12/16/2013. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

Baptism of Carlos.  We will baptize his kids and wife pretty soon as well.  The guy next to Elder Jaussi is his brother.  He is our ward mission leader and is one of the best ones in all of Merida.   12/15/2013.  Elder Coffman & Elder Jaussi.  Caucel, Mexico.

"Another picture of the baptism."   12/15/2013.  Elder Coffman & Elder Jaussi.  Caucel, Mexico.

 

 

 

 

"The pictures of the Elders from 3 Zones.  It was Sister Garcias grandsons birthday so we all said happy birthday."  12/13/2013.  Caucel, MX.

"My friends from under the sea."  12/11/2013.  Caucel, MX

"Talking to a goat."  9/17/2013.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: 12/16/2013. Hola' Greetings from your family - We Love You!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>

buenos dias my family.  That is some really good news about Rylees farewell.  Where is he going?  I am really proud of him. and that’s pretty sweet that you talked to JP as well.  I still can’t believe that he is home now. I’ll have to try and talk to him a little haha.  None of the pics came through so you’ll have to send them again because I want to see them. I’m still not sure on the time for skype but it will probably be around 5 or 6 our time. or 4 or 5 Utah time. 

Well as far as highlights of my week, things are going good. We baptized someone who just came here from df and they are a lot different there then they are here. we have kinda come up with the idea that people here in the Yucatan are like the Mexican equivalents of rednecks or hicks in the United States.  They are all really good people but some of the things they do and their way of thinking and learning are a little different than the rest of the country.   But I have really grown to love them. It’s funny because there are a lot of funny things they do and say but it is something that I am really gonna miss when I get done with the mission. 

Well anyways, the guy who we baptized has family in Mexico that will be coming here to live on the 20th so we should be able to baptize them as well.  Like I said before, I think the key to having success as a missionary is to focus on the families.  The converts are so much stronger when that happens, that makes me think of an example of one of Jesus’ parables, its the one about the seeds that fall in different ground.  It is found in Matt 13.  Well I kinda thought of a different example. We could say that a seed falls in a patch of grass, but good grass, such as Kentucky blue grass.  Well the grass is not something that will take all the soil and nutrients like the weeds because its roots are not too deep. instead, it makes the other plants harder to pull out because it keeps the soil intact. so you could say that a seed that falls where other good plants are will, when it starts to grow, be harder to pull out.  I know from experience because I was chopeanado in front of our house and the weeds in the grass were harder to pull out or take out with the coa than the rest. so we need to be the good plants for the other members of the church, act as a system of support for everyone else so that they can keep being active in the church.  So try and be friendly and worry about everyone else.  If someone doesn’t go to church one week visit them. and if you know of someone who hasn’t been for a long time, just be their friend and they will feel the love of God through you.  Well I am happy out here and I am glad that I have the Gospel in my life.  It is the best remedy for any problem in life.

oh and I was gonna send a letter for Christmas, but I think it will get there late because the secretaries didn’t send it so we have to send it today.  Well when you get it, I hope you like it.

Well I think that’s all I have to say this week, but I probably won’t be able to write for too long next week because we are having a Christmas activity next Monday as a mission.   So Merry Christmas and I love you guys a lot

elder coffman

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Time of phone call
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>, Scott Coffman <scottcoffman84010@gmail.com>

you guys need to tell me asap what the password will be. or we wont be able to skype tell me a number we can call if skype doesnt work and make sure you are always checking your email on Christmas and on the 23 because I might need to send something quick to get info or to say stuff about skyping. it wont be around 2. it wlll have to be later becase they dont let us leave the house until like 4 in the afternoon which is 3 utah time. please get me that info or we wont be able to skype.

12-9-2013. ARE WE REALLY CONVERTED?

"Baptism we had.  Their dad is next!!"  Elder Coffman and Elder Jaussi.  Caucel, MX Mission.  12-7-2013.

"Baptisms"  Caucel, MX Mission.  12-7-2013

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 3:56 PM
Subject:
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>, Scott Coffman <scottcoffman84010@gmail.com>

Hola familia. well this week was really good. we had 4 baptisms. a lady and her 3 kids got baptized. i will send a picture.  they are awesome. she showed a lot of courage because her family told her that they are not going to talk with her for a long time maybe even forever if she gets baptized and she said thats fine with me because i know what we are doing is true. it was great. she is truly converted. hopefuly she can keep going. we are really close to opening up a house of prayer here in villas de oriente. it will be great. i am so glad i am here in my area. the ward is doing really well. 

as far as other updates go, this week was actually really good. we found a lot of new people which has always been a hard part for me but we found 11 people. it was great. i really think they will be baptized. its really cool because here in this ward, we have tried to find a lot of families. this gospel blesses families. the family that we baptized well all of them except their dad, have made great changes and even though the dad did not get baptized, he is making great changes. he stopped smoking and we are going to try and have a family night so that we can help him to get baptized. 

i am really excited to call you guys. it will be on Christmas day we will try and do it in that time frame. i will tell you what time, but you need to set up a skype account for me and have a emergency phone number we can call and also be alert for emails i might send if we have communication problems. i cant wait for it.

well another funny thing that happened is i talked with and American for the first time in a while. it was weird they are definitely different than latinas. well i guess other than that this week was pretty good. nada mas i am happy to be here.

Today I was reading in my Book of Mormon and I felt impressed to tell you guys about the people of Ammon.  Before they were called the anti Nephi Lehitas.  I am going to talk to you guys about being converted.  You can base your conversion on how you would act if you were in the same situation as they are and if you produce the same signs of conversion as they were.  first of all they were converted because they understood the Creation, the Fall of Adam, and the Atonement.   Do we understand these essential doctrines?  Are we converted?

(Alma 18 and 22) 

Are we willing to give all we have for the gospel, or just half?.  Are we converted?

Other signs of their conversions are found in the following scriptures ( Alma 20:13 and the difference of the king in Alma 22:15, 

What they did in Alma 24:17-19, 24 Alma 27 vs 23-29  Alma 26 vs. 32, this was a sign of their repentance.  Have we burried our sins very deeply in the earth?  or do we come back to them every once in a while?  Are we converted

These people feared the sin more than a very painful death as it explains in all of Alma 24. also in Helaman 15:9 or rather vs. 4-10 and it is another sign of there conversion. pay attention to the way they were working. do we work like that? are we truly converted?

Look at the way they feared sin.  Alma 24 vs. 13, Alma 27 vs. 23, Alma 28 vs. 29. do we fear sin more than death or severe pain? at what point would we give in? are we really converted?

Also they taught their children very well as in Alma 56 vs 45-47 and Alma 57 vs. 21-27.  Do we teach our children like they did? Are we converted? 

Do we trust in the Lord and in his servants like this people did as shown in Alma 27 vs. 5-8. they didn’t know what they were going to do or how the people were going to react and they were still willing to follow the Lord. are we converted?

Do we preach like they did in Helaman 15 vs 6? do we preach by example like they did in Alma 24 vs 23-26. pay attention to the affect it had on their enemies. 

Now for the blessings. they went to rest with God as they died Alma 24 vs 22and 26, thier children were protected Alma 57 vs. 25 Alma 26 vs. 56, they were blessed in other ways Alma 27 vs. 22-23 and Hel. 15 vs 4 and 10. and see how their children were affected by their conversion Alma 56 vs. 45-47 y Alma 57 vs 21-27. they had a great conversion and i know we wont be able to answer yes to all of these questions at once, but i pray that we can try to be converted a little more every day so that we can all see each other another time in the heavens

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "David Coffman" <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Dec 9, 2013 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: song
To: "Scott Coffman" <scottcoffman84010@gmail.com>
Cc:

also maybe you can get mother to send me some pictures of my ancestors of all the ancestors up to 4 generations for me. we have to do some stuff with that for family history. if you could get that by next time that would be great. also i sent a card. hopefully it gets there before christmas.

2013/12/9 David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>

can you send more as well. like some more of the ones you sent me like hymns that mormon choir sings and some more songs like that they have more contemporary singers

12/2/2013. IT'S GOOD TO KEEP READING GENERAL CONFERENCE TALKS

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: 12/1/2013. Hola' Greetings from your family! We Love You!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>

hahah i like the pics you sent. well this week was good.  I’m glad you guys had a good Thanksgiving. Thats a bummer about the Raiders and i am glad i didnt have to hear mothers victory laugh haahha but our Thanksgiving was just a normal day except we played football again. we did it a couple of times this week and it was really good. i was going to buy some big burritos for dinner but everyone kept buying us pan dulce in the street because they always buy it when it is "cold" here. hah yeah it has been cold here for the natives. its funny to see them in coats and scarves and with gloves and all that. they always think we are crazy when we are just walking around in our normal clothes. especially in the morning when we go out to play we are in shorts and tee shirt and everyone must think we are crazy especially because we are playing football instead of futbol haha but yeah so no thanksgiving dinner but i took a moment to think of how you guys were and how the dinner was. i am glad you could go down with the Drews and Bowns as well.

well this week we had another big noche de hogar. they work out really well. i think you guys should try and invite people to your family nights you have. and also there are a lot of really cool videos the church has on lds.org. or at least i think they are cool because i dont see any other movies haha. its kinda like missionary goggles where you start thinking every girl is super cute haha so you start thinking every movie the church makes is way cool and funny as well and really they are just normal. 

the week went well and it was weird because every one of our investigators was going well for their baptisms and then all on the same day they started having problems.  fortunately, we were able to fix the problems but its a testimony builder that satan is real. he is trying just as hard as God is. he never sleeps and his goal is to ruin our lives. read and pray always. in Matt i think or maybe Luke, when Jesus is in Gethsemane, he says velad and pray, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. or something like that. so always remember to read the word of God.  Recently we have been listing to talks from old general conferences. i would highly suggest it.  there are so many good messages we have had in the last 30 years and its a lot more valuable than the music we listen to in the car. you should listen to one by Elder Holland called  safety for the soul. but you have to listen to it. his voice is so powerful.  i love it.  and one by Ezra Taft Benson called the Book of Mormon a Keystone to Our Religion.  There are so many good ones.  just look on lds.org and you can listen to them and download them well i guess you know how to do that but yeah do it. They are really good and the current prophets words are more important than what was said anciently.

well i love you guys a lot and thanks for the music and everything. i am still looking for the package and I’ll open it on Christmas......maybe hahahahaha adios

11/26/2013. ATTITUDE IS SO IMPORTANT.

 

Standard of Liberty we made. Coa is a Myan word for _______ .  11-8-2013  Caucel, MX Mission.

"We played football.  First time for most of them but they played pretty well.  It was a practice fo a turkey bowl we are gonna do this week.  haha"    11/21/2013.  Elder Jaussie, Elder Coffman & others.  Caucel, MX Mission.

"Me and my son at a Zone Conference."  11-22-2013.  Elder Coffman & Elder Peterson.  Caucel, MX Mission.

Coffman, President & Sister Garcia, Elder "Picture of our ward mission leader and the Mission President and his wife.  The 2 sister missionaries are in our ward as well.  11-22-20-13  Elder Jaussie.  Caucel, MX.

"This is a great lady that we teach and I couldn't help doing that in the picture.  Photo bombing is a new hobby of mine."  11-22-2013.  Elder Coffman, a lady, President and Sister Garcia.  Caucel, MX Mission.

"Giant Noche De Hogar.  We had 52 people there and it was really great!  I love the ward I am in.  We are trying to start a rama or branch where we live and when we do it we will have even more people!!  11-22-2013.  Caucel, MX Mission.

"Super cool investigator from d.f. he came ready to hear our lessons."  Elder Jaussie & Elder Coffman. Caucel, MX.  11-22-2013.

"Dinner from a really popular resturante se llama trompos.  The burritos were super good!"   11/22/2013.  Elder Coffman & Elder Jaussi.  Caucel, MX Mission.

"B-Day present from Sister Garcia por B-Day August through November."  11-22-2013.  Caucel, MX Mission.

  

"Coffee we took from an investigator.  Everyone calls me Elder Coffey so I held it next to my name tag.  It's kinda like a trophy.  11-23-2013.  Caucel, MX.

 

"Cool sunset.  I have never seen clouds so big before but they always amaze me here in Yucatan.  I don't think they get that big in Utah."   11-24-2013.  Caucel, MX.

Subject: Re: 11/25/13. Hola' Greetings from your family - We LOVE You!!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>, Scott Coffman <scottcoffman84010@gmail.com>

hola familia. well this week was the last week of the change and I thought I would stay in my area and I did. I am glad because Elder Jaussi and I get along great and we are teaching a lot of awesome people right now.  I love this ward I am in. we have developed some great relationships with the people here and helped a lot to come unto Christ. well I guess the most important thing that happened this week was the bid noche de hogar that we did.  We invited a lot of people and a lot of them felt the spirit.  One of my favorite things to see or hear is when someone gives there very first testimony.  I love it when it happens.  I imagine it’s how a parent feels when he or she sees their son or daughter give their testimony for the first time as well. I love bearing my testimony and one of the things that I love doing is changing the tone of voice and how strong you talk.  They are really powerful tools.  I noticed its what the apostles and prophets do a lot. the most important thing behind a testimony however is the conviction.  That’s when the Holy Ghost backs up what you say.  To have that happen, you have to live what you teach.  Walk the talk.  That is the most important thing. Christ always condemned the hypocrites and even though we all are hypocrites to some extent, we all need to live what we teach or live what we say we live. We are all members of the only true church and we all need to show the world that we are different.

Well as far as anything else that was cool that happened this week, it was pretty normal.  We have some great investigators right now and I am glad I was able to stay in this area.  I guess I’ll be wishing you a happy Thanksgiving.   An investigator is gonna give us some half meter burritos tonight for Thanksgiving so well see how that goes.  I am glad you guys can go down to Cedar City.  Say hi to all the primos for me. and eat a lot of extra food as well.  I guess I am most thankful for the Gospel and my family so thanks for all you guys have done.  Remember the hand of God in all things. be thankful for all that you receive and also for all that you don’t receive because if we are in tune with the spirit and if we have a good attitude, we can find the best in every situation. thats something I have learned out here. 

Attitude is so important. could you guys send me a poem that is called attitude? it starts out as I believe the most important decision that we make on a day to day basis.  It’s really good and I would appreciate it if you could send it out to me. thanks. Well I love you guys a lot and have a great Thanksgiving.  I wish I could be there but then again I am so happy out here that I let yall enjoy it without me.  I am happy and I am doing the most important thing and I invite you guys to do it too.  Preach the Gospel.  Do the work of salvation. God is hastening his work and he is counting on us to help him.

 Love Elder Coffman

Mother  I love that story about the scripture power.  Yesterday  I told the members that I could sing the articles of faith but not say them haha because we would always sing them. thats awesome about the blessing of Brock . and I won’t open up the package.  Thanks a lot and tell Anne thanks as well.

Michelle thats awesome about your CNA.   Are you doing it at South Davis?   If so say hi to the people there for me. well I love ya lots adios.

Daddy thanks for writing even though you were busy. and yeah they will be rubber soles this time. well eat some extra turkey   bwhahahaha adios

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Nov 25, 2013 at 11:07 AM
Subject: Re: Fitness Tip ;-)
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>

oh and do you think you could send me some Christmas music. You’ll have to send them one by one but just stuff that sings about Jesus.  Some of daddy's firestone would be great like the Shepards.   Also the really pretty one that sings about Maria that daddy has if you don't know which one ask him  I think he would know. but thanks. i am pretty sure you can email them but they have to be small size so if you have to lower the quality it is fine but try and send them one by one. it would be nice if you could have it by next week. gracias.