March 26, 2018 (Week 26) - BUMP Day!

We're famous!

Or at least we think we are, on Tuesday we were just walking down the street when a car stopped by and and a reporter came out asking if he could film us.  He was originally going to do a story about the kids that pick up trash on the street, but they never showed up so he saw us and decided to give us an interview.

President said it was fine, so they went ahead and followed us with the cameras till we arrived at the bishops house so he could accompany us to a lesson.  When he answered the door he had this frazzled look on his face but we told him that it was OK, we were just filming the District 3.  Anyways, the reporter wanted a juicy story, so he asked us if it was true that we were from the CIA, but we told him that the CIA wouldn't send two teenagers that don't know Spanish to Mexico.  Next he asked us how many times we had been assaulted on the street, but Elder Scoresby told him that he has been in San Luis for 17 months and never been assaulted.

Anyways, it must've been a disappointing story for the reporter, but it sure was exciting for us!  Anyways, we have seen a lot of great blessings this last week, we found two other part member families, one is from Oaxaca and moved here a month ago and we are reactivating the family and one of them is called name Rey David (King David)  and we want to have him get married in two weeks so then we can baptize him.  We also found the familia Escareño, the two girls Yuliana and Veronica from that family have a baptismal date for the 7th of april with Amelia Tayabas, so we are just working and hoping we can have all of them arrive at baptism!

Thanks so much for your blessings through your stories and prayers!

-Elder Varney

March 19, 2018 (Week 25)

Well this week was full of wonderful and wonderfully strange experiences.  First off I had to spend two days in Jacarandas, the ward next to ours, while I waited for my new companion to arrive from Aguascalientes. But while in Jacarandas I got to meet all their crazy investigators. 

First off we went to this lady that has been an investigator for over 40 years and knows more about the history of the church in San Luis than most of the members.  She told us that she is content with just praying every day and doesn't need to do anything more, but Elder Belito is convinced that he is going to convert her, so we'll see how that goes.  Next we went to another eternal investigator of theirs who told me all about how the aliens have been visiting us for 3,000 years and showed us the alien artifacts he found.  Next he told us how the aliens have the advantage in technology but we have the advantage in spirituality and that he's looking forward to the second coming of Christ when Noah will fly down in his spaceship ark and save us all from when the sun explodes.  And that basically sums up my time in Jacarandas.  ​​

Anyways, we had a super powerful experience when we finally got back to retornos and taught Amelia Tayabas and her family, after we finished the plan of salvation her 19 year old brother Mario said he wanted to come back to church even though the last time he was there was when he was 9 years old.  And after he came on Sunday he told us that he wants to go and work with us for a day because he feels like he wants to go on a mission!  Anyways the whole family is progressing so well and it is such a miracle, because at first only hermano Tayabas was supportive of us, but now everyone has the burning desire in their family.  Anyways that is my rambling update of the week, its great to be with Elder Scoresby, he was in my area Retornos about nine months ago, and he's super excited to be back and work hard after he's seen how much the ward has progressed since his last time.  Thanks so much for all the prayers and inspired words of confidence! 

See ya next time!

-Elder Varney

Pic of Elder Varney & Elder Scoresby (Elder Scoresby is from Lehi)

March 12, 2018 (Week 24)

This was a pretty dang good week.  First we got to have the baptism of Brenda, (See picture below) she is super great and is probably the most prepared person I have ever met, her testimony is super strong, and she is already doing missionary work and invited three of her friends to the baptism and now were gonna go teach them!

Another great thing we saw this week was that every new investigator we found on the street mentioned how sick they were of the vain traditions of the other churches and wanted purpose in a church.  It was such a miracle that the lord provided, we were really able to connect to a lot of people this way!  As for now our next baptism we are hoping for is Amelia Tayabas, her family has been inactive for a while but just recently we got them to start coming back, it's really challenging for them though since Brother Tayabas just recently started having epileptic seizures and can't be left alone outside of his house, but they still were able to come this last Sunday, which was pretty good.

Yesterday I found out I'll be in Retornos for another six weeks, which is great since this ward is really starting to blossom!

Love ya all, thanks for all your love!

-Elder Varney

March 5, 2018 (Week 23)

This week was full of opportunities to serve!  First we got to help a disabled lady confined to a wheelchair buy groceries and brought her back to her house; then the next day we got to help a member move houses and we loaded the moving truck so full that it almost tipped over a couple times while we were driving to the new house,  Good times. 

Also we got to teach seminary one night because the teacher's car broke down, and I learned that teenagers are always teenagers, no matter where in the world you are.  And I realize I'm saying that while I'm still a teenager... Oh well, whatever.  Lastly this week stake president called and informed us that a recent baptism of a family of six from the area next to ours actually belongs to our ward, and they live in a puebla about twenty minutes outside of the city.  (Driving time, walking it is more like an hour)  Anyways tomorrow we and the whole ward council are going to go visit them to fellowship them into our ward, should be fun! 

Anyways, Brenda Mendosa has been progressing perfectly and she is going to get baptized on Saturday, please pray that everything goes well for her!  (and us, too!)

Thanks for all the help,
Elder Varney

February 26, 2018 (Week 22)

This week was a blast!  First we got to have a great zone conference, where we talked about how to plan more edifying for the children of god in our area, and also it was announced that starting next month president will assign a couple in the stake to inspect the mission houses for cleanliness and security, which is frightening and comforting at the same time... 

Anyways the highlight of our week was the baptism of Estela and Xiomara Chavez, the wife and daughter of Antonio Chavez, who we baptized the last time.  It was great to see their progress ever since we started teaching, in the beginning they weren't as willing to act, but little by little they each gained their own unique testimony, and now they are all just great and will be going to visit temple next week!  Next up is Brenda Mendosa who has a date for the 10th of March, and she is progressing super great and getting new friends in the church as well! 

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

-Elder Varney