Week Sixty-four: Hurricane Patricia

 Hurricane Patricia survivors:
Left to right: Ramon, Zurita, Myself and Gonzalez

So this week Thursday we decided to travel to the offices to help out Elder Zurita the next day and return to our area Friday.... no one decided to tell us that the biggest hurricane to ever hit the northern hemisphere in recorded history was going to hit Guadalajara the very next day. So we arrived at the offices, stayed the night and the next day started working in the offices.... we then found out about hurricane Patricia. all of a sudden our leaders started calling us and telling us that we needed to be in our houses by  4 pm that day and also needed to buy food to last 2-3 days. Then Elder Zurita told us that they had known about the storm since Monday or Tuesday!!! Apparently they had already been making plans as everything but no one informed us haha but its all good because we ended up staying with the secretaries in their house! On Friday we played chess, watched "Seventeen Miracles", and played around with the soccer ball to pass the time and were prepared to stay all day Saturday in the house. When we woke up Saturday, we were really confused because it was only sprinkling outside and wasnt windy at all. Then our leaders said that everyone could work as if it was a normal day. We were all safe and nothing happened, but to be honest we were a little let down. We were so ready to bunker down and have a man cave day, but then it ended up just being a few hours of light rain. 

Nothing was damaged, and no one was hurt and that's the most important.

Elder Wagner and Oscar

Saturday We returned to our area and went with our investigator Oscar to the temple!  It was a miracle that we were able to go. the entire ward was  going to go, but then everyone got scared from the hurricane and almost no one went, but we still went on the bus with Oscar. After seeing to temple from outside, we went into the chapel next door to teach Oscar, but when we went inside, we found a bunch of missionaries from the other mission and found out they were having a baptism! So we stayed for the baptism and it was a great experience for Oscar. Also, he went to church yesterday, so we are hoping that within the next 3 or 4 weeks we can get him ready for his own baptism!!

Elder Gonzalez and Elder Wagz

We also had a great experience with a family in our ward yesterday, we went to eat at their house and then we met with them about which of their friends would be ready to receive the gospel. It took us a while, but it was all worth it. They gave us the names and addresses of 13 families that they are going to visit this week and Sunday they are going to give us a report!!! They are both returned missionaries and it shows!!! They are named the Yañez family. The father asked me if I have any relatives around the age of 70 or 80 who served a mission in Mexico because his father was baptized by an Elder Wagner, so there's some homework for you dad!!

Mexico Guadalajara Temple

Scripture to ponderize: Moroni 7:48 Pray to be filled with love.

Challenge: Yesterday at church one of the lessons was a metaphor about different types of seeds and the dirt they are planted in and the results of how the plant grows. There were 3 types of dirt, the shallow earth, the thorns, and the good soil. Long story short, the seeds that are in the shallow soil grow a little, but when challenges come along, they dont have the roots (or a real testimony) to withstand the trials and they are destroyed. The seeds in the thorns are surrounded by trials and cannot grow well and it is hard for them to see the light (someone who is surrounded by trials and cannot progress well). and finally, the good soil is where we can grow, be nourished and be nurtured by the word of God. WHERE ARE YOU PLANTED? The challenge this week is to search for the good soil and plant yourself there! If you are in the shallow soil or in the thorns, get out and plant yourself where the Lord can nourish you!!!

I love you all so much! Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Con amor, Elder Wagner

Mexico Guadalajara Temple at night