Semana 72: New Years Eve Tragedy

For all you who are reading this, this is not a joke, there are no exaggerations or anything of the sort...

It all started on New Year's Eve, my comp and I were invited to some investigator's house to eat dinner with them and watch them light off fireworks. We ate dinner and chatted for a little while. Our friend, Chemo, decided he wanted to go and buy some more fireworks. My comp, 3 others guys, and I went with him. We walked around the corner of the street and there was this little house who had a massive stockpile of fireworks. One of the rooms was filled with mortars, sparklers, and all sorts of fireworks you can possibly think of. A young man was selling them. Chemo bought 200 pesos worth of fireworks and we left. 

We walked around the corner and to Chemo's house (keep in mind that he lives about 100 yards or less away from this house that was selling fireworks). For about 15 minutes, we were innocently lighting off fireworks and having a good time when all of a sudden, we heard a bunch of extremely loud explosions and hisses. At first I thought someone was lighting off a really dope firework show. About 3 seconds after hearing that the explosions were still going off, I looked up over the trees and I saw where the lights and explosions were coming from, the house that was selling fireworks. Chemo, the rest of the family, my comp and I started sprinting towards the house. We get to the corner and we saw sparks and fire flying out of the house, we watched as their motorcycle and gas tank blew up the entire house. 

A family, who was at the store buying fireworks when it blew up, was running down the street completely mortified. The little boy had a cut across his ear and his eye. My comp and I grabbed him and took him to safety. We attended to the mom and dad who were still in shock, and asked them who they saw in the house when it blew up. They told us the boy who was selling fireworks (whom we saw 15 minutes before), his mom, and several little siblings. Neighbors started hudling around and men were hesitantly trying to think of a way to get in and rescue them but they couldn't because it smelt like gas and there was a massive tank still inside. There's no fire station or public services in this town so there was nobody that could come until almost an hour later. This entire time, we heard screeches and crying from inside the house that would only come from someone who is completely burned and in an insane amount of pain. Instinctively, I wanted to help pull these people out but nobody would let me nor the other men who were thinking the same. We went back to Chemo's house and said a prayer. As we went back out, some men went inside the house to extinguish the fire with buckets of water (because there is no running water in this town either) and check on the conditions of the people inside. The boy who sold us fireworks was dead, the mom's body was ripped into pieces and burned but somehow survived...but then died 2 days later, and the little boy is 80% burned.

Please pray for this family, it was such a real experience that put my comp and I into shock. We were able to say a lot of prayers with the people in the street with us. It was such a terrifying experience for my comp and I and the group we were with for we were the first people to get to the scene and witness the house blowing up with our very eyes. This was not how I was planning on celebrating my last New Years on the mission. 

Cesar, Elizabeth y Emir

Now onto the rest of the week...

"What I hate about this town is all of the hot girls are my cousins. That's why I am 25 and don't have a girlfriend" 

-Edward, my investigator 

Our boy Daniel got baptized!! This came out of the blue, he's been refusing to get baptized for almost a month now when all of a sudden he decided to come back to his senses and told us "yo I want to get baptized". So we did just that! He is the other son of the family we just baptized and they are still going strong! Daniel is going to get the priesthood in the next couple weeks!

Bautismo de Daniel!!

Tomorrow is transfers and I am staying in Agua Dulce for a 3rd transfer and I am so stoked. I am still a Zone Leader, but the best part is I AM GOING TO TRAIN!! I have wanted to train again for the past forever and finally my dreams came true. He is fresh from the casa so we will see what he's like. 

Apolonio "el hombre que sabe todo"

I am so excited for this new year! It doesn't even feel real that I finished my blackout year and 2022 is the year I finish the mission. Time is flying and I don't know how to make it stop. I love being a missionary. I love México. There is no other place I'd rather be. I hope everyone had a very special New Year!! See you THIS year mom!!

Elder Scown

Nacho