Sweet Shades

    Hello Everyone,

     Wow, lots of wonderful things are happening back home and all over too! May everyone be safe in all your crazy and fun adventures. As for me, there have been some new things. 

     Ok, so we had a meeting with President Kirkham on Saturday Night and it was awesome! Just a meeting for the District and Zone Leaders. We talked about lots of things. Mainly about how we can start to baptize more people in the mission. By teaching the Restoration and the other lessons we will help to increase the member's faith and then they will trust in us to give us referrals. Hopefully we can get the work moving even more now!! 

     This Sunday we taught a less active family the restoration, and it was amazing!! I felt the spirit so strongly and I know that they felt it too!! They were almost crying! I think they are going to start coming back to Church. This is the part I love most about being a missionary. When you can truly feel that the spirit is working through you and testifying to them about the truthfulness of the gospel, it is truly amazing!! There aren't words that can describe how I felt in these moments. Wow. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IS TRUE!!! I KNOW IT WITH ALL MY HEART!! And what a blessing it is to be worthy and able to teach these truths to the people here in Mexico!! Those of you that have served missions know what I'm talking about. Its truly awesome. 

Also, President told us that we no longer have to wear suit jackets!! YA!! Now I won't be sweating as much on Sundays haha!! 

     I hope everyone is having a great summer!! Have fun and stay safe!! I don't like to brag, but...I'm probably having more fun than all of you!! What's better than bringing Salvation to God's children? Nothing!! 

     Oh and I also forgot to mention. On my Last Day in Playa del Carmen, we found Raul!! But as of right now I haven't heard anything. But he is found and I hope Elder Smith is teaching him

     Lots of love,

          Elder Strate

General Authority visit

     Hello Everyone,

     First off, I would like to congratulate all of the fathers in ALL of the world!! Happy Father's Day!! Especially my fathers in my life!! My dad, Ron Strate, has impacted my life in so many wonderful ways! Every since my life started(well here in the earth that is) He has been an amazing father. Always there for me in the good times and the bad. Always been an amazing example to me of how a father should be. Loving and caring for his family, teaching gospel principles to his children, and most importantly presiding as a patriarch in our home and raising us in righteousness. Also thanks to my Grandfathers, Rick Strate, and Ed French. Also, two marvelous examples to me in how they live and love their families!! I love them all sooooooo much!!

     Ok, so this week was another very special week for the missionaries here in the Mexico Cancun Mission!! We had another General Authority come to visit us!! Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, a member of the quroum of the Seventy. 

 

 Arnulfo Valenzuela

 

     It was wonderful!! He talked to us about our purpose as missionaries, and how we can become "Full Purpose Missionaries". In other words, doing all of what is required of us as missionaries. So for example, not just working with less active members or just trying to baptize everyone. Even though that would be amazing haha!! We have a saying here in the mission. Encontrar(find) Enseñar(teach) Bautizar(baptize) Retener(retain) and Reactivar(re-activate). EEBRR . So our job is to find people to teach, teach them, baptize them, retain them as new members, and also reactivate less actives. So he taught us the ways that we can constantly be doing these 5 things and not just one or two. It was really special!!

     Also, guess what? Elder Valenzuela interviewed a few missionaries. Yep you guess it, I was one of them!! I got to talk face to face with a General Authority!! How awesome is that!?!? I felt the spirit so strong during the interview and also during the sessions that he taught us. I have been truly blessed here in this Mission. I've had two amazing opportunities to talk face to face with Men who have been called my God to be special witnesses and representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ!!!!!!! Wow. I really felt like the Savior himself was here this week. Sometimes I ponder about how wonderful it would be to be called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Pure AWESOMENESS!! 

     Oh and something else happened too. This past week my companion and I went to Tizimin to do a baptismal interview. And the member drove up to us to take him to his house to have the interview with the investigator. And guess what? His license plate says Alberta, Canada!!! WOW!!! What are the chances of that!?!? So ya the member is Canadian and he's living here with his wife who is Mexican. He finished his mission about three years ago and now he's living here. He's from Ontario but he was working in Edmonton. And he has the Alberta plate still because he told me that he drove it here from Edmonton. Wow, super long trip haha!! What a small world we live in...

     Anyways, thats all I got for this week. Hope all of you fathers enjoyed fathers day!! May we all have another uplifting, safe, and spiritual week in the work of Salvation!! 

       Lots of love,

         Elder Strate

Fisher of Men

     Hello Everyone,

     We had a baptism this week!! And it was a wonderful experience!! We baptized a little girl named Vianey(bee-a-ney). She's 10 years old and here parents are a bit less active. But she goes to church anyways!! And yes her parents came to the baptism and everything. It was such a wonderful experience and I felt the spirit so strong!! We are now working with the whole family so we can get them to the temple to be sealed!! What a wonderful opportunity!! The last picture is of the family. They are 4 in the family. 

 

     Oh, and yes the building we meet in is an LDS building. Its just small and only has a few rooms. In the second picture, we are standing in front of the baptismal font. Yep, its outside!! Its a bit different eh? I thinks its great!! It doesn't really matter where we do the baptisms, the important thing is that they are getting baptized!! 

 

     So we have found some new people to teach too. There aren't many people here that are interested to listen to us, so its a miracle that we are starting to find some more people! Our prayers are really being answered!! Other than that, everything is good here in Calotmul. Its been raining almost every day. This whole past week it has been raining. I think its because there is a hurricane close..! Hopefully it doesn't hit us!! Haha. 

     Oh, and also our fridge died. The other day we were finishing up oiur planning and suddenly all the lights and power went off. Then after like 2 seconds it all turned back on again. And then the fridge didn't work... So luckily the branch president is a mechanic for fridges so he came to the rescue!! Whew! Thanks goodness! I thought my milk was going to go bad lol. 

     Hope everyone had a good week and thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! Stay faithful every day and look for opportunities to brighten someones day!! 

     Love,

              Elder Strate

Election craziness

Hello Everyone,

     This week has been a bit better than the last. We are starting to find some more people to teach, but its still hard. Yesterday we were not allowed to proselyte. The elections took place yesterday. People here are a bit crazy when it comes to politics, so thats why we stayed inside all day. If they don't get what they want, then they will take out their machetes and knives and just riot! It seriously gets crazy!! The other day I heard that two people died because of the fights. That one party doesn't agree with another. Crazy!! We were able to go to church still, so that was good. But thats all over know, so hopefully we can get the missionary work going because the people aren't focused in politics anymore haha. 

     The members are super happy that they have someone that can play the piano when we sing hymns. There wasn't anyone who knew how to play before. So thats going good! I hope that everyone had a great week. Keep writing and sending your love and thoughts!! Another week in the Work of Salvation!! Couldn't be doing anything better!!

     Sarah- You think its hot there!?!? ITS 40 DEGREES HERE EVERY DAY AND THE HUMIDITY IS THROUGH THE ROOF!!! I SWEAT JUST FROM STANDING OUTSIDE, IN THE SHADE!!!! Lol. Sounds like your busy, and thats awesome!! Keep doing wonderful things and always being a good example to your sisters. And Derek hahaha.

Love,

Elder Strate

Hello Everyone,

     First and foremost...I would like to wish my two amazing sisters a happy birthday!! Sarah on May 22th and Miranda on May 30th. I think, haha! Happy birthday and hope you both had a wonderful week full of fun!

     So, life is pretty slow here in Calotmul. We don't have many investigators to work with but we are starting to find some more with the help of the members. Its also difficult to talk to people too because usually there are not many people walking in the streets. And we can't knock on doors, so we're going to have to do something. 

      However, things are starting to get rolling here!! There is a piano here in the house of prayer, but no one knows how to play. So. guess who gets to be the Branch Pianist!?!? Thats right! I do! And yesterday was Branch Conference so the members were super excited because I played. Actually, later today we are going to the house of prayer and I'm going to try to teach some of them how to play. Key word, "try" haha. But I'm excited and hopefully we can keep gaining the confidence of the members. 

 

     We do have an investigator with a baptismal date for the 13th of June. And shes progressing really well so far and we shouldn't have any problems! (fingers crossed!) We are also planning an ward mission activity so hopefully we can get some more people to teach. Well, thats about all I've got. Thanks for all the support! Keep being faithful and immovable in the gospel!!

 

Love,

Elder Strate