FELIZ NAVIDAD

The new area is honestly really hard. I have been struggling a lot trying to keep my companion obedient and the branch that I am in is really interesting. Like Ive never heard of so much gossip in all of my life. Like the stuff that has been said comes out in the newspaper... I know I will be learning so much during my time here. I have never been more tired in my life and I am stressed out but I have seen a growth in what I though was my potential. I am so positive that the lord has me here for reasons and I am going to make the best of them! 

Well I don't have any more time to write but

                                                                                       ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tough Honduras Companion

Hey everyone!

This week has been sooo different from all the other weeks of my mission. Well to start off im on bike and thats well weird and it hurts like crazy. My legs have been on fire all week long. I guess imfinally getting payback for never kicking well in swimming.... But the worst part is the mud when It rains. Its impossible to stay clean... when we ride bikes the mud gets shot up all over our face legs and back.... Its awkward but part of the life! Its interesting meeting all the new people and trying to remember who they are. Its pretty funny because during the last weeks in Estanzuela I was praying to have a bigger area because it was really small and now I have one of the biggest in the mission! 

My companion is really different. Well i think this change will be a big test of patience... He reminds me a lot of Elder Diaz who tells a lot of fake stories and well doesnt want to work. But at least he wasnt angry all the time. My companion is a little bipolar and scares me a bit to try and correct him in something that needs to change. I will be praying and working pretty hard to get along well with him. But this will be interesting. 

The district is a lot bigger than last change and that is pretty exciting. We now have 11. The district meetings are fun but we have to take an hour long bus ride to get to where all the other missionaries are. 

Thats about all I amloving my time here and I hope everyone has an awesome week! And that snow starts falling there! 

Elder Ahlmer

Oh yeah my companion is Elder Pavon and he is from Honduras

Tamas, not good - Moving to Montemorelos

Hey everyone!

This week was good. Well first off I think I was cursed for celebrating thanksgiving in mexico because well the tama that I showed you guys got me pretty sick... It along with all the other things with chili that I have been eating gave me gastritis.. I dont know what its called in english but its a pretty common thing here. So Sunday monday and tuesday It hurt pretty bad but once we figured out what it was I get the medicine and now it doesnt really hurt! I have to be really careful of what I eat for the next 4 weeks or it can get worse but other than that Im basically normal! 

So they changed the way that they do transfers now and they told us last night that I am going to be sent to Montemorelos a little town on the outskirts of Monterrey! Im so excited to be in a little town. And this means that I get to go out on bike! I am going to miss estanzuela so much I learned so much here. I have made some great friends here and I dont think Ill ever be able to forget climbing uphill and downhill all day long! Last night we went to the Christmas devotional I liked it a lot! But afterwards we ate hot chocolate and bread as a ward and It was pretty hard to say goodbye to all of them! 6 months is a long time! It was really hard saying goodbye to maria and her family. She has gone through so much and is still doing everything that she should. I have learned so much about faith with her. 

I hope you have an amazing week I heard a lot about finals good luck everyone!

Elder Ahlmer

Tamas for Thanksgiving

Hey everyone!

This week has been pretty interesting. First off thanksgiving was pretty good! Even though I miss the family party Elder Perez and i celebrated our own way! We bought Tamas which is like a huge taco with well a bunch of stuff! 

Friday we had an open house in the church and it went really well! We invited a lot of people and many came! I felt like it was really well organized and people enjoyed and learned more about the gospel. The church has taken a new initiative this Christmas trying to help everyone understand the true meaning of it. They created a new website called christmas.mormon.org Its way cool. There is a 3 minute video there and we have been doing all that we can to help other people see the importance of Christmas! It has been working well. We have found a lot of new people to teach including a lot of family members of members that have had their heart softened hearing about Christmas! Its been a great success. But we had a really cool experience during the week when a member took us to visit one of her friends and invite her to the open house. When we got there she was really closed and didnt want to talk about anything. She kept on saying Lets not waist you and my time and stuff like that. But when we started talking to her about the Christmas everything changed. She opened up so fast it really shocked me. And that same day she went with her member Friend to the open house! I invite you all to talk with a friend and share the quick video with them its an awesome way to start talking to them about the gospel! 

This Saturday we had the baptism of Xiemena the youngest daughter of Maria that turned 8 two weeks ago! It was pretty special all her kids sang. 

Well I hope everyone has an amazing week and that you all share the video! 

Elder Ahlmer

Baptism of Xiemena

Luis and Gilberto

Hey everyone! 

This week has been cold! I was not ready for how cold it was going to get here so fast! We always have to leave the house super covered! But it beats July! Hopefully it doesnt get colder! We finally got a heater for the house today and hopefully tomorrow we get hot water so things are looking up! 

Things have been going great I am loving my time here it really is so exciting seeing the change in others and yourself! This week we did quite a bit of service we cut down another tree for someone and that was a lot of fun! Ill send pictures! And we help repair a road well a trail that people drive on to get to the houses that are super high in the mountain. With all the rain the dirt ran off and left a bunch of huge rocks so we had to dig up a bunch of dirt and put it to cover the rocks. I hope that makes sense...

Today we went to the temple and then afterwards we played basketball and of course soccer in the gym! It felt so good playing sports! We also got up monday early to be able to play with a few members! I hope we start doing that more often! 

Luis is still doing great and way excited and we have been started teaching her niece. We met her yesterday actually and she is really cool and has some awesome questions. I hope we will be able to help her as well. Gilberto is doing pretty good he has a lot of ideas but hopefully we will be able to help him understand why Gods ways are higher than ours. Maria is going to the temple from the second time today and her daughter Ximena turned 8 twop days ago and will be baptized next Saturday! Im so happy to be able to be here for her baptism as well! Pablo is going to go as well and him and Maria have both received callings in the church! Maria as an assistant to the primary and Pablo being in charge of the sacramen table! Im so excited for them! 

I hope you all are enjoying the cold and have a great week!

Elder Ahlmer

Luis the 25 yr old

Hey everyone!

How is everyone doing? Its starting to get little colder here so I cant imagine how cold it is there! It rained pretty good this week and well we got soaked! Only now with the cold its not as fun to get wet s it was before! 

As of right now we have been visiting someone named Luis. Hes 25 years old and is a great guy. He has a few ticks because he had been doing drugs since he was 11 years old and as of 6 months ago finally was able to quit. He has come to church with us two times and Sunday we put a baptismal date for the 30th! He is so excited to start a new life. I am so blessed to be able to be a part of it. He alreadyhas a huge testimony of prayer because whenever he feels tempted to fall he says a prayer and overcomes the temptation. I hope we will still be able to help him and show him how to change his life through Jesus Christ. 

We also havcebeen teaching Gilberto. He came with us Sunday as well hes a little harder to open up. We need to find out what it is that makes him want tolisten to us. Yesterday was interesting because we sat in front of a huge family of like 6 little kids during sacrament and well as you can expect there was a lot of noise.... I hope he was able to feel the spirit and pay attention to the talks!

Thats about all for right now!

Elder Ahlmer

Baptisms and Temple

Hey everyone!

This week has honestly been one of the most rewarding of my life! So many things that we have been working for for so long finally came through and well now Im not as stressed! 

So first off was the wedding! This Tuesday in the morning Pricilano and Esthela got married! It was pretty crazy but I cant believe that the actual service only was like 15 minutes long! All that paperwork and running around like crazy for a 15 minute service! They were so happy and it made all that so worth it! 

Then Wednesday we were able to go to the temple with Maria del Socorro and Pablo Peñaflor. The two people that got baptized like 2 months ago! It was an amazing experience! They both loved it so much and are doing well in the church. I am so grateful to be able to be a part of their conversion! 

Then Saturday Pricilano and Esthela were baptized! The service was so great. we managed to bring a few families that haven't gone to church in years. They loved the service as well and came to church yesterday! 

Sunday Pricilano and Esthela were confirmed and received the gift of the holy ghost. And Pablo and I blessed the sacrament and it was his first time.

I am truly grateful for this amazing experiences that I have had this week and over these past 15 months! 

Tonight are changes and I am crazy nervous to know what is going to happen! 

Have an amazing week! 

Elder Ahlmer

Pricilano and Esthela got married!

then Baptized!

When It rains my comp and I have a half of a garbage bag and we use it to keep well just our scriptures dry! 

Tree Removal

Hey Everyone!

i dont have much time but this week was pretty fun we did a lot of service cutting down a tree of some members. It was a lot of fun and nice to do something out of the rutine! So I don't get more questions I was cutting a branch and it fell down on my head and thats why I got the cut ha ha. 

Priciliano and Esthela get married tomorrow and Im crazy excited for that. Oh and I ate apple pie this week and was sooo good! Oh and someone in the ward made me a sock monkey! Hermana Hernandez 

Tree branch bit back

Apple Pie!

Sock Monkeys

Google Maps Celebrity

Wedding Bells

Hey everyone how has life been up north? 

This week has been crazy. Im still super stressed out about the wedding but we finally put a solid date with the judge for the 21st at 11 in the morning! Its going to be crazy im sure... Priciliano and Esthela are both progressing super well and are really loving the church. I have had an awesome experience to be there to watch the change of the Gospel in their lives! As well we have been teaching Osvaldo now he has been to church two times and talked to his boss and he told him that he can have all the Sundays off that he wants to be able to go to the church! We put a date with him for the 25th of this month and yesterday walking to the church he told us that the night before he got an answer to his prayers and he knows that the book of mormon is true. We have been trying to help his wife as well and shes opening up more and more each time we come. Now she is listing to us where as before she wouldn't even stay in the house while we were there so Id say that progress! Im so excited for them! These past few weeks have been flying by! I cant believe that we only have two weeks more of this change! 

Just a few minutes ago Elder Lowell cut my hair and Im not gunna lie I was pretty nervous but hey it didnt turn out too bad. Oh and also this Saturday our branch president gave us some old shoes that didnt fit him and I wore them yesterday and today and and and today walking to the store the entire bottom of both the shoes fell off... That was exciting. Ill send pictures!

I hope everyone has an amazing week! 

Elder Ahlmer

2 Days in Branch President Shoes

 my companion drinking coke out of a bag with a straw because we didn't have another cup... Mexican style!

Rosalba

Hello!

So first off this space bar doesnt work too well so there might be a few words connected sorry. 

So this week has been pretty exciting! First off with changes. I am still in Estanzuela but my new companion is Elder Perez! Im so happy that Im still here to work with the branch. The branch president just got relieved and the new president is so excited and I can't wait to see how fast the branch starts picking up speed! 

We still are waiting for Esthela to get back from Toreon to be able to get married but they areboth doing well.And this gives us a better Chance to teachPriciliano a little bmore because he is a little bit colder and harder to find out his needs. As well we are teaching a new family that came to church with us sunday Rodrigo Patty and Erik.They are pretty cool.They all loved the church and told us that they are excited to return to the church next week! Rosalba is still doing good shes passing through some rough stuff right now and feels like she isnt worthy to go to church so she didnt come sunday. But we've been helping her out. She told us this week that she now knows why she came to Monterrey she thought it was for work but now she knows it was to be baptized! 

So this week has been a rainy one and I got a cold like last Monday that still hasn't gone away because I get wet basically everyday. But I hope that Im about to come out of it!

Have an amazing week!

Elder Ahlmer

Wet Week

Hey everyone!

So this week has been good! We were basically soaking wet the whole week as it rained! Every time that it rains I feel awkward walking around in the street because people just look at you like you re nuts. And then you realize.. well you kinda are. I dont think Ill ever truly understand what people thatarent members of the church think about what we do as missionaries.... Well Elder Lopez is from Sonora and it never is cold there so he was suffering this week. It wasnt even cold... This winter is going to be an interesting one for him! 

Pricilano and Esthela didnt end up getting married this week because we didnt have enough witnesses for the wedding until after changes because who knows who is going to stay and who is going to leave. but they are both way excited! Even their four year old daughter is liking church now! Last night we visited Rosalba and she told us that she got her answer and wants to be baptized this next Sunday! So that ll be crazy exciting! Maria del Socorro has been a little sick lately and she went to the hospital and they found something in her stomach area that might be cancer or tumor so that's been a little hard to swallow. She goes to the hospital again tomorrow to check the results. Don Pablo is doing great! Its pretty amazing that just about every time we pass by his house hes outside in his chair reading! It makes me so happy! 

have a great week!

Elder Ahlmer

Priciliano & Esthela - Wedding Bells

Hey everyone! 

So this week has been pretty stressful! So Priciliano and Esthela both want to get married and baptized! We put a date of their wedding for this Wednesday... so now you understand why Ive been stressed. Try putting a wedding together in less than a week.... Im not sure if well make it.. who knew getting married was so hard. But the good thing s they are going to get married. The bad news is I dont know if ill be there for it. This next Monday is changes and who knows what will happen! They're both really excited and are loving the church. As well we have been teaching someone namedRosalva. She has been to church 2 times now and has a baptism date for the 21st of this month as well! I really hope they dont change me the 14th! 

We also had a visit from Elder Valenzuela. Hes the second counselor in the area of Mexico. He talked with all the missionaries. It was pretty cool we talked about a ton of things but what stuck out most to me is member and missionaries working together. He told us to remember that we are here to support the members not the other way around. That hit me kinda hard. I feel like lately I have been thinking more that they are there to support us. I guess its time I fix that! 

Well have an amazing week! 

Elder Ahlmer

Im on top of the world! (thats me so ya know..)

Pricillano and Estela

Hey everyone! 

So things ave been going by so fast I cant believe it! We are having a great time here in Estanzuela and I really dontwant to get changed! Well its rainy season again nd I love it! Our area is a huge mountain and so all the streets turn into rivers when it rains! Ill try and get some pictures this week! Oh and sometimes its like supper hot and sunny and it rains at the same time that's always nice! 

This week we found some amazing people! Priciliano and his wife(still not married yet) Estela! They are from San Luis and are really interested in the gospel! We have put baptism dates with them but they need to get married first! We talked to the about that Monday and they both want to and tomorrow we are going to the Temple with them to talk about how they an be sealed for time and all eternity! They came to church Sunday and liked it a lot! 

Elder Ahlmer

Moi! This kid is amazing!

Hermano Rosado a personal hero of mine! 

Elder Maldonaldo!

Mission Office Elder Curtis

Death of Maria's Husband

Hey everyone!

This week has been pretty exciting! So first off yesterday should have ended the hottest part of the year but todaydoesnt feel any colder so that was a little dissapointing.. Ill get over it. 

This week we met some people that are amazing to me. We met someone named Hector hes an 83 year old man who was taught by the missionaries like 15 years ago and when he saw us talking to his son he came out and invited us to visit him another day. Theres just a small problem as of 8 months ago he had a sickness and now he doesnt remember anything from his past llike he didnt even know where he lived. Its a pretty bis miricle that he wanted to talk to us. We came back the next day and he told us he invited us in becasue we looked familiar we started talking with him and he has been loving what we teach him. We started talking about Joseph Smith and he says wait a minute walks out of the room, at this point my companion and I were a little nervous about what was going to happen or what he was going to bring back, and he comes back into the room with an old copy of the book of Mormon! First thing that came into my mind is that hes a member but then he started to explain how now he m}remembers talking with the missionaries over 15 years ago. He never was baptized but read the book of Mormon daily and it shows in his book! He has it well marked and noted and everything! He told us he went to church two times in San Angel but broke both of his legs falling off of a roof so he couldnt go anymore. He has accepted a baptism date for the 7th of sept! i am more than convinced that the lord has played a huge part in this mans life and that he has been prepared to find this gospel. I am so blessed to be a small part in helping him along the way!

We have also been teaching Yadira she is doing great yesterday was her second time in church and she is also planning for the 7th of Sept. She has a strong desire to know what is the true church. The other day we were teaching her and she told us that she knows what we have been teaching her is the truth! 

Also we have been visiting someone named Maria de los Angeles. Her husband was really sick with cancer. He had been fighting with it for so long. She hasnt been able to go to church because she has been taking care of him. This last Sunday we visited them with a youth in our ward. He just turned 16 and it was his first time going with the missionaries. So I should tell you guys that her husband was crazy crazy crazy skinny like it hurt to see him. He couldnt eat or anything. Like legit looked like the people from the concentration camps. when we showed up he was doing bad. So bad that the youth didnt even want to enter into the room. But we went in and talked with the family about the plan of salvation and sang a few hymns with them. We were walking past her house the next day and saw a bunch of people outside and we knew what happened, We stopped and talked with the daughter of Maria and she told us that not 15 minutes after we left he died. She said it in a kind of way that i thought she was blaming us but then we kept talking and she thanked us so much for all that we did. It was an amazing experience to be able to talk to all her family about what happens after this life. Something Ill never forget. 

Even though its hot the lord doesnt stop his miracles! 

I hope you all have an amazing week!

Elder Ahlmer

Look Mom, Fish!

Making Ice Cream by hand

Huge Bread Cake

Hot!

Hey Everyone!

How are thinks up north? Things are going great down here. The heat is pretty killer! Im really starting to get to know the members of this branch well and thats a good and bad thing. Sometimes well a lot of the time theyre really lazy and that drives me crazy. It take a ton of time and work to get the smallest things accomplished. Elder Lopez and I are doing great and having a ton of fun. 

I dont have too much time to write but Im alive! 

Elder Ahlmer

Foundation Dig and Life Changes

Hey everyone! 

So this week has been pretty crazy! Well really really hot! So we have been in the canicula or the 60 days that will light your hair on fire from pure heat so yeah... Na I love it. We are having so much fun here in Estanzuela. So first things first some traditions that drive me crazy here.... They wont give you cold water because they say it will kill you. They tell you if you go into a store that has AC after being outside you ll get crazy sick... and die. and the countless ghost stories that I honestly dont know how to respond too.... Gotta love culture differences here! 

This past year and a little more in Mexico has changed me a quite a bit and if you really know me youll understand whatIm saying when I give some examples. I know I love Peanut butter like soo much, I also can't eat enough salad, I learned how to snap about 2 weeks ago and the list keeps going on. But the real difference is spiritual I can not believe how much I have learned about the nature of God during this past year and how much I still need to learn. I love God with all my heart and I know exactly who I am and who I can become if I do my part. I testify that Jesus is our Savior, He is resurrected and because he was so prefect we all will resurrect. I am eternally grateful for all of the love God gives each and every one of us. Our purpose here in the earth is to have a family not just for this life but for the eternity.

Thank you all for your support and love. I love hearing about whats going on up there!

This week we did some crazy service project! We dug out a foundation for a house of some members! It was so hard and it was all rock. I can't believe that everyone that lives up where this hermano lives has to do this for their house because there isn't a street! 

Pablo Baptism

Hey everyone! 

This week has been amazing! So the first things first in Estanzuela the area that I'm in there are 4 missionaries. And this last Wednesday one of them got called into the offices to work and do some training before changes which are today Yikes! But so we have been in a threesome for the last few days and It has been really weird and fun! The other missionaries are the Zone leaders so at first I was pretty stressed out that he would be judging me in every lesson or something like that but its been great and I have been able to learn a lot about how to teach with new methods! His name is Elder Mieure he has now 20 months in the mission so ya hes about to go home. We have been having a lot of fun talking and teaching in a group of three until tomorrow when his new companion gets here! 

So this Sunday Pablo Peñaflor got baptized! It was an amazing experience to see someone so dedicated to serve the lord. I am so grateful to be able to be a small part in his amazing conversion! I know that the lord has been preparing him for many years and this was his time to show a change. Hes an amazing example to everyone! He is a little older hes 67 so he struggles a little in walking and he never learned how to read very well but he is more than willing to read and go to church all by himself every single day even though we have talked to him that members can pass by to give him a ride he wants to do this on his own. He has been an example to his family who are now more and more opening up to us! I know that they will soon follow Pablo and become members of the church of Jesus Christ! 

As I said earlier today is changes again but Im not too worried because Im still training Elder Lopez but the nerves are always there! 

Well I hope everyone is doing good! Have an amazing week!

Elder Ahlmer

Pablo Peñaflor Baptism

Maria's Husband

Hey everyone!

This week has gone great! 

 This last Monday was pretty crazy because we had a lesson set with Maria Monday night at 8 and when we got there they weren't home. The door was locked and her husband was locked out of his house as well. We felt impressed to talk a Little more with him one on one about the choices his family is making and the blessings of an eternal family. He didn't seem too interested at first but when he responded he showed the he was a least listening. Later on in the week we met up with Maria and she told us a Little about what they have been going through lately. That they have been really stressed out and had been fighting and even were about to split up. But because we talked with him about the church and why his family is doing these things his perspective changed and they are doing good now. I have no doubt in my mind that the lord was there with us that night. I am so grateful for the guidance of his holy spirit. I know the lord is always there trying to help out his children!

Elder Ahlmer

Trainer

                                                                                                                                                        July, 26, 2014

Dear   Elder Alhmer´s Family:

It is my pleasure to inform you of an important leadership assignment that has been given to your son Elder Alhmer .  Because of his obedience, faith, and great abilities as a missionary, he has been asked to serve as the trainer of a new elder.  I want you to know that this assignment is inspired and, because of its importance, is only given after much prayer and pondering.

A trainer establishes the standards for a new missionary.  He must be exemplar in his study of the scriptures and the gospel, in his obedience, hard work, teaching abilities and in all other aspects of missionary work.  The habits of work, planning, and spirituality that he instills in the new elder will establish the course of the rest of his mission.  He will need to give his companion the best beginning possible and provide him with the training, attitude, and direction that will allow this new elder to have a successful mission.  This is a great responsibility, but I have faith in Elder Alhmer , and I trust that he will complete this assignment with the same diligence that he has shown in the past.

Sister Swapp and I appreciate Elder Alhmer  for his efforts to carry the work of the Lord forward in this assignment.   We express our appreciation to you for having raised such a fine young man.  One who loves the gospel, loves the Lord, and serves him with all of his heart, might, mind and strength.  It has been my pleasure to get to know him and to work with him as we build the kingdom of God in these latter days.

May the Lord bless you while your son is away serving in this marvelous work. 

Sincerely,

           

President Edward M. Swapp                                   Sister Jayne Swapp

        President, Monterrey West Mission                                           Sister Swapp, Monterrey West Mission 

   swappem@ldschurch.org                      Jayne.swapp@gmail.com