The Legend Of Hermano Rands

Hey what's up everyone?!?! I hope everyone had an amazing week. Puebla is as beautiful as ever, and the tacos are still epic. But I have some big news!!!

I'm getting transferred!! But the coolest thing is, I'm opening a brand new area in my mission!! And I'm getting a latino companion too. I'm super excited and my new area is called Libertad, Atlixco.

I'm really excited, but it's gonna be tough for a little bit at the start. We have to find a house, we're not going to have any friends to teach, we both don't know the area, and we are going to get a new phone with 0 contacts. But it is an awesome opportunity that I'm looking forward to starting.

Also, we are volunteering at the Ronald McDonald foundation this week!! For those of you that don't know what that is, it's like a foundation for orphans and other kids with troubles. So we started that and we are going to continue it for the Elders in Angelopolis in the times to come. The headquarters for the foundation of Ronald McDonald of Mexico is in my area which is awesome!!

This week we met the man, the myth, and the LEGEND Hermano Rands. He is an American who lives in Virginia and is here in Puebla on an international assignment for Volkswagen (Because there is a huge plant here for VW).  He has been away in the states for a while but this week he returned!! I've been hearing about this "Hermano Rands" for 11 weeks and he finally came back. He is seriously the best and we loved talking about Golf, life in Puebla, Football, and smoking meats!

This week we went over to his house and WOW. He lives in the country club for Puebla and his house is CRAZY. Like one of the nicest I've ever been in. He had a LITERAL fountain in his house!!! Like what the heck that's crazy. Anyways, two meals with him and he made, smoked ribs and pork shoulder, Mac n cheese, some of the best funeral potatoes I've ever had (and that's saying something), and some beloved cheesecake. It was truly an amazing experience and I'm glad I got to meet him before I left.

This week in District counsel we talked about Moroni and The Title Of Liberty. Alma 46:12 says,

"And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole"

Notice what he does first. He puts God first. He is going to fight and grind and work and live with God first. In district counsel, we made our own liberty title about why we're serving a mission and what we should look forward to when we need motivation.

So my question to you all is: Do you put God first in all the things that you do? Do you go to Him first when you have trials? Do you take His name upon you at all times? Do you always remember him? Are you willing to fight for him? Work with him? Submit to him? Love him? Trust him?

And so my invitation to you all is to find your liberty titles. Ponder and pray about who you would go to and work for in all things. He will give you the love and motivation that we need at times. And as you do this, he will bless you immensely.

Anyways, I love you all and I hope you all enjoy your valentine's Day tomorrow. (BTW here in Mexico they call it Day of Friendship and Love to make the people who don't have relationships feel better which is absolutely hilarious). I'll see you all in Atlixco next week!!

Pictures!!

1-5. Hermano Rands house and food!

6. Ritchie with a Machete

7. Doggo on my head

8. If you know, you know