I am Guedo

Hey everyone! 

So this week has been really weird. It started off walking into an air conditioner and cutting open my head. It really wasn't bad, but because I am white people could see it and told me I was dying... Yeah, I'm still alive but it's all good. 

Speaking of  dying it's sooo hot here I don't know how I will live!  It's crazy because the people here refuse to give you cold water when it's hot because they think it will kill you. Everyone has a story about their great uncles best friend dying from drinking cold water. All right, I guess they are taking care of me! 

So the 30 of April was kid day, and it was crazy fun.  We all thew eggs with confetti in them and had a little party!  

My birthday was good we had a ton of fun!  Right now we have 2 cakes in the fridge of our house so looks like we don't have to buy food for a while.... I'd send pictures but the computers here aren't the best!  Thank you all for the birthday wishes!  

So if anyone remembers Betty we visited her again and she's doing good!  The other day she helped her daughter enter illegally into the states.... It sounded pretty easy but she was so scared she prayed and told God that if everything goes good she would go to church with us on Sunday.  That was great, but then she told us she would walk to the church...... To walk to the church takes 2 hours.... She invited us, and that's what we did yesterday.  She also said, during the testimony meeting, shared the story and gave us thanks for teaching her.   She couldn't remember our last names so she called Elder Quiej Danny and I am the Guedo... That was interesting but gotta love it! 

Isabel and her family are good and way excited to be baptized we just need to straighten out a few things, so we are really excited for them!

Have a great week!

Elder Ahlmer

Happy Birthday and 2 cakes!

Hey everyone!

Well its changes time again so as usual Im pretty nervous to see whats going to happen! Its always an awkward week because you dont know if you should say goodbye to the people or not. But I guess thats just part of the mission!

Yesterday was pretty amazing I hope everyone had a great mothers day! It was awesome getting to see my family and talk to them! I loved it! Its crazy to see just how much they have changed! Things are going to be pretty different in another 15 months thats for sure! 

So yesterday we were supposed to talk in church and you all know me I get crazy crazy nervous so there I was in church almost dying and then the bishop told everyone that there is a change in schedule and the missionaries arent going to be speaking.... I was pretty happy but it would have been a little nicer if he would have told us a little sooner. 

I hope you all have an amazing week! 

Elder Ahlmer

Isabel and Family

Isabel and Family

Bishop's Fanily - I call for Mother's Day from here.

Pictures!!!

District Meeting

The District

Topochico!

Dad's Birthday

Hey dad! 

So first off Happy birthday! I cant believe you are already 28! You've grown up soooo fast! I miss ya so much and love you to peaces! I cant wait to see you the 11th! I swear all the time I start thinking about Gannett peak. That was one of the coolest experiences I ever and I will never forget that trip staying in that tiny tent with you! Or all the time we spend riding dirt bikes! I am so grateful to have a dad as amazing as you that taught me right the things that I need to do! I have an amazing example that is always there for me! The mission is hard real hard but I know that its possible and will bless my life more than I can understand. If serving here in Mexico for two years is what I need to do to become more like you. You best believe Ill give it all Ive got! I want a family like the family that I have been raised in and I now know that only through this gospel families can be forever. Thank you so much for your example to me I love you more than anything and wish you a very happy birthday! 

Love,

Elder Ahlmer

Semana Santa or holy week

Hey everyone!

This week was a little different. So it was Semana Santa or holy week here. The catholic church has a ton of traditions and since EVERYONE here is catholic basically everyone in our area participated in them. They had a ton of reenactments of the Crucifixion of christ like every single night and people even told me that in some other part of Mexico they actually crucify someone! Like they actually whip him put a crown of thorns in his head and drive the nails through his hands... I dont know if I should even believe it! This Saturday the day that everyone throws water and eggs at people was pretty lame. It was raining so nobody did it ha ha maybe next year! 

Oh and also this week the moon turned red for one night! That was pretty cool I wish I could have seen it a member told us that it was the night after so we missed it but it should turn red in like 6 months or something like that! 

Oh this week I also learned that like 20 years ago in Monterrey it was prohibited that white missionaries baptized and the church had to like hide all the photos of all the baptisms preformed by the white missionaries. Crazy crazy crazy! 

The week was a little slower because our investigators went on vacation this week but they return this week so things should pick up again! 

Have a great week and happy Easter!

Elder Ahlmer

Baptism of Mario

Hey everyone!

So this week was pretty amazing we have been keeping ourselves pretty busy and I love it! So this Sunday was the baptism of Mario and he was so excited! Its one of the coolest experiences in the world to be able to be part of changing someones life! I love to just look back and see how much Mario has changed! When we first met him he was so sad and hardly talked and just miserable and now hes so happy always smiling. The gospel of Jesus Christ changes people. There's nothing in the world that I would rather be doing than helping these people here be more happy! Along with Mario we have been teaching a family of 16 people and as of right now  5 of them have a date set for the 27th of April! As well we have a family of four that want to be baptized we just don't have a date set! I'm so grateful to be here seeing these blessings! 

This week should be pretty interesting because it is semana santa or holy week and theres a bunch of traditions that should end up pretty exciting like Saturday everyone throws water and eggs on everyone! Sooo..... next week I should have some exciting pictures for you! 

Elder Ahlmer

19 Investigators

Conference! I hope everyone learned a ton! Once again I watched it in Spanish and its just not the same when it's not their voice. I hate it ha ha, but its all right I could not focus to much because with ever single session we were watching the little kids of our investigators so their parents could watch!

Really this week has been crazy cool. Today we hiked Topochico again to watch the sunrise and it was way cooler the second time! Im so happy to hear about everyone that is getting their mission calls! Being here has been the best decision that I have made in my life! 

I loved every bit of conference that we got to watch. Its kinda hard to pay attention when you have people there and they have little kids but everything went well! We had 19 investigators attend church this week and they all loved the conference and said that they feel something special about the church. Actually one of the families (Isabel) that we are teaching told me in the church that she and her family are going to be baptized! I cant tell you how amazing that felt! They are so cool and I honestly see them being amazing members of the church! Then there is Mario. Mario is so amazing and he is so excited for his baptism this Sunday. He was actually able to bring his daughter to church. And though she's 8 years old loved it. He has some good friends and feels comfortable in the ward. Every time I see him I just think about the first time we met him and now how much he has changed its incredible what the gospel can do in the lives of people that are willing to follow! And then there is Betty. She is so amazing! She went on vacation for 8 days and wasn't able to attend church the two Sundays before but during her trip she visited four different churches, read to Mosiahin the book of Mormon and finished the principals of the gospel book! That was one of the coolest lessons of my life hearing her testify about how much she loves the book of mormon and believes in everything that it says. Unfortunately she is living with someone that she isn't married with but she has been waiting for her divorce to finish up and get married and then baptized. She said the papers should be done around the end of May. That was kinda a hard moment to see that we have to wait so long but Im still completely amazed in the testimony that she has! We also have been teaching a family of 16 people! Its one of the hardest and funnest things I have ever done! Our lessons take forever because we have to teach each principal like 8 times but they are learning and like what they are learning. It's amazing because they kinda live in a horrible place where theres a ton of drug abuse and drinking and all that but as we see them progress we can see each of them help one another to grow stronger and stronger in the faith. 

I hope everyone has an amazing week!
Elder Ahlmer