Wherein Seth Writes his Last Email for 2019!

Saturday December 28, 2019

So the fact of the matter is that I already wrote this week on Monday and talked to y'all on Wednesday so I don't have a ton to write about. But this week was filled with magic. 

So we started doing this thing where for an entire day we let the missionaries that we're training be in charge and have them take all the initiative and make all the decisions. This is so that we can learn which aspects of missionary life they lack a little in and better teach them. 

     One of these days was Tuesday, Christmas Eve.  And we spent the entire day baking cookies. Kinda a rough day cause sitting in a bakery with a blazing oven while it's already real hot outside ain't too comfortable. but it was all worth it cause now all the members that we gave cookies to like and respect us a little more and our investigators think we can bake. 

     Our guy Macario over here I don't think has ever had a homemade cookie before cause he thought they were heaven sent. 
  

But yeah, That happened along with some delicious food from all the members. 

We also taught some good lessons. Macario doesn't want to get baptized cause he already got baptized before on a whim. So that's awesome. 

     I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have the happiest of new years. There is so much ahead that is wonderful...along with a ton of challenges... but if you just remember that God gives us trials to help us grow and learn then all will be alright.

With Love,

--

Elder Bailey

Wherein Seth Calls Home for Christmas!

Monday December 23, 2019

     So this week was full of Christmas Cheer. Thursday we had a conference as a mission and had a talent show. In it, I and like my entire district sang Burrito Sabanero. We used some homemade instruments and not gonna lie, it was really bad. Like awful. But then that night, we also had the posada for the Barrio Pedregal and we sang the Karaoke version of Burrito Sabanero and now the entire ward loves us cause we killed it. 

On a teaching note, like three weeks ago we taught a lesson to this guy named Noe. he lives in Col. Milagro and for some reason or another, our appointments with him never worked out, then this week we finally caught him at work and talked with him for a bit and turns out he's been reading an entire page of the Book of Mormon since we gave him one and had marked the verses that he liked on like every page and was just so excited to share all that he had learned with us and in all the excitement he decided to make us a pizza. (he works at a pizza shop) and it was really yummy. So that's a little story for y'alls.

Anyway, hope that everyone has the merriest of Christmases and can find some time in their lives to go and make someone's day a little bit brighter. 

Love you all,

Elder Bailey

And on December 25th (Wednesday morning) at 10 am, Seth Skyped is from Mexico... it was so awesome to hear his voice and see his smile. It did me so much good! Best Christmas present ever.

Wherein Seth Wears A Santa Hat and Hands out Books

December 16, 2019

     So this week we met a guy named Macario. I could talk for hours about him (mostly cause he talks for hours and tells us his life story any time we visit him so I have a lot of material) but he's awesome. After we taught him the restoration he took the Book of Mormon that we left him and  it. The next day he told us he had made it to chapter 11 and compared it to the Bible and that he knew it was true. So that was a pleasant surprise. It is truly incredible the power that the Book of Mormon has. Also the other night we had an awesome zone activity where we put up a stand outside of Walmart, put on Santa hats, sang Christmas hymns and gave away a ton of Book of Mormons wrapped up like presents.It was super fun and the Christmas spirit was abounding. 

     But yeah, this week was awesome and I'm way excited for Christmas. Also I want to challenge all of you to think of a friend of yours that hasn't experienced the joy in reading this book, and give them one as a gift with a little testimony of yours. 

Love you all and hope that y'all have the best week ever. 

Elder Bailey

P.S. if you don't have a Book of Mormon to give away, just call up the missionaries. they have some extras, I promise. 

(To mom:)

Mom, my week was awesome. yeah, in the beginning I was told I was gonna be there for the 12 week training program so I started that then it just got comical to say 16/12. It's really good being a trainer. full of adventures. yesterday a family from Utah who was on vacation wanted to donate some food and money to some families in need and came to Pedregal which is the poorest of the wards in Cancun so I got to take them around to a couple families who could use the money. They were really chill. They said they were from Bountiful, both of the parents graduated there. His name was Mike, (I forgot their last name. It started with an S and was relatively short. Stout maybe?) ...don't know but he said he has an older sister named Amy and something and lives close to your parents house but doesn't know them. Anyway that was fun. They sure had their eyes opened when we started driving in the colonies.

Wish Lane a happy belated birthday ...and I'll see you on Christmas. 

Love 

Seth

Wherein Seth Skyped Us For Maelynn’s Wedding

December 9th, 2019

So good to see you all at the wedding. I look forward to calling you again on Christmas. 
      My companion is 20, a goofball, really good at talking to people, and just cool. He knows a ton about the gospel so teaching is real easy and yeah. 
     We walk a lot in our area so that has kinda killed my comp physically a little but that's alright. We take breaks whenever needed. What temple did they get married in? and my favorite food here is definitely the street tacos that we get from fam. Mo.
      We get fed every day by the members and it's usually a freak ton so I stuff myself every meal. I have thinned out a little bit though. Lost like I think 7 pounds just from all the walking. 

have a wonderful week

Seth

     So not a lot actually happened this week. We're teaching a lot of people but the problem is that none of them want to go to church. But that's okay, because I love them anyway and will do my best to serve them. We also taught some new people this week named Jose and his wife. (I forgot the wife's name) Their really cool and accepted a baptismal date and just about everything else. The problem is that I think he's also taking lessons from Jehova's Witnesses. Life is good though, I got another brother. 

     Sorry I don't have a ton to say this week. 

Love you all so much and hope that you have the best week ever cause it's Christmas season and there is an awesome spirit in the air.

--

Elder Bailey

Wherein Seth Recognizes the "Ugh"s of Free-Agency!

Dec. 2, 2019

(To Greg):
   yep yep yep. all is well down here. Hope that this hunting trip will relieve some of the stress. Also don't shed too many tears when you have to hand over your first-born to another man. also we should plan a hunting trip for when I get back in like two years. 

Love you a million, Dad.

(To Viki):

   howdy mom! Don't worry about the package, thanks for all the love and care. My week was good. We've been working really hard and been seeing lots of miracles. As with all missionaries, the biggest problem we're having is that the investigators don't keep their commitments. But we just have to keep inviting. This wouldn't be the true church of God if it was forced on people. That's called Satan's plan. 

    My comp is great and I love him and I feel so blessed because he helps me with where I lack (Spanish) and I can help him in situations that he don't know. We kinda got a nice symbiotic relationship going. I asked the mission president about calling y'all on Saturday but he didn't respond so I'll probably call him up sometime to ask for sure. I think I'll try to call at like 5:00ish (about 7 my time) - we'll see though. My thanksgiving kinda didn't exist but it was alright. Yes, I can see all the pics and I appreciate them a ton. 

Love you lots, mom. I pray for you each day. 

Seth