2-8-2014. WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPEN HEART

"YUM!"   2/4/2014.

"Some really good seafood they gave us in Campeche.  They taught us how to eat everything in the crab.  I will have to teach you someday how to do it haha because there is a lot more to crab than just the legs...."   2/4/2014.

"Pretty Sunset in Campeche." 2-4-2014.

"It says throwing trash is prohibited."  2-6-2014.

"Putting up the new changes board in the offices because the old one was too small."  2/6/2014.

Elder Coffman and Elder Robison.  2/1/2014

"Elder Coffman - just being.....himself"  2/3/2014.

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: Hola' Greetings from YOUR FAMILY - WE LOVE YOU!!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>

Hola.  Well this week flew by.  We did divisions in Campeche.  It was my first time out there and there are a lot of hills.  It was weird to see it.  It kinda looks like Cedar City actually.  It’s next to the ocean but I didn’t see the ocean...maybe someday I'll see it haha.  Well it was a lot of traveling but it was nice because on the bus we could catch up on some lost hours of sleep haha. The only hard part was that they play movies on the bus and we shouldn’t watch them so I just listened to some talks I have on my phone while I tried to sleep haha it worked out good.  Well after that, we got rained on pretty bad haha it was one of the worse rain storms I have seen.  One of those where in 4 seconds you are soaked. It was crazy.  We had the laptop with us too but we ended up leaving it in the house because we were scared it would get wet.  So we walked about a mile in the rain. we got so wet and some members let us in but then we had to go back out and the next time around we were not so lucky. the people we tried to visit were busy or leaving so we couldn’t get in but at least they told us not to get sick haha well that was on Thursday and on Friday we did divisions again and when we finished, we got locked out of our house because my comp usually carries the keys so I forgot this time. we can usually climb on our roof and then scale down the back of our 2 story house but the back door was locked this time so we couldn't get in.  It was funny though because while I was climbing down the back wall of our house, the dogs next door started barking and a little girl came out to tell them to stop and she saw me on the wall and got way scared but I just said no temas! soy yo hehe it was pretty funny but yeah we ended up getting into the house of some other elders like at midnight and slept in our pros clothes haha good night. well and other thing that happened is we did service.  I am so weak now haha we were just breaking cement and tile with some metal bars and hammers like what we did in the old house and I was dead.  Like he had a little sledge hammer and after I couldn’t grip it down toward the end of the hammer I had to hold it next to the head.  All I could think of is that I am so weak.  My body was trembling after.  It was nice though because I felt good being so tired and after my body was sore. but  I got some work to do haha well luckily my hands didn’t get cut up too bad with blisters because I was sweating a lot so that protected my hands because it kept them wet. My comps hands got blisters on them well that is about all that happened this week.  Pretty uneventful.  Oh yeah yesterday we had a pretty interesting lession.  We showed the talk by President Uchtdorf called come, join with us or something like that and this less active lady loved it. said it was just what she needed to hear. but the other people who were hueso colorado catolicos did not like it at all.  It was just really interesting to me how different the 2 reactions were to that it reminds me of what Nephi said to his brothers: the wicked find the truth hard because it striketh them to the very center or something like that.  It is in Nephi 16.   You should read it.  It reminds me that we need to have an open heart.  In Alma 12 it says that those who are not receptive will not receive the message and if they keep acting like that, even what they have will be taken from them.  Everyone knows the scripture John 3:16 but not a lot know what it says after that.  It says 18 ¶He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that^abelieveth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the ^bname of the only begotten ^cSon of God.

 19 And this is the condemnation, that ^alight is come into the world, and men loved ^bdarkness rather than light, because their ^cdeeds were evil.

 20 For every one that doeth ^aevil ^bhateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

 21 But he that ^adoeth ^btruth cometh to the ^clight, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

it is some really interesting teachings here.  remember that our attitude is so important. if we always have a soft heart and are seeking light, nothing will offend us and we will take constructive criticism as it should be taken.  Nothing can offend us.  We are the ones that let ourselves get offended.  Well that’s all I have to say except for one more thing.

Happy bday mother. I know it is tomorrow but I will say it to you early.  I love you. You are a great example to me of how to be merciful.  I am so grateful for you.  I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.  You are the best mother. And I hope you know I love you and I can’t wait to see you again.  Have a great day and remember that I´ll be loving you always.  When the skies are blue, or any other color too, I´ll be loving you.......... (baby voice) always.

love you lots

elder coffman

2/1/2014. WHAT WE THINK OF OTHERS CAN MEAN EVERYTHING FOR US.

"Elder Robinson, Elder Villalobos (70 de area) and President de mision y su esposa.  Elder Villabos is a really good Elder.  He is really powerful.  He did a capacitacion here in Merida for all the leaders of the church and we were invited.  I learned a lot.  Hopefully I'll be able to apply it when I have leadership positions in the church later on."  1/25/2014.

"Cool archway in Calkani.  I was on divisions with Elder Zambrano.  He is from Honduras.  He's a really good Elder."  1/29/2014.

"Zona ticul.  We went to a training there."  1/31/2014.

"IDK how someone got these pictures of Elder Robinson and I, but I guess the news is out now...instead of going to bed on time...we sneak out and fight crime!"  1/20/2014.

"The Training I did for revelation."  1/28/2014.

"The Training I did for revelation."  1/28/2014.

Hunting Iguanas.  1/29/2014.

Hunting Iguanas.  1/29/2014.

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Coffman <david.coffman@myldsmail.net>
Date: Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: Hola' Greetings from your family We Love You!!!!
To: Janel Coffman <janelscoffman@gmail.com>

Hi.  Well first of all I got the card from you guys in the well this week went by super fast. I spent most of the week out of the area in divisions and in training but I learned a lot. Its amazing how different the pueblos are to were we live. because we live in a pretty nice part of Merida. but some of the pueblos are very different. like no paved roads, dirty living conditions and people who only speak Maya. its been a while since i have been out in a pueblo but I sure did like it. Its just a different way of living.  I learned something too.  A really important lesson.  When we were in divisions we were going to this lady's house to eat and when i saw her house I was just thinking oh great....she lives in a shack.....so we passed by her gate past a bunch of skinny little chickens and then I saw the hermana. right when I saw her I felt bad for what I had thought and asked for forgiveness.  This hermana is one of the sweetest and most faithful members I have met.  The first thing she told us was that she had just finished reading her Book of Mormon and read about the 2000 warriors and said she was thinking of us because she loves the missionaries so much and even though she doesn't have a lot to give, she always does (there's some widows mite for ya) she then told us how she was always doing her visits even though no one else does it and even though the people she visits still haven't been to church for a long time she said she was never going to give up on them. I was thinking even though she doesn't know what I thought I still feel bad for even thinking what I was thinking. So maybe what others think of us is not important, but what we think of others can mean everything for us.  As it says in Alma 5:27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves ^ablameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently ^bhumble? That your garments have been ^ccleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to ^dredeem his people from their sins?

 28 Behold, are ye stripped of ^apride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

 29 Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of^aenvy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare ^bquickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

 30 And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a ^amock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?

 31 Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the ^atime is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

 32 Yea, even wo unto all ye ^aworkers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

 33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto ^aall men, for the ^barms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

 34 Yea, he saith: ^aCome unto me and ye shall partake of the ^bfruitof the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the ^cbread and the waters of life ^dfreely;  i really love that chapter and would have put the whole thing on the email. but you guys should read it.  Well I remembered that the point of us going to eat with the members is not to fill our bellies. it is to strengthen them and she was the one strengthening me.  We should never judge.  We need to think the best of everyone.  I am far from perfect, but everyday I learn a little more and I hope that tomorrow I will be better than what I am today. 

Well after that we had some good times hunting iguanas.  I sent the pics but I actually had one in my hand and everything but it wiggled out haha. so after I got back from doing divisions, we had to stay up until 3 in the morning working on some stuff for the mission. I was sooooooo tired the next morning but it was alright because then we had to go to a place called ticul to go to a consejo de zona. it was good because we got to sleep on the convy on our way down.  well that is about all that has happened this week.  but i love you guys lots.

Elder Coffman

Feb. 1, 2014

Forward From: Richard N. Smith

To:  Carolyn, me

From: David Coffman [mailto:david.coffman@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 11:14 AM
To: Richard N. Smith
Subject: Re: Missionary evening

Wow that is awesome!  That sister sounds like a really faithful one.  I can’t wait to go to the temple again with you grandpa.  I am really excited for that.  How is grandma's health doing? i am doing really good and i like what you said about our efforts.  I have seen it many times where people I taught got baptized 1 or 2 transfers after I left the area.  It is a really good feeling to know that.   I hope all is well in btown.   Love you guys a lot.

Elder Coffman