Week 3 - October 20th, 2014

Hey!!

It was a great week here in Victoria!! So on Tuesday we got invited to all leadership meeting with President Jordan!! Not sure why but it was great and I sat by president and his wife!! We have a great relationship now!! He’s a great guy and leader of this mission!! Everyone was asking us why we were there, but we didn’t even know, so we just said we were invited!! It was a great meeting on the Holy Ghost!!

My Spanish still struggles, but it gets better every day... a little bit every day! I’m just trying to be confident with it!! It’s a good thing is I can learn something every day! Ha-ha that’s kind of nice! We had a great week! We had 10 investigators come to sacrament meeting!! I loved it!! I’m so excited for them!! It makes me so happy when they say they have prayed, and they know the libro de Mormon is true and want to learn more and prepare for baptism!! They will just need to keep going to church though!! Which I think they will!! Well I pray for it to happen, I guess we will just see though!

So it was a pretty calm week, until yesterday it rained and rained and today also!! ha but yesterday it rained a ton so I had my umbrella and it kind of stopped so I had it down and we went to a members house and we were waiting for him to come out but in the mean time we were talking to his son! They have a super mean dog, pit bull well probably all types of dog, but mainly a pit bull! Ha so I was messing with it and I would shoot it out and have it right in front of his face and he would try to bite it... it was fun!! Ha but we were talking and I was trying to talk to the kid, and I looked at the dog and shot it out again... and I guess I got a little to close... the dog grabbed it and the tug of war was on!! Ha well I would love to say that Kylund won, and the umbrella made it out safely, but I didn’t win!! Ha the umbrella part broke off and the dog shred it to pieces... all I had was the stick!! Ha so at the store today I bought a new one!! 50 pesos!! Like 4 $ ha-ha kind of fun!! I am careful with dogs though!! If they act up, I act like have a rock!! They run so that’s nice!! It was a good week though!

We worked hard, but we can work harder this next week!! I love doing the Lord’s work!! Sounds like you had a great week at home!! Miss you all so much!! Love you tons!

Te ammo, Elder Facer (KY)

P.S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok so I talked to Sister Jordan!! She said if you want Packages for Christmas, and in my case birthday also!! Send them in this next week!!!! So hurry!!! Mom!! It would be nice to have some more face wash!! Just in case mine runs out!!! Dad!! Shoe polish!! I have to polish my shoes every day!! I feel your pain when shoes get dirty!! Well in my case, they last like 10 minutes!! Ha-ha and Chap Stick and whatever else you want to put in there!! So sister Jordan said, put all the stuff in rubbermaid, because the rats and different insects don’t like to chew through it!! I love you all so much!! Have a great week!!

Pictures from October 13th, 2014

Laundry day

Enjoying his PB&J

Grocery Shopping on P-Day

A Street in Victoria

Week Two in Victoria - October 13th, 2014

Hey everyone,

 

It’s great here! I’m finally adjusted and now I just need to work on the Spanish!! It’s coming quickly, but still nobody can understand me!! We may have the poorest area here, but the people are the best!! So loving and nice!! I finally understand Victoria and so it makes it that much easier!

 

The heat! It’s way hot!! It’s has started to cool off a little, so that’s nice, I guess it gets kind of cold here so I’m looking forward to that!! It’s so hot that when I take out my water bottle out of the fridge, in 5 minutes its room temp! No joke! It’s that Hot!! But don’t worry mom! I put on my sunscreen!! Haha best thing ever!!

 

My comp, well he’s pretty close and just wants to talk to the families about social life, so I just had a comp inventory and we fixed everything!! We have our first baptism in two weeks!! family agia, and in three weeks fam villa fuerte!! So this week will be good because I’m gonna be on him!!

 

The food….ha, I had my first bad plate of food! She came out and asked us why we weren’t done already, and we told her we were talking! My comp didn’t even like it!! Ha but she left and he gave me the eye like I have to eat it all! So I did... I almost died!! Ha but I didn’t get sick!! We blessed the food! haha

 

Ha so crazy story! Real quick!! So I went on my first splits with an elder from Vegas, he is such a great guy! But I asked him if he knew Elder Kunz….He did!! Same District!! He says he was a great missionary and super obedient, just touched a wire and the stairs were right there and fell down!! So sad!! But the things you watch out here for... the wires and the cars!! The rest is great!! Ha the bigger the car, the more power to yah!!

 

Nothing really exciting this week happened, just lots of tracking and a couple people committing to baptism!! Ha there are a ton of dogs here!! More than people probably!! 

 

I went to church for the first time!! I didn’t understand much, but it was great! I love the Sacrament!! I just read out of PMG and got all of my spiritual moments! I love you guys tons! Have a great week!

 

Love Elder Facer

 

P: S The letters and package are the mission home!! So I sent letters! Hopefully you get them! I will send the address next week! I spaced bringing it this week but it sounds like you have it figure out! Love you guys!

First Area - Victoria Mexico

Elder Facer's first desk in Victoria Mexico

Working out hard!

Trainer - Elder Amado

Kitchen - Notice the bucket, they had no
 running water so had to use this for bathing

First bed in Mexico

Culture Shock - October 6th, 2014

 

Wow this week has been full of new things that I never would have thought of before. I never thought Tampico would be like this! So Monday we got here and they fed us this amazing dinner called tacos al pastor. They tricked us, or at least me they did. We got a night pack and went to sleep at this house with many beds, wow, it was dirty! Let’s just say this place is totally a third world country. Ha we can’t drink water, so it makes it hard to brush your teeth, always have cold water, just the little things you would never think of! It reminds me a lot of Peru! I think it might be a little worse though! Ha I love the people though, they are so loving even though I have no idea what they are saying.

 

So after that one night we had the next day for training! It took all the way until 2, but then we went and had lunch again at the mission home and got our comps. So what president Jordan wants to happen is for my generation to be leaders at the 4 month mark! Kinda crazy because my Spanish is struggling and it’s so hard because they speak super-fast. So what they did to make this happen was split up the zone leaders, district leaders, got all the best missionaries and made them trainers for us. So all of us got super great comps. I got "Elder Amador" he’s from vera cruz Mexico and only knows a little English. It’s a little big hard to communicate with him but I try hard so we do. Even though I try, my Spanish is terrible. ha it’s getting better though because I have to speak to him 24 7 ha the second I wake up! Ha it’s crazy how bad I’ve just wanted a normal conversation in English! I love English. Ha so a little bit more on my comp... He holds the record in the mission for most baptisms. He’s super hard working so it’s great! Ha we already have 18 baptisms! Crazy right. Ha but that’s only if they go to church so hopefully they do.

 

So the area I’m in is called Victoria! Its 4 hours away from Tampico and I’m in outside of the city! So basically we have the poorest parts. Ha we tract on dirt roads, hills, we have it all. Being in this area has really humbled me and made me realize how blessed I am at home! We really do have it amazing in the U.S. let’s also say I’ve given a mission prayer, all because I’m white! Ha one family told me to say it in English! So I did willingly! Ha everyone stares also... ha so that means I have to be "normal" all of the time! 

 

So my house. We have our things, kitchen rooms not big, but no carpet or anything! Let’s just say I miss carpet. Ha we have bugs also! Today I killed a lizard... kinda awesome but nasty at the same time. Ha I get bit by mosquitoes so often... maybe because I’m white... ha just kidding! Ha but I’m getting use to them! Ha no warm water either! I miss it! So my showers are real fast! Ha so the heat! It’s like if you put Arizona mid-summer and Florida together! So hot!! I’ve never sweat this much ever!

 

So it’s been hard being here. Hardest thing I’ve ever done! As the week has gone on I’ve realized if I try to do it on my own... it will never happen. I have to rely on the lord. As I have done that. It’s been easier. I will have to do it for the rest of my mission also! The lord is so comforting though! Since it was general conference I watched it in English! I’ve I was so excited! It was amazing!! So many great talks! My favorite line was "become good at repenting" it’s so true!! Using the atonement is so important one of the most important things! Also decisions determine destiny!

 

Mom, so the food is pretty good here, real "authentic Mexican food" ha let’s just say it’s close to Puerto Vallarta... haha but it’s probably a little better here... well it just depends. Ha I ate this chili one time and I started to die because it was so hot... so I started speaking in English and that didn’t help so people started laughing!! Ha it was rough!! Ha 

 

I love it here even though it is so third worldish! I love the Lord! He is the head of our church and is guiding us to where we should go. Remember to remember him in all things! With success but as well in the hardest times and all the way in between! I love you guys so much and I am so grateful for your prayers!! I love you!

 

Love Elder Facer

 

P.S it tells me all my words are wrong... so I’m not sure which ones really are!

Love you!

Elder Facer and Bridger Hodges

Bridger Hodges and Elder Facer at the MTC. Bridger is a neighbor from Fairway Estates.

I'm Here - September 29th, 2014

Hey!

They are letting us send a quick letter!! I love it here!! We got here safe and now the journey begins! I love you tons! Keep safe! They are also feeding us!! So great!

Love Elder Facer

Ky

Pictures are the Best!

Sam Anderson was one of Braxton's missionary companions and now is teaching at the MTC.

A sweet lady sent this home. In the Salt Lake Airport heading to Tampico.

2 Days Left - September 27th, 2014

Hola mi familia!!

2 days left! So crazy that my time is up at the MTC! It went by super fast and i still don't know any Spanish i feel like! ha its all good though! I will have to learn it when I'm in Mexico! This week has not been normal at all! Last Saturday i was getting sores in my mouth, but I thought i could just get them out with some Listerine! That didn't work out so well! They got worse! On Monday i knew i needed to go to the doctor and get the medicine i got last time to fix it! so we went in and he didn't listen to me and prescribed me with some other medicine that didn't work at all! they kept getting worse, but i tried to have faith that they would work.. but they didn't! ha i was kinda frustrated! On Tuesday, my comp got sick, and at 1:30 in the morning i gave my first priesthood blessing! Never thought i would give my first one at 1:30! ha but it did help and was a great experience! That next day we went to the doctor for him and he had bronchitis! not good but he's getting better now and almost well i want to say! ha so on Thursday we went back in for our check up and they still wouldn't listen to me! So he told me i had to go off campus and see a doctor.. but thank you so much mom! he finally listened to you. As i was checking into the doctor, they told me that they cancelled it and that i needed to go back to main campus and see the doctor again there! Once we went back he told me that we need to go pick up the prescription and i will be good! So now I'm on my rode to recovery with my mouth! it will take a little bit because they are all over, but its ok! It was hard that i couldn't talk to you mom! ha i was telling her what to say and she wouldn't say it sometimes! ha but its ok i will get to talk to you on Monday from 2 to 5 in my lay overs in Houston! ha right "Houston"?:) ha but i plan on calling Mackenzie and Darin and also Braxton and Alesha! so be ready!:) ha so you can say this week has been spent in the doctors office! My comp and I have been having fun there!  Not really! but we met a guy that went to Tampico! It was so awesome to get to talk to him! he says we will love it!:)  I got my hair cut today!! Lets just say.. I've looked better in my days!! ha thank you so much Mackenzie and mom for giving me great haircuts.. cause this lady did.. a not so good job!! 

More on the spiritual side, we got to hear from Elder Ballard on Tuesday night! It was amazing! He talked to us like we were his Grand kids! He was great! He told us how we need to cherish our missions with everything and how they don't stop once we are home! We might have all these different callings in the church and we need to be ready and willing to act once we are called! He definitely went up on my favorites list! ha we were like 3rd row also! so close!! I think we made eye contact at least 5 times!;) It was our last time teaching our investigators here at the MTC, we had an amazing last lesson! He committed to baptism finally and the spirit was super strong! i love teaching people and i cant wait till i do it in Tampico! it will probably be my comp for the first 5 weeks, but it will be ok! I will try my hardest to participate in the lessons, even if i kill it.. in a bad way! Hopefully the gift of tongues comes into play right?:) I have faith that it will! So yesterday, we had infield orientation and that's what Sam Anderson does!! it was cool to see him! he is such a nice guy! asked about the whole family!! ALL By name! kind of amazing right! ha that guy needs to get married! ha hes funny! he acts like its the ladies fault! then again hes the one teaching at the MTC!! hahah but this week has been great! ha i thought i had patience, but there's a whole new level i need to be on, and i am working to be on that level! ha my comp is the same! ha helping me out with the patience part of it so that's good and bad at the same time! ha but I've really liked the MTC and am so blessed to be serving the Lord! I love you all so much! You all are in my prayers! Have a great week!

 

Te Amo

Elder Facer

MTC Pictures

Some Elders from Kylund's District

MTC Living

Elder Facer in his room

Always fun to get a package

Love the family picture on his desk