Elder Ty Koontz: Mexico Xalapa Mission : Transfers! Baptism! Valentines Treats from Mom!

Hi Family,

I was in an interview with Presidente a couple weeks ago and he said something along the lines of "I’m going to warn you how I warn every other missionary. Watch out for pride." I thought about this and your email about "ego" for a few weeks. It bugged me and I searched for how I could try to be less prideful, and what I was doing right now to be prideful. I asked Pres. through my weekly email if he could give me any advice. He sent me a talk by Ezra Taft Benson about pride, and it was exactly what I needed. Click hear to read: Ezra Taft Benson's talk on Pride

I`m changing!! I`m heading up to Tuxpan to my new area tomorrow. We got a call from the Assistants on Saturday because my companion is going to be training. So that meant that I was going to be transferred out. The funny thing is, is he needed to be in Xalapa early this morning. So since we live in Misantla, things were a little crazy for us. Since we live so far away from our zone, and the bus station to Xalapa, we needed to sleep with our zone leaders in our zone center. I had to pack all my stuff up on Saturday morning and be ready to leave for good on Sunday after church. I said all my good byes and some tears were shed by the teenage girls... hehe... and we left for our zone last night. I’m spending my P-day with the zone leaders while I have no companion. And tomorrow morning I have a 7 hour bus ride to my new zone. Another funny thing, my next companion, is Elder Jacksons old companion. I`m hoping that Elder Jackson will still be somewhere in the zone because that would be awesome. :)

(After telling him I looked up Tuxpan on the map and researched it a bit I found out there is a McDonalds, Burger King, Walmart and Sams Club.) He said: I’ve been told by other missionaries that there is a member that lets us use her membership card at Sam’s club. Or she comes with us or something... Idk all the info.

(I asked him in a letter if there was anything he needed) When it comes down to things of necessity, I have everything I need. Do I want things? Yes. Candy, sweets, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate................ CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE.. :)

I opened my Valentine’s package a day early because that’s when we got the information about the changes. I knew I wasn’t going to have room for the package or the contents inside it for the move so I cracked into that chocolatey goodness a tad early ;)

I have eaten chicken, EVERY DAY for the past 4 months. And I know it’s all I`m going to be eating for the next 2 years. Chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken, tortillas, tortillas, tortillas, tortillas, chicken, beans, beans, chicken, tortillas, beans, vegetable, chicken and then some more chicken.

Guess what I got to do Saturday night??!! :D We had a baptism! It was pitch black and it was hard to see where to go in the river. Elder Duran has some other pictures that I`ll send next week. But even though the water was freezing, neither of us were cold :) Her name is Fani :) (Estephanie) she is the coolest and most golden convert ever. She already has 15 tabs of marked scriptures in her BoM. and she took notes during all our lessons. Blessings, commandments, what she needs to do, etc. She was awesome!!!!!! And she was really sad when she heard that I was leaving :P

Well, I'll talk to you next week. Send me more pictures! I love seeing everyone!

Love, Elder Koontz