20170918 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - I hope he ends up getting baptized.

This week we confirmed Gabriela. It was ward conference on Sunday. The stake president spoke and gave a lesson. He's super smart. He talked about the gospel of Christ: Faith, Repentance, Baptism. The Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End but he explained it super cool. There were a bunch of police outside of the church because someone was stabbed to death. The gangs aren't going to do anything to us because we've made friends with them. Actually they had an activity in the church for independence day and the youth were chasing me because they wanted to paint me with Mexican colors because I'm American when too gang members started throwing rocks at them to protect me and then told me after if there are any problems to tell them and they'll take care of it. On Tuesday we have transfers and I'm going to Cumbres in the zone Mitras which is the richest zone in the mission. I'm excited for the change but everyone is telling me that my new companion is really disobedient. I don't know why president is putting me with hard companions but I'm going to be senor companion. This is Orbelin the Jehovah's witness that we've been teaching. I hope he ends up getting baptized. My companion made the tie that I'm wearing. Isaiah55:8-9 God's ways a lot of times aren't the same as ours. As we summit ourselves more to the will of God he blesses us like a father does with his children when they do what he asks. Go to church, read the scriptures, and pray everyday. Strive to make changes to become more like our perfect father because that's the purpose of life! Love, Elder Geddes. Éxito!!!

20170911 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - baptized Gabriela:)

This week we baptised Gabriela:))))))))))))))) It's kind of a lame story though. The bishop hasn't suported us in any of our baptisms but this one we commited him to go. Also we had a member do the ordinance to try to get them more involved in missionary work. So we planned to baptise her on Sunday after church. So the members that said they would go all went in there cars but we had to wait for a bus. We had to wait 30 for a bus and then the bishop called us and told us that they have everything that they need to do the baptism and that they are going to start without us. And then he said something that really made me angry, No se preocupe, les mando fotos dispues. Don't worry about it, I'll send you pictures after. And then went ahead and started without us. We arived right before they did the ordinance when they were already in the water. I was really upset because, I don't know, I felt like we did all the work and that this is our baptism. And even more our mission president wanted to come to the baptism but he wouldn't wait. We have some other cool investigators that went to church for the first time, Hector and Giermo. We had interviews with president this week and he basically said that I'm going to change areas. Later he talked to my companion and said that he is going to have a different companion. My companion is going to have his operation after this next change. I'll know next week where I'm going. It rained this week and it's been a little bit cooler. A LITTLE BIT. I took some pictures of how our area is. I don't like to take out my camera because my area is poor and I don't want to get robbed.

20170904 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - This week we baptized Teresa!!!!!

This week we baptized Teresa!!!!! We've been working with her for a while now. We got her to quit smoking and to get married and now she's baptized and can work to get sealed in the temple with her husband. We have plans to baptize Gabriela next week. We'll find out if my companion has to go home for his operation this week. GUESS WHAT??? We got the owner of the house to fix our cooler!!!!! I was on divisions with the zone leaders and we went to her house and I roasted her a little bit(She's a member) and now it's cold at night!!!! There is not much else to tell this week. We keep working like usual. Here's some scriptures to help us if you want to know God better. Mosiah4:9 Creemos que existe y que nos ama, 2Timothy3:14-17 Estudiamos las Escrituras, James1:5 Oramos a Él, John14:21-23 Obedecemos todos sus mandamientos lo mejor que podamos. Keep trying a little harder to be a little better:) Love Elder Geddes

20170828 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - Service is super fun...

Nothing out of the ordinary happened this week. My companion has to get surgery on his nose but we still don't know if they are going to do it in the mission or if he'll be sent home to get it done. He's been really down since he found out he might be sent home. It's really hard having a companion all the time. Of all the difficulties of the mission so far the hardest thing for me is having a companion. I can take the heat and the walking and the rejection, and the sleepiness, but dang it's hard to have a companion. He wastes all of his money and then doesn't have money for things that he needs but I do feel bad when I have money for food and he doesn't and so I end up buying for him. I do whatever I can to avoid conflict. I read my patriarchal blessing again. Honestly it scares me a little bit. Also it says my mission will be hard. I'm loving the mission though. I wish more people would except the gospel. One thing that I love to do is to serve others. Service is super fun and just helps everyone out. Jesus spent his whole life serving and helping others. If you want to learn how to become more like Christ go do some genuine service for someone else! You'll be happy and so will they:) This week if all goes well we'll finally baptize Teresa. We see a lot of dead dogs. They kill them in all sorts of ways. But this one smelt really bad so I took a picture...

20170821 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - Teresa got married!!!

Today I complete 6 months in the mission!!!! This week was good for the most part. We went to the temple on Wednesday. It was good as always. After we went to the hospital for my companion. He gets really bad headaches and it affects him with the work. He cant get out of bed until 8 and he is always complaining that he has pain and he talks less in the lesson when he has pain. I hope that doctors can find out whats wrong with him. Originally he didn't want to go because he doesn't want to get sent home but I talked to the zone leaders and they set up an appointment for him. We had a miracle this week. Our investigator Teresa got married!!! We put a baptismal date for this Saturday so if all goes well she'll get baptized then. I just hope she doesn't start smoking again because Satan works hard when someone is close to being baptized. It's going to be really awesome because her husband can be the one to do it. I really want to help the people here. Satan is working hard. It's a testimony that these are the last days. It's the little things that are going to make a big difference in the end. Today we went to the doctor again and then took advantage of the fact that we weren't in the middle of nowhere anymore and went to the mall that was close by. We ran into an American Eagle. It made me miss a little bit the times when I had style haha. Also it was nice to feel air conditioning. Trivia question: Who gave John the baptist the authority to baptize?

20170814 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - no air conditioning

So we payed 4 months rent in advance so that the owners of the house could put in a cooler but it doesnt work it just blows air but it doesnt cool it. I already knew that this was going to happen because they are super selfish and just wanted the cooler in the house because the contract with the church ends in November. My companion is super mad and calls them like five times a day but we think they blocked our number because it just goes straight to voicemail. We have called a bunch of people and the cheapest that they can fix it is 800 pesos. We visited a less active named Hermana Leonor. She suffers from depession. She doesnt want to go to church anymore because she doesnt like a member. She said that she knows the church is true but she is going to another church. I set up an appointment for her to talk to the branch president but I dont think she went because she wasnt at church. It makes me sad. Carlos is now living with his father who drinks. Satan really worked on him. We only had Teresa in the church. I did divisions with a missionary that says that the whole mission is slow. Hes from Arizona. He spent the whole time complaining. I tried to speak english with him but it was really hard. We taught Orbelin. My companion and I bore strong testimony that the book of Mormon was true. He was reading it but not with good intentions and he hasnt prayed to know if it is true. His bible that he always uses is the new world translation of the sacred scriptures, its the uncomplete bible of the Testigos de Jehovah. The niece of Lucero wants to get baptised but her mom wont let her. We went and did service by pulling weeds for her. I used a big machete. Mom wouldnt aprove haha. We have an appointment with her tomorrow. There isnt much else new. We are going to the temple on Wednesday. It's really hot. Its gross becuase the armpit of all of my shirts are ruined because I sweat so much. I get headaches sometimes from the heat but im okay dont worry about my health. Just enjoy your air conditioned home and your normal food that doesnt give you diarhea.

20170807 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - Working hard

One is a 12 year old who wants to get baptised but his father said that he will beat him if he does. The other is an 8 year old. Her sister is a member. Their grandma got sick so their parents made them go visit her the day of her baptism. We are going to keep working with them and hopefully we can baptise them later. My convert Lucero shared her testimony on Sunday and thanked us for changing her life. A member gave me a new suit. The pants are tight on me but it is a really a nice suit. We found out the changes on Sunday and.... I stay in the same area with the same companion. After this change I will have been in this area for 6 months. I was kind of hoping for a change but obviously theres more work for me to do in my area. I had to give a talk two sundays ago. I forgot to tell you about it. They called me Saturday night at 9 and told me that I have to give a talk about missionaries. I prepared a little and then winged it. The talk was from Elder Bednar for the youth preparing to go on a mission. I just followed the spirit and basically roasted the youth of the ward.

 Coati?

20170731 -- Elder Andrew Geddes in the mission field - watch videos

We have 2 baptismal dates for Saturday, Carlos and Gabriela. Also next change we have 4 people that can be baptized. John the brother of Carlos, Yamilet and Chuchu the son and niece of Lucero my convert and Orvelin. He has good assistance in the church, he just needs to read the book of Mormon and pray. He struggles with pride and wants to teach to look smart. He does know a lot from the bible but he needs a testimony of the Book of Mormon. The last lesson with him went well. We invited him to baptism like 5 times during the lesson. The spirit was really strong so even though he didn't accept it yet he definitely felt something. Today we went and hiked Chipique. It was really hot. I don't like hiking very much but I was still good. There was some kind of animal that was super cool. After we ran into a bunch of mansions that were super cool. I guess that part of the city of Monterrey is the richest city in all of Latin America. There were some super awesome cars that passed by and then we went to the mall that was close by. It was super big and really nice. Here are two videos that I really like. I feel like crying when I watch the first one. I have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. I will send pictures next week!! Watch the videos there awesome!!!!

https://youtu.be/spGtVY6L5jY

https://youtu.be/dEN4GeT64cg

20170724 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - Try a little harder to be a little better.

So this week we did service in the house of a member and after they made us pancakes and they wanted me to say the prayer in English but I couldn't do it haha I couldn't think of the words in English. We have an investigator named Orvelin that we are teaching and he came to church for the second time but during gospel principles he wanted to teach haha. He wants to look smart so he tries to teach. He was trying to teach about the gift of the holy ghost. He called my convert a baby which I didn't like. He can't seem to get the concept of authority and that there is only one true church of God. Erika didn't come to church but shes progressing a lot. She wants to get married and a family member of hers said that they will pay for it. We are going to try to do what we can to help her to get married and then get baptized. We have two other baptism dates for August 5. Gabriela who is 8. And Carlos who is one of the ninos of Mayela. I'm getting along fine with my companion. He is good with his words and can teach good. I try to look for the good in him.
Try a little harder to be a little better. Gordon B Hinkley
Love Elder Geddes

20170721 --- Elders Field Day Activity - Pictures

20170717 -- Elder Geddes in the mission - THE FAMILY A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

We are teaching a girl named Erika who is 19 and has 2 kids both both of them are from different fathers. When we first met her she didn't believe in God but now does and is praying and reading the book of Mormon. She is living with the father of her second kid and we are trying to get her to marry him but she told us that she doesn't know if she wants to have an eternal family with him because they are not getting along. We showed her The Family A Proclamation to the World and she wants an eternal family but she doesn't know if she wants it with him. Its a tough situation. Its the norm here though to hook up and never get married.

We are teaching a guy named Orvelin. Hes a jehovah's witness. Hes not very smart but he wants to be so while we are teaching him he wants to teach us. He came to church with us and wanted to teach our class. It was about baptism haha. He left half way through church to go to his church.

We teach a lot of people but those are are the two people who are the most interesting haha. It was Elder Osorio's birthday so we surprised him, I bought him this shirt.

Tantas cosas en esta vida depende en nuestra actitud. -Thomas S Monson

THE FAMILY
A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

20170710 Elder Geddes in the mission field - Baptized Lucero!

This week I got to baptize Lucero!!!!!!! I contacted her on the street about a month ago and now she's baptized!! It was amazing. Its really humbling to be able to have this opportunity to serve as representative of Jesus Christ. It's really cool to be able to feel the spirit all the time. We live so worthy of the spirit that I can feel its presence all the time. We are teaching another woman named Teresa. She had a problem with smoking but we got her to quit and to break her cigarettes. Unfortunately we found out that she was only married in the catholic church and not in the law so we cant baptize her yet. Her kind of husband is away working and isn't going to return for a while. We teach a lot of people during the week but there are only a few who are ready to receive it. The apostasy is very thick and people don't want to change. All that we can do is share what we know and if they don't except it it's there loss. This church is so obviously true and can bless the lives of all people. Only through living the teachings of the Jesus Christ and following his example can we receive peace and joy in this life and for the eternity. Study the scriptures and the life of Jesus Christ. He starts his visit to the Americas in 3Nephi11. He really did live a perfect life and we are commanded to be like him. This is His church. Follow his teachings and be blessed.

Elder Geddes

20170707 --- Zone Conference with Anahuac & Topo Chico - Pictures

20170703 Elder Geddes in the mission field - Pictures

This week I got my new companion this week Elder AC. He is a recent convert of 2 years. He hass got a lot of energy and we teach pretty good together. He talks a lot about his last area and how they had bikes. Its literally all that he can talk about. He really wants a bike right now but our area is really poor. We don't need bikes. Its not safe. I've prayed about it and I don't feel like we should have them. We asked president and basically said to work it out. The mission wouldn't pay for it. I don't know what to do because I don't want contention. This week we have 2 FECHAS BAUTISMALES (baptismal dates) for this Saturday. One named Lucero and the other Terasa. Its getting hotter if that's possible. The Canícula starts August 15. Stay strong in the gospel. There is power in keeping the commandments. If we do our part God will always give us blessing. Through the gospel we can feel the love of God and have peace and joy in this life and for the eternity. 

Love Elder Geddes