Monday, January 30, 2012

Elder Gubler and former AP on splits

Elder Gubler on top level of Mayan pyramid

First layer of Mayan pyramid

January 30, 2012 letter

Dear Family,

The picture of the field is the gravel quarry that Elder Gubler and I stumbled across last week.  I`m actually standing on top of a little cliff and the field is below me.  The food that I sent is called ´Kibis´ Its ground pork, wheat, and herbs mixed together and fried.  They are really good.  It's one of the things that they sell in Merida in the streets, but these ones were made by our converts from Dec. 23, Marcos and Alma.  The pictures I sent this week are from Izamal.  I did divisions there with the former AP who is now in my district as of last transfer.  The pyramid  I`m on top of in the picture is built on top of a flat pyramid in the 3rd picture.  The combined height of the 2 structures is taller than Chichen-itza.  The divisions went really well.  The assistant knows how to work hard.  We taught 8 lessons that day.  After our last lesson at night, we headed off to the house on the bikes.  My chain fell off, and the AP kept on riding without looking back.  After the 2 of us riding around trying to find each other, I said a prayer and rode to the church to wait there.  He met up with me there a few minutes later.  It was a nice reminder that Heavenly Father answers prayers. 
We didn`t have too much success this week with our investigators.  Tonight in district meeting we will be discussing all of the techniques of having success that President Salinas has taught. 
Sorry this letter is so short.  Transfers are next week so the next letter might come later. 

Love,
Elder Gubler

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Elders Gubler and Velasco hitting the street

Alondra Balam's baptism

A view of the countryside

A visit to the Federal Governance building

Lunch

January 23, 2012 letter

Dear Family,

I got my (Christmas) package today.  I went to the (mission) offices to go get it.  I didn`t want to risk another Elder leaving it at his house.  Last week the people that went to get the mail left the packages at their house when they went to district meeting.  On the way we stopped by a museum and also walked along the historic route.  I opened my package at the offices.  The ties and pants look great.  I think I`ll save the pants for the 18 month mark.  I opened the bag of mesquite flavored jerky and shared it with the other missionaries there.  They really liked it.  Then Sister Salinas walked in, and I gave her a piece.  I went upstairs to wash my hands from the chocolate from the Zone Leader`s package, and afterwards she came up to me to tell me how much she liked it.  She said that it was better than the other jerky she had tried because it had a sweeter flavor.  She then talked to President Salinas afterward and called me up to give him a piece too.  On the way back to the bus, I gave a package of fruit snacks and some granola bars to the poor people down town.  When I got home, I mixed in the hot chocolate powder with a glass of water.  It was really hot today.  I think the cold weather has passed for the year. 

Yesterday I confirmed and ordained my convert from the December 23 baptism to the Aaronic Priesthood to the office of a Priest.  His name is Marcos Balam.  His wife is Alma Pacheco.  He baptized his sister Alondra after church yesterday.  We forgot to take a picture beforehand, so we took one afterwards.  The other sister, Francisca, isn`t too excited about baptism.  She doesn`t like to be present for the lessons.  The brother, Eduardo, isn`t sure yet.  He goes to another church with his grandparents.  Could you email me next week my Aaronic Priesthood line so that I can give it to Marcos?

The family that we found last week is doing ok.  Their names are Moises and Sandy.  They have a 4 year old named Megan and a 5 month daughter.  Right before the lesson on friday, Megan ran into the baby and the baby was crying.  She couldn`t raise her left arm.  They took her to the doctor the next day and found out she had a dislocated elbow.  They popped it back in and she cried some more.  They didn`t go to church because they had another appointment with the doctor. 

2 weeks ago a new Elder came from Tampico, Mexico.  He was in a trio with Elder Gubler before he left.  He had already served a year of his mission in another mission next door, but had to go home, and came back here.  I said goodbye to Elder Gubler on Wednesday and gave him some letters for Gubler Grandparents, Greg Peterson, and my companion that went home.  Let me know when they arrive. 

Love,
Elder Gubler

Monday, January 16, 2012

January 16, 2012 letter

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is having a good time in St. George/Baja Mexico.  I hope I get my package today.  If it´s here I´ll have it tonight.  Which part of Mexico did the cruise go to?  You should have told me that you were going.  Its really cheap to mail packages from Mexico.  The parents of Elder Higginson and Elder Smith mail their packages from Baja California.  Mom, you don`t have to worry about the drug wars.  There isn`t anything going on down here.
  
This past week was Elder Gubler`s last full week in the mission.  On Friday the YSA had a farewell program for him.  On Saturday he and I did divisions.  As we were walking along the highway, we decided to check out a dirt trail that went off into the trees.  The trail got thinner and thinner as we went along.  We had to pull a lot of branches and thorns out of the way.  After about 15 minutes we came to a dirt road.  We kept walking and came to a cliff looking out over all of the trees.  A little farther along we looked out over some huge lagoons where they quarry gravel.  The public isn`t really supposed to be out there, so we headed back.  It was nice to be able to do divisions with him one last time before he goes. 

This week we found another family to teach.  We contacted them and taught them while we were waiting for our next appointment.  They were really nice.  They told us that they were moving to Caucel (exact opposite side of Merida) in the next day or 2, so we were kind of disappointed.  2 days later we went back and found their house empty.  We talked to a lady across the street (who happened to be the husband´s mom) and she told us that they found a house farther up the street.  We found the family again and taught them.  They went to church yesterday. Hopefully we should be seeing their baptism the first week of February.  This week we might be baptizing the sisters of the husband of the family we baptized on the 23rd.  They didn`t go to church yesterday, so we´ll see if we can have their baptism after church next Sunday. 
Take care everyone.

Love,
Elder Gubler


Monday, January 9, 2012

Another baptism

January 9, 2012 letter

Dear Family,

Elder Spencer Gubler was in the Marines before he came here.  He was stationed in CA, Missouri, and I think he was somewhere else out east.  He got to go to Nauvoo with his mom while in Missouri.  He said he stayed in a really nice hotel kitty-corner to the temple.  We made some plans to buy some land over there and some jet skiis.  He`ll be reporting back to the marines the week after he returns.  He`s thinking about going to Utah State also.  Elder Velasco is doing fine.  Right now we are teaching the sisters of the family we baptized on the 23rd.  Yesterday the parents (less actives) the son and his wife (our convets) and his sisters all went to church.  We`ll be doing some more contacting to find more people.  When someone is going to get baptized, the district leader interviews them.  In my case, the zone leaders come to do the interview. Who did Josh Feil marry?  Is Willson working or still going to school?  

Yesterday we had a baptism of a lady from Telchaquillo.  She`s 50, but looks a lot older.  Her son went to the service.  Maybe we`ll get the chance to teach his family.  He lives in Acanche, another pueblo a little bit closer.  We had the baptism planned for 4:00 yesterday.  There was a couple that showed up on time and we visited with them while we were waiting for the rest to get there.  As we were sitting there talking, I realized we hadn`t checked the font.  I got up, opened the doors, and saw that it was completely empty.  Fortunatley there was a meeting later on in the stake center.  I got the missionaries there to fill up the font, and we and the bishopric went there.  Everything turned out fine.

Love,
Elder Gubler

Monday, January 2, 2012

Elder Gubler and Elder Velasco at Mayan ruin

Climbing Mayan ruin in Izamal

David Moreno baptism

Christmas Greetings from Elders Gubler

January 2, 2012 letter

Dear Family,

The 2011 year ended well. There was a lot of traveling this week. I went to the doctor on
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday for my analysis and results. Everything in my blood is normal. The doctor diagnosed me with ``Purpura de Schamberg``. Could you check into that and also ask your foot doctor. What appears to be happening is that the small blood veins in my foot are breaking and then the blood leaves these spots there. They start out red and end brown. On Saturday we went to Izamal to do a baptismal interview. Afterwards we walked by a pyramid and took some pictures. It wasn`t too big. There are other ones there that are bigger I think. After we got back from Izamal, we had the baptismal interview followed by the baptism and confirmation of David. We realized on Tuesday that if he could go that week without drinking that we could baptize him on Saturday. Everything went well. He told his friends that he didn`t want to drink. I`ll also tell him about my investigator that`s in jail. For New Year's, we got to the house by 8:00. We went to church, gave a blessing, stayed at Elder Gubler`s house for about an hour, and then went back to our house. We left again at 4:00. In the evening we ate dinner with a member. We had grilled sandwiches and pancakes. I don`t know Elder Hansen, but I might run into hime someday. Some missionaries from Utah say `fetch`
Elder Gubler goes home on the 20th. Its a couple weeks early so that he can get back into the Marines. I think that is the same day that Colten Rice gets back from Mesa, AZ.
I`m glad to hear that the Z4 and the honda are doing well. Bill Boggs told me that the 90 can't run without a charge in the battery.
Well I hope that everyone has a great year this year.
Love,
Elder Gubler