Tijuana Temple

Outside of the Tijuana Temple 

Dear All,

Another week. This week felt like it lasted FOREVER. Like I really have no idea what I wrote last week. I know it's right there and I can just read it but eh flojera.

This week was pretty chill. We started Operation: TJ giving away as many cards as we could. I went on exchanges with one of our District Leaders and we gave away 450 in two hours. So that was pretty dope. Also we had a lesson that day with a man who was an expert in using swear words. And without asking he began to teach me some. You learn something new every day haha.

So last Monday we decided to start work early. We took a couple of hours in the morning to go look for Less Active members and stuff cause we have a list of about 500 names and that's just from Relief Society. So yeah. There we are, walking down the street, we weren't finding anyone, and all of the sudden we see a little alleyway that we hadn't gone into before. We go through, and come out close to some other investigator's house. Right in front of us was a little apartment complex. We felt like we needed to go in, so we checked for dogs, and, finding none, went in. We knocked the first door where it seemed like a person might be home, and as we knocked, a man came out from the next door. We contact him. He tells us that he came here to Tijuana from Monterrey to "get away from it all". We keep talking. He tell us that his wife died 10 months ago and he's been thinking about how to kill himself for a week now. He goes on to say that he had been praying in that moment for God to send him someone that would help him. BOOM. Holy cow. I love the Lord so much. I am so glad to be part of this great work. There is no doubt in my mind that I am His servant, one of many here on this Earth. It wasn't coincidence that we went into that alley, that day, at that exact hour. He hears our prayers, and he answers them. There is nothing He can't do. This is His church, His work, we are His children.

So that was a great way to start the week. We saw several other miracles, and a few really funny things. One of which I'm not sure if I dare share it but what the heck I alreay led you on too much here it goes.

So. We go to visit an investigator. She's supposed to be getting baptized soon, but I still didn't know her because every time we had an appointment with her we went on exchanges. So my companion told me to pay close attention to the Spirit when we went to her house because he had been feeling like there was something off there.

So we get to the house, and we go in, and she sits on one couch, and on the other are two people sitting down. At first glance, it was a youngish man, like 30ish, with his girlfiend. The young man was drunk. We come in and shake their hands, and all is normal. The drunk tells us he wants to be a Mormon, so that was cool but remembered that we don't drink and decides not to. THEN IT HAPPENED. Up to that point the "girlfriend" hadn't said a word. Then it spoke. IT WAS NOT A GIRLFRIEND. I was left speechless. WHAT THE HECK. This freaking world is so messed up. Like dang. I think maybe I should have put that spiritual experience at the end. 

While we were in the lesson with the girl/boyfriend, apparently the Naval base in San Diego shot up an experimental missile and I kid you not this whole freaking city thought it was the second coming. We didn't see it, but from what we heard it looked like a giant firework that went up way higher than a firework should, and then exploded really big. And the explosion just stayed there for a while, like a giant bright light in the sky. It was nuts apparently. 

BUT the best part of this week came at approximately 1:30 pm on Sunday. We were heading out of the church, when we get a call from the APs. My companion answered, and they start talking and he goes "No! En serio?! Es verdad?!"

Background: Starting last Saturday, special VIP tours of the temple have been happening, like the ArchBishop of Tijuana and all the government and stuff, accompanied by the Area Presidency of Mexico.

Back to the story: Turns out the Area Presidency decided that the people giving tours needed more practice or something, and so they decided to invite all the missionaries, with their investigators, to have a special tour of the temple. WHAAAT. So yeah. We went. We took investigators. They're getting baptized.

But guys. Let me just tell you. The temples that I have been to so far rank in this order of beauty (personally): 1.San Diego 2. Manti 3: Atlanta 4: Provo. Tijuana blew them all away. This temple is AMAZING. It is not big, it's smaller than it looks, but the details and the finished and the woodwork and everything. Holy cow. It's amazing. I might be biased but whatever. And we went at night. The temple at night is stunning. There just aren't words to describe it. It's amazing. Wonderful. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. I am so excited!! This open house is going to be incredible for this city and for missionary work. People are going to alreay know exaclty what the end goal of all this is: exaltation. It isn't about baptisms, it isn't about numbers, its about making eternal families. Its about helping people get home with their Heavenly Father. 

This church is so true.

Los quiero mucho,

Elder Rawlings

Another view of the Tijuana Temple