Suchiapa, Chiapas!

Whelp I'm here in Suchiapa, Chiapas! My companion is named Elder Rodriguez! He is 25! He doesn't look like it but he is a really cool kat. He is from Mexico City and is a convert to the church! He was baptized 2 years ago. he has 2 brothers, 1 sister, he's been shot, he likes to sing but says he doesn't do it very well...I'm not sure because he never sings infront of me haha. My city is a really really small time with barely anyone here. There are no hills, I can see some mountains but not well, there are a lot of chickens and roosters, there is no shower (we shower with a bucket haha) It's a lot cooler here so I dont sweat at all! We live on the second floor of this Catholic ladies house and every morning I can watch the sun rise! It's awesome! haha I am working super hard and I love it. Smile! I love you all.

Elder Braden M. Spence

(Editors Note: Sorry all, he sent pictures but they didn't come through properly. Maybe next week! 21 days an counting until he comes home!)

2 ANOS!

Hey! 

I have not time because this activity that we had today literally took up our whole preparation day! Long story short, we went to a place called IZAPA that has ruins and carved stones. One of the biggest known ones is one that is called THE TREE OF LIFE which many members of the church believe is its a story that is found in the Book of Mormon. We were guided by the church patriarch which has studied with many arciologists (i have no idea how to spell that) and even worked with President Howard W. Hunter on this same site. It's a places that is somewhat recently found but the studiers believe that there were two civilizations that lived in this place. A civilization that was here 2000 years before Christ and another one that came about 550 years before Christ (if you have read that Book of Mormon you would know that those two dates mean a lot haha). He explained to us what the theories are of where all the cities were that are found in the Book of Mormon (Zarahemla, River Sidon etc.) Which is really really sweet because from what he told us, it just about all happened in my mission haha. But we played soccer and volleyball and basketball afterwards and ate a ton of pizza and soda. Pretty sure I got burnt but that's okay because I'll come back tall, dark, and handsome...(spongebob haha) I'm super super super super super happy about my life right about now. I'm super stokes because I am surpassing (not sure if that's a word) my call as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 2 years and am going to serve 2 years and  4 weeks haha. I have been in the same area 7 months now and the assistants just called and said that I'm getting transferred towards Tuxtla Gutierrez (the capital that's 7 hours north). I'm not going to be in the city but in a smaller city an hour away but will travel every week to Tuxtla for meetings! I'm super happy because I am going to get to know a new area and have a companion that started his mission two months ago! I'm going to finish training him in the mission. I don't know his name but I do know that he is Mexican! Sooo basically I'm going to finish my mission with 6 areas, and 10 companions. 3 Americans (including the one I had in the training center with 2 in the mission field) and the rest Mexicans! haha. I haven't had a conversation in English in 6 weeks and don't plan on talking in English till I see my Dad haha. I help the missionaries out with words and Grammar but i haven't had a real real conversation in English in a long time haha. I'm super stoked to work hard for these 4 weeks and show a new missionary how to work to the end. I love this country and I love these people. I cant wait to see the states but I don't want to leave my home here. It has been a million dollar experience times a thousand (a million dollar experience would probably be going to outer space or something and this was better than that would be) haha. I got to go but I hope you enjoy the pictures. Pray for me so that I don't get sick from the food...outer cities aren't the cleanest places! haha. I love you all! Smile!

We had like 4 opportunities to paint houses this week it was really fun. It made me want to paint my own house...that I don't have...and the other pictures are of these transporting vans in-between cities called Combis! There is a guy that drives and another one that sticks his head out of the car while screaming the city that they're going to go to! haha its a lot of fun. They usually jam about 20 people in the van haha it's awesome...but I won't miss it at all

We celebrated my 2 years and Elder Cervantes 6 months this last weekend by buying Dominos pizza

My companion just finished a year in the mission and so some people in the ward invited us over Saturday night to celebrate the two years (me) and year (my companion) by eating a flan. The mom killed a flying cockroach but I wasn't lucky enough to get that on tape! haha

Elder Braden M. Spence

IZAPA Ruins

We went to IZAPA ruins where we saw pyramids (small ones haha) and the tree of life boulder and other engravings

Elder Braden M. Spence

I am still here

Wow it has been a super super long time since I have written on this! Whelp...I'm coming up on 23 1/2 months on my mission! I am still here in Tapachula, Chiapas and I'm 99% sure that I'm going to finish my mission here. There have been a lot of big changes in the mission and are going to need us a little bit longer than just the 24 months. Our Mission President asked us to stay 4 weeks longer and we accepted. They sent me flight schedule and I am going to leave the 20th of march at 8:00am. I'm not sure what time were going to get it but from what I know its going to be late like at 7 or something because were going to have a lay over in Mexico City. There are some missionaries that have to go home on the 20th of February for what ever reason and so there will be some changes but not much. For that reason I say that I'm 99% positive that I'm going to stay here in Tapachula. But I'm actually really excited for that because its a 6 hour bus ride and if I finish my mission here it will be nice to write in my journal or just think for a while about my mission. I can't even believe how time has just flown by. There hasn't been too many things that have changed since the last time I wrote. I still have the same companion (Elder Reyes), same area, same ward...everything is the same. There haven't been any activities in a long time just the same work haha. Actually we did have a conference with Elder Daniel L. Johnson, the President of the Area Mexico 70 (no not in politics, church official haha) and that was a really good experience. He taught us about the true nature of God and how he knows us personally. It was a really good experiment that everyone should try. He basically taught us and at the end told us to pray constantly in the day and night to know if he really does know us personally. he promised us that we would receive a answer, sooner or later but that it would come. Well from what I know we all received an answer. Not going to say how but it's really really comforting knowing for sure and having my own testimony that God knows me personally and not just because the scriptures say it or that my parents taught me it. Today I'm going to go to Tuxtla for a conference and I'll come back tomorrow. My plans for when I get back...I hate the question but I from the little time I have to think about it, my plans are this: I'm going to live in Arizona with Jordan, working and studying in a community college till the fall and then I'm going to try and get into BYU-Idaho for the fall/winter term and work in the summers. Thats what I have come up with until now...but yeah. I hope everything is going well in the USA and...I'll be back soon haha. I love you all and thank you for your prayers. I still haven't gotten sick! It's been a good 8 months since I got sick. I had other problems but nothing that made me dizzy or drousey so I'm happy! Smile! Read and Pray! 

Elder Braden M. Spence

TONS of PICTURES!

Parade, and we helped some people get married... plus some statues in a city that we visited. 

Pizza!

Okay, Okay, I said I was going to write like five times and never did but my excuse isn't as good as I thought it was going to be so i'll just leave it at that. I'll explain the pictures. I had a foam beard...took that picture yesterday and today I sent it to my mission president...not sure if he is going to laugh or not but we´ll see haha. A guy I'm living with finished his two years and goes home Thursday so we bought dominos pizza (yes there is dominos pizza here haha). There were the 10 commandments painted on the side of a church but I thought it was funny how they put the sign over where it says no cometeras adulterio. Just so you know that means thou shalt not commit adultry haha really funny. In the states they have handicap signs...In mexico that parking spot also applies to pregant ladies haha (I bet nathan and kelly would love that right now). There was a painting on a side of the house and I acted like I was knocking the door haha. maybe it's not as funny to you but they just announced that missionaries cant knock doors, they have to work through members or referels in my mission and I was being a rebel haha. My first companion was Elder Valenzuela in the MTC and he is in my zone and we did exchanges which was really cool teaching with him after 20 months in the mission. We had our zone picture and I went out to eat in a resteraunt for the first time in all my mission last Monday (1st time in 21 months!) haha They were great tacos. So there are pyramids near our house that have a rock that has an engraving on it of what many members believe is the Tree of Life which was a dream that a prophet had 600bc in the Americas that is found in the Book of Mormon! haha It's sweet so I bought it. It cost like 22 bucks but it's super awesome. this last Sunday we gave a talk in church and I talked about the Pearl of Great Price and how in life through our thoughts, words and deeds we are buying our own pearl (gaining salvation). I thought it was a pretty cool talk. We got the transfers and my President said I'm staying in my area for another 6 weeks and after that I am getting changed! I'm super excited. But thats some of what has happened in my life and my mission. I love y'all! smile! oren y lean.

Elder Braden M. Spence