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