Week 9: Convuslions, Soccer and Elder Mendez's First Baptism!

Hey Family and Friends,

 

     So this week has been a really good week. To start off the week we went on splits with different companions for a day. I was companions with the zone leader who is a super White kid with red hair, but he speaks fluent spanish now since hes been in the misión for 17 months. It was super fun and nice to talk in English for a bit.

 

Later in the week me and my companion were teaching the góspel to 2 ladies in their home around the kitchen table. I was looking through my scriptures to find a good scripture to share with them, I looked up and one of the ladies was having a seizure and was having crazy convoltions. It was crazy and I wasnt sure what to do, her daughter said it had happened before. So she held her while she was convulsing and once it was over she couldnt talk and could barely move. Me and my companion carried her to her bed and I think she ended up going to the hospital, luckily she is ok.

 

We have had some good success this week and have been really blessed. I played basketball a couple times this week at 6 in the morning with our investigator which was super fun, and every P Day we play soccer. I dont really like soccer to much, but im starting to get a little better and enjoying it more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday I had my first baptism and I baptized a young man my age (19). He was Catholic and all of his family is Catholic, we have been teaching him and his mom, I think his mom will get baptized son too. He is super cool and has demonstrated stong faith and inspires me to strive to be a better person. Once he came to know in his heart after praying to God asking if this church was true, he changed all of his bad habbits to be worthy for the baptism. It was a super special and spiritual experience and I was honored to have the opportunity to be the one to baptize him. Its awesome to see the joy and happiness that the góspel can bring into peoples lives. It made all of the hardships and trials ive faced out here worth it for sure. I love serving other people and helping to change lives. Overall this week has been the best so far. I would invite you guys to strive to look outside of yourselves and for opportunites to help other people. I know that as you strive to do this your life and the lives of others will be blessed. I love you all, have a good week(:

Mosiah 2:17

Love,

          Elder Tyson Mendez

Week 8: Sharing the Gospel and Little Food Poisoning

Hey family and Friends!


    Well this week has been a good week for me. We have been blessed with some good success and im seeing some good progress in my Spanish, im finally starting to understand a Little more.

The people here are super loving, and the food has been pretty good, except I got food poisoning this week and was pretty sick for 3 days. It wasnt too much fun, but its all good. Im healthy again, I guess its just part of the Mexico Experience haha(:

We{ve had 5 of our investigators coming to church and its super cool, and im crossing my fingers, but if things work out I will have my first baptism next Saturday. Its truly an amazing experience to see the light of Christ brought into someones life and to see the willingness and want to make a change in their life.

 

    Its pretty funny, I guess its really obvious that im not from here cause people are always yelling Little sentences in english to me to see if I speak it. Im by far the tallest person in Matamoros Mexico. All of the houses here have super short door ways and the other day we had just gotten done having lunch at this Sisters house. We were saying goodbye and I was walking and looking back saying goodbye at the same time, I turned my head back around and smacked my face on this metal bar. It hurt pretty bad, but it was pretty funny!

 

 

 Watch Tyson on a Mexican Limozine HERE!

 

    I played soccer for the first time here in Mexico with a bunch of kids, I am by no means amazing at soccer, but I scored five goals and our team won, it was pretty fun! Well that sums up my week, it was really good, but it felt like a month long lol. I hope you all have a good week this week. Peace!

-Elder Tyson Mendez

1 Timothy 4:12

 

Week 7: Teaching English to Kids in Mexico

Hey Family and Friends!

Well my first week out in the mission field has been pretty good, ive had a lot of cool experiences. We have a lot of investigators and are constantly busy, if we arent teaching then we are going door to door or contacting people on the streets. We have one investigator that speaks english and I love teaching him cause I can fully express myself and say everything I want too. Ive already seen a big change in him, and hes super cool. This morning we woke up at 6 and went and played basketball with him. The language is getting better, but im still having a hard time understanding people cause they speak so fast, and it can get frusterating because I have a lot I want to share and say, but dont know how yet.

  It is super hot over here, and there isnt a moment where im not sweating, none of the houses have A.C. I only get 20 dollars a week for food which is pretty rough and im constantly hungry. No worries though im getting my debit card fixed cause it currently doesnt work here in Mexico. The people are super giving here, we get fed by members 1 time a day, and they always overfeed you. Ive had to eat alot of vegeatables, and those of you that know me well, know i hate veggies. Although when you are starving you dont care as much, im just greatful for food(:

 

 I taught an english class to some latino kids, there is a mini school and the teacher is a member, he was out of town so he asked me to teach. it was pretty cool! My companion calls me hulk and he is pretty cool, he is a hard worker and helps push me. He speaks a Little bit of English and we help eachother learn. I shared my testimony with the whole church yesturday in Spanish, it wasnt perfect, but they said I did good and they understood.

 

It can get a Little lonly out here, but im glad that I have the opportunity to help other people I started a 24 hr fast on Saturday into Sunday and in 32 hrs I only had one meal, Little wáter, I was dying of heat, and I was super tired. This guy came up and started trying to argue with us about why our church was false, it took all the patience I had not to punch him in the face. I took a step back and thought to myself, how would Jesús treat this man? I smiled did my best to be kind, did my best to answer his questions, and told him to have a great day. Ive learned alot over this one week here and have had to man up for sure, but im greatful for all I have and for your guys constant support! Have a good week everyone(:

Love,

Elder Mendez                                                 Alma 37: 36-37 

 

 

DAY 2 IN THE MISSION FIELD

Hey family and Friends, so as you know I got to Torreon yesturday, it was a pretty rough day, but we ended up teaching 3 new people about the góspel. Well my companion did most of the teaching since he is fluent in Spanish, but I bore testimony and it was pretty cool, they all want us to visit again and share more. This morning I woke up, killed a massive cockroach by my bed, then I hit my head on the door panel cause im too tall. Then I asked where the shower was and it turns out we just heat up a bucket of wáter and pour it on our heads for a shower. It was a Little different then what im used too, but im greatful that I was able to rinse off. Afterwards we went to a 5 hour zone conference, then we went to a members house to eat. She made us some delicious tacos and overfed me. These people here dont have very much, but they give you all they have. I hope that you guys appreciate every single thing that you have, I know that I took alot of things for granted, but after these two days I am humbled beyond belief! Well thats my day so far, have a good day everyone(:

 

WATCH HERE: DAY 2 in the field, teaching and tacos

 

 

TYSON ARRIVES IN TORREON MEXICO!!

Well Today is the day that I officially left for Torreon. I didnt go to sleep last night cause I had to pack and be at the reception desk by 2 in the morning. I said goodbye to my best friend and companion today Elder Arellano which was hard. I then proceeded to get on a bus and I was the only american and couldnt understand or communicate with anyone. Well I mean I could a tad bit, but not nearly enough. We got to the Airport and flew into Torreon at like 7:45 this A.M. Then we got picked up and taken to the LDS church where we had a meeting about what to expect from our misión and the dos and donts. Sorry my punctuation sucks I cant figure out this Spanish keyboard.

I finally made it to my house about 30 minutes ago, it isnt much of a house and its going to take some getting used to for sure. Today has been the most humbling experience of my life. It is super poor here and kind of sketchy, there are stray dogs everywhere, and donkeys pulling carts. There are huge spiders all over my house and dead cockroaches on the floor, its crazy. It feels like its not real. If im being honest today has been a pretty hard day, but im trying to stay strong. My main focus from now on is studying Spanish like crazy so that I can actually talk to people. I learned how to preach the Gospel in Spanish at the MTC, but they didnt teach much more then that. Anyways I hope you are all doing good, please dont send anymore letters to the MTC mail thing anymore being that I am now in Torreon. Please just send them to my email, I love hearing from you guys and it gives me motivation lol. Talk to you all soon, have a good week(:

 

Here is Tyson's mailing address to send letters and packages:

Elder Tyson Mendez
Mexico Torreon Mission
Calle Ernesto Breede #301
Col. Ampliacion Los Angeles
27140 Torreon, Coahuila
Mexico

GOODBYE MEXICO MTC!!

The last goodbyes at the Mexico MTC before Elder Mendez left to Torreon.

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH:

Companions and Best Friends Enjoying a Soda

Last Week at the MTC!!!

Hey Family and Friends,

So today is my last P-Day in the MTC, its crazy how fast time has gone, feels like just yesterday I was say goodbye at the air port, and now 6 weeks later im about to head off to Torreon Mexico. Ill be honest my Spanish isn´t the best, but I can hang in there. They taught me all the words necessary to preach the gospel, but day to day communication in Spanish is kind of hard. I wish I could say I feel fully prepared to live in a community where they only speak Spanish, but im not so wish me luck and keep me in your prayers lol. No im sure I will be just fine, but the first couple weeks might be a little rough especially if I get a companion who doesn´t speak any English.

  Over the course of these short 6 weeks, I have grown and learned so much, not only about the Language and the gospel, but about myself. The MTC was by no means a cakewalk for me, it was really hard and a little lonely at times. Well not actually lonely cause I had two dudes at my side at all times haha but emotionally alone sometimes. I truly mean it when I say this, all of your prayers and emails have helped me out so much and push me to want to be better and work harder! I know for a fact and can testify that if you are every feeling alone, inadequate, or just down at all, if you pray to God for help and strength with sincerity in your hearts. He will comfort you and give you the strength as he has done for me over these past couple weeks and throughout my life.

 

   So funny story, this week on the 26th we were having class outside. We were practicing teaching minni lessons to each other, I was teaching Elder McBride my companion, and all of the sudden I look up and see this bird flying towards me. It hit me right in the crotch, everyone was dying of laughter including myself. I think the bird got a concussion cause it fell on the ground and wasn´t moving. Then a couple minutes later a bigger bird came and started attacking it and ended up killing it. It was crazy!! 

WATCH A CRAZY BIRD FLYING AROUND TY'S ROOM HERE!

CRAZY BIRD PART 2 WATCH HERE!

 I got my flight plans and I leave this Monday the 4th at 6 in the morning. Everyone in my district was hoping I would have to take a bus cause they thought it would be funny to watch me get pissed when I found out the news, but it turns out two of them have to take a bus and not me. I was laughing so hard, anyways its been a fun crazy week. Im going to miss my companion Elder Arellano so much, he has become one of my best friends and I got really lucky to have hims as a companion. I will also miss my district and only 1 of my teachers. I never thought I would miss anyone I met in the MTC, but when you spend 988 hours straight with someone you grow to be pretty close!

Thanks again for all of the love and support, I will talk to you all next week with an update on my life in the mission field, its gunna be a crazy new adventure. Until next week:)

Love, Elder Mendez