See you in 10

Well I only have one more week left in my mission. I now know how the majority of missionaries feel where you don't want to leave but at the same time you do. For those who don't know my mission president left last week and I now have a new one!! President Esquihuas!! He's from California if I'm not mistaken and well I won't get to know him all that much sadly. This Thursday we have a conference with him and then yeah my last interview! These past two weeks have been amazing. We had a priesthood conference this last week and it was awesome. LOTS of people have recently received the Melchizedek priesthood in the stake which is awesome!! We are still working with Andres to get the Aaronic. We also had a zona activity where we cleaned the entire stake center. That was tons of fun. I also got two days of divisons! Yeah super splits I guess! Friday morning we went to Martinez and started our divisons. I was with Elder Santos. He's from the Dominican Republic. He's super funny and his Spanish is great jajajaja. Anyway we were supposed to end Saturday morning but they called us asking all missionaries to attend the priesthood conference so well I got to stay another while there in Martinez. We have found quite a few of new people the past couple weeks and I'm really enjoying my mission. I'm extremely happy where I'm at and with only one week left I'm super grateful for the time I had here. If you don't know whether to go or not, DO IT!!! It's the most amazing place you could be. Spouses and school can wait!! jajaja but the Lord's work is worth the time!! I love you all so much! I'll see you in 10!!!!!

Elder Babcock

Foto

Note from parents: Elder Babcock is so busy preparing for the end of his mission that he doesn't have time to write weekly blog posts. He did, however, find time to submit this recent picture of his sleeping quarters in San Rafael.

Tender mercies

This has been a great week! Elder Vasquez is a machine! The dude loves to work and being my last change it's amazing to have that influence. Not much to say other than we have been visiting these little towns that are like 30 to 40 minutes walking from our house in 30-38C heat. Yeah sounds awful but we have found tons of people to teach and are seeing the fruits of going out there. Something that is a true tender mercy is we found this single mother who assisted church in another town for more than a year! She wanted to get baptized but the missionaries never talked with her sooo we started talking with her and yeah she's awesome!! She has two little kids and they are SUPER crazy with lots of energy. But they made it through 3 hours of church without a breakdown so that's good HAHAHA! I really love where I'm at in my mission and I'm not quite ready to come home. 4 weeks! Gotta take them one at a time and enjoy the last little bit I have left. I love you all and miss you! You're always in my prayers and I hope you all enjoy good weather. It';s hotter than anything from Utah here. Have a great week!!!!!

Love,

Elder Babcock

New and final companion

WELLLLLL a lot has happened this past week. I'll try to recap all the most important parts. To start off, Elder Chavez went to Xalapa and my new companion is Elder Vasquez. Funny thing is he's from the same place as Elder Chavez. He's an awesome missionary and well I'm super happy he's my last companion in the mission! He's my first comp with more than 6 months! Crazy no? I have had all young companions!!! Anyway he's super great with our investigators and the members. He loves to talk and loves Coke even more HAHAHA. Daily he drinks from 1 to 2 liters of Coke I know but somehow he manages to live and not have kidney problems. Anyway! We have had some really awesome things happen this week. In the beginning of the week we had interviews and a zone conference. I  had my last interview with my mission president as a new one is coming next month. Also my last conference where I gave a small testimony to my fellow missionaries. It's finally starting to click that it's coming to an end. Here in San Rafael (or Veracruz in general) they are voting for what would be like a governor haha. It's crazy. I snagged a sweet verde backpack (pics coming soon). One day we went out to this tiny town called Gyuayabal. It's literally like 50 people. They all grow bananas. Silvia invited us to go visit a friend. It was such a great lesson. Her friend has a lot of sadness in her life and seeing her spirits lifted by the gospel was neat. She came to church with her family this week! Hopefully they can be baptized before I go! But yeah and now we played volleyball all day in the stake center and I'm WHIPPED! Never been so tired. But yeah here I am in a small ciber in San Rafael, Veracruz Mexico. 5 weeks left!!! I love you all so much and can't wait to see you all!! Have a great week!!!

Final transfer with six weeks to go

Another quick week in Veracruz and here I am in front of a crappy computer in San Rafael. This week was the last week before changes and well we knew change was coming. This week we had some really great activities planned with service and helping others in mind. One was moving a LOT of dirt for an older sister in the zone. All 16 of the missionaries came together and it was amazing what we accomplished. I will say I got really sunburned and the sun drains energy like none other here in Veracruz! HAHA we also had a fun branch activity where everyone invited a friend and we ate mole, played games and broke piñatas! I won musical chairs and my companion won some weird pin the tail on the donkey game. But it was like a chicken. Needless to say it was a great week and we have found quite a few new investigators while keeping up to date with the recent converts and the investigators we have been teaching the past couple of weeks.

For those who haven't kept track I have 6 more weeks! That's right next week I can start to count with one hand the weeks! What an amazing experience. I will be finishing my mission out here in San Rafael. I will have 6 months here when I finish! That's a long time! My companion is going to Xalapa to enjoy the cold  for a little while. Anyway I have to go as it's a little late!! I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you all! Interviews and zone conference this week so I'm looking forward to that!!

Love,

Elder Babcock

Amazing things in San Rafael

I have been soooo bad at writing a weekly email. To start the email off, this day 22 months ago I left my house!!!! Crazy right?? Only a month and a half left (7 weeks). I'm honestly sad it's coming to an end. I love my mission and I have loved every second here. I have learned so many new things and met so many amazing people. This is the last week before changes and it's left me reflecting the whole past 4 months of my mission. I feel like just yesterday I was in Xalapa and now I've got over 4 months in the small town of San Rafael. This branch is really amazing and the members are even better. Elder Chavez has been one of my favorite companions. He enjoys working and teaches me new things everyday. We had a really great visit the other day with a new investigator where Elder Chavez was able to do everything! We took turns teaching and everything went really well! I'm super happy to see how far he's come! Anyway! I gotta go! I love you all soo much!! Have a great week!! #7weeks

Elder Babcock

9 weeks left

Well another week has passed and well the mission goes on!!! Sadly not much has happened this week... Andres and Silvia are now working on their own family names to go to the temple soon!!! I'm super stoked for that.. it seems more likely than not that I stay here in San Rafael to finish off the mission.. For those who don't know I now am at the 9 weeks left mark!! 1 and a half changes left! I'm really sad it's coming to an end and maybe that's why I dislike writing on Mondays :p I just want you all to know that I'm really happy and I have LOVED my mission. It has been an amazing experience and I have learned and lived tons of new things and I wouldn't change it for ANYTHING. To anyone back home or anyone you might want to share this with.. if you are unsure about what you are going to do from 18-22... GO ON A MISSION. Whatever you have to do get it done because this is a once in a lifetime thing and its sooooo rewarding.. I have not only learned things for myself but helped many others receive the blessings that we as members totally take for granted... Our branch president's wife lost her mother this week... and well its was such a great sacrament meeting.. nobody cried and the spirit was SO strong. We all know she's okay and they will see her again... it made me think about others who may have also lost a family member recently.. do they have this same comfort and peace?? Knowing their loved one is okay? Share the gospel so that our friends and neighbors have the same blessings we have a receive everyday. (: i love you all I can't wait to see you all when I come home..

Love,

Elder Babcock