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

December 25, 2017

Mom Dad,

Feliz NaviDad!! I'm so glad we got to speak yesterday! What a boost. It is so uplifting, inspiring, and motivating to speak with the people who love you and those you love. It's tough here not having that. I have been chastised on several occasions but only once has someone taken the time to try to understand and help me and that was wonderful.

We had a crazy day today and so I want to try to relate just a little of what we did.

The highlight was going to see the new Disney Pixar Movie Coco. It was super weird being in a movie theater and being surrounded by all the noise of the world again. As for the movie I was doubtful at first because it was dubbed into Spanish. I am happy to report however that I loved it and cannot recommend it enough. I hope it's as good in english as it was in Spanish. We all cried during the movie and most of us are elders so you know it was good. In short it is inspirational and centered on the importance of families. In the world of 2017 with all the crap that most movies contain this one felt inspired because it not only had none of the bad but it was focused on good. I think you'll love it.

Also, Last night after we talked we went to a members house and made tamales with her. It was awesome and they were so good. I now know how to make tortillas(by hand), Tamales, pinatas and more or less chocoflan. One of the sons has a birthday wednesday so we are making him chocoflan tonight in the chapel as we write. It's awesome to be doing service and baking all at once. As a result I am also now the owner of a 9 by 13 glass pan which cost me 3 dollars and which I hope to be using on a regular basis.

Also, we have an investigator named Esmeralda right now who has addictions to meth and alcohol and consequently have been trying to help her. In doing so we have been studying the 12 step program and specifically finding scriptures that relate to each of the 12 steps. What a powerful program it is!! Even if you don't struggle with addictions those are some powerful steps for any kind of change.

As for worldly things

Dad, as you assemble a collection of music to send to me send a lot of choral stuff along with our favorites. Definitely the messiah too. Don't spend too much in the way of resources though, Have aaron show you how to download music from youtube and see what you think about the quality. And of course as always thank you for everything that you are still doing for me.

also, please send me a list of all the emails you have of people who want to be in my group emails. I am going to try to be better at those.

Thats all ive got for this week

i love you all so much!!

Feliz naviDad y feliz año 2018!!

December 18, 2017

Mom and Dad,

Wow, What a week. It seems like each weak passes faster than the last. I did the math today and I have actually completed 10% of my mission already and it feels like I just left yesterday. There were several highlights of this week but one of the best has been today. We were able to go with the zone leaders out to tijuana and shop at Costco today!! We bought a combo pizza to share and then walked up and down nearly every aisle in costco, it was wonderful! I ended up buying the huge thing of chocolate chips, dates, a pepper grinder, balsamic vinegar, martinelli's, dried cranberries, and peach and mango juice. It was so comforting to be in costco because they are the same everywhere. I could have been at home in California.

Also, this week we had exchanges for the second time, this time with our district leaders, and it went really well. I was with Elder Nebecker in Tecate and so I had to lead our area for the day. We got to paint a house with one of our investigators and that was awesome. Turns out painting and service are two things that are universal the world round. It was comforting because it was a kind of work that was familiar to me and I didnt have so say a word for almost 3 hours. Afterwards we had a fantastic meal of the best tostadas ever with a ward member. That day we had two appointments with two great investigators Jonathan and Ma Del Rosario. Johnathan is 17 years old and really wants to change his life. As we have taught he has been very interested and engaged. For this lesson after we prayed Elder Nebecker went silent and turned to me. I haven't been teaching very much and we were teaching the gospel of jesus christ which I had not taught to an investigator. I quickly started talking and stumbled through the first point. Relieved, I turned back to elder nebeker and he began teaching but again turned to me just a minute or so later. The whole lesson went that way and By the end I was teaching more smoothly than ever before. After we got out of the lesson Elder Nebecker asked me how I thought it had gone. I told him great and that I had never taught that much before. He was surprised and told me that I had really done quite well. That was a huge confidence booster for me because before that I hadn't been talking much at all I had even been referred to once already as the elder that never talks. From there we went to meet with Ma Del Rosario. She is an older woman raising her grandkids who has been very receptive to our lessons. When she saw the book of mormon for the first time she asked where she could get one and said the Moment she saw the book she felt something special. How awesome is that! We started teaching her the plan of salvation trading off often as we had in our lesson with Jonathan. When we asked her if she wanted to have an eternal family, she replied quickly in the negative and went off for 15 minutes about how horrible all the members of her family were and that she wanted nothing to do with them least of all for eternity. We were totally caught off guard but after 15 minutes of listening I was prompted to speak. I told her that I didn’t know why she had the trials that she does but that heavenly father loves her and wants her to be happy and be able to live again in his presence eternally. That got us back on track and we were able to continue teaching. Afterwards elder Nebecker told me that he had had no idea what to say and that I had saved us. He also said that as I tried to bear testimony he could hear my Spanish improving. The Gift of tongues is real! I was so grateful that I was given the words to say in the Moment that I needed them. That day I really felt like a missionary and it was a wonderful feeling. Ever since I have been teaching more and my Spanish has been improving palpably bit by bit.

Mom, I do remember jason lyle black coming to play at estates. That memory made a huge impression on me. That's one of the things that inspired me to want to work harder and play piano again. How awesome, I hope you enjoyed the show! It's also good to hear about the ward christmas party! I have such fond memories of those.

As for the details with calling you guys it will be a skype call on sunday the 24th between 3 and 4. I think we can use google hangouts so if you're near a computer I will try to call to Dads email account. Raymond@visuals.com.

That's all for this week but I can't wait to talk to you guys!!

-Isaac

December 11, 2017

Mom and Dad,

Thank you both for your emails this week! The week often feels like a backpacking trip. It starts out great, I feel energized and i'm excited to be setting out. Then comes the whole middle part of the trip where all you can think about is a hot meal and a warm bed. At the very end you see the car again and all the lousy stuff and the exhaustion disappear. Your weekly emails are like seeing the car again, they encourage me and get me excited again for the week ahead.

I'll start out by telling you about my week because I don't think I ever give you much in the way of details. Monday was rough because I was feeling discouraged and like I was doing a lousy job of being a missionary. Every night we talk to our district leader to check in and that night as always he asked me how I was doing and if there was anything he could do for me. I gave the usual fine and no response but he asked again and I told him some of the things that were bothering. In the end we talked for about half an hour and he shared some of his own experience with me. I felt way better afterwards and was able to start the week on a way better note. It was good for me also to realize that there are people here in the mission whom I can talk to and who can help me when i'm having a hard time.

From there the week went. I honestly don't remember well what happened in the first half of the week. We had our district meeting on tuesday and that went as usual. Thursday we had exchanges and I went to another area with one of the district leaders. We had study time together before we left and because he is an american too he had me practice teaching in english. I hadn't taught in english at all until then but I was able to teach very well and that helped me to have confidence and learn how I can improve my teaching. After that we knocked doors some but didn't have any success. We then had lunch with a member and had a wonderful spiritual message with them. Our plan was to go from there to teach a lesson but we heard from the elders in the area one over that a very large fire that had been burning all day was getting close to them so we got to go over and pick them up. Elder wahlstrom, one of the guys in my district from the mtc, was one of the missionaries who we picked up so for the rest of that night we had fun talking in english. It was such a wonderful break. At this point seeing an American is like happening upon a well while dying of thirst in the desert. It's really nice. Even though we didn't have the chance to teach much that day I got to experience some missionary camaraderie in the field and actually have fun out here which was really nice for me. The rest of the week kind of flew by. At some point I got sick and so have been having a rough couple of days since. Im hoping that the sickness abates soon but i'm not too worried.

In a nutshell that was my week.

Other pertinent info. On Sunday the 24th I think we will have time to call home around 4ish i'll check on that but it will definitely be sometime on the 24th or 25th. I can't wait to talk to you guys! let's make sure we have a time that works for both of us.

Dad, yes, you are fine to use the brackets and wood to do shelves for Mom. If there's anything I want to change i'll do it when I get back. Mom need not wait 2 years for those. It does kill me not to be able to finish those myself though. I never want to leave home again once I get back. I have too much work to do.

Thank you for your testimony, it is always a source of strength for me! Your advice and experience are good. I will go and do. Eventually something good will come down the line.

Thank you also for the announcement from uvu! That's exciting, who knows what I'll do in 2 years but that's another great opportunity.

Mom, Thanks for sending a package! I can't wait to get it. There's something to look forward to! Also thanks for your sympathy as far as ovens go. That is the worst surprise that I have received since I heard that we weren't allowed to listen to good music but alas I will live. Thank you also for the words of wisdom that you shared with me. Those are awesome indeed.

Sorry that I haven't been able to give you guys much info. one hour really is no time at all. I'll try to write more in the letters I'm trying to send and in my emails of next week,

Until then I love you guys so much! I can't wait to hear your voices again!

December 4, 2017

Dad,

So good to hear from you! Sorry I didn't let you guys know that my p day had changed. I would love to receive printed letters but i'm not sure how often I might be able to receive them. Apparently our president withholds mail and packages at his discretion so it might be hard. Apparently the pouch is discontinued here? but i'm not sure. I can send letters with us postage with some member who goes to the states regularly and have them mailed that way. If I send them with Mexican postage it could be months before they actually get to you. We will figure it out, just let me know whenever you learn something on your end.

This week was both very long and very short. That happens a lot here. We had our first interviews with the president on Thursday and he seems alright. His style seems to be rules rules rules (not like anyone has ever tried to mandate that we all obey to get back to heaven or anything) I keep hearing about new rules that surprise and frustrate me. The way I see it its my attitude that will lead me to be a good missionary and my intelligence that will keep me safe. If i'm not here to work and do good no number of rules will make that happen, likewise if I'm stupid no rule under heaven will keep me safe. Alas it appears that I am expected to live, work, and behave like an adult whilst being treated like a child. I shouldn't complain but it is indeed difficult for me to adjust to having very little freedom, all in good time I guess.

I had a hard time at the beginning of this week because I often feel like i'm just isaac lee with a missionary badge. I don't feel any different, I just try to do missionary things. That bothers me because I feel like I have to become a missionary and that is not happening. Likewise I finished the book of mormon again and prayed for a confirmation that it is true and I don't feel any different. I know there aren't going to be fireworks or anything but I feel like I know so little. I want to share my testimony but the holy ghost can only testify of truth and I feel like if I tell anyone that I know anything for sure about this gospel that it is disingenuous. This has been my big struggle this week. You know how I am, I understand tangible things very well but I am about as spiritually sensitive as your average 2x4. That has been fine up until now but I thought that as a missionary I would be given what I needed to be effective. Now I just feel inadequate and out of place. I can't think of anything that is holding me back, i'm really trying but I don't feel like i'm moving forward. Sorry for the stream of consciousness but I need someone who speaks english to understand me and help me out a little.

There was also plenty of good this week. It turns out I now live within walking distance of not one but two welding supply places. That doesn't do me much good now but it does make me smile when I walk past either of them. We had our first baptismal service this week for Rafaella. Even though she had been prepared by the previous missionaries it was still a great experience. She is very excited about the church and seems to be integrating with the ward well. There were some other good things that happened but I need to finish up here so I can write Mom too. As for the table, that's hard. From what I remember the metal will have to be trimmed before the legs are put on. My idea was to use the circular saw to cut the metal them put threaded inserts into the wood and bolt on the metal legs. That's my elegant solution. I do kind of want to finish it myself but I realize what a burden that is. What do you think?

I love hearing about your missionary experiences, how awesome. You are my missionary inspiration. When in doubt I try to think of what you would do. My hope is that somehow if I work super hard for these two years I somehow develop all of those missionary abilities that you have.

I'm also glad to hear that the old van is going strong. I love that car with a passion.

I'll try to write you more next week but until then, love you!

27 November 2017

Mom and Dad,

It's been one of those eternal weeks. Last Monday we had a wild very long day and just barely got to email and buy food. Starting Tuesday we began to get to know the city of Tecate, the members, and for me more Spanish. I'm coming to love the city here. When I found out this was going to be my first area all I knew was that it was small, east of Tijuana, and right on the border. I don't know all that much more about it now but I have somewhat gotten to know the people and have become oriented to the city and can finally tell which way is north wherever I am.

The members here are fantastic. Every day except for p day we have lunch with a member or member family. So far, all the food has been absolutely fantastic and has been provided in very large quantities. Its safe to say that my mother need not worry for I will not starve. We have received many referrals from members and so far have been fortunate to have a good number of lessons and investigators and very little time knocking doors.

Thursday was of course thanksgiving, a fact which I was unaware of until the late morning when I was reminded by my Mexican companion. I imagined that it would pass without notice here in Mexico but fortunately our bishop's wife is American and had us over for a thanksgiving dinner. It was just us, their family and one other couple from the ward and it really felt like thanksgiving. There were tamales instead of turkey and mashed potatoes but there was also stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and for dessert, pecan and apple pie. The stuffing and pecan pie were absolutely fantastic and it is now my second highest goal, after inviting souls to come unto christ, to get the recipes. After dinner we were able to go around and each say a handful of things that we are grateful for and it was fantastic for me to think about just how blessed I am. My life is unbelievably good and for that I am immensely grateful.

As far as mishaps there have been few. I have made few mistakes with the language because I have spoken very little in the last week. It is one of my goals to speak more and more so I can actually learn Spanish but it is hard to speak a language when even the dogs seem to understand more than you. That being said I am slowly both speaking and understanding more. It is one of my utmost goals not to speak Spanish like a gringo and in that I seem to be doing alright. I did accidentally hug someone this week but my resulting mortification i'm sure will lead to improvement in that area.

This week, we have a first baptism scheduled and I am very excited. Rafaella was an investigator before we arrived but we have had the privilege of meeting her and of being the ones to baptize her. She is very excited about the gospel and already wants her family members to be baptized as well. I can't wait to see the difference that the gospel makes in her life and the lives of her family.

In short all is well here in Tecate and the future's looking good.

-Isaac (Elder Lee)

20 November 2017

Mom and Dad,

The last 40 or so hours have been absolutely crazy. I went to bed last night around 12 only to wake back up at 1 so that I could finish packing before we left at 230. All of the travel arrangements went without a hitch although I have spent all of today feeling like I am either going to throw up or with a pounding headache. that all aside today has been good. We were fed at the mission home when we got there around 12 and then were taken to the chapel to be assigned companions. We were also informed as to the rules here some of which are no soda, no sports, and no emailing anyone other than your family or other missionaries. If anyone asks, that's why they aren't hearing from me personally. We also aren't allowed to listen to anything but the mormon tabernacle choir so you don't need to worry about sending me music. that is a little frustrating to me but its not a huge deal. My companions name is Elder Trejo and he is a native of Mexico. He understands some english but its all Spanish all the time. That's what I wanted and I will be learning fast but it will certainly be hard at first. Our area isn't in Tijuana proper but rather the city of Tecate. I don't know much about it yet but there are a couple members here who have already been wonderful and helped us out. The next few weeks are definitely going to be an exercise in committing myself fully and learning fast. 

In other news we have a single frying pan and a hot plate so cooking will be difficult. I'm not sure whether to try to have you guys send me a 3qt saucepan and decent frying pan or not. Food is going to be interesting down here but i'll find a way to cook eventually.

Love you both and I will send a longer update next week. 

Isaac

15 November 2017

Mom and Dad,

What a week it has been. For that matter, what a crazy six weeks these have been. I can't believe we ship out on Monday but it's finally here. i'm nervous because my ability with Spanish is still very limited and I think i'll be out of my depth for a while. That being said, I think one of the reasons I was sent here to speak Spanish is that I need to listen more and talk less so that begins on Monday. I have faith that all will be alright but I know without a shadow of doubt that it's going to be hard. That's fine by me though because I have become a little frustrated with the pace here. As a district everyone is far less mature and focused than I would like and I would say goofing off is a more frequent activity than studying. At times this has driven me up the wall but as I have followed Dad's advice to pray for charity I have come to love these other 9 guys more and more and have been frustrated less and less. Having a companion is still a source of difficulty for me. It's hard to be chained to another person and to have to make compromises with everything you do. It's even harder when two of their favorite things are rap and basketball and you happen to think that those are the official sport and "music" of outer darkness. So this has been an exercise for me in learning to be less self centered and to compromise more. It's very hard but I get better day by day. Lets just say that i'm not looking to get married too soon after I get back.

Because we have been so busy here the outside world has faded from my mind but there are a few things I have remembered this week that I want to acknowledge. Firstly, happy very belated halloween! This one is mostly for you Mom. I know halloween is your favorite and it's been fun for me to think of how much fun you must have had decorating and handing out candy. In other October news, happy belated birthday to both Adam and Dad!! I hope you both had wonderful birthdays!! It's so surreal to think of life going on outside the walls here especially birthdays and the suchlike.

I love you both so much. Keep emailing me, I love it. Letters are also awesome and the boys should be getting the first few from me this week. Also, lets figure out how to get me those shoes. I'm going to wear the one pair I have out pretty quickly once I start walking all day. I'll send you the address of the mission as soon as I get it and we can start looking at options for how best to send them.

Love

Isaac