13 Months!!!

Hey Family,

So.....yesterday I hit 13 months!!! Man, time is just flying by. It is crazy to think that a year ago, I was getting ready to head out of the MTC to come here. A lot has happened since then:)

It is great to hear that you are all keeping so busy. It's a good way to stay out of trouble. Just fill all of your time doing good things. Mom....teaching the gospel is the besst thing in the world. Weather it is to youth, or to people that you don't even know. It brings peace to the soul and really strengthens your testimony.

I love music. Every morning I wake up to beautiful music that just helps me prepare for the day. And every night when we get home, we put it on again. It really helps me relax after a hard, and stressful day. I like to listen to it as I am going to bed. It helps me have a clear mind and to sleep well.

This week was awesome, but very stressful at the same time. I felt like a homeless missionary this week. I got to travel a lot. On Tuesday afternoon, my companion and I traveled to Coatza. We worked the afternoon with the Zone Leaders of Puerto, and then stayed the night with them. On Wednesday we got up at 3:30 to take a 4:30 bus to Villahermosa for Mission Leadership Council. We got to go to the Temple!!!! I LOVE the Temple. I was able to get some answers that I was looking for. Personal, and for our zone. We didn't get to spend a whole lot of time in the temple, but in that short time I recei
ved a lot of revelation. We then headed back to the mission offices, and had our council.

We talked a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As missionaries we have improved a lot in teaching repentance and the Atonement to our investigators, but what we talked about is if we are really applying it in our lives. President said ''Right now, we are acting like missionaries just waiting out the rest of our time. What we lack as a mission is repentance''. We talking about how real repentance requires feeling. Are we really feeling for the things that we are lacking every day? Not only focusing on the things that we are doing wrong, but the things that we are only doing half effort. That put me to thinking. A lot of times when I don't meet my daily goals, I think..''Oh well....I'll get it tomorrow''. Instead of really feeling bad that I didn't complete with what the Lord asked of me for the day. I have been applying that, and the atonement has taken a new meaning in my life. It is amazing what you can feel, repenting from something simple like not doing all of my contacts. It really creates a desire to do even better and not fail in the very small things.

During the meeting, Sister Morales asked me to give a special musical number at towards the end. I played my arrangement of ''Sweet hour of Prayer'' on the piano. It was really cool.

I got to see Elder Lopez during the meeting (he is a zone leader now). He is the one I had problems with in Frontera. He came up to me afterwards, and asked forgiveness for the problems that we had together. I also asked for forgiveness from him, and we gave each other a big hug. Really, I've missed him, and I feel like he is going to be a lifelong friend. He is really a great guy.

After council, I stayed in Villa with Elder Thaller (from my generation). We worked with the Assistants. I went out to work with Elder Johnson. He is a really cool guy. He is from Idaho, and only has two transfers more than me. We had a really great time.

"Mexican Parking"

We were out looking for a family that he had an appointment with. That fell through, and so we were just walking around looking for people to teach. We reached a street corner and paused for a minute, when I felt to ask him about some people that we talked with the last time I was with him. It turns out that we were right around the corner from them. We went, and visiting there was another family of four that accepted baptism. It was really cool. Another witness that the Spirit is always watching out for us, and if we listen, will guide us to where we need to be, when we need to be there.

I stayed the night with Elder Thaller in Villa. In the morning, we went to immigration to renew our visas. We have been living illegally for the past month because our visas expired at the beginning of January. We went downtown in a Combie and had to sign a couple papers, and they took our fingerprints. We finished at about noon, and raced to the bus station to try to get back to our areas by nighttime. We were on that bus for six hours! On the bus, Elder Engamann (Elder in my Zone) called me and told me that his investigator that was supposed to get baptized on Saturday didn't want to anymore. So...we got to Coatza, and I jumped on another bus to Las Chuapas. Was on that bus for another hour and a half. It was a long bus day. Almost eight hours traveling on a bus.

On the Bus

When I got to Las Chuapas I went with Elder Engamann to visit his investigator. We had a really cool lesson using the book of Mormon. He felt the Spirit, and then we prayed with him. He asked if he needed to get baptized and he got an answer YES. I did his interview and he got baptized on Saturday. It was awesome. I spent the rest of the night with Elder Engamann, and stayed at his house.

On Friday morning we traveled back to Agua Dulce early to be on time to zone class. I taught zone class and it was really fun. We did several activities to help us in our teaching situations, and we practiced using the Book of Mormon to help our investigators have a converting experience.

Saturday, we found a family with eight kids within the ages of 8 and 14. It is a huge family. Tons of cousins that live together. We had an awesome lesson with them. We will see how they progress.

We are really struggling in our area right now. It is a little frustrating because the other area in Agua Dulce is baptizing every week right now. We are struggling just to find people that will listen to us, and they have people showing up at church asking to be baptized. It is very hard because my companion and I are doing everything we can, and are being obedient, and we aren't having success. While the other Elders aren't being very obedient, and are baptizing like crazy. Last night, I was watching the teaching videos and one came on about patience that I really needed. It talked about how it is very easy to see the fun that others are having, and to give up on the good that you are doing in order to participate with them. But, it is very important to hold strong, because the true happiness comes after the trials. After we have proved that we really want it.

Right now the temptation to slack off has been big, because those that are slacking are baptizing. But after the test, if we hold true, comes the real blessings. My companion and I are really praying for those blessings right now. So....all of you out there that are going through a hard time right now, HOLD ON. Stay true, and have faith in Jesus Christ. Things will get better, and if you hold true, there are a ton of blessings waiting for you. Ether 12:27

Anyways, this week has been super awesome. Lots of revelation and help from my Heavenly Father.

I Love you all and wish you all another awesome week.

Love,

Elder Cavenee

P.S. I would love to get letters from anyone and everyone for my birthday:) Just to hear how you all are:)

Immigration trip in Combie

Mexican Parking:)