We had quite an eventful week! Ill start with our two trips to the airport. Unfortunately, we had to take an elder to the airport because he wasnt willing to obey. It was really sad to witness it but it did help me value my mission even more. I really do love being here and I am grateful to be able to be obedient because it is the better way to live for sure. The second trip was a much happier occasion because we were able to pick up a new elder. The best thing about this elder is that he was in this mission 3 years ago but had to go home for health issues. But he has recovered and is willing to sacrifice two years of his life right now to serve the Lord. He has a great attitude and will be a great addition to the mission. The best part about going to the airport for us is definitely eating a fat and delicious Carls Jr. Memphis burger! A quick update on our few investigators that we have. We continue to teach Luigi in the rehab center. He is overcoming his addiction to cigarettes and loves reading the Book of Mormon daily. He believes that he will be able to start going to church in January so we are looking forward to that. Also, we have a possible baptism for this week named Omar. He is a middle aged man who lives alone because the rest of his family lives in the US. He is excited to get baptized but is always really busy with work. So it is just a matter of finding him home, teaching him, and prepare his baptism. We also just started teaching a young single adult named Alejandra who is studying here in Cuernavaca. She just randomly showed up at institute one day last week and the teacher gave us the reference. She told us she loved it and she came to our ward activity and to church this past week. She is really excited to learn and she already knows a lot. We actually havent taught her yet but she volunteered to offer the closing prayer in gospel principles even though we have never taught her how to pray. She did a great job! Also, we are helping a family prepare to be baptized the first week of January. It is a single mom with two kids that are 16 and 11 years old. They have been in teaching for a few months but this Sunday they came back to church and are more interested now. They have committed to be baptized the first week of January so we will be helping them prepare. The ward is doing excellent, especially after our Christmas activity. Tons of members and investigators came and we were asked to prepare a skit and a special musical number for the program. For the special musical number, we sang O holy night, one verse in english and one verse in spanish. The members really enjoyed it. The skit turned out really funny actually. We did a Grinch/Capitan America skit. I was the grinch, a grouchy friend of a member of the church that didnt seem like he would ever accept the Gospel. Elder Azueta and Elder Porter were the Capitan America missionaries that recieved a reference from a member who really wanted to help the grinch. In the lesson, the member shared her testimony with me and my heart changes! Then I get baptized along with my whole family! It was a fun skit that made the members laugh but also ponder their personal responsibility to share the Gospel with their friends, family, and neighbors. Yesterday, despite being a little sick to my stomach, I loved the primary program! The kids sang great and the small and simple phrases that they shared with us at the microphone penetrated my soul and left me pondering about the simple Gospel trues that even little children can live. The principles of the Gospel are so simple that even kids can understand them. We, as adults, need to be more willing to obey, without excuses, just like these innocent little children. In my new assignment, I have learned that we, as converted members of the church, must ALWAYS invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ. I learned that principle when we did divisions with the zone leaders here in Cuernavaca this week. I did them with an elder that I actually met at BYU before the mission, Elder Leakehe. I prayed fervently and studied the scriptures the day before I did the divisions to know what I could share with him because he is already a great missionary. I received some revelation in my studies and I shared those things with him. I also asked him a few questions that I felt inspired to ask. Throughout the conversation, he constantly told me that what I shared and asked was very inspired because it had been on his mind. We both grew so much in that half hour that we had together talking about the mission and the Gospel. That experience taught me that we can help ANYONE progress in the Gospel, even those that are already converted and are on the right path. I love helping the elders progress spiritually and have better relationships with their Heavenly Father and with their Savior. I think that is why I am loving this calling so much, even though we are constantly super tired. This week I would like to invite everyone to examine their lives and identify the people they can help so that they can be closer to Christ and have more happiness in their lives. After identifying the person, seek revelation through prayer and scripture study. I promise that you will be guided and that the person you reach out to will repent and get better. I testify that repentance is for EVERYONE, EVERYDAY. I love all you guys!!!!
Elder Stutz
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