June 25, 2018 (Week 39)

Good times in the villa...

This week was full of good stuff, we had a good lesson with Irving and the spirit was very strong, and it ended up being one of those funny stories when we got talking about the true church of christ, it went like this, "hermano, would you like to be a part of this church?" "Well yeah, but there isn't one around here now is there?" "Well, hermano, we have a chapel here in villa juarez and we meet at 10:00." "oh... well that sounds pretty good!" Next we invited him to be baptized by someone who has the authority of god, and he answered:  "Well yeah,but there isn't anyone here that has it, now is there?" "Well, hermano, we have the preisthood, and that is the authority of god." "Oh....  Well then yeah, for sure!" 

He then told us how he had a dream where the virgin Mary appeared to him on a wall, but then he heard a voice telling him to follow the real truth, and he looked up and saw Jesus.  Good times!  Anyways, we had another good experience when we contacted one person and they were apparently impressed by us so she gave our number to all her friends and six people ended up calling us and we ended up getting appointments with all of them. 

Anyways, the rain still isn't stopping, almost every day at the same time a new wall of water appears, but at least we don't get flooded like they do in Aguascalientes city...  Anyways, thanks for all your prayers, they carry us through!

-Elder Varney

The "Daily Wall of Water" as Elder Varney calls it... 

June 18, 2018 (Week 38)

This week was a wet and a pretty good one.  We spent half the week in aguas to finish elder Lopez's recuperation and for the zone conference with elder Pino from the seventy.  The conference was real good, we learned how to focus everything we do on baptizing and a new way to invite people to be baptized.  Later that day it began raining, and didn't stop for 3 days straight, the roads became rivers!

As we approached Villa Juarez in the bus, the whole place was covered up with a a cloud, and just being outside for one minute got us all soaked.  I felt like I was in Utah again, but instead of snow it was rain.  But anyways we got a great miracle because even though we were gone for a week and a half we were able to pick right up with all of our investigators, and got three of them on a baptismal date, and got them to sacrament meeting.

All in all, the lord opened up the windows of heaven, in more than one way!  Anyways, thanks for all your support spiritually, they work!

Love,

Elder Ethan Varney

Elder Wakley getting soaked out in the rain

Biggest freaking concha I've ever eaten in Mexico (Mexican Sweetbread)

June 11, 2018 (Week 37)

The lord loves to keep us on our toes...

But it's good!  This last week we had a good time finding super good hidden little nuggets of new investigators and less actives who are really in tune with the spirit of the lord.  Unfortunately, in the middle of all this at 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning elder Lopez woke up with super intense pain, and a few hours later at the hospital they told us he had appendicitis, that they were going to operate in an hour. It was super crazy trying to coordinate between the mission presidency and Elder Lopez's family, but luckily everything was planned by the lord and it all wound up fine. 

For now we are staying here in Aguascalientes city with the zone leaders for Elder Lopez's week of rest, but luckily I had the opportunity to go back with Elder Wakley to Villa Juarez for Saturday night and on Sunday to see how everybody is doing.  It was super great, Elder Wakley was in Villa Juarez six months ago, so it was good and very spiritual to visit all the people that he knew, and to also introduce him to some new people. 

It has been a crazy week going to different places almost every day of the week, but it has all simply built up the faith in the lord that everything will work out fine in the end!  Thanks for all your love, thoughts and prayers, they carry us out here!

-Elder Varney

Elder Varney at Zone Conf

More at Zone Conf

June 4, 2018 (Week 36)

Another week/transfer bites the dust in the buen Villa Juarez...

This last week was choc full of good stuff.  We found two new families that said they were waiting and praying for some spiritual help in their lives, so that was pretty awesome.  It is pretty funny/nice here because people always are ready and happy to give food to us.  Last Tuesday we just went outside in the morning to buy some food for breakfast, and 30 minutes later we two different people gave us tacos and tortas, and somebody else gave us a two liter of coke because "we looked thirsty." 

But whatever, I'm not complaining, at least until I have to get a bigger waist size for my pants... But until that day comes we'll keep on having a good time in villa juarez, because we got left here the same for the next transfer.  Anyways, thanks for sharing all your experiences and thoughts, they are very motivating for me!

Elder Ethan Varney

May 28, 2018 (Week 35)

It's time to CHOOSE!

Or at least that's what people have been saying lately, there are a ton of political campaigns in Villa Juarez for the upcoming elections and the different political parties just drive around all day with giant speakers blasting each of the candidate's different slogan songs. 

Also we had a super spiritual lesson with a new young adult investigator named Irving who talked a lot about commitments and how the people just need to CHOOSE, so then we asked him to CHOOSE read the book of Mormon and pray about it. He was a bit flabbergasted, but then he said yes and that was pretty much the whole lesson.  The spirit knows how to make people's own words bit back at them... 

Anyways, we also helped a family build part of their house, it's funny because back home you need so many permits and so much stuff to build a house, but here all you really need is a little cement, bricks, and somebody who knows how to do it, and that's it.  Anyways, things have been going very good here, see miracles every day. 

Thanks so much for your love & support!

-Elder Varney