4/15/24: Mission Impossible - Training Mexico Style

 We're back. Much has changed so I will explain.

First off I hit 7 months this week! So that's cool. Second off, we had transfers this week. In the transfer call we had on tuesday, they told us Elder Flandes and I would stay the same in our area for another transfer, giving us 3 transfers together. We were excited cuz we've been on a roll. All normal, right?

Wrong! Out of no where, on friday the APs called us in morning at like 7:30 and asked us how we felt about splitting and opening up a part of the area in the future. This was exciting cuz it was what we'd been asking for for a while. They then proceeded to put us on hold for 5 minutes. When they came back they told us we were gonna split the area the same day, take some new greenies with us to each area, and get to Tuxtla ASAP cuz our greenies were waiting for us. 

So we RAN. And, kinda made it on time to the Trainer/Trainee meeting.

So yes. Now I am training. My comps name is Elder Wray, and he's from Salt Lake. He had a reasignment for a transfer in Nebraska while he was waiting for his visa, so he's got a little bit of experience in the mission life in general. He doesn't have very much Spanish or experience in Mexico tho, so that's where we'll be doing most of our learning. Hence the title, Mexico Style.

I'm excited tho, definitely a curveball thrown at us tho, I was not expecting to train, especially after a 2 days of thinking it would just be another normal transfer. But hey, here we are. I guess I was wrong in my last email. Apparently Presidente Camey only needs a quick glimpse of a missionary and can decide if they're ready to train or not. Bro indeed does have the gift of discernment.

Bringing me to my spiritual thought. In Matthew 25:1-13, there is a very famous parable. The parable of the ten virgins. And there's also a talk about this parable from the Oct. 2023 conference bt Amy A. Wright that I thought of when we got the call saying we were gonna train. She talks about how beneficial the small and simple things are when we recieve or have shocking things happen to us.

Basically, I was shocked to hear I was gonna train an American who doesn't have any spanish. And I said a quick prayer asking if I was really ready for this. And I recieved a good thought in my mind. Every morning I've gotten up on time, every language study I'd done, every question I'd asked my comps and every mental correction/corrective action I'd made in the past were all worth it in that moment. We'll make some mistakes, we'll have some awkward moments, but God knows my comp and I can do it, and if He knows we can do it, then I know we can do it (with His help of course).

So now I have taken Cintalapa with my new comp, Elder Flandes has taken another city, Jiquipilas, and other parts of the area with his comp. And it's gonna be great! 

So that's my week! Thanks for being cool and reading. Have a good one! ¡Adiosss!

- Elder Allen

Photos: 

1. El compañerismo

2. Apostasía

3. Our final moments as comps