Mason's Letter -- June 13, 2011

Hey familia,

Sorry this email is way late. We have been really busy this week working on divisions. When we were with Elder Clarke he chopped us up pretty bad for working in the branch here in San Pedro. He said we need to be doing more divisions. So we have taken that to heart and done a ton of divisions. We do them every day with an area, and as much as possible with the zone leaders.

So last Sunday was fast Sunday. It's hard to fast in our situation, because on Sundays we just stay in the branch and work all day (seeing as now that's the only day we can work there) and it's far from our house, so that makes it hard to eat. So we
On Tuesday I went on divisions with that one elder that we had problems with awhile ago. Well i went with him, to see how he was doing. We decided this last change to make him senior companion to reward him for getting a little bit better and to give him a second chance in the mission. Well I went with him and it went really well. He put in practice everything that we and the zone leaders had taught in the zone meeting earlier in the morning. I felt really positive with him and really tried to be his friend. He was teaching well and I was just trying to encourage him and lift him up basically. At the end of the day, he said "wow I wish I had done stuff like this my whole mission." And he was really impressed by how much fun and success you can have when you are obedient. I'm glad he has changed his mission around.

On Wednesday we had the leadership training meetings. Those went good like always, I've been teaching them ever since the First Presidency came out with them so I feel really comfortable with all that stuff. that night we went over to the big families house that we baptized with the secretaries awhile ago. well they have had some struggles (like all new converts). The ones that have been reading the Book of Mormon are way strong still. But all went to church, and looked a lot happier and invited us over for a family home evening tonight. So that's good news.

On Thursday we went to Villanueva to do the zone meeting and talk to the zone about what Elder Clarke had taught us. Then right after we took off to Ceiba. We were there from Thursday night until Sunday night. It was the stake conference, and we wanted to do a zone meeting and divisions. So we did the zone meeting, and went with the zone leaders, they didn't have anyone in their area really, so they needed some help. So we worked super hard those couple of days and we found a ton of people. We felt really grateful because God guided us to all of those people. Elder Jones and I found so many cool people one day, and a family that we contacted went to the conference on Sunday and they loved it and want to be baptized. It was cool. In total, we found 30 new investigators, taught over 50 lessons and did 176 street contacts in those 3 days. haha It was really successful. We also had time to go to a few other areas that were struggling and we did divisions with them too. in Ceiba I did see a few converts and Jackie leaves at the end of this month for Guatemala! Here picture is already up on the board for the current missionaries. So cool.

This morning we got up early to head out to Colon to do the zone meeting there as well. They are far away so we don't get to pass by with them much. I think next week we are going to take a bus out there and work for a few days. We did the meeting and headed back to SPS. We just barely got back.

So it has been a pretty busy week but has been really great as well. Anyways I hope you all had a great week. Sorry again I couldn't write you on Saturday. Oh and mom, Elder Sylvester and Hofstrand were with us because sylvester went home a few weeks earlier to study or something, so we had a dinner for them in the mission home. oh and also i went this week and I ordered a bunch of sweet stuff from a souvenir shop that's owned by some members, so I got some great discounts and with the extra money I am buying a bunch of cool stuff for the whole family.

love Elder Mason Cardon