Zapata District Conference

   October 22nd we had the Zapata District Conference in the Palenque building. The District has 7 Branches in it and the members came from all 7 Branches, in combis, buses, taxis, cars and on foot. Some came from as far as 3 hours away, the Branches are in Candelaria, El Triunfo, Tenosique, Balancan, Emiliano Zapata, Palenque and Benemerito. There were 504 people in attendance, which is the largest attendance we have had in the District for a Conference. President Haws presided at the Conference and it was a wonderful meeting.  There is such a feeling of strength among the members and all could feel the Spirit as the Conference messages were given.  The District has two Zones of our missionaries assigned to them. It was really great to be with them and the investigators that they brought to the Conference.

Missionaries from Zapata and Tenosique Zones with me and Presidente
we handed out Pass-along cards to all the members encouraging them
to contact their friends and neighbors with the beautiful message of the Gospel

Presidente with the Benemerito Elders! Elders
Cardenas, Graves, Duque and Rodriguez

The Benemerito Elders love
Presidente Haws!

Our beautiful missionaries!!

Buses and Combi (transport vans) in the parking
lot of the Palenque building for the Conference

Jovenes (young men) from the
Palenque Branch

Hermanas Sanchez and Hernandez with
some of their recent converts from the
Zapata Branch!

Elder Méndez and Elder De la Cruz are Zone
Leaders in Tenosique, visiting with
a member,

Elder Hernandez came on the bus with
the members from Tenosique

Elder Hernandez saying goodbye

October Mission Circle of Life

Around the Circle of Mission Life we go- it turned over again on October 9th. We sent home 7 of our veteran missionaries who we know and love and appreciate so much and received 9 new missionaries that we look forward to teaching, working with and loving!

Los Grandes -Leaving Elders Carneiro, Maldonado,
Piña and Hermanas Soto, Corona, 
Santos and Gonzalez

Office Elders are always helpful
and always getting in on the act!
Elders Hendricks,  Elder Pérez, Elder
Solano, Elder Knudsen, Elder Falcon
and Elder Martinez

Elder Piña was Assistant to President for 5 months
we will miss his great happy attitude and him!

The final farewell at the airport

Hermanas Soto and Corona
Up the escalator the go. . . .

Elder Carneiro

Hermana Santos

Elders Piña and
Maldonado

Then we go wait by the glass doors,
The Assistants, Elders Solano y Pérez
and the Office, Executive Secretary
Elder Falcon and Finance Secretary
Elder Hendricks

Our new missionaries: Hermanas Narvarro, Olguin, Macedonio
and Elders Peña, Villegas, Gonzalez, Justice and Santos!

Hermanas meet their companions

Elders meet their companions

The map of the Mission, we explain all the areas
and show them where they are going

Three Week Training for the August Arrival News

The newest missionaries come back to Villahermosa to the Mission Office and the Villahermosa Stake Center, where we do our training, after they have been here about 3 weeks.  They come with their Trainers and we spend the day teaching them about the Mission. The August group was 15 news, so the training was 30 - it was quite a big group, but a wonderful day.  They have been here long enough to have questions and actually understand what we are saying.

The new missionaries with their Trainers and President and I
with the Assistants

And. . .they have definitely learned how to get their
Esfuerza al Máximo!

Hermana Jarquin with new Hermana Garza

New Hermana DeJesus with Hermana Martinez

Elder Cardenas with new Elder Elizade

Elder Prieto with new Elder Camacho

New Elder Muirbrook with Elder Petersen

Elder Ascensio with new Elder Ortiz

Elder Porres with new Elder Fernandez

New Elder Miranda with Elder Romero

New Elder Johnson with Elder Fairbanks

Elder Thompson with new Elder Schwab

New Elder Ibarra with Elder Valle

Elder Worley with new Elder Werner

Elder Peterson with new Elder Baugh

Elder Atoche with new Elder Maldonado

New Elder Garcia with Elder Mendez

More Baptisms

Hermana Torres y Hermana Morales in Hidalgo Ward
Villahermosa

We have many baptisms every week!  Many people here are ready to hear and receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and our missionaries give their best effort to study, teach and convert their investigators.  Here are more wonderful photos of some of the beautiful baptisms in the Mission in the last couple of months.

Elder Valle y Elder Ibarra in Coatza

Elder Garcia y Elder Mendez in Cosoleacaque

Elder Villareal y Elder Sauceda in Mina

Hermana Gonzalez y Hermana Castaneda in Coatza

Hermana Villareal y Hermana Rodriguez in Mina

Elder Aguirre y Elder Zamora in Frontera

Elder Knudsen y Elder Villaseñor with Ward
members supporting the baptism in
Espejo Ward, Villahermosa

Elders Hendricks, Knudsen y Villaseñor in
Espejo Ward, Villahermosa

Hermanas Morales y Kennedy in Carmen

Elder Clifford y Elder Rodriguez in Mina

Elder Petersen y Elder Carreon in Carrizales
Ward in Villahermosa

Elder Porres y Elder Fernandez in Cárdenas

Elder Rodriguez y Elder Clifford in Mina

Shout out to my nephew! In Davis
California - who was baptized at 8 years
old last month! Congratulations Ben!
(second from the left)

A beautiful blessing when a couple is able to
get married!

Followed by a baptism! with Elder
Gonzalez y Elder Cordoba in Mina

Elder Peterson y Elder Baugh in Acayucan

Elder Mortensen y Elder Graves
in Benemerito