Crashing Bikes for Service November 12, 2019

Family and friends!

I hope you're all doing well! Things just keep getting more exciting! 

To start off, we got another baptism scheduled for Maria, next month! She is very excited and can't wait! And neither can we! We had changes this last weekend but of course, my trainer and I are staying in our area. So I'll be hanging out here for another 6 weeks! Then possibly more after that haha. It depends but it sounds like for sure that my companion will be out of here before Christmas. He has already been here for close to 5 or so months! He thinks that I'm actually gonna be doing training myself for a new missionary after this next cycle, yikes! But I do love the area! I'm not actually in Mexico City though so hopefully I can get into the city sometime in the next two years haha. Elder Gonzales is great though! Although, I'm not quite sure if he gets the concept of 'redneck.' He calls me that at least three times a week and I try explaining to him what that means. He says he knows but then calls me that again later haha. He is a funny guy but I don't think that I'll ever have a companion as hilarious as Elder Xanthos haha. But Elder Gonzales is really trying hard to learn English! Speaking of language, my Spanish has definitely improved tons while being out here and receiving help from the Lord! I can talk to my companion just fine with minor problems when there are words or phrases I don't know yet very well. But for the most part, I have it down pretty well! The people I talk to are surprised when I tell them I only have less than two months out in the field so I guess that's good. My main problem is of course grammar. At least they can understand what I'm trying to say haha. Spelling is also a problem... I don't exactly write a ton of Spanish. Anyway, the language is great, the mission is great! I love the people and culture very much! The children here are especially funny! There is this one little boy, John, who is the son of this family we eat with on occasion close to the house of the other Elders in our district. His mom says that he can speak English pretty well since his dad is from the United States, but I haven't heard any English word from him yet. Or a Spanish word for that matter. We eat outside next to their porch and John just likes to stand next to us and pretend to shoot us for whatever reason. He makes random noises too. Then occasionally he will scream at an empty bowl of soup then cough on my taco and run away, not always in that order though. Then there is a little girl who is of this family we eat with a lot but closer to our house. She always is eating a sucker when we go visit them. But she pretty much just takes whatever she wants. Like one time, I was sitting there at the table eating some noodles, then she comes up and grabs my avocado and walked away with it. I didn't really mind, it was just funny. And Diego who is a little bit older, 11 or 12 maybe, is trying to learn English from me. So I give him a few words to memorize whenever we eat with their family. And then this one little boy who is always riding his bike around likes to stop us and ask where we're going and what we're doing and everything. All these kids are members (of our church) too. Other children aren't always very nice haha. But it's all been great, we've had lots of service opportunities and we got to bless a house(use the priesthood to give a blessing, or dedication, on a house, as requested by the owner). We helped one guy get a bed installed in his home, he wasn't a member (of our church). The house wasn't really all that great, there were clothes and garbage everywhere. It took us a while to actually find the bed frame under everything. But he is a really nice guy and his mother is sick and lives in her bed. So he doesn't have a whole lot so it was nice to do what we could for him. Sundays have been fun and interesting! One time they didn't have any deacons to pass the sacrament so us elders had to go help pass... we were actually called up during the sacrament hymn so I was caught a bit off guard. Then this last Sunday, they had pancakes for the sacrament so that was interesting! We have stake choir every Sunday night and that's always fun! We have stake conference coming up this weekend and President Parry and an Area Seventy (General Authority of our church) are attending that. So pressure is on for the choir!   (A Stake is a large area of people made up of several Wards...smaller congregations of the church split up by geographical regions)

     Now time for some stories haha! 

If you're wondering about the subject of this letter, here is why! This happened last night actually. But yesterday morning, I had intensely prayed for a service opportunity for that day. So I was really looking for ways to help anyone throughout the day and not much happened until later that night. But first, on our way to an appointment, we got stopped by the federal police. That was the second time it's happened to me so far. They like to ask where we're going and what we're doing, kind of like the little boy I mentioned earlier. It's hard to hear them though because this is literally right next to the highway. So they ask questions like who we are and where we're from. I'm not exactly sure why they do this, but one of them takes pictures while another is talking to us. Elder Gonzales said it's to send to their office to "show that they are working." Anyway, they took up about 10 minutes of our time so we were almost late to our lesson. That was the lesson that Maria accepted her baptism date for next month! So afterwards, when it was now dark, we're going back to our town where we live to teach our last lesson for the night. We didn't get very far down the highway when all of the sudden I get this feeling to look up (when it's dark we usually look at the ground because we can't see looking up with the cars shining their lights in our eyes). My companion who is a little way ahead of me is heading right for another biker, head on. It all happened at once from when I looked up and then they ran into each other. I instantly had a little panic attack hoping none of them would tumble into the road in front of any cars but thankfully they both fell the other way. My comp caught himself but the other guy fell down completely. Thankfully no one was hurt! It was obvious that Heavenly Father was watching over them. So we stopped and help the guy up and we're apologizing tons and tons. Elder Gonzales is still kind of in shock and so is the other guy. But I'm talking to him, knowing that this was the service opportunity the Lord blessed us with, and I'm trying to offer him anything I could for the trouble. I offered some money to pay for any bike repairs which he didn't take. I offered my tie which he didn't take. But he did accept the Book of Mormon I offered him! He was a very sweet and humble guy. Of course we introduced ourselves and told him who we were. He lives out of our proselytizing area but he did say he might attend church this week so we will see what happens! It is stake conference so maybe it will be extra special for him. Either way, I'm glad I was able to help him and perhaps the biggest act of service that we could offer him at that moment was simply our kindness. Maybe that's all he needed and the Lord knew it. Again, no one was hurt. The real damage was My companion's bike! His front tire was destroyed. So we had to walk our bikes all the way back, it took about two hours. On the way back, we ran into the same officers in the same place! They pretty much just sat there for a couple hours. They asked what happened then they let us continue on our way. But we left our bikes at our apartment and went to our last appointment, which they weren't there. So yesterday was pretty wild. And now we're going around without bikes at the moment haha.     

¡Este mision es muy especial e yo se que estoy aqui a enseñar sobre el evangelio de Jesucristo! Hermanos y hermanas, podemos recibir muchas bendiciones a traves la expiacion y si podemos seguir el ejemplo de nuestro Salvador. ¡Los amo ustedes!

-Elder Markham

Here is Elder Gonzales and I at the temple! As well as an old friend and I! Also our baptism for Arnulfo! 

Here is some food we get to have! The larger plate is of one of my favorite foods here, Huaraches! The other, not quite sure what it's called. We had it at our ward mission leaders house and it had these weird stringy things that had an odd texture. I asked Elder Lopez what they were and he just said, "It's best you don't know."   Then another pic of one of my favorite streets at night. Also a pic of what I'm pretty sure are UFOs. They're definitely not hot air balloons.

Pics of some of the rainy days we have! And a crazy freaky spider I found just outside our apartment!

Parts of our area! 

Pics of some gifts that were given to me by members! The little pumpkin witch one was given to me by a nice member who had me sign her Book of Mormon. 

Sunrises from our apartment

And finally, our lizard friend who visits us every morning around 10am. I haven't named him yet so let me know if any of you have ideas haha.  Also some abandon buildings across the train tracks from us that I thought were cool! 

The Never-Ending Atonement (Nov. 5th, 2019)

Family and friends!

I'm doing well and feeling great! I love the mission so much! 

A quick thing I just wanna mention about the emailing, I'm going to have to cut my personal emails with some of you a bit shorter! I'm really sorry but I take up too much time when I write so much. I just love talking with all of you! But most of my updates will have to come from my group emails. But don't worry, you can still write as much as you want, I just won't be able to write as much. 

This week was another great week! And the week before we had the baptism for Arnulfo, FINALLY! He was one of the two I had asked to be baptized during my first week but they kept missing church so they had to wait. But I got to baptize Arnulfo and I was supposed to baptize Elvia, the other who accepted. But she wants to wait a little longer so we might just have Arnulfo do it! But we also have a new baptism date coming up for Carolina who accepted this week!

I've learned a lot while being out here. So here are some things I've had the pleasure of learning about. First, I was able to read the president Thomas S. Monson memoriam (here) on the way back from the Temple one day. I really enjoyed it and it gave me a better understanding of his love he had for all of us and the people he served. It reminded me of a very dear person to me who I respect and admire very much, my mom's dad. My grandpa is a very caring and loving person. He is also a great leader and has had the opportunities to serve in many callings including Stake President (presiding/serving over a large area of church members) and Temple President. He now also serves as a Patriarch (Ordained Melchizedek Priesthood holder who gives special blessings to worthy members of the Church) and I had the blessing and privilege of receiving my Patriarchal blessing from him! As I was reading the Thomas S. Monson memoriam, a certain story came to my mind where my grandpa had exhibited his love and care for others. (My mom can correct this or better tell it if it's not as accurate haha). So, one Christmas season, my grandpa was driving somewhere, probably back home from work. On the way, he noticed a small family on the side of the road selling bundles of wood to make money for Christmas. Well, the weather wasn't all that great and it was raining a lot. And the wood was not that great of quality (green) and it was very damp. Because of that, the family was not able to sell any of it. With compassion and care in his heart, my grandpa pulled over and bought the family's entire pile of wood. They were of course very thankful and it warmed the parents' hearts during this cold and muggy season.  (Mom's addition: when the family arrived to deliver the wood, they were invited inside to enjoy homemade hot cocoa from my Grandma). What I learned from this story and from reading the loving acts of President Monson, is simply how to love better and be able to show it as well. Thomas S. Monson has said, "What is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should just let them know." This is what brings my mission more meaning and more purpose. Everything out here has to do with those around me. It's the difficult things in life that make it worth it for me. Joy comes with in, and happiness is a consequence from it. Charity has always been and always will be the pure love of Christ. For Him, it was always about never shrinking from the opportunity to help someone. This is why Jesus Christ is our perfect example. When we turn outward, we open up ourselves to receiving more blessings, even though the blessings we receive aren't the reason we turn outward. Elder David A. Bednar describes it well when he spoke about the love and service of Christ in an MTC devotional at the Provo MTC. He talked about Christ's final acts in mortality. The way He turned outward. He also mentioned one of His first acts when Jesus had sent angels to minister to John the Baptist when he was in prison. This was AFTER Jesus had suffered from fasting forty days and forty nights and then being directly tempted by Satan. Instead of keeping the angels to minister to Him, Christ sent them to minister to John. Another example of Christ's love is when he was on the cross. When He said to the Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. While He was nailed to the cross in agony, in pain, in sorrow, He thought of the people who had done this to Him in a very tender way. He thought of those Jews that yelled for Him to be crucified, He thought of those Pharisees who mocked Him and spat upon Him and smote Him, He thought of the guards who whipped Him, who nailed Him to the cross, who cast lots for His garments in mockery of fulfilling the prophecy, He thought just how excruciating this will be for them when the day comes that they stand before Him and realize the pain they caused Him and how they will realize, they crucified our beloved Savior. And finally, He thought of His very dear sweet mother, Mary. He asked John to take care of her. I believe that as Jesus was carrying His cross to the hill in Calvary, He was not thinking, "Wow this is miserable." I would think that He thought of all of us, all of us who He suffered for. I think that if anything, He felt relief. Relief to finally have completed the Atonement. That we can finally access this every time we repent. So, it's very important to know that when you feel alone, when you feel forgotten, lost, weak, frustrated, helpless, insignificant, sad, upset, depressed, or pointless, remember that there is one who felt the pains, sicknesses, and afflictions of every person who has lived, is living, and will yet live upon the face of the whole earth. Even all of them combined. This was not just some agony that Jesus felt where it was a single pain that is greater than them all. This was agony filled with different pains and afflictions, agony that allowed Him to understand each and every one of us. Beyond than how we even understand ourselves. The Atonement is something we cannot comprehend because of how great the pain was. But we can at least understand that when we feel the pain of emotion or physical affliction, we can know that our Savior is watching us, trying to comfort us and just thinking how miserable this is for us. He would be thinking this because He knows and is also thinking, "I'm very sorry. I felt that and I understand. I know exactly what it is you are going through and I'm sorry." I believe it still brings Him to tears, every time. Even though death isn't the same to God and Christ as it is for us, He still mourns with us and Christ still feels sorrow for our losses. For those of us that have the blessing of knowing what is after death, it is still difficult to let go of our loved ones that leave mortality, sometimes what seems like too soon. It's not about the idea that we won't ever see them again, we have that blessing to know that we will see them again. It's the idea that we miss them. That we know we will continue to miss them for the rest of our mortal lives until we get to see them again in the next life. So, brothers and sisters, never forget why we are here and where we are going. We are here to serve and grow. We don't get a second chance at mortality, so make careful choices. This mission has taught me love beyond compare to what I had before I left. I love and miss my family so very much and I deeply appreciate every little bit of contribution from all of you, my friends and family. I miss you all and I wish each and every single one of you well! Keep living your best lives and I hope to meet all of you at some point in two years time! 

Love you all!

Love Elder Markham