(Hermana S.) I love interviews!

Hello beautiful familia!

It's been a good week! I love this trio... seriously so fun. We laugh a lot. More than not I think. Haha!

Before I forget, did I already tell you that my little Cevallos is already training! We just finished her 12-week training program and now she's a trainer! I AM SO PROUD! I like to think that I had anything to do with it, but I know that it's just because she is so awesome. I love her! She told me she's a little nervous still, but I know that she's probably the best trainer ever.

Also, we had interviews this week as you could see on the blog. What a marvelous experience! Presidente is one of the most incredible people I have ever known. Wow. He has truly consecrated his life to doing the will of God and following the impressions of the Spirit. This interview was the answer to many prayers. Sometimes you reach a point where you just want to know what the Lord thinks of you. Is he happy with your efforts? Does He need more from you? In this interview I could feel so clearly God's love. The Spirit's witness is sure. How grateful I am to be in this mission! They say that you're called to a mission president, not to a mission. I really believe that. I can't imagine myself being anywhere else with any other mission president. The environment that President has created here in the mission really is incredible. I feel like an average missionary here would be an extrarordinarily obedient missionary anywhere else. President isn't just concerned about our testimonies or numbers; he is concerned about our conversion and moreover, our consecration.

 I don't have much time but just know that we're all doing great here in Tecnologico! Love you all so much! Happy day! 

Love, love, love, 

Hna. Snyder

(Elder S.) Baptism!!

Well I feel like I say this every week, but it was another awesome
week. Yesterday was especially awesome because our main man Dennis got
baptized! I was lucky enough to have found him about a month ago and
then baptize him yesterday. Such an awesome miracle. He was so
prepared to recieve the Gospel. I have such a huge testimony of the
guidance of the Spirit in our lives because I experience it daily.  

I want you to know that the Spirit is so real. God talks to us
by the Holy Ghost through our thoughts and feelings. I'm so grateful
for the opportunity I have as a member of the restored church to
experience such promptings and revelation.

We now have another awesome investigator named Kaito! He came to
church for the second time yesterday and is just so awesome! This work
is awesome! Being a missionary is awesome! The church is true and all
that comes with it. God is our Father and Christ is our Savior. Never
forget it!

I hope y'all have a great week. Love you!!
Elder Snyder

(Hermana S.) I'm happy!

Helllllloooo! 

So, I'm in a trio! Whoo! Haha, they always say that trios are hard but it's actually pretty sweet! I have lots of things to tell you...

First of all, I am in Tecnologico, which is... in the city of Pachuca! Right in the heart! Haha. It's definitely a change because I have only been in little pueblitos but I'm excited. First of all, because today I went to Walmart for the first time in about a year. Haha. Second of all, the ward is great! There are a bunch of super rich people, so that's interesting. We ate this week in the biggest house I have been in in real life. There is a swimming pool. Inside. Also, the stake president and his family are great. They live like less than 10 minutes walking from our house. The stake president graduated in Agriculture and builds greenhouses for a living! I told him that my dad would be very excited to hear that. In our area is Camino Real, the big fancy hotel that Elder Bednar stayed in when he came. And also in the ward is a family from Actopan that I loved and moved while I was there. We ate with them on Sunday!

Sooo lots of great things. I am with Sister Cerna from El Salvador and Sister Vasquez from Guatemala and we are just having a ball! Sister Vasquez just left from being Asistenta to Presidente for 3 cycles, so I am learning a lot from her, but she's very humble. Sister Cerna is quiet and sweet. We all get along great.

Something interesting happened today. We went to the ATM to take out cash and it ate my card before turning off completely. So we had a little bit of a crazy p-day having to go from here to there and I will be cardless for 2 weeks. Yippee. Haha.

But we are finding some great people! We had 2 new baptismal dates yesterday at church and something pretty amazing happened. Once again, I'm going to copy and paste what I wrote to President. :)

Ayer tuvimos una experiencia muy especial. Tuvimos dos nuevas fechas que encontramos en la semana y nos acompañaron en la capilla. Fue tan bonito porque la hermana había sido operada y tenía dolor pero lo aguantó tanto en la capilla. Después de Sociedad de Socorro, el Presidente Anieves (vive en nuestra área, CAMPEÓN) dijo que sintió la impresión que alguien necesitaba de una bendición. La primera persona de levantar la mano fue nuestra investigadora, Reyna. Presidente le dio una bendición tan bonita; nadie le había dicho que la operaron pero pidió específicamente por eso y muchas otras cosas. La hermana salió llorando. Se sintió tan fuerte el espíritu.

Seriously it was so awesome. I hope you can understand that and if not, ask someone who speaks Spanish! 

Also, well, I am very sad because something went wrong with my SD card and the computer isn't reading it. Actually none of the computers will read it. I'm crying inside. I had some great pictures to send you! But I am going to take it to a little shop or something to see what the problem is. They show up on my camera just not on the computer. But that's the least of my worries!

This week we have interviews with President and I am excited because I always learn so much from him. Until next time!

Love you!!!

Hna. Snyder

(Elder S.) Wonderful week!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had an awesome week. It sure was an
awesome week here in Yachiyo! I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of time
today  We had a pretty busy day but I'll tell you about the two awesome
things that happened this week. First, we had a conference with
President Whiting who is in the First Quorum of the Seventy and also the
president of the Asia North area. The conference was done under
apostolic authority and we could really feel the spirit that was
there. He talked about our mission and how we need to improve. He
pretty much called us all to repentance but it was definitely what we
all needed. It definitely strengthened my faith and I will be doing my
missionary work a lot differently now. I don't have too much time to
talk about the details but maybe next week I will share some things
that I felt and things that are really important for us all to know.

The other thing that happened to this week was just awesome! So I have
told you about our investigator Dennis who is from Uganda. On Friday
after the conference we decided to set a baptism date for him. The
previous night we had asked him to read 2 Nephi 31 and to ponder and
pray about it. At the beginning of our lesson he told us that what he
felt is that he really needs to receive baptism. We told him how that
was from the spirit telling him that not only did he need to receive
baptism but also that the Book of Mormon is true. So we went on with
our lesson and taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ, afterwords
asking him when he thought he would be ready to be baptized into the 
church of Jesus Christ. He told us that he thought he could be
ready very soon. Didn't I tell you he was a golden investigator? We then
told him that we believe he can be ready by this coming Sunday. He
agreed and also believes that he will be ready to receive baptism this
coming Sunday the 27th. So the past 2 days we've taught him all the
commandments and tomorrow he has his interview!! Pray for him!

It's so great to see the hand of God in His work. I love the Gospel
and the happiness that it brings us. I'm grateful for the Savior and
for the example that he has set for us. I love being a missionary!!!
Have an awesome week!

Food for thought: In my study this week I came across the requirements
of being Exalted. One of them is to seek out our kindred dead and to
perform their saving ordinances. Better get on it! Haha. Love you
guys!

Elder Snyder

スナイダー長老

(Hermana S.) Cambios!

Yep, that's right. I'm getting transferred.

I'M SO SADDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!

Just when everything's going great and life is perfect and your investigadores are keeping all of their committments and are so dang awesome, transfers.

Needless to say, I am very upset. I just love Actopan so much. I'm leaving before Judith's baptism and also Ruben, and my dearly beloved less-actives and... WAHHH !

Life goes on, I guess. It's the mission. I'm not the best with changes, I have come to know this in the mission. So I am nervous. But I'm remembering what Elder Bednar told us when he came to the mission: "DON'T BE SOMEONE WHO RESISTS CHANGE!" Change is progress. Change is growth. We can't become better without it. 

This week has been great. We reviewed the baptismal interview questions with Judith and she got an A+++++! She is so great. I can't believe I won't be here for her baptism. But she will forever be in my heart.

Also, Ruben went to the cultural program of the temple dedication! It was a play about the Book of Mormon and the growth of the Church in Mexico. So great! And he loved it and the church building. I just know he's going to get baptized too. 

We also found a new investigator yesterday who went to the temple with her neighbor, Hermana Loyda. She is the sister-in-law of the stake president, but her husband is inactive. She said in the temple open house she felt an indescribable peace and has been reading the Book of Mormon ever since. She accepted baptism and wants to enter in the temple with her husband and their family. !!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are all of these things happening NOW?! I think this mission is for me to learn patience and accept the Lord's will.

Yesterday we didn't have Sacrament meeting. We went to the stake center for the temple re-dedication. President Eyring and Elder Holland came. It was so beautiful!!! I felt the Spirit so strongly. I am so grateful for the gift of temples on the earth. We are so blessed. We should all make a greater effort to get to the temple more often. And if you haven't entered to make your own sacred covenants, there should be nothing more important to you. Seriously, the Mexico City temple is gorgeous. How does a wedding in Mexico sound?! Hahaha. It's just so beautiful!

Welp, I feel weird. Sad and nervous and excited. I am so grateful for the chance to come to Actopan. It's changed my life. I will always cherish my time here with Hermana Bustos and Hermana Cevallos. I have grown to know my Savior more. I have been able to become more consecrated. I have been able to love more. I am happy. Happy in the mission and in the Gospel and in my life! Love you all so much. Pray for me! Haha. :)

Love love love, 

Hna. Snyder 

I love this sweet family! They heard that transfers are tomorrow and were afraid that I would be going, so they bought a cake to celebrate my birthday early! :)

(Elder S.) The time is flying by!

Hello everyone! The time is flying by. We had another great week here
in Yachiyo. I love it so much here I wanna stay for a long time. So
there's been lots of talk about floods and mudslides around the Tokyo
area. There weren't any in my area, but a pretty good typhoon rolled
through and it rained solid for 4 or 5 days so it was pretty wet. On
Saturday morning at about 5 am we had a 5.2 earthquake. I've felt one
or 2 other tiny earthquakes but this was my first somewhat big one. It
lasted for about 30 seconds and had our apartment shaking pretty good.
Life in Japan!

My Japanese is decent right now, but getting a lot better this
transfer. My companion is a little bit on the more shy side so I do a
lot of talking which really helps. A lot of good things are happening
here that I'm really excited about. The members are starting to get
involved with the missionary work and helping us with service projects
and member present lessons. We're also having good activities that are
getting members and investigators together. Pres. Nagano's big focuses
are working with members and doing missionary work that we like doing
and where we can build relationships with investigators/members. He
gave me special permission to play full court basketball at our sports
activity on Fridays. (Missionary rule is half court only) So lots of
good things are happening!

Right now our most progressing investigator is Dennis, the kid that we
found who is from Uganda. He is such a kinjin (golden investigator)!
He has pretty much told us that he believes he has been prepared to
hear our message. We are really excited for him and praying things
continue to go well with him. The only problem with Takano still is he
just can not get over coffee. He even told us that he believes in the
word of wisdom, he just thinks that "hot drinks" isn't supposed to
mean coffee and that it was translated incorrectly. He's a tough one!
But that's nothing the Spirit can't fix.

That's all for this week folks. Have a great week, love you!

Love, Elder Snyder

スナイダー長老

Family Home Evening at Bishop Fukawa's. That's him and his two little kids, Kanassa and Toki.  They're the best!!

Elder Canfield and I had a cookout on our back porch before he left and treated ourselves to some nice steaks and mini sausages.

(Hermana S.) Been sick and early b-day!

How's it going? It's very interesting to hear that everyone's sick because... wel,l I'm sick too! Hahahaha. This week it hit me - the stomach, the head, and now the common cold. But I'm alive and kicking it! I only had to sit it out on a few hours of study because my head couldn't take it. But we're back in business, that's good. 

What has even happened this week. Hmm. Well first thing's first, I already got my bday package! Less than a month! I'm guessing that there's just a lot of mail around Christmas time. But thanks, Mom! I promised myself I wasn't going to open it... but then I opened it. Haha. Oops! Happy birthday to me! The good news is that I didn't open all the presents, just the shoes. And one the pink shirt. And the earrings. And the food. But that's it! There's still a lot more to be opened. Haha. Thanks, Mom! Love you so very much!

It's been a good week in Actopan. It was a little difficult to keep working at times but it pays off to just buckle down and do it. This week was a little hard also because just about no one came to church. Just one investigator who is a reference of a member so she came because the member went to pick her up before church. Judith started working again... Did I tell you about her accident? She was riding on her bike and a motorcyclist came and hit her front wheel so she went flying. She was all banged up and wasn't going to go back to work but it looks like she changed her mind. So that was sad. We also have another great investigator named Ruben, who is awesome. He's another reference, he's 23 and works cutting men's hair. He's reading the BoM and is just awesome. He was also going to go to church but he was walking home one day and a drunk guy hit him with his car and so on Sunday he had to go get checked in the hospital. Ugh!!!! Satan is working hard in the lives of our investigators. We are just praying that everyone can be safe and keep enduring to the end. 

But we're doing good. We're working hard. I am looking forward to this week and I know it'll be better than the last. I love ya'll so much!

Con mucho amor,

Hna. Snyder

(Elder S.) I'm out of shape!

Well it was another pretty good week here in Yachiyo! I met up with my
new companion Elder Kuroiwa on Wednesday. He's a pretty goofy guy. So
far we're working pretty well together! Should be a good transfer. So
we played basketball on Friday which was fun but also made me realize
how out of shape I am. It's really, really bad. They have a pretty
decent group of guys but I wish I could've played 100%. Unfortunately,
I ran down the court three or four times and had a hard time.....
Haha, not quite that bad but I was so dead! I promised Bishop I'll work out
harder in the mornings so I'll be able to get my act together, haha.
But I'm pretty excited for that every week now.

Last week we got to take a recent convert named Okubo to the Temple to
do baptisms for the dead. It was a really awesome experience and he
was super happy. We're still just doing about the same as every week.
I don't have a lot of time so I won't  go into many details.

I love you guys and hope you have an awesome week!

Love Elder Snyder
スナイダー長老