Elder Andrew Basile: Week 2 Bien Chido (Really Cool)

Hey everybody thanks for all the emails. So this week has been so much better! Your prayers definitely make it all better! So we got 3 baptismal dates this week! Usually the mission averages 1-2. Man Mexico is cool, the people are cool but there are a lot of straight up weird people too! The members are sooooooo nice and the old lady members are just the best. Most of them are single but cook a meal for us fit for like 10 people and want us to eat it all haha! They just love talking to us.

Other people are quite nice manners here focus on being very friendly and respectful. Then there are the people that dont like the missionaries and are just straight mean. When you walk down the street or ride in a combie (mini taxi bus) you pass people just standing in their front yard staring aimlessly into the distance and they will just seem to do that for hours hahah. There are a lot of Borachos (drunks) on the streets and will be passed out on the sidewalk or in an alley or against a wall. One I thought was dead, cuz he had not moved for 2 days but then the next morning we saw him walking around.

So we have had a lot more success here now. We first taught a 21 year old mom of 2 single obviously... there are hundreds of single moms here. I really pushed myself and taught half of if not most of the lesson. Then we invited her to be baptized and she said yes and seemed very determined. The first baptism date of my own, I cant explain the pure joy that brings. I know there is a long way to go with them but man... just man its an amazing feeling you dont understand unless you experience it first hand.

Man its hard to write in english I really have to think through the sentences and spelling. I am happy to say I am basically fluent now there are very few things I cant say or understand. But Mexicans speak so much slang that that is tough sometimes.

Anyway, The next we contacted an older woman to was like, Hey my son would love to hear from you guys. He lived next door. She brought him over to her house. Taught him. At first she was working in the kitchen but you could tell was listening intently. When we started talking about baptism she left her cooking and came and sat with us. He accepted the invitation!!!! She wants to but wants us to come over more before she makes a for sure decision. They are really cool. Man the spirit just feels like wind in wind in those lessons you can feel it so strong.

The next morning on the way to a reference we got attacked by a pack of farrel dogs that lives in a corn field. The other day when we passed by we noticed they all follow this big dark brown and black evil looking one we call El Diablo. They didnt bother us the day that we got doors slammed in our face but this time when we were teaching a lot of people the attacked! It was so scary cuz like we cant really get away cuz its next to a long wall. Anyway they run into the field and then come flying at us barking and growling. Elder Campos throws rocks and they run away. One time a white one came to attack him and he had to hit it with his umbrella. El Diablo came flying at me and I kicked that freaking mut in the face. I think I broke his jaw but dont know for sure. To be honest really wouldnt care if that piece of crap died. I was scared to death. We havent gone back since but we have a very good reference there.

We went to the Rededication of the Mexico City temple at the chapel yesterday and it just made my day.. just the spirit that was with us all day.

The third family we taught was so amazing she is some evangelist idk but invited us in. I really pushed myself to talk a lot in this lesson and taught so much with the spirit everytime we spoke she would start bawling. I swear the Holy Ghost was sitting right next to me, and was shouting for more than half the lesson to just invite her to be baptized.sheccepted and I havent felt that much peace in the whole mission. Three weeks HAHA Then her drunk husband came in and started yelling at us. But as soon as we said we were representatives of Jesus Christ he calmed down completely.

We taught there family yesterday and he accepeted the word of wisdom and has goals set in place to stop drinking. We are going to baptize there whole family I just know it.

Being a missionary is so hard physically and mentally but these moments make you forget the bad. All you guys in the MTC have something crazy comeing haha.

I really love being a missionary. Elder CAmpos is the bombe we get along so well.

Mexico is so beautiful, and yes Nana the flowers here all smell amazing!

Thank you all for writing. I am so greatful for your emails.

I love you all.

Oh and our Address is

Mision Mexico Xalapa

Av. ARCO Vial SUR #738

Local 5

Col. Lomas Verdes Xalapa,

Veracruz

C.P. 91098

The people here make shapes with their hedges its really cool.