Baptisms around the Mission

Our purpose as missionaries is to bring people into the kingdom of God through baptism.  Each week we are able to baptize many people in this part of the world.  It is wonderful to see the light of Christ and the happiness and joy that it brings to people's lives as they follow Christ's example and make changes in their lives and Come unto Him through baptism.  Here are a few of the people that have been welcomed into the Church recently in the Mexico Villahermosa Mission.

Hermana Perez and Hermana Perez in Palenque

Elder Barajas and Elder Cardon in Comalcalco

Elder Rivera and Elder Petersen in Acayucan

Elder Anieves and Hermanas Jarquin, Martinez
and Gonzalez in Villahermosa

Elder Torres and Elder Fairbanks in Carmen

Elder Perez and Elder Pedroza in Gaviotas
with President Haws

Elders Castillo, Pérez, Pedroza and Echeverria
with a group of members in Gaviotas

Elder Taylor-Jones with Elder Milan in Las Rosas

Hermana Rodriguez and Hermana Kennedy
in Minatitlan

Elder Thompson and Elder Peterson in Carmen

Elder Raudales and Elder Petersen
in Coatzacoalcos

Hermana Villareal and Hermana Gonzalez
in Carmen

On the Road in Southern Mexico

 President Haws and I travel around the Mission a lot!  We travel to all corners of the Mission for Zone Conferences, Interviews with the Missionaries, Stake Conferences, special needs of the missionaries.  I love to snap pictures of the beautiful and varied things that we see. I thought you might like to see what is around the southeast end of Mexico, which includes all of the State of Tabasco, parts of the States of Chiapas, Campeche, Oaxaca and VeraCruz.

The trees are incredible, everywhere we go! We are definitely surrounded by jungle and green.  It is always green, year round.  I guess the heat and humidity can produce beautiful things.









Things around Villahermosa:

Giant Grass Clock in Centro

Water tower painted like a forest!

Mirador - the look out tower in
Centro of Villahermosa

The view down the river from Mirador

A historic building in Centro of Villahermosa,
there is a book store in the first floor now.

Sites on the Road:
There are banana trees everywhere!  There are fields full of them, but also there are banana trees growing by the side of the road, around houses, in small groups and large fields or groves of them.  As a result, there are trucks full of green bananas and carts full of them for sale.

Fruit stand in front of Mission Office

Another fruit that is plentiful this time of year is the Rambutan.  We see trucks full of them on the road. But there is a stand on the street in front of the Mission Office that is there daily selling Rambutans and Pitaya(star fruit) 

A water tower painted like a fox!  It certainly lent
itself to someone's creativity.

Clown on a motorcycle- of course!

Street closed off for a party! with a food
cart close by, Elotes y Esquities- the best!

A group of cowboys (legitimate cowboys)
hanging out in front of an OXO (like 7-11)

Cow - VW bug

A man selling bread (pan) from his
wheelbarrow

July Circle of Mission Life

New Arrivals - Hermana Niro, Elders Duque,
Rodriguez and Martinez

Missionaries going home- back row:  Elders Garduño, Castillo, Smith, Aguirre,
Barajas, Pedroza, Aguilar and Alvarez
Front row:  Hermanas Wilson, Garcia and Perez and Hermana and Presidente Haws

     July 17th was our transfer day. We had a wonderful Farewell dinner and fireside on Sunday night with the group of 11 great missionaries that went home.  We appreciate their service and love of the Lord and we wish them a wonderful life as they return home.

Farewell at the Airport

A family of converts came to say goodbye to
Elder Smith and Elder Pedroza

One last Esfuerza al máximo!!

Hermana Wilson goes
up the escalator

Elder Smith took the stairs

Our new group of Missionaries arrive!  It is a small, but mighty group!

Hermana Niro, Elders Duque, Rodriguez and Martinez, the jackets
will come off soon

July Zone Conferences

The July Zone Conferences had a little different format.  We had teaching and practicing, but we added some fun with a sports/play time as part of the day. Also, President Haws barbecued hamburgers before we left Villa and we served them hot at the Conferences.  It was really great to have the fellowship and camaraderie that comes from playing together and eating together. We had multiple Zones at each Conference and at two of the Conferences, a couple of Zones went above and beyond and made Zone shirts to show their loyalty to one another.  In the Villahermosa Conference, Gaviotas made shirts with their individual symbol and the Zona Gaviotas on the front.  In the Coatzacoalcos Zone Conference, Cardenas Zone personalized their shirts with embroidered Name Tags, Moroni's and a Mexico flag- then the Zona Cardenas and the Elders names on the back.
    President taught about the Christlike attribute of forgiveness and we practiced teaching.  Then we played all sorts of sports- soccer, baseball, tossed an American football, volleyball, etc.  Everyone felt uplifted and rejuvenated to go out to work.

Cardenas Zone showing their Mexico flags and Moroni's

Elder Jackson, Alcalá, Monterrosas and
Rodriguez loading their plates

Cardenas Zone shows their stuff with
Presidente Haws

Elders Raudales, Taylor-Jones, Gomez, Cardon
and Hendricks getting their hamburgers

The Hermanas getting their food. Hermanas
Ortega, Hernandez, Huber, Sanchez and
Garcia

Elder Gramajo doing a selfie with the group

Elder Hernandez and Smith representing
Cardenas Zone

Elder Hernandez and Smith playing
catch while wearing their colors

Gaviotas Zone each had their own symbol for
their shirts

The back of Gaviotas Zone shirts-
"Need More Pozol"

Elder Alvarez and Elder Anieves

The Carmen Zone came in their own Combi to join
the Conference in Villahermosa