Mexico Villahermosa LDS Mission: May 2017

Thursday, May 4, 2017

April's Circle of Mission Life

April 24th was the day of changes in the Mission, the transfers of the missionaries that are here; the group of missionaries that left to go home; and the new group that arrived from the CCM, in the Mexico Villahermosa Mission.

We said goodbye to Elder Cuellar on Friday and then to three more Elders at the Leaving Dinner and Fireside; Elder Moya, Elder Torres and Elder Hancock. Then on Monday morning we sent them up the escalator and then turned around to the glass doors that open from the baggage claim and in came our 5 new missionaries - straight from the CCM, tired and hungry, but eager to get started with the work!

Us with Elder Cuellar at the Mission Office

Farewell Dinner and Fireside at the Mission Home
Us with Elder Moya, Hancock and Torres

The current Assistants, Elder Piña and Elder Gramajo
with President and former AP Elder Hancock

The final Farewell at the airport

Elder Hancock was in the Office
with us for 6 months, he helped
me a lot, Thanks Elder Hancock!
And yes he is that tall and yes I
am that short!

And up the escalator he goes!

Elder Moya and Elder Torres

Up the escalator they go!

Our new group of missionaries! Elders Villaseñor,
Alcalá, De Leon, Diaz and Taylor-Jones

The new missionaries meet their companions,
Elder Taylor-Jones with Elder Knudsen
Elder Echeverria with Elder Villaseñor

President Haws and the Assistants announce their
companions and assignment areas and explain
the Mission and show the areas on the map.

Elder Hernandez with Elder Alcalá

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

FSY in Mexico

In April the Youth Leaders here in the Villahermosa Region put on a five day Youth Conference called FSY (For the Strength of Youth) in Mexico. It is like EFY (Especially For Youth) in the United States. It was held at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Villahermosa. All youth ages 14 to 18 in our Mission boundaries were encouraged to attend- they had 700 youth attend! President Haws and I were asked to present a workshop one of the days on The Atonement. We did four, forty-five minute sessions, with about 80 youth per session. It sounded like a daunting task teaching 80, 14 to 18 year-olds about The Atonement, but it went very well. The youth were engaged and President Haws had some wonderful teaching examples and stories and an object lesson and I helped by providing a couple of videos that helped to teach about The Atonement and it turned out to be an enriching experience for all involved.
The theme was the same as the 2017 Youth Theme, Ask! or in Spanish, Pide! The had all the youth put questions on a large board and then on the last day they had leaders answer the questions in a open forum. The youth of Villahermosa were excited and engaged and many wonderful growing experiences came from this excellent week. The whole thing was very well done and we were so thrilled to be a part of it!

President Haws teaching

Youth listening and even taking notes!

Pide! y Respuestas!

Each group of youth had a YSA counselor

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

April Zone Conferences

Zone Conference time again! Some of the Zones were combined with other Zones and some were just one Zone, it depends on travel distance and the number of missionaries in the Zone. This Conference President taught about the glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth (D&C 93: 36). He applied it to us and missionary work. We also discussed the 5 foundational blocks of our mission; Obedience, Diligence, the Holy Spirit, Expectations and Love. The Assistants taught about - Working with members to find people that are seeking the Lord and How to help get people to Church. It was a wonderful Conference. Here are all 9 Zones, full of happy missionaries!