Vamos a bautizar cada semana... pero nesecitamos personas [We will baptize every week ... but we need people]

June 2

Dear family at home,

The past week we baptized Perla, the daughter of Marina.  The mother was baptized the weekend before I came here, and with the ward council we are watching out for the six recent converts, two of them I had the blessed opportunity to baptize. Between them and the work of reactivation, our numbers are a little low, but we have four investigators who are progressing towards their baptismal dates, including one for this upcoming week.

As for food, there is nothing new.  Tortas are amazing, I had chile relleno otra vez este semana, [chile relleno again this week] and the Mexican sodas are a little funky.

I love you all, and wish to express my experiences more fully in the following semana.  

Sincerely you son, Elder Tobler

And Another One Down!

‪May 19‬

Dear Family at home, ‬

‪BAPTISM! That’s all we need!  Merary was baptized early Saturday morning, and even though her birthday/baptism party went late into the night (and morning I suppose), she woke up on Sunday and was confirmed! Merary is a little timid, but she understands and will learn more, as long as she can study for her high school classes and read her scriptures.  We have another firm baptismal date for this upcoming Saturday, and Perla is super excited for her special day.  ‬

‪On Tuesday we had a Zone meeting, where I saw the Lady Jaguar Alumni Hermana Eye, and she is doing well.  She is in the district of the sister missionaries here in La Mesa.  This Zone is huge! It was a fantastic zone meeting where we learned a great deal more of how we should work according to the needs of our investigators.  To add on to that, this past Friday we had a Capacitacion with Pres. Carreón, and we were trained to Work with the spirit and to ask inspired questions.  I also learned this morning that we REALLY need to baptize more as a mission, when the President directs that nobody is to have Zone activities until we are fulfilling with the Mexico Area Plan and baptize weekly.  Vamos a exhortar, persuadir, y convencer mas!‬ [We will encourage, persuade, and convince more!]

‪I have no new comments on food, just that it'll be interesting seeing all the food from Costco and the US name brands again completely in English. Oh, I did get you Easter Package, Thank you Millions! I feel like I'm set for a month or so. ‬

‪Nothing happens in the work until you find someone to talk to.  We are focusing our efforts to follow the rules with exactness, creating goals and initiating plans to increase the work in this sector.  Due to the menos [less] activity, we are working with a nearly complete Ward Council, but every assigned person understands the importance of his/her position in the Work of Salvation.  We are still waiting for a bishop, and according to my Companion Elder Torres this ward has been bishopless for half a year.  Hermano Contreras has been very effective in pressuring the demands of the bishopric. ‬

‪I hope Kenzie and the rest of the choir has a marvelous time in Nueva York.  FLYING IS INCREDIBLE! And sorry Mom, school is basically over once you finish the AP Tests. Just convince Cami to find a job or something. :P And I was thinking how convenient it is to have the same person cut your hair regularly, If Dad or somebody sees Pam let her know that she cuts hair better than anyone else in Mexcio.  As for this area I have taken it as Standard frontera, [border] that there is brief talk of splitting our sector to create one more area for sister missionaries.  The language is going great, and Elder Torres is learning English rapidly too. ‬

‪I just wish to add my testimony, that this is a physical and progressing of the Lord, and that I love working in these Latter-Days.  I am grateful for the opportunity I have to have a supportive family.  I love every one of you. ‬

‪Sincerely your Son, ‬

‪Elder Tobler‬

12 de Mayo, Hello again, Take three

(this letter came in three parts. Here's part 1)

Dear Family,

Easter was nothing to grand for us, everyday is an opportunity to share the message of the Resurrected Christ and is Atonement for us.  Through this sacrifice and his example, we have the sacrament.  Many times we teach non-progressing investigators and less active members the importance of the sacrament, and how it is a renewal of our baptismal covenants. Normally, we teach it exactly how Bro. John taught us in Priests' quorum.

(Part 2)

Dear Family, 

The keyboard is a little funky, but I'll finish my letter here.

I finally was given planners this week; I had been using a planner from the last transfer, almost three weeks back.  The main offices are closer now, and I am not sure why my District Leader and Zone Leaders there was such a delay.  But hey, I love the district meeting with this District Leader.  He teaches with the Spirit, and I am quickly able to absorb and apply the new perspective or reinitiate my focus for the week on the message he teaches us.  This past week we applied a different way to show the Book of Mormon for the first time, where we included a favorite passage within the book in the first lesson.

As for the language it has been fun! I am understanding everything, and I even laugh at English when I ask myself, "Que significa lo-ve? oh it's love!" or "lettuce go to the store- Vamos a la tienda... wait" or "poder means to can, but not the bird tocan."

fhe-orar, leer, asister-fam. history, Pray for the missionaries in our area.

The only noteworthy thing about my companion that I have not mention yet is that he has a hard time getting up in the mornings.  He has three alarms, at 6:20, 6:25, and 6:30 and he still drags himself out of bed a little late.  I am wide a wake at the first tone, which is not how I was when I left home but it has been a gift I learned in there MTC.

We have a baptism this weekend, the real trick is after the baptism keeping the family active again, so that Merary can enjoy the full blessings of the sacrament and of being a member.  Marina was a convert the weekend before I arrived here, and she is doing wonderfully.  She is going to the Temple this week to do Baptisms for the Dead. 

(Part 3)

here we go again

The rest of our investigators are slowly progressing, but the majority of our time here is with the less active members.  This week we have plans to find more ivnestigators.

Tonight I'll finish off the jerky Randy gave me (Thanks again), but before I go I want to say that I am glad to have this chance to teach about the importance of the simple things: Prayer, reading the scriptures, assisting church, and growing into the gospel as a family.  I have taught over and over again the lesson of Family History, and the Family Home Evening we held last week was a blast.  I know that if every member who may be struggling or is passing through their difficulties, they can endure to the end by doing these three things.  This is my brief testimony, until the next week.

Elder Tobler

Son of a loving mother

Bienvenidos a Reforma (May 5, 2014)

Before I get to James’ letter let me apologize for not keeping up with this blog more. I’m hoping to get one letter posted a day in the order they were sent to us, so everyone can keep up with what has been happening with our Elder in Tijuana.

Dear Family, friends, missionaries and misioneros, queridos hermanos y amigos de Tijuana,

These past two weeks have been busy.  I was showing Elder Serpa every corner of the sector, and we were just beginning to baptize again when I got called to serve in Reforma with Elder Torres.  Officially I only had two baptisms in the ward Miramar, but I achieved much in the work of reactivation and brought about many constructive changes in the ward council.  I learned many ways how I could apply the same work with a different perspective with my unceasingly funny companion Elder Serpa. Neri, María y familia Ornelas tiene un futuro de oportunidades espitiruales. (Neri, Mary and family Ornelas have spiritual opportunities.)

This past week for our P-Day we celebrated with Elder Cortes, my old Líder de Distrito, (district leader) who returns home to his house tomorrow.  He has been an amazing influence and a great example of how one can follow the rules and find excellence in this great work.  We went to a nice barbecue joint in Independencia to eat hamburgers.  I gave him the Xolos playeta (shirt) that I bought a while back, because he needed to get one before he returned honorably home to Morelos.  Yesterday and this morning Hma Nancy y Hmo Rafa wished us off as we left that corner of Tijuana.  Muchisimas gracias Elder Cortes, Éxito!  Y gracias para la influencia de los miembros y para el trabajo del Obispo Mora. (And thanks to the influence of the members and the work of Bishop Mora.) I received a few gifts from the ward members, regalé varios corbatas y cosas, (I gave several ties and stuff) and I'll send a few pictures in the following weeks. Hma Nancy dropped me off in her red Mystery Machine, and here I am with Elder Torres.

Normalmente, yo escribo un parrafo describiendo las comidas nuevas y platos interesantes de la semana. (Normally, I write one paragraph describing new foods and interesting dishes of the week.) Well, thus far in my mission I have eaten a lot of different kinds of food, both familiar and unfamiliar. I did get the package from The Vinsons, thanks a ton for the Jerky. Mis compañeros y Hmo Rafa les gustaron la carne seca de alce. (My colleagues and Hmo Rafa liked the moose jerky.) I have already eaten the Elk Jerky, and this week I will munch on the Deer Jerky (carne seca de venado) this week.  I know I am writing this late, sorry Mom, but if you wish to include snacks like Rolos, Twizzlers, Pretzels, Hershey's, the Hostess Cupcake or any chocolate peanut butter mix.  I have eaten a lot of different kinds of food here.  Yo como comida mas picante de cualquier de mis compañeros. Tengo chile en mi sangre! (I like spicy food more than any of my classmates. I have chili in my blood!) From rice with milk (arroz con leche), stuffed fried peppers (chile rellenos), new fruit like guavas, rice like Grandma Tobler, Chicharón, and giant meatballs (albondigas); there has been quite a variety. 

Elder Serpa was a hilarious companion. He can read English, so the majority of this part will be in English, no se preocupe (do not worry) Cami. Funny enough, he listened to music from "Two Steps From Hell" as well before his mission, and went every Friday to the movies with his dad.  The theatres here are so much cheaper!  He enjoys the music from Zelda and other orchestral pieces, although he really only enjoys practicing solo, not playing in a group.

This week I shared multiple times with the members the importance of the Family History Work.

This is my brief message of love and servitude, and I love this chance to serve in the final harvest of the Lord, and for the unending prayers I receive from my family.

Sincerely you Son, friend, Amigo, misionero,

Elder Tobler

Mi compañero es un bromador

Dear family,

This has been a great time here in Tijuana.  We currently have an awesome zone who works hard and plays harder, even if they prefer to play soccer over basketball. Oh well, no importa, all of us are here in this blessed opportunity to serve our Lord.  We climbed, walked, preached, and did a fair amount this week in helping our investigators understand this gospel and the importance it has on their lives.  When Thursday came and we went to pass datos, we realized that most of our work does not always translate into numbers or progress that our leaders can see on paper.

Early in the morning twice this week it was a bit foggy.  Elder Serpa was astonished, but I was here in January and February when every morning the fog was even more dense and wet.  

When was the last time you saw a Peter Pan Flute?

On Monday we had a Ward-Wide Family Home Evening, and there is where we meet a large group of Americans who were building houses.  One of these blessed families who received a real house has desires to learn about our church, and already we have put two baptismal dates with them.  It is cool to return back to the house and find Mars in the night sky, even though of all the places on Earth that I've seen, the sky here is probably the ugliest.  Nor do I have plans to visit China.

We contacted SO MANY PEOPLE THIS WEEK.

I really got to go, but I love my family and the lessons that my parents have taught me aboiut hard wrok and about self-reliance.  The real trick is teaching your companion a few of these things as well. Both of us have less than a year under our belts, and are building the other up to work in the grand harvest of the Lord.  I am grateful for this chance to be a missionary in these latter-days, and I know that I have been called to serve here, because these individuals need help from a Track Runner who likes to think from the Salt Lake Valley. Let the Lord shape you, but as well remember that you are in this place because of your talents and skills.  I have seen how my parents, grandparents, and other heroes have remained spiritually strong and have maintained their personality and traits that make them such grand rulers, leaders, and teachers.

Este obra esta bien suave

With my Love, 

Elder Tobler

Suprise Picture

I recieved this email a couple of days ago and was so excited to see James' smiling face. I just had to share with you all.

Hi,
I am a member from Seattle, wa. My family was in Tijuana this week on a trip and we met your sweet sons who are serving there. They are both doing well and were a delight to talk to.  I though you might like a picture. 
Have a great day!

El reloj esta volando!

Dear Family,

I heard that there was a big earthquake in Chile this past week.

As for food, a little bit of carne asada is good for the soul.  My companion was surprised when I ordered a whole chicken from the rotisserie place across the street for lunch this week.  

Oh and for Brother Brent Thomas I learned a variety of words very quickly with the scar on my wrist, but equally I am grateful for those triangle red pencils that you brought to church years ago. I still have one in my Hero's Satchel that I throw over my shoulder every morning.  Other odds and ends that I carry that have come in use or very easily could be needed are some band-aids, my large handkerchief, Neosporin, my flashlight, and the classic mission supplies- folletos, a Book of Mormon, some Liahona's, the very scare pass-along cards, and my very colorful spanish set of scriptures.  I always joke with my companion that while the Testigos de Jehova have umbrellas and sunshades, we carry flashlights.  Elder Serpa does not have a watch, and with the alarms and timers I have on this watch that lasted through the last part of track, we can always coordinate and maintain the missionary schedule.  I will be fine with shoes, because on Valentine's Day the Familia Torres gave me a pair, her husband discovered that they did not fit him anymore. I also received on other recently from a family from Guatemala who live in the ward, plus the three that I brought. All are good shoes, and will last me for a while. 

The weather here has been all to normal.  At least in the first couple of months it was cooler in the morning and normal in the afternoon and evenings, but now it is always a comfortable climate. 

Scripture Masteries rock! Pun not indented (Helaman 5:12)