ADVENTURES IN TORREON

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Change is in the air...

Change is in the air...

and we are not just talking about the cold front that actually froze all of the plants, fruit, and flowers outside and also the missionaries in their cement houses. We are talking about the constant changes in the mission. The months of January and February seemed like a dream. In this dream, we seemed to drive to the airport many times, to take missionaries, to pick up missionaries, to return to the airport to pick up lost luggage, etc. We are so grateful for a nice small airport where everyone knows us by now and the workers are always very gracious and helpful. Our regular change day was held on February 14th but we made many more trips before and after.

Companions Elder Pacheco and Ray say goodbye the day before Elder Ray flies to Oregon to be with his family again.

Members from the Bosque Ward in Gomez Palacio bring Elder Ray to the mission home. On the far right is former Elder Ali Rios who now lives in Gomez and is the ward mission leader and teaches institute.

Elder Lamb poses with Elder Polo (from Peru) Elder Lamb returns to California the next day.

Hermana Baquerizo (from Equador) says her goodbyes to her companion and trainer, Hermana Escorcia who returns to Cuernavaca.

Hermanas from the Nazas Ward bring Hermana Escorcia to the mission home. The sister on the right is from the Sarabia Ward and will serve as companion for the night to Hermana Baquerizo.

All of the North Americans from this generation pose for one last photo together. Back: Elders Lamb, Cameron Nelson, Conner Nelson, and Bouchard. Front: Elders Ray, Checketts, Roderick and Glauser.

One of our extra trips to the airport was to take Elder Barcena who developed a herniated disc in the mission and returned home to the care of his family in Mexico City.

Cena de despedida--13 enero 2011

L to R: Hermana Escorcia, Elders Glauser, Miliar, Ray, Checketts, Cameron Nelson, Bouchard, Conner Nelson, Lamb, and Perez Zaragoza.

B: Glauser, Bouchard, Conner Nelson, Cameron Nelson, Lamb.

F: Miliar, Perez Zaragoza, Checketts, Ray, and Hna. Escorcia

These fine missionaries were in the vans on their way to the airport by 5:30 a.m. the next morning to begin their transition into civilian life.

Bright and early, our new missionaries from the CCM in Mexico arrived. Here are Elders Hernandez Mora, Sanchez, Hernandez Olvera, and Soriana with Hermanas Gutierrez and Maqueda in front. Welcome to Torreon.

Elder Orlando Garcia left before the rest of his group in February so that he could meet a school committment. Before he left, he took the final test of the Companionship Language Study program. A certification from this program states that he has completed a certain level of competency in English and is ussued by BYU.

Elder Austin Smith, our financial secretary for some time, returned home due to health problems. We wish him all the best. He has been a great asset to our mission.

Elder McKeon Day joined us on time from St. Louis, Missouri by way of the Provo MTC. He was the first of our February North Americans to arrive.

Elders Thompson, Oehler, and Dastrup are excited to be in the country and are ready to work.
They were only a few days behind Elder Day.

Friday, February 25th was the date for these 5 to arrive. Elder Wahl is making a return appearance after returning home to have knee surgery at the first of November. Next to him on the back row is Elder Wagner from Utah. In front are Elder Ragland from Maryland, Elder Neser from California and Elder Larsen from Utah. This completes the generation of February arrivals.

We already know of 2 new missionaries arriving from Peru on March 4, one North American scheduled for March 7th and our regular transfer day is March 28 when we SHOULD receive 17!!! We are not optimistic that this will go smoothly. We will live through this, somehow.

New missionaries for a new year...2011

With the start of the year 2011, our prayers were answered and we began to receive more missionaries from North America. The visas have been procured in many locations other than Salt Lake City and church travel is being creative in arranging travel to get us our missionaries! We feel so blessed to receive such wonderfully trained missionaries. Those from the north already are speaking really good Spanish and are hitting the ground running.

Elder Bean is from Oklahoma and Elder Ellgen is from Colorado. They travelled together to join us in the Mision Mexico Torreon.

On January 3rd, we were blessed to receive 9 missionaries from the CCM in Mexico City. Two missed their plane because of baggage issues and they joined us shortly after the end of our change meeting. Above on the back...Elders Olvera, Teran, Cruz, and Macedo. On the front with President Clark and I are Elder Ruiz, Elder Perez, and Sr. Cuba. (she is from Peru)

Elder Calderon

Hermana Baquerizo is from Equador

Within the week, we received the 4 North Americans scheduled to be here in January. This is a sign that our prayers are being answered. Elder Dunman from Arizona, Elder Abbott & Elder Tarabilda, both from California, and Elder Hyer from Utah.

They are now hard at work finding, teaching, and baptizing here in Mexico

January 2011 transfers

January 2011

Hermanas Ortega, Garcia, and Palma say goodbye to Hermana Velazquez.

Elders Perez and Stratton baptized this family from area Centro. They brought a cake to Elder Perez on his last night in the mission.

Elders Lunt and Polo say goodbye to their companion, Elder Hernandez.

The whole group. L to R. Shimata, Ramos, Heffernan, Hernandez Lepe, Hna. Velazquez, Watson, Hernandez Vergara, Perez, Galvan, Hernandez Sanchez

Elder Ponce joined President Clark and I in the mission home about a week before the rest of his
group as he returned home early for a school committment.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Blanca Navidad

A goal for the mission was to have a Blanca Navidad, or in other words, for every companionship to baptize on December 26th. We were able to attend many wonderful baptisms that Sunday. Here are a few photos of the happy missionaries, the happy new members and their happy families.

There was great family and ward support for the 5 new converts in the Torreon Jardin Stake as shown above.

Here are the 5 new members and the missionary or member who baptized them, including, Elders Ramos, Navarette, Polo, and Miranda.

Elders Smith, Martinez Vasquez and Brother Jasso are shown here with their two honored guests, dressed in white and ready to be baptized.

Sr. Teresa and her husband are shown here with Elders Navarette and Bickmore. These missionaries will always be special to her.

Elder Miranda had his first experience using his priesthood authority to baptize this young lady in Sunday's special baptismal service. Elder Heffernan, his companion will return to his home in Hawaii next week, knowing that he has trained his companion well.

This beautiful young lady followed Jesus' example by being baptized by immersion by Elder Lopez Juarez. Elder Scothorne is his companion.

Elder Franco and Elder Barfuss baptized these two special young people in the combined baptismal service in Torreon Reforma Stake. They serve in the California area.

Here is the group from Torreon Reforma together. The district of Elder Franco helped 4 new converts in all. (shown here, Elder Franco, Elder Martinez Vasquez, Elder Barfuss and Brother Jasso.

"Tied" to our friends in Las Vegas

Elder Robb is one of the Assistants to President Clark. He is shown here with his companion, Elder Gutierrez. The Young Women of the home stake of Elder Robb in Las Vegas collected ties as a service project this fall. They sent some of them to the 17 missions in which their stake currently has missionaries serving--all over the world. We were blessed to receive 70 some new and gently used ties. We decided there were people here in the boundaries of our mission who could really use a tie. Our missionaries were challenged to give a tie to an investigator or new member and then take a photo of the gifts to send back to the Young Women in Las Vegas. Here are some of the photos...

Hermanas Velazquez and Garcia found a good home for one of the ties.

Elders Edwards and Curiel are serving in El Orito in the Zacatecas Zone. They gave their tie to this future missionary.

Elder Miranda shares his tie with this gentleman in Torreon Jardin

Elder Harman found a home for his tie in his area of Aeropuerto/Independencia in Torreon Reforma

This young man is holding his new tie and his mission call. He is "Called to Serve".

Elder Franco from California area gives his tie to this gentleman.

Elder Castellanos found just the right youth to receive this tie.

Elder Young and Elder Romero pose with their tie recipient.

Recent convert "Jorge" receives his tie from Elder Lara and Elder Roderick.

Elder Lamb poses with a family from Central, Gomez Palacio

Another future missionary is happy to show off his tie. This service project has brought smiles to people in Las Vegas and in Mexico.

Merry Christmas in Mexico

Feliz Navidad de Mision Mexico Torreon

President Clark and I enjoyed our 5 Zone Conferences and special Christmas Dinners during the month of December. Here we are taking a minute to enjoy the moment.

Elder Checketts of the Fresnillo Zone is pretty excited to receive his Christmas stocking and his CD with photos of all of the missionaries.

A special musical number in Durango was absolutely beautiful. Here Elders Alexander, Toone, Glauser, and Lambert sing the English part in perfect harmony.