"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:1

I asked Victor a few questions in his last email. These are his answers.

#1 Who is the most interesting person you have met so far?

#2 Who has changed your life for the best so far?

#3 If you could change any part of your mission what would it be?

#4 What area have you improved the most in?

 

 

I asked Victor a few questions in his last email. These are his answers.

#1 Who is the most interesting person you have met so far?

#2 Who has changed your life for the best so far?

#3 If you could change any part of your mission what would it be?

#4 What area have you improved the most in? 

 

Dear Mom,

Answers to the questions

 

 1) Elder Llamapona, he's crazy awesome. 2)  Elder Granillo.  3) Learning how to listen better and how to let others talk more. 4) I have had to constantly search for new ways to be more Christlike and to help those who need it and forget about me. I feel that I've gotten super better.  I am glad that my letter got to you. I am still a little energetic, but now I channel that energy for my investigators. Way to to go working with the missionaries. i am so glad that you are working with them to progress the work. Don't worry about your tests. It will all work out. Relax and breathe.  I am getting a little sad with one of our investigators, he relapsed and drank so hardcore a few days ago. I really want to help him. But I'm running out of ideas. Got any mom? Oh yeah, we shaved an elderly man's beard, he couldn't do it himself and he lives alone, so we got together some stuff and got it done, after and hour and a half..... Well, next week! Love you!

 

Sincerely,

 

Elder Medina

New Companero, Service and Mini me!

Dear Mom,

I am doing a whole lot better  with fasting. I like it a lot more than
before, and I feel really good when I do fast. I am glad that Diego is
still on top of his scooter riding. More than anything with school,
(not saying I have any room to lecture you at the moment.) But look at how
  you're feeling right now. If you've given it everything you've got,
and feel like you still need to do it. Go for it. If not, if you feel like
you're needed elsewhere. Find that place first, and stick with it. My
hand progresses to feel better ,but I hate this wrap thing on it. I am
going to the hospital tomorrow to get the metal thing changed on it. I
am learning slowly, but surely to be more patient. My companion is
helping me a lot right now. I have a new one, his name is Elder
Custodio. He's a lot like me and it's kinda scary. But we're catching
fire and we've found some great people to work with.We'll keep you
posted. I love you guys and I hope that everything is ok!

Sincerely,.

Elder Medina

                                                            Goodbye Elder Granillo

                                                            Hello Elder Custodio

                                                                     Mini Me!

                                                               Missionary in training

                                                           Getting my work out in

                                                                       Service!

We've Hit a Wall

Dear Mom,

You will see the picture, but my hand is nice and wrapped up. I don't like trying to shower. I have employed plastic bags to cover it up. It is fractured. It will take about a month to heal up right. My diet is okay. I am eating healthier. The members only feed us on Sundays and it is usually lunch. Other than that, we're fighting dogs in the street for our food. Not really. I am getting a little frustrated. We are literally trying so many different ways to teach people. We evaluate and re- evaluate and keep trying to find new people. And all we've got is one baptismal date. For April because he's  a super alcoholic and  smokes cigarettes. He's working his tail off to dejarlo (ask dad he'll know) and he's super positive. It's so hard. Almost always our plans fall through. But I'm still trying to be positive. I really like talking to the people in the street. I have found it's pretty fun. But some people like to give us the hand or just ignore us. Me and Elder Granillo don't know what is going to happen this next change. I am a little curious what will happen. I'll keep you posted. Just one favor, from the eyes of a missionary. Please help the elders with references or family home evenings, and more than anything, complete visiting teaching. We've lost a recent convert because the visiting teachers didn't ever go by. Other than that. I love you all. And Diego, please take off the dress homie. Put on a banana suit or something like that: Haha! Love you guys!

Sincerely,

Elder Medina

Help From My Patriarchal Blessing

Dear Dad, 

I did figure it out. I have gotten my head out of my butt and am now doing better. A lot better. I got the slap to the face. President, has had elder Granillo these past two weeks, prepare me for being senor companion and possibly train, and a slight chance of a leadership. I am taking out my childish ways and being more mature and doing a lot more things different. I am working on taking out the slang and being more humble and so many other things that i can't even count. oh yeah, the most hardest thing, patience. Do you have any good ideas? Thanks for the fatherly advice.

Sincerely,

Elder Medina

Dear Mom,

Today or tomorrow me and Elder Granillo are going to go to the Orthapedic doctor. It is Starting to hurt less. My

headache was because the night before I was throwing up because of the rice ball things that our "mom" made for us.  I have decided that cake, rice, bananas, and soy sauce and warm milk stuff makes it all grody inside. I am sorry about your sickness going on. I am fighting a runny nose and cough right now. Thats pretty much it for my health. Other than that, I'm pretty ok with everything. Diego and his cake. Priceless. I found something in my patriarchal blessing  that gave me a good slap to the face a couple days ago.I was so stressed out  about why I wasn't baptizing people like all of the other missionaries. I have been studying and doing everything i can to find people. I read something, and realized something, about my last two areas. I am supposed to bring less active, and inactive members back to the church. The last two areas, we have had literally no luck finding people to baptize. But we have also found a whole bunch of less active members in the areas.  This doesn't mean that I am just focusing on the less and in active members. I am still searching for investigators. By the way,  we had two investigators in church this week! We haven't had any for more than a month! I have lost the fear of talking to people in the street and being so uptight. This next change will be interesting. I'll keep you posted. I love you guys!

Sincerely,

Elder Medina

Broken Finger, Bridges and Headaches

Dear Mom,

Well to start off I will try to be positive at the moment. I have broken my pinky. I was playing goalie today. Another American buddy, Elder Edwards, kicked the ball with all he had. And it hit my pinky with a force that made me screamm like Shawn and Gus. I just thought that I jammed really bad and pulled it. Bad idea. So I looked at it and popped it because it was at an angle that it should have not been. I didn't know that a finger could pop that loud. A coulple of other Elders whe were nearby cringed. Other than that, i am feeling okay-ish. My head is still hurting. I am getting bad headaches. I am going to get it checked out. Yes, i am glad too, that I am trying to grow up. It is hard, but worth it. Ouch, liquid fire through my pinky......... I hope that the sickness leaves you guys. Please know that you will be ok. I am always praying for you guys. Tell uncle Tom that I said hi and I love him. I love all of you. Keep working hard and be happy.

I am sending pictures of a bridge that we have to cross to get to different areas. It is about 100 meters up  with no railings (I know you don't want to hear that) but it is the best way to get where we are going. The food that I am eating with the chopsticks is, a ball of rice with banana filled Maiz and soy sauce. Super tasty.

I ripped one of my bags on a table when I was standing up and had to have it fixed. Look how old the sewing machine is that she is using to fix it.

 

igualmente mamá. espero que ustedes van a ser mejor sin problemas de salud este semana. translation, Same to you mom. I hope that you guys will be be better without health problems. Don't worry about school it'll all work out. You are still trucking through it. Keep it up mom. I love you.

                                                                   Scary Bridge

                                                             Old sewing machine

 

Love,

Elder Medina

Upcoming Visit From an Apostile, Headeaches and Possible Baptisms

Dear Mom,

Sorry about the account craze. We have to prepare all of our stuff like dry cleaning and shoe shine stuff and fares for travel because we are going to have Elder Quintin L. Cook at the temple in two days and interviews with President Glazier and we had to repair a burst pipe at the house. Lots of stuff. Olivia told me about her birthday. I am sad that I missed it. Arroz con leche huh? Nice. I will admit I am a bit jelous. I have been fighting with headaches this week, again. But we finally got an inactive member to church this week and another inactive is getting reactivated right now too. We have one lady that keeps saying that she wants to be baptized but she wont keep any kind of commitments or meet with us. It is super frustrating. Many prayers have been said and fasting too. But on the good part of it all. We have had the opportunity to find a whole lot of new investigators and families to teach as well. A couple new baptism dates have been set and we are doing all possible to keep them from falling through. I hope all of you are doing fine. Keep on working hard and being awesome. 

                                           Beautiful Sunrise

                                             We have Rats!

                                                   Lowriders

Love,

Elder Medina

Christmas Pics, Baby Food and Spiders!

Dear Mom,

I still have Elder Granillo, we just had a trio for a little while. Elder Edwards is now in San Patricio. Same zone, different area. I'm Still in San Salvador. Same area. We have gotten some new investigators and made some great progress with some less and inactives. This week was the only week that was really hard for me. We have literally done everything to find new people to teach. I have started to understand how the savior suffered. I have suffered so much this past little week. I have had my patience tried and my nerves fried with mean people these past couple weeks. I have felt a lot better these past two days. I have had the opportunity to meet and teach new people. We suffer, and we get blessed. I feel more of a real disciple of Christ. I am trying harder than ever to clean up my language and act. I can proudly say that I dont say my normal angry words when I drop something or when something scares me. I just scream like a girl. I still have trouble sometimes, but it is slowly getting better. I hope that all of you are still participating in the work of the Lord. 

Love all of you,

Elder Medina

 Elder Granillo and I had been sick. We decided baby food might be the best                                                            thing to eat.

                                   Is that Bacon? I can hardly believe it!