Two weeks of updates

(Sorry I'm a little behind in the blogging--we were gone on trek)

June 16, 2014

 

This week was really awesome, Jose Maria got baptized. A lot of the members went to the baptism.  The talks were amazing, the missionaries(us) sang a musical number. I was really happy for Jose Maria, he has made a lot of changes in his life and is going to be a great member. I felt the Spirit so strongly in the baptism, his parents are not members, but they loved the church, the baptism, and the members in the ward. I love the Gospel! We went to see the beach and hike a great big hill called Faro. It was a lot of fun and we actually saw another District up there.  The beach was so beautiful, I was living it up down there. We woke up early in the morning and went with two members of our ward to go hike the Faro, it reminded me of when I went on hikes with Dad or with the Elwood Gang. I was a little tired after the hike.  It was really good exercise.  I bought shark teeth for about 3 dollars, I love how cheap everything is. It was a great experience and the scenery was amazing. Everything is good here in Mazatlan. I couldn`t ask for anything more in life. I am really grateful for my Mission and for everything that it has taught me. Have a great week. 

June 23, 2014
Mom, you need to cancel my credit card from home, I lost my wallet and my camera. I am going to have to buy another camera, all of my pictures lost, but I am still happy. It was kind of hard losing those things, but God nevertheless blessed us this week. This week went really well, we had a lot of success, and we are working hard! We got permission to look for another house from President Velez.  I am really excited to change houses. We had a lot of investigators come to church, and I am excited to continue teaching them. It sounds like you guys had quite the Trek experience.  I am sure it was a great experience, but it looks really cold.  I could not handle that weather.  I think that I would die in the cold weather. This week was a very good week for us, we should be seeing some baptisms in the District this next week! We are very excited for that, Thanks for all of the love and support that you have given me on my Mission Have a great week and remember how much I love you!

Love Elder Cannon    

 

(P.S. from Denise--maybe you can guess what happened to "Elder Cannon" by what he said in his email.  I will get details if he will tell me and post next week)

Stake Conference

This week went really well. We also had stake conference. We started working really well with the members and I am making some strong friendships in the ward. President and Sister Velez came and spoke in the Stake Conference and then after the conference President Velez interviewed all of the missionaries. The first time that President Velez interviewed me I had about 4 or 5 months in the mission, he told me that I spoke spanish very well for the time that I had on the mission, I told him that I feel like I lack something and I don´t know what it is.  He smiled and said you need to be a leader. One or two transfers after that he put me in as a District Leader. This interview was a lot more serious.  He asked me when was the last time you baptized someone? When is your next baptism? Are you being an example for your companion and your District? He asked about the four sister missionaries in my District.  This interview was a little more demanding and I felt a lot more responsibility and pressure. We were able to bring five investigators and one less active member to the conference.  It was really special. I recieved the package and I love the ties and the pants and the baptismal tie. It came just in time as well, because this Saturday our investigator Jose Maria is going to get baptized and he wants me to baptize him. He is really prepared and has changed a lot.  We helped him stop smoking and he was a completely different person before he knew the Gospel. I love how the Gospel changes the lives of those who let it. My District is also having a lot of sucess and we should be seing some baptisms from the sister missionaries coming up really soon.  On Friday, Sister Wallace and I taught English to the people, a decent amount of people showed up and it was pretty fun. It reminded me of when I was first learning Spanish, oh good times. We also received a new bishop, I am really excited to work with him and to get to know him better. This week went really well and I hope we continue to have success. Thanks a lot for the package! Have a great week, I love you!

Love Elder Cannon

 

Here are some pictures of our district.

I love Mazatlan

My companion is great, and I really like Mazatlan. Culiacan was so hot, but here in Mazatlan it is a lot cooler, but it is really humid, I sweat a ton. The people are a lot nicer and more receptive to the Gospel in Mazatlan! Our church is really really pretty, it even has a water fountain.  It is such a beautiful church. In my District it is me and my companion and four sister missionaries. The Mission President is starting to give me a little more responsibility. The sister missionaries are way awesome! I really like having sister missionaries in my District, everything is just better. In the District Meetings there is a lot of participation, the Meetings are more spiritual, it is just better. I forgot my cable, I will send pictures of our District next week. I haven´t received the package, but it should come soon. I can´t believe how different Mazatlan is from Culiacan.  I miss the people in culiacan, but I really love the area in mazatlan. In our area there are only five members, it is kind of small. We started getting the members from the areas to preach with us, it has been really awesome working with them. Everything is good here in Mazatlan,  don´t worry about me, all is well!

Love Elder Cannon