Week 59

 Jeff and his friends

 The trio!

 5 missionaries out to an interview!

 Good Bye Elder Archuleta!

 Sister Hope's plate from when she lived in Washington!

 Waiting at the bus stop!  Elder Johnson is taking a nap.

Because Jeff has such soft hair and he is always happy, the other missionaries call him their mission dog!

The flour tortillas with the Galicia family.

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope all is going well back home! I am doing well here in Nueva Rosita and getting ready to start the last week of this transfer! It is likely that I will be leaving my area next week so I am going to live up this crazy cool small Mexican mining town! 

This week was interesting because I have been in a trio since Thursday morning! My companion and I have been with Elder Perez from Mexico City who is the  companion of  Elder Archuleta from Utah. He went home 1 week before the change ends so he can start playing football for the University of Utah. 

I have really enjoyed being in a trio! We have had to adjust our teaching and contacting since now we have another person. I love having a native Mexican as a comp. Usually when Elder Johnson and I have a question about Spanish or we disagree about how to say something, we have to debate and write down the question until we go home to check in the dictionary or our grammer books. Now we just say, Ëlder Perez, ¨how do you say (whatever)¨ and we get an immediate reply! 

Also, since he is learning English, we have been speaking a lot of English in our apartment. Elder Perez also listens to music in English to help him practice, and turns out that he only listens to Christmas music! It's been so much fun to listen to Christmas music in August with my new Mexican companion, even if Elder Johnson says it's too early just like my dad :).

Quick update on how the investigators are doing: 

The family that I was talking a lot about a few weeks ago has stopped coming to church for a few reasons like a potencial move, change of jobs, and family sickness. We are still working with them with the hope that they can progress. Also, we had two new investigators in church yesterday. One is a 30 year mother named Gloria and she was accompanied by her 13 year old daughter also named Gloria, and her 3 young babies. She actually has 6 kids but only 4 came.  Despite the difficulties that her husband is causing, she shows incredible strength and true love for her children. She said in her own words that she wants her children not to make the same mistakes that she made and she wants them to have a brighter futured centered in our Savior Jesus Christ. I really hope she continues progressing.

I love the mission! I know the work I do and the church I represent is truly the true church of God. Thank you for your continued prayers and support! I feel them every day! 

All the best, 

Elder Shipley