dead and buried

Today was a different day for us, we went to our first funeral. It was older man the father of Maria who is part of biggest part of our group. His wife is the mother of 16 and 3 of them are members of the church. He was not a member so he was buried and attended to by the catholic church. But at the home where they had the casket and at the time that they were to take him away Maria asked me if I would sing a hymn and say a prayer for him, so he would be guided to a safe place and to be clean to meet God. I of course felt honored to do this and I sang [Nearer my God to me] After words I offered a prayer. Then they put him in the Hurst and they followed him to the road where they hopped into other cars and we were on our way to the cemetery. They stopped by the Catholic church for there ceremony and from there they went to the cemetery. When we arrived there the sat him down in front of a cross of repentance and forgiveness, where the opened of the casket, and from there they went to the place where he was to be buried. The cemetery was full of graves so much so that it was hard to walk between them. There was a lot of small graves showing us that a lot of children die very young here. And of course almost every grave had cross on it, and there was a few small houses made for some of the graves. Now back to the man and the grave for him. Before they put him in the ground they opened up the casket again for the family. After that they put him in the grave, it had a cement box there and after they put him in it there was four concrete squares that they but over them, and they had wet cement to seal the box and set the cross in the ground. After that the people grabbed a hand full of dirt to throw over the grave. Also they put a sack of clothes and his hat in with the dirt, then three men began to fill the grave up with dirt. Everybody stayed there till they were done. It was so different to watch to see the whole process from the time we gave him a blessing two days before to the last of the dirt being tossed on him in the cemetery. The man was 79 years old and had a full life. He died with his family around him.

TOILET and dance and a dream

We was out at campo 35 with the missionaries when one of them asked to us their out door bathrooms. I thought I wander if he knows what they are like , he asked for a little paper and headed in. After words I asked him how did it go in there. He said that he didn't know how to us it because it only had a hole in the floor and not a seat, so he just tossed the paper in the hole and said he would hold it till he got home.
Also we was invited to our first wedding, it was wonderful. We eat we danced and I sang a song in Spanish. It was so fun I told Connie that our Pres. who was out of town at the time would not hear much about it. But you know what the next day we had ward conference and he wanted to know what song I had sang because he heard about it from three different people that we danced and I had sang some songs and the people really loved it. So much for not hearing about it. Also Monica a member from our group sat down next to me and said [ You was dancing last night wasn't you] yes I said and [You was singing too wasn't you] yes I said how did you know I asked her. She said[ I dreamed about it last night and saw you and your wife at a wedding dancing and you was singing] Talk about the Lord letting the people know what going on, and keeping track of what is going on in our mission, I

couldn't believe it. I don't know why she needed to know what we was doing I just know it must of been important for her.

Growing

We just found out one of the member will be made a elder next stake conference. We got another family going in for interview to go on next temple trip that July 20. We been invite to our first wedding reception in the ward. He is also one of the new member that went though the temple with us for the first time. he talk about his conversion to the church. He drank coffee every morning and smoke even while the missionary were giving him the lessen. He try to quit several time and was unable. When the time came closer and he committed to be baptize. He know the church was true at that moment the next he did not have a desire to drink coffee or smoke anymore. It was then that he realized that by the power of pray and the gospel. He was able to quit a life time long habit.

Baptism

Brent baptize the lady on the end. The guy next to him bapize the guy on the end of the group the guy in the middle baptize the two kid they are brother and sister in-law this is his wife family. Brent said the canal water was great. We had to big a group to take very one to los mochis for the baptism so the bishop OK the canal. It was a little one close to were they all lived. She look like a kid in the last picture but she small adult.

Group for baptism

The group in tree visiting before the baptism Brent with Monica . another picture of some of the group

Cleaning time

We took a picture when we first got here ut it does not look this good. They do a seasonial cleaning up time. the next picture of the tractor guy working in the potateo celler poking the potateo so they fall down into bucket that takes them out to the truck. the last picture is of some of the water plant here in bloom. I think they help clean the water

The right oil does make a diferance

We just started teaching a family that has pigs. And the lady who wanted to learn more about the church because she said the every time the missioners came over she felt really good about the church. They are part of the family in Trebul, so we went there to met them. The place had a dark feeling about it and it was hard to be there. We ask she about what was going on in her life and how long it had been since the missioners had been there. Her name is Cleofa and she said that it had been and year since they had been there and that she had a problem with one of her toes and it was bothering her. We invited her to church and she said that she would be ready. When Sunday came we stopped to pick her up and she was ready, also three other people decided to go, so we loaded them up and away we went. She really enjoyed the car ride she sat in the seat like a queen on her way to the prom. Any way to make a long story short she has gone to church for three weeks now. And the last time we was at the place I notice that the pigs skin was getting really rough and started to bleed, so I told them to get some used motor oil and put it on the pigs .
The next time we was there they hadn 't done anything yet. So I told Connie to stop by a oil place and we would get some oil for the pigs and also the bring some lavender oil that we have to help the lady. When we got there I put the motor oil on the pigs and Connie put lavender oil on the Cleofas toe, and we stopped there two days later with missioners to see them and check up on the pigs, and you know what they are both doing great. The toe look great and the pigs are doing a lot better too. And since she has been going we have had a lot better attendance at church. Three weeks ago we had 35 then two weeks ago 38 and last week 43 and even Pres. hatch came with his two counselors to check out the place. It was great, of course I think that it because me and Connie work really hard to pant the building and put a bath room in it, but who knows. All I know is that with our numbers up like this it would not be long before we will be a branch.
So a little oil goes a long way, and the feeling there has changed a lot, you can feel the spirit of the gospel there now. We love the way the gospel works in the lives of the people.

When thing change

We were going to split and go two different direction today. Brent felt we need to be together and I so glad. We were to take Mauro and Juana to the Doctor today. His stomach is hurting. We got ready to take Mauro into the hospital. Ortilia was not home. Her daughter call only to say they were at the clinic. Her daughter was sick. We took our little group to the clinic. Everyone saw the doctor but us. Mauro and Juileta had pain in there stomach. Ortilia leg was brother her. Juana had pain in her hands. When we got back to house. They wanted us to visit so we stay a little while only to have the missionary catch us there. Ortilia ask for a blessing. I said check to see if the rest want a blessing. They all did want a blessing. The missionary stop we did not know to pick us up for there next appointment. We thought they just came by for a ride. Not that they got out of ride when they saw our car. The lord know people needed blessing and the missionary need us at there next appointment. It was the family that was getting baptized on Saturday. It was one of the member of the group who mother had received the lessons the year earlier from the old missionaries. We gave her a lessen when we first got there. She was the one who had a dream that the book of Mormon was true. She dream that her daughter got three book and she read her one of them it was the book that was true. Her daughter did not read. When we first got there I had easy reader of the scripture and felt the need to give a copy of all three book to this family. It was her daughter family. She had a few missionary over to visit her. When we were there she did not want to go to church just get baptized. Brent said she needed to go to church. We left her there. She started the lessen again with the missionary and got a date. I felt happy and sad it was not us giving her the lessen but she was getting baptized. The missionary are coming back out to the area if they have a referral. We gave them the family we were teaching when we found out. We stop at the family getting baptizmed on Saturday. The spirit shine in there home now. They look like different people. The missionary went over all the thing they were to know. They did really well. He ask them who they want to baptize them. I was surprised when they ask if Brent could do it. AND OF COURSE I said yes, I would be glad to do it for them.
the end of day full of the lord work, and a few surprises.

The rest of the story (potato)

The rest of the story about the none believer was the question of why we were there in the first place. So I asked her, and she said that just before she called us she had a dream that her sister was very sick and was saying how much it hurt and she was having trouble breathing. And when she tried to talk to her in the dream she couldn't see or hear her. So she called her and found out that she just got out of the hospital, that's when she called us to go over to see her. And we told she that the reason that she had to go over and see her was so she could say that she tried to do all she could do to help her sister and it would help her to feel better about the dream that she had. And that's important for us to do. We both gave her a big hug and told her that God loves her and the rest was up to her sister.

Wish you were here

We went to enjoy some wave and wonderful food. The water was warm and I sore from just playing in the wave. We could always touch bottom. If you like shrimp I think they grow them on farm down here. We saw them on the way to the beach. They look just like salt place in ut were get salt from
End fun day

finding fun

Tree er found out complex 2 the other pictures are little town by the beach we went to visit and the little town do parada up right