Elder Mike Payne: Week 34 - April 1, 2013

What a difference in this holiday!! It is crazy here on Easter!

Okay so here's why it is so crazy here...So Friday was the day Christ died for us. So the Mexican Catholics have a tradition around here. As their Easter tradition, they re-enact the crucifixion of Christ. On Friday morning, elder Castro and I were walking to a lesson and in the middle of the street was a huge group of people walking towards us. Leading the group was a guy dressed as Christ and 2 guys dressed as the Jews of that time. The guy dressed like Christ had a white towel around his waist with a thorn crown on his head. He was walking down the street with a huge cross on his shoulders. A couple people were behind him helping him out. The two guys dressed as Jews then proceeded to dip their towels in a bucket of red paint and whip the cross (representing the whipping of Christ-except they hit the cross instead of his back). This group consisted of about 250 people! They were all chanting and singing, it was a little depressing!!

Then Elder Castro and I went to eat at a members house and we were telling her of the event that just occured. She then proceeded to tell us that they were walking him to the front of their huge catholic church to be crucified!!!! They literally put this guy up on the cross all day...with nails in his hands and feet!!!!!! What is wrong with these people??!! People could go and kneel down in front of him and pray. Last year they said the guy who volunteered died! I don´t understand it!

And then they decided to cut off ALL water on Friday. Since in the scriptures water represents life, they decided to cut off all the water here!! Then on Saturday they have a tradition where everyone goes into the street and has a water fight!! Definitely an Easter I won't soon forget!

Yesterday we had a ward baptism, the mom went all out!! Tons of their family is from Tiajuana and they drove 36 hours to get here! There was probably about 30 of them. They all came dressed in purple! It seemed more like a quinceñera! We had a few investigators at church and I think it scared a couple people away. She had elder Castro and I direct the baptism, she had SIX talks on the program!

I hope you all had a good week and that everything went well for you all!!

Elder Mike Payne