July 24, 2011

Hey Mom!
First off, it's estoy muy bien. Ok? haha I'll help you out, don't worry. How did the parade go? I just barely realized that yesterday was the 24 of July. haha It's crazy how we don't really remember too many holidays. This last week went ok. It started off really slow and we weren't really finding anybody, then on Friday we had a reference and we went and visited them and we found a family. The dad is pretty cool. He couldn't go to church because he had to go to work and he is a cop. So ya. But his kids went so it was ok. They looked kind of bored because they are boys of 15 and 18 years old. haha But we will see how it goes with them. But I think they will progress. Now as for the flight, that sucks! Seven hour lay over in Dallas. I don't know what I would do if I was in an airport for that long. But that's good you got a little shuttle to take you around. That's cool that you did baptisms, too. I bet it was a cool experience for you three. As for things with my comp, he is cool. As for Vicente, we haven't been able to find him. His family says that his mother-in-law died so he wasn't there for the last week! But we hope to find him soon. We don't know how if he isn't in his house. And now for the lady with the marijuana plant, we are baptizing her tomorrow! haha She doesn't smoke, she just says they look pretty. I don't know why she likes it but hey, if she isn't smoking it I guess it's fine. haha Her name is Leticia. She is cool, she has listened on and off to the elders for like 18 years, Finally she decided to get baptized with her son tomorrow. Then they are going to make us carnitas!! It's a really good food here so I'm excited. And speaking of food, on Friday, a member gave us pansita again!!! Oh man, it sucked, me and my comp couldn't eat it. There are like little hairs on it and it tastes bad and the texture is really bad, too. But the hermana wasn't there to watch us, just someone that was living with her and she didn't care if we didn't eat it. On Saturday we were talking with one hermana in the comida and we told her about it then on Sunday she stood up in Relief Society and told all of the hermanas! haha I think that the hermana that gave us the pansita was in there when she said it. But oh well. The bad part is we eat with that hermana every Friday! So it will be interesting now. Then for burning a shirt, yes, I did! haha It was cool. We took a video of it and I don't think I can send it on here because it's too big. This email we can't really put big attachments on it or it doesn't work. But it was really cool. Then Makelle and Michael bought a house?? Wow, that's cool Does it look good or what? Do they have a garage? That sounds like a nice house for them. Then for p-day today, we had a meeting then we played soccer. It's not as fun here. It was more fun in Prados. haha But it's soccer. We are pretty close to the offices. Like 20 minutes away in a taxi. So it's not far at all. We usually don't see the mission pres. Usually like one time a month around there. And yeah, I'm adjusting more to Pres. Call. We will see him again this week on Friday because we have a zone conference. So it should be good. Then that's cool you talked to Hermana Nancollas! Tell her hi. I bet you and dad will enjoy hearing from them. They are cool. Maybe dad and Pres. Nancollas can start lifting together to work dad into shape. haha Then as for the shirt, you can just keep it there for me. I don't wear that many shirts so when I get back I will have a nice new shirt to wear. haha Then as for what I need, I don't really need anything. But yes, I like candy. I like Reese's cups, the little ones, Skittles, Nerds, the worms, jerky, stuff like that. I couldn't make the brownies! It sucked. Maybe next time if you send one I can make it. Then yeah, the ihome I returned it, then they said that they couldn't return me money so I had to get another ipod and then they gave me a little card with money I still had to spend in their store. So it was gay how it went down, but I can't do anything about it. Well I hope I answered all of your questions and I hope you are enjoying life now in the house and doing all that stuff. Here we are doing good and I am happy to be here. It's crazy that this time last year I was in the MTC. It's weird to think about. haha But now the time is clicking down so we have to poner las pilas. Thanks for your love mom, you're the best. I hope you enjoy the rest of your short summer! Love you and I don't have pictures this week. I was thinking about putting all of my pictures on the flash drive then sending that home. Well, copy them on the flash drive so yo can see all the pictures. I'll see what I can do. Love you all! Elder Malan

July 18, 2011

Elder Logan, Esteban, Elder Malan

Elder Logan cleaning the house.

Hey Mom,

I'm doing well here in my area. It's called Cuautitlan and the ward is Aurora. So it's good. With the comp, we are doing pretty well together. Here it's a lot different than my last area. It's bigger and a little hilly, but we have more cool stuff to do on p-days when we want to do something. Like today, we went and played bowling and it was fun, and also we played pool. I did ok, a lot better than I thought I would for not playing for a lot of time. But the members here are good. This ward is a lot more organized than my last one. So I'm excited about that. I think we will have more help from the members. I'm excited about that one because in my last area we didn't have much support. We had to do everything and I think here we will have more help. They even welcomed me in sacrament meeting, so that was nice. The investigatores, we had one baptism this last week. It was crazy this last week. So the person that we baptized wouldn't get baptized until one missionary left, they had an argument. So he left, I got here and all we needed to do with him was get his marriage paper so he could get baptized, but the place we needed to go was 2 hours away. So we went to the place and we got there and the lady that was helping us told us that the marriage was never paid for by the other missionary, and supposedly he paid for it. So we were a little mad, more my comp because the other missionary had said that they had paid for it and my comp had paid 350 pesos. So my comp was really mad because this means the other missionary took his money. So we came back that day and had the interview with our investigator and he passed, but we were going to have the baptism the next day. So we had to go back to the place that we had gone to get the paper of marriage so we left in the morning. I had to pay for the marriage and we got the paper, went back to the church and got the stuff ready for the baptism and we baptized him. It was really hectic, but we got the job done. haha But before we left the first time to the marriage place we had to get the full name of our investigator, Esteban is his name. We were at his house for like 30 minutes and he wasn't there so we decided to ask his neighbors if they knew his name. So we knocked one door and they weren't there. We knocked another door and a guy answered and said, "No I don't know what his name is, but do you want to come in?" We were in a hurry, but we decided sure why not. So we went in and he told us I have been reading this book and I like it and it goes right along with the bible. He had the Book of Mormon. haha It was tight. He had the book for like one week and he was already in Jacob! Needless to say he came to church and he wants to get baptized. So I hope we can keep him going. It was a cool experience. His name is Vicente. What else happened this week? Oh, we taught a police officer and when we got into his house we saw his gun with his ammo, that was cool. He let us hold his gun. Then we are also teaching a lady who likes marijuana plants for some reason. She has one in her back porch! haha It's crazy how some people think. She said she would give us a leaf sometime. haha Those two experiences were a little crazy. Then in one spot in our area, there is an idol that's called La Santa Muerte, which means Holy Death. It's a huge idol in one spot and it's really crazy. It's a skeleton with a world in his hand and a huge sickle thing like the grim reaper. That's an easy explanation of how it looks. It's ugly and a lot of people in that area worship it. So we have to be careful in that area. It's crazy how people have these crazy idols and other things because they believe in them. It just shows you how Satan works. He works in all sorts of ways. Now returning to your questions, do little kids run around here naked? Not really, but sometimes they do. And yes, we cleaned a part of the house today. It looks so much better! We still need to clean a little bit more, but we will do that next week. And yes, the other missionaries never cleaned the house. Just buy me something cool from the DR and keep it for me until I get home. Whatever you think is cool. We are all seeing the blessings that our Heavenly Father is giving us. It's cool to see how He works in all of our lives. If we keep doing what we should and keep working hard, He will always help us. Well, that's it for the email. I hope you are all good and enjoying your last couple of days in the DR cause you won't be going back for awhile, I think. I love you all and talk to you in a week!

July 11, 2011

Mas with a bigote!

Baptism of Victor- Elder Baez and Elder Malan

Baptism of Juana-Elder Baez and Elder Malan

Mas putting his puzzle letter together!

Hey Mom!

It sounds like the DR is going good besides the sicknesses. I hope that you can start feeling better. I bet it's because of the food. And for seeing Ethan, that will be really cool. Give him the what up from Mexico. Dad should speak in sacrament. Now as for Mexico, it's good. I just got changed out of Prados. It is a bummer because I pretty liked pretty much everything of my area and my converts and the members. So it's a bummer and I left some people that I think that are going to get baptized. But oh well. Here I'm in Cuautitlan. I'm with an American. He is also from Pleasant Grove. We will see how it goes. I just hope I can understand what I need to be able to help out the people. Then as for the baptisms, we had 2 yesterday. One of them was Juana. She is so cool! She was Christiana and her daughter still is, but we found her talking to her in the street. She gave us her direction to pass by and we went and taught her. Then we told her to read the Book of Mormon and she read. She came to church and then two weeks later got baptized. It was cool. In relief society, they were talking about testimonies a week ago and she said I know the Book of Mormon is true. The missionaries asked me to read and to pray. I didn't have to pray about it though because I knew it was true. It was a really cool story! Then the other baptism we had was Victor. He is really cool, too. He has some problems with smoking and drinking coffee, but we helped him and he stopped those two things in 2 weeks! It was really cool and now he says that he needs to complete with the commandments and he felt something that he never did before after he got baptized. It was a really cool experience. The time in Prados was really good. Now as for my new area. I don't really know anything about it but it seems ok. The house is really dirty! Really dirty! I am going to have to clean it a ton, but oh well. My comp says that we should have one baptism this week so we will see what's up. I think we can baptize a lot of people here, especially if we work hard. Now for the DR. Sounds like things are going good! From the pictures you sent me I'm jealous, but oh well. In one more year I'll be able to go do that, too. haha I'm sure the temple trip went really good! Except for the rain, but now you know how dad felt as a missionary walking in the streets when it rained like that. Here sometimes it rains pretty hard. We are in the rainy season now where it rains about everyday for a couple of hours. That's fine. I bought an umbrella and it looks to be good. Did your flight go direct to the DR? or what? I don't like to fly that much, but it's fine. And yes, mom, you should try to learn a little bit of Spanish, what if you get called as mission presidents?? haha Probably when you are older but it could happen. And you can yell at your kids in Spanish when you are mad. haha As for the ihome, I took it back and I got another speaker, it's ok. They gave me some money back because it didn't cost as much as the other one. But it's cool. The packages are really good, I like them. The letter puzzle, it was cool. I gave one of the shirts to Elder Baez because he didn't have very many and he was going to buy a short sleeved shirt. So I just gave him one of mine and he was happy. I ate all the candy. It was good. But yes, usually the packages get here within 2 weeks, but around Christmas, they take a lot longer because everyone is sending stuff. Now I'm really close to the offices so I can go and get what I need. So it's cool, too. What else happened this week, nothing really more happened. I just want to tell you I know the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on the earth. If we live by its teachings we will return to live with Heavenly Father. I hope you are doing good in the DR and don't get sick. And buy me something cool from there for when I get home. Love you all and I will talk to you next week! Elder Malan

Here are some pictures to check out. Enjoy!

And Hello to Ashton, dad, Curt, Kandice. I hope you are having fun.

July 4, 2011

Hey Mom,
Here is Mexico it is going good! As for the seeing of Bigfoot, not real. Michael just likes to say things like that to get every ones hopes up to see something. Then you are already leaving for the DR?? Wow, that's sweet. From Ash's email he sounds pretty stoked to go. I bet you two are too. Me, I'm doing good. This last week went good for us. We found two more ladies that went to church with us yesterday. Yamilet and Rosa. They are daughter and mom. They are good. and the church went good, too. I like being here for testimony meeting cause there aren't very many times where nobody gives their testimony. Here it is normally 3 or 4 people. So I like it. Hopefully our ward can be like that. Then transfers are next week. So we will see what happens. I'm not going to say anything this time because the last 2 transfers I thought I would be out of here, but that wasn't the plan. haha So we will see what happens this next week. For P-day we played soccer again. I love playing sports. I'm really rusty though because we don't play too often. Now we are writing, then we are going to Walmart to return my ihome that I bought. The speaker blew out and the music wasn't even loud! So I'm going to use my guarantee. Lots of little kids go by here too, but it's cool our two little converts, Bryan and Vanessa, passed and ave their testimonies, so it was really cool to see them do that. Then I had the opportunity to give the Holy Ghost for the first time yesterday, too! I was nervous, but I did it right so it was a cool experience. The meeting with the new pres. It is different, not gunna lie. It's going to be hard for me to adjust but it's something that I have to do. So it's whatever. But he is a good guy. They are from Mexico but white! Really white so it's kinda weird. The mission address is the same so don't worry about that. I got the packages! Thanks for the candy, letters, and Libro de Mormon. We also met the hermana. They are cool and good people so I'm excited to see how they do. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they would love that if you took them out to dinner, the Nancollas'. Do it. Then, yes, I talk to Ethan sometimes. He is doing good and Israel, too. Ben and Israel come home in 3 months! That's crazy stuff, huh. And yes we did find a bunch of people that are TJ's Christianos, a bunch of people, but I don't like to fight but sometimes I just let em have it and they know they are wrong. haha That's good that the relay went good for you, too. I'm also glad to hear that the birds are doing well, too. Here it has rained almost every day now. Sometimes it rains really hard and other times it doesn't rain that hard, but it rains a little bit. Then as for Juana, she is going to get baptized this week, we hope! She is awesome. Her family is telling her stuff and still she comes to church and listens to us and is going to get baptized so we are exited for her, too. I don't have my camera so there aren't any pictures today. But I have to go so I hope you are all good and I love you. Be safe in the DR and arrive safe, too. Love you.

June 24, 2011

The baptism of Brian and Vanessa with Elders Malan and Baez

Hey Mom,

I'm doing really well. We are already in the 5 week of the change and Pres. and Hermana Nancollas leave today! So that is kind of weird. As for the new pres., I still haven't met him. We get to meet him this Friday. We have interviews and a meeting with him. So I hope it goes good. And I haven't heard anything about the mission address changing. I don't think that it will change from what I know. So I think with the one we have right now will be fine. So don't worry about it. This week went decently for us. We had a hard time finding new people but at the end we got one new person in church. Her name is Juana and she is Christiana so she is a little crazy. They do weird things in that church. But we had two baptisms yesterday of the kids, Brian and Vanessa. They were really excited about their baptisms so it went good. I baptized Vanessa and Elder Baez baptized Brian. And his name is Victor, mom. Not Jesus. Jesus is the dude that talks to me in English all the time. But Victor wasn't able to be baptized. He is still struggling with the cigarros. And cigarros, mom, are cigarettes. Just so you don't get confused. Cigarros are the Spanish word for them. About the marriages, when you know people, mom, you get benefits, haha. But she isn't a member from what I have heard. But I don't know for sure. I am glad to hear that your birdies are safe and sound there in the house. haha Hopefully they will keep growing so they can fly one day. That is a bummer that you can't go to president's homecoming. But I'm sure they wouldn't mind going out to dinner or something like that. You will just have to talk to them about that. How long are you guys going to be in the DR and when do you leave? Are you going to visit Ethan or what? If you do give my boy the shout out from Mexico. When we were meeting with Pres. Nancollas, he said we want to hear from all of you after you are done with the mission. And Elder Malan, you have no excuse not to talk to us. You live really close and if you don't, I'll come hunt you down! haha It was a little scary when he said that. haha Then as for Jesus and his kid, they couldn't go to church yesterday. Jesus had to go to work and his wife won't let the kid come to church. She is a Nazi. haha She doesn't want to listen to us either. As for his English, I can understand, but I have to listen hard. I would rather just speak English with him because it's easier for the both of us. haha Then for suits, I like having two, but I think you could live with one. I just like to change it up cause the suit will get really dirty. And speaking of dirty, the rainy season has started here. It has rained four days straight and usually during this time it rains everyday, like in the afternoon. On Friday it rained pretty hard. I was surprised how hard it rained and my comp said that is nothing compared to Veracruz. So I'm glad I'm here. And mom, I just use an umbrella. I don't think a coat would work as well. As for the sweater, we can't wear unless we wear a suit so I don't really ever wear a sweater and it usually doesn't get that cold. Then for my other clothes, they are doing good. I like having 12 shirts cause they don't really get dirty cause I change them out everyday. And socks, I'm still doing good, too. Also my shoes are doing good. The shoes last a lot longer if you change them out every other day like I have been doing. I have seen some Elders that have the same time as me and only use one pair of their shoes and they are beat up. How did the relay go for you on 25th Street? I don't know how you would do that, but I hope it went good. And yes, you are wimps. You should have stuck out the whole night! As for Independence Day, we won't do anything. It doesn't mean anything here in Mexico. The Independence Day here in Mexico is on the 15th of September so that day will be really crazy. Everyone will be partying and drinking. They change the law of fireworks now because they know I'm not there to cause damage. haha I'm glad to hear that your lesson went well. The Ultima Cena is special for that we go to the church every Sunday to take the sacrament. It's important that we do that. Now I will explain a little bit about last week. We didn't have a great week, but we had the baptisms and we had someone new in church. This week we are working with a family of three that we are trying to help get to the waters of baptism. The are cool. I just hope that they can take this decision and do it because this is what will bring the real happiness. We hope to find more people this week to bring to church so they can know the true church. Yesterday, we were outside of a bank and a Jehovah's Witness came and talked to us. Man that dude is confused. He knew a lot of scriptures, but when we were right he switched the subject like that. haha It's not good to argue though. I thought of something cool to say the next time someone wants to argue. So I will let you know how it goes when I use it and it's not saying anything bad either. That's the best part and it punks the homie. haha But here we are doing good. Today we played soccer and it was fun. I'm sore now though. I haven't played like that for a little bit. Now it's time to go and rest a little bit. It's crazy we are almost in July. And the United States lost in soccer against Mexico. All the people in the church let me know that haha. They know I like soccer, but we will get them the next time. Well the church is true. Even though Joseph Smith's name doesn't come in the bible. haha Poor people with their hard hearts.

Well I love you, take care!

Elder Malan