I most want are my backpack, the camera, climbing equipment, my crampons(which were separate behind the seats) and my stoves, pots and pans, and other metal equip. again, thank uncle john for me.

Mom, thanks for sharing your experiences of this week and the newest family news. I'm so jealous that you guys get to see hamilton! I have a lot of catching up to do when get back.

Love you guys so much!

February 5, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This week we found a new investigator named Jose Angel Quintero. We ran into him while knocking doors late at night  having not had much success. There was one house that was dark and that we had already passed but I felt like we needed to knock there. Knocking a door here involves walking up to the gate and yelling buenos dias, tardes, or noches until someone comes out or you figure that nobody is home. I walked up to the gate and yelled buenas noches not expecting anyone to come out but I was surprised to hear a voice respond directly in front of me and a shadowy figure separate from the darkness of the yard. We introduced ourselves and spoke for about 15 minutes introducing the plan of salvation and answering some questions that he had. We made an appointment and were able to return twice this last week to teach the plan of salvation and restoration. Then on Sunday he and his mother, Josefina, showed up to church. It was fast and testimony meeting and they both really liked it! I really hope they can apply the gospel in their lives, they are such wonderful people. Jose is a carpenter and is a very intellectual and spiritual person. We left the plan of salvation pamphlet when we contacted him and when we returned a few days later he had read, learned and understood all of it. How awesome that we were able to run into someone who is so prepared!

Also just yesterday we ran into a less active member named Raymundo and contacted a man named Aaron! It was perfect because this week my companion gave me the advice to try to view investigators as members of my family to help me develop more love for them and then we ran into two in one day with the same names as family members!

When he leaves I would love it if you would give him my old phone and I will try to send a letter to go with it this week. I am, as always, nervous about his going back but I can tell that he is going back more mature and harder working than when he left and I hope those things will help him.

Thanks for sending me a package! We are likely to have transfers this next Monday so I should get it then unless nothing changes here in Tecate. Regardless, I am going to finish my training in just a week at which time I will be just a regular missionary fully trained and theoretically capable of training. I'm a little apprehensive for that but whatever happens will be inspired so I'll be ready.

I love you guys so much! I hope all is well at home. I'll be praying for aaron especially.

Love,

Isaac

January 29, 2018

Mom and Dad,

What a week. I'm not sure how much time I have but i'll write as much as possible.

This week we were able to baptize Johnathan! Three weeks ago he moved out of our area before he was ready to be baptized and we were super disappointed. However, we passed on his information to the elders in his new area and they finished teaching him and set up a baptismal service. We were able to attend and elder trejo was able to perform the ordinance! The spirit was very strong and it was awesome to see that Jonathan is doing super well!

This week we ran into a less active named Francco Puccio who found us out knocking doors and invited us to his house. He made us a juice from carrots parsley and apple and it reminded me so much of Dad and his juicing. It also made me laugh to think of how tame that juice was compared to Dads mustard green special. He also made us oatmeal simply by rinsing it and adding water without cooking it and then adding dates, apricots, coconut, honey, almonds, prunes and a handful of other ingredients. it was absolutely fantastic. He had a ton of health and dietary advice for us and told us about how he has cured people of cancer and various medical conditions with his special diet. He told us all sorts of interesting and some kind of funny things like that there is a government conspiracy to deprive us of the ability to grow food with seedless fruit. He was one of the more interesting and eccentric people whom we have run into down here and it was fun to meet someone different and very unique. As eccentric as he was it was funny to realize that he was a pretty average Californian and that made me a little nostalgic for home. We didn't end up talking to him much about the gospel Im not sure he has any interest in coming back to church but we never know exactly how we influence the people we run into as missionaries

Also, I can't believe that the Volvo is out of the river! It looks amazingly good. I am a little apprehensive for the details but it appears that all went well. I'm not sure how much can be salvaged but if possible I would love everything possible. Especially the camera and sd card. also all the metal climbing gear ought to be intact enough. If its still there my wallet was under the driver's seat when we crashed and that would be nice to have. These are all worldly long shots I know but if possible they would make me very happy.  

I love you guys so much! Thank you!

Love,

Isaac

Also keep an eye out for the temptations musical. It is fantastic and it looks like its heading for broadway.

January 22, 2018

Mom and Dad,

Thanks so much for your emails! It's always good to hear about home.

This week was a little difficult for me. I have felt like I am not who I need to be as a missionary and that my attitude and work ethic are not up to par. I keep struggling with feelings that I don't have a solid testimony of my own and that there is very little that I can testify of. I also feel like my pride and other undesirable attributes are holding me back and that I really dont have the charity that I need to be a good missionary. I want to change and i'm trying to change but change requires a great deal of effort and time and I feel like there are so many things that I need to be better in now.

There were however good things that happened this week. Firstly, Elder Trejo and I have been getting closer which has felt good. Neither of us is the type of person who opens up much to other people so it's taken a lot of time but we have a lot in common and that has helped us start to grow closer.

Also we have 2 investigators Armando and Carlos Farfan who have baptismal dates this week. We still have a lot to teach both of them but we are really hoping for a miracle. They both could use the gospel so much in their lives. When we were on exchanges two weeks ago Elder Payne (our district leader) and I visited Armando. We had taught him about keeping the sabbath day holy the last lesson but he had worked instead of going to church that sunday because he has had a hard time finding steady work and therefore takes whatever work he can find. We passed the lesson about keeping the sabbath day holy and promised him that if he would put the lord first and come to church that he would be able to find a way to come to church and still work enough during the week. Yesterday when he came to church he told us that he had found a regular Monday through friday job that will be better than what he had before and allow him to come to church. I am always hesitant to make promises like that to investigators but wow, it really works.

Dad, thanks for telling me about the volvo. I'll admit, I hoped it had been lost and was just going to stay down there. What an expensive hassle it will be to pull it out. If needs be, pay whatever has to be paid with the money I left behind. It will be a shame to lose it all but I can always earn more when I get back. also, thank uncle John for me, He has been so generous through all of this. At least take pictures so it will make a good family story.

It's awesome to hear about your family adventures, especially the gardening with brian and skiing with kelton. That kid really is tough and it's awesome to see what he can do when he puts his mind to it. Thank you also for your spiritual thoughts. That was exactly what I needed this week.

Mom, Thanks for letting me know how Adam is doing! It's good to hear that he is working hard and has good goals and tools to help him out. I hope things go well for him. I'm nervous to hear of his going back to california but he is doing a lot of good things and I hope he will take those back with him. I don't know if Dad has sold my phone yet or what you think of the idea but if adam is going to live on his own and have his own phone I would be happy to give him mine so that he has something that works well to get him started.

I know all will go well with your PALS testing, you know this stuff like the back of your hand now. Anyone who you help at the hospital is luck to have you! I also hope everything goes well with Dads trips to LA. Put the lord first and you'll have all the time strength and energy you need for everything else.

Thank you for your spiritual thoughts. I especially love the quote, im going to write it down.

I love you guys so much, as always, It's good to hear about all the good things you guys are up to. Congratulate aaron and wish him luck in his swimming! he is faster than I ever was!

Love

Isaac

January 16, 2018

Mom and Dad,

This email will be brief because I emailed you both separately but I wanted to let you know more about how I am doing.

We had interviews yesterday and they went well in the end. Elder Trejo and I ended up having a 5 minute interview together after waiting almost 4 hours. the power in the building went out after about 30 min and stayed out so that was exciting. The best part of interviews was finding a copy of the merck manual for medical diagnosis and being able to read in that for an hour or so. it was a nice break from scripture for a change.

I have been reading jesus the christ and I absolutely love it. It contains a fantastic amount of information written in a style I quite enjoy. I don't know when you might have last read it, maybe on your missions, but it's worth a reread.

This week in the work we lost johnathan and jose because they moved to another area. that was hard but we hope that they will finish the lessons and be baptized. We had the chance to talk with one of our investigators, Carlos Farfan, Whom we haven't had very many opportunities to teach. He said that he wants to learn more about our church but every church has things about it that are wrong. Us for example baptisms for the dead. We were able to explain to him the what and why of vicarious ordinances and he said that he would study the subject more in the scriptures when we left. We will see how it went on thursday when we have our next appointment.

We have also been able to start teaching Veronica sanchez the daughter of Rafaella, the first woman we baptized. We have also taught her daughter almost all of the lessons but are still trying to help her get excited about being baptized. When we teach veronica it's awesome because she always thinks critically and asks a lot of questions and by the end of every lesson understands all of what we have taught. We hope that we can teach her and naomi and that they will have the opportunity to be baptized together.

That's all for this week. I love you guys tons and hope all is well at home. You are in my prayers.

Dad,

It's so good to hear from you! It's hard sometimes to be away from the family and to feel like there is nothing I can do to help you guys but of course you are in my prayers and I hope you are feeling some missionary blessings coming your way.

Boy is it ever true. Everything besides Spanish seems to be coming bit by littlest bit for me. Spanish doesnt give me too much trouble but I constantly feel like my testimony, faith, and work are inadequate. I can only hope that they are sufficient for what the lord needs of me. Thank you for sharing these words of missionary experience with me, it's always encouraging to hear the words of return missionaries.

It's good to hear how you're doing and that you donated blood this week. Oh how I miss that. I get the feeling that it will be a long time before I am again eligible to donate but I'm glad that the lee family never stops making a difference.

I am jealous of your frequent opportunities to ride the canyon. I can't wait to join you again there, at the symphony, donating blood, and in working hard at home. Mom tells me I should be glad because I missed the fall-winter cleanup this weekend but I miss that as much as anything. How awesome those opportunities to work together as a family are.

I love you so much. You, Mom, and the family are in my prayers

Love

Isaac

January 8, 2018

Mom and Dad,

Thank you guys so much for the package!! It was such a joy to receive. It felt just like Christmas! The nice chocolate especially, that's not something that i've been able to find down here. It was quite a surprise to me that the two shoes were different but i'm sure there is a story behind that.

Things have been good here. I am still having trouble feeling like I am doing all that I can at times but I'm slowly getting better.

This week taught a first and second lesson to two new investigators Leonardo and Altagracia. The lessons went well and at the end of the first they accepted a baptismal date. As we were leaving altagracia said something like I'll read all this that you've given me and think about it and put it in practice. I was thrilled because she has the desire to thoughtfully consider our message and is willing to test the principles that we have taught. I love it when we have investigators who are willing to apply the principles to see if they are true!

This week there were a couple spiritual things that I loved

With the death of president Monson we really had to think about what it is that we teach people about the restored gospel and what it means to have a living prophet on earth. We weren't sure what to tell people when we got to that part of the lesson this week but im grateful to know that there is a system in place and that soon we will have a new prophet. somewhat related to this is the scripture in Helaman 5 12 which says if we build upon the rock (christ) we shall not fall. Something like a change of prophets need not shake our faith because we know that Christ is at the helm.

Unfortunately the internet here is lousy today so that's about all I have time for. I love you guys so much!!

You caught me just in time, thanks for your email! As always it's so good to hear from you especially your spiritual insight. I love the scripture in the new testament that says when you are converted strengthen thy brethren. thats a good missionary scripture service scripture and leadership scripture. I'm doing well although it has been hard at times. I have learned here just how important it is to teach with love and to not criticise. Criticism never works, bummer that it took me 20 years to realize that. Better late than never. Two of my goals for this year are to never complain and to never criticize.

I'm out of time but I love you and am glad to hear from you

January 1, 2018

Mom and Dad,

Happy new year! Today marks the first day of the calendar year 2018, the only entire calendar year that I will spend here in the mission away from home. It's only just dawning on me how short these two years are going to be. There are a lot of changes I want to make and a lot of good that I want to do. Hopefully goal setting, hard work, and the help of the lord will help me do all that I want to.

This last week our zone had transfers and for the next six weeks I will stay in tecate with elder trejo! I am happy because I really like it here and I want to try to help our investigators.

We only have 5 minutes now because the ciber is going to close but thank you so much for your emails and the package you sent for Christmas! I haven't opened it yet but we were able to go to Tijuana today and I was able to pick it up.

Mom, thank you for all you shared in your email especially the update on oliver!

Dad, thank you too, it's always so good to hear from you! also thank you for selling my stuff! If you could put it in the account and invest it that would be great. Just take out whatever you need when my half of the mission has to be paid. Also I am listening to the john rutter gloria right now and it made me think of you

Love you guys so much!

-Isaac