Villa Agricola 9 - Marriage and Baptism

Villa Agricola 9 - HAPPY:  Marriage & Baptism

It was dumping rain during the baptism so we couldn`t exactly get the typical picture in front of the sign. We all ran out there and took a couple super fast best we could.

 

Words cannot describe how unbelievably happy I am. This week was one of my best in the mission so far.

First off, on Tuesday, Frank and Eliany got married. We took a taxi over to the office with Frank`s mom and it was just an awesome day; something they had been waiting for a long time to make happen. They were so happy and we went over to their house afterwards, made a papaya smoothie, and taught the last lesson with them as investigators. 

A pic from the wedding. 

 

Because on Saturday, Frank and Eliany Santana were baptized! It was a long week getting everything set up, and at one point we didn`t think it was going to happen. But God had something else in mind and with their determination and a lot of praying, it was such a great night.

The after party the ward set up for them with a cake, homemade juice, hot dogs.... it was sweet.

 

AWWW

With all the members, we decorated the chapel, cleaned up and prepared everything -- and a TON of people came. It was so awesome to see the support of their family, the members, and a ton of their friends. But the service was even more special. There was a lot of crying and the Spirit was super strong, especially during the testimony of Frank`s father Felix, who had been waiting for their baptism for such a long time.

 

For me, just to know that I got to witness and be a part of something so special touched me deeply. They had both been waiting for that night for almost 5 years of their lives. But now, they`re so happy as a family united in the Gospel, with something that will help them for the rest of their lives. 

I love the mission. It`s something so special and unique that truly does change you. It`s passing by super fast but I`m just trying to live in the moment. 

"The Coconut Cart" that always goes around in our area. Elder Maatatia and I finally tried it and it`s tastes amazing. I`m definitely gonna' start up a business with these bad boys and make bank back home in Arizona;)

I love you all and hope you have a GREAT week. Shout out to all of the seniors around Arizona that will be graduating here real soon. 

Till next week,

Elder Graff

Moroni 7:33 "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me"

PS - I know I`m not that good at writing letters but its because I have so much going on over here and really don`t know what to include. So if you want to hear about something, have questions or suggestions or anything, hit me up on email and let me know.

Love you guys 

 

A super cool river down in the poorest part of our area with a bunch of old ships.

Elder Maatatia and I taking our afternoon nap in the church because the fumigation guys came and we couldn`t go in the house for a while.

Yes, those are the little mattresses the 2 year old kids use to take a nap sometimes during activities or church hahahaha. Dont judge us.

Villa Agricola 8 - Mother's Day

Villa Agricola 8 - Mother's Day

 

I would like to start off this letter with a big shout-out to my dad who turned 42 on May 8th. Everyone make sure to wish him a happy late birthday if you forgot!

Well, yesterday was such a great day because it was the first time in 5 months I got to talk face to face, well by Skype, to my family. It was so awesome to hear about everything that`s going on back home and have that time to talk to the people that mean the most to me. I wish everyone that I love and care about back home could`ve been there and that I could`ve spent an hour with each and every one of you. But just know I`m thinking about you all and I hope you had a great week.

But this whole letter, as corny as it may seem, I want to dedicate to my mom. Yesterday being Mother`s day, I was thinking a lot obviously about my family. And sometimes as a missionary, when you start thinking about the fam you know that you`re in for a rough day. Because it`s hard sometimes with your family miles, oceans, or even countries away, to think about the experiences that have made up almost all your life and that for a small time, as a missionary, you aren`t with them. You aren`t just a phone call, or a car drive, or a plane ticket away from seeing them. And sometimes it really does get to you. And even though I had just talked to them, I honestly wasn`t sad. I was so happy for the blessing I have of great parents and how much my mom taught me before I left.

 

After the call though, Elder Maatatia and I went to a member`s house to teach her son a little more about baptism because he`s going to be baptized on the 31. And as we went into her house for the first time, I immediately noticed a huge painting, taking up the majority of the main wall in her house. It was honestly one of the most amazing and beautiful paintings I`ve ever seen. It was of a mother, in the jungle, looking off into the distance, hugging her two sons goodbye as they, from what it looked like, we`re leaving their homes to go to war. I asked her where she got it and what exactly it was and she told me it was a painting by a member of the church of the story "The 2,000 Stripling Warriors". And for those of you that don`t know it, it`s found in the Book of Mormon, in the book of Alma. There were basically 2000 young men getting ready to go to war to defend their families from some enemies that were coming to take over their lands. They had never fought before, young and unexperienced, and obviously, probably a little nervous. But in chapter 56, it says

"44 Therefore, what say ye my sons, will ye go against them into battle?

45 And know I say unto you my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

46 For as I have ever called them my sons (For they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our bretheren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

47 Now they had never fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We doubt not that our mothers knew it"

 

As inexperienced and young as they were, they were ready. They were ready to lay down their lives for their people and put their families before their own safety because of the things their mothers taught them.

 

And it`s honestly true. I`m so grateful for the role my mother plays for me in my life. Because all the curfews, the times where I didn`t exactly see eye to eye with her, all the times she bugged me about getting my Eagle Scout, about my grades, every time she reminded me about the things that were important, she helped me prepare to be here and prepare to succeed in life as a member of the church, a person, and in everything I will ever do. I love you Mom.

I hope you all take the time every day to let your mothers know how much you love them. Everything they do, even though it may not seem like it in the moment, is always the right thing to do.

 

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week.

Elder Graff 

Sorry for the no photos this week from me.

(We think this is the painting to which he is referring. We'll find the credit for it)

 

 I promise Ill try and upload a bunch next Monday. But if you want to see the painting, just look up on Google "2000 Stripling Warriors Painting" and you`ll probably be able to find it pretty easy. Its a green jungle, and a mom with two young kids with spears. I'm going to have it hanging in my house just an FYI hahaha.

 

Villa Agricola 7 - Temple Trip

Villa Agricola 7 - Temple Trip and Activity Night

 Hey everyone!!!!!

 

So this week has been super busy, but all in all it was a great week. We got to visit the temple on Friday which was such an awesome experience. In the mission, we only get to go once about every 3 months. So every time we get the blessing to go, it`s always a great day. 

Elder Maatatia and I at the temple.    "Ti Rang Tamaroa"

But it really helped Elder Maatatia and I stay focused and really animated us a lot. On Wednesday, we had a movie activity and set up the Other Side Of Heaven for everyone that came. We had over sixty people and we had to keep going to the "colmado" to buy soda and cookies because we way underestimated how many people were going to go. The members brought about 5 references there and one of them is a family with a lot of potential. So we`re really happy with the way things are going in the ward and how the members are starting to work and love the missionary work. It was a solid night and we decided to have activities every Wednesday night to try and get more and more people excited to come to the activities.

Elder Miller and I looking pretty. He`s going home in three weeks and is one of my best friends in the mission. 

 

We`ve been working with Frank and Eliany, just trying to keep them on track for their marriage and baptism. It`s coming up really fast and they`re super excited that things are finally coming together after such a long time investigating and talking with the missionaries. Their such a great family. Heriberto is now going to the church in his area with his family which is great but he`s doing well too. He is just praying for his answer and a confirmation on the importance of tithing, since in all of the other churches he`s been, the pastors use donations to buy nice houses and Mercedes - hahaha. But we had a great lesson and really helped him understand why we tithe and what it`s used for.  He really is getting close to feeling completely confident about his decision.

 

We have a lot of great people we`re teaching and I`m glad God knew more than I did when I got sent here to Villa Agricola because it really is the "Second Boca Chica" for me. I thought another area wouldn´t compare to my old one but I`ve really come to love all of the members and people in this area.

A view of "La Zurza" from the apartment of one of the less active families we`ve been visiting. 

I`m loving the mission. I can`t believe how fast it`s going. Big shout out to Steele McBride for finishing his mission and to my cousin Michael Graff for his last month in Mexico. Lots of people I knew are coming back and it`s crazy to look back and see how far I`ve come. I know I`ll be in their shoes before I know it so I`m just trying to enjoy the little moments along the way.

Love you all. Stay safe and have a great week.

Elder Graff

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 

   17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 

   18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

AZ GOLDEN BOYS

 

"I know it`s only the temple sign --I just like the flowers, ok?"