BRIEF HISTORY
The México México City Chalco Mission (Misión México Ciudad de México) was
created out of the México México City Southeast and México México city South Missions on July 1, 2013. The new mission consisted of 6 Stakes;
namely Meyehaulco, Ixtaplauca, Solidaridad, Chalco, Amecameca and Tecalco Stakes.
President
and Sister Morales of theMMC Southeast Mission and President and Sister Valadez of the MMC South
Mission spent hours and hours of their time in preparing for the creation of the new mission
and sustained the creation of the MMC Chalco Mission by assigning to it some of their most faithful, diligent missionaries. The mission received a
huge early blessing when Elder Alfredo C. Miron of the Seventy was assigned to assist in the missions efforts. President and Sister Morales and President and Sister Valadez greeted President Jerald D. and Sister Janna P.Crickmore,of Cardiff-by-the-Sea,California, at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City on July 1, 2013, together with newly assigned Assistants to President
Crickmore,
one from each mission, namely Elder Peter G. West(Southeast) and Elder Dallin C. Milner (South). The Morales
generouslydrove President and Sister Crickmore to the new mission home located outside
the mission in Lomas de Cocoyoc, in the State of Morelos, a distance of two hours from the airport.
President
and Sister Crickmore spent July, 2013, traveling the mission to meet the 113 missionaries assigned
to the new mission, including 8 sister missionaries, and then President Crickmore
interviewed each missionary. July, 2013 also saw the mission's first Leadership Council in which President and Sister Crickmore, the
Assistants tothe President, the Zone Leaders of the 5 existing zones
(Meyehualco,Ixtapaluca, Solidaridad, Chalco y Volcanes) and 2 Sister Leaders participated.
In
August, 2013, in a Mission President's Seminar in Mexico City, the Area Presidency invited each
new mission to consider requiring up to 5 Sundays attendance by investigators
before baptism, an increase from the 2 Sundays attendance then required. The MMC Chalco Mission accepted the invitation and subsequently held a
mission wide special conference in the Chalco Stake Center to announce the change.
The missionaries faithfully accepted the change and immediately began to see
greater conversion in the families and individuals they taught and baptized,which they attributed to a lengthier time to teach them.
A
number of firsts occurred in the early months of the Chalco Mission. In late July, 2013, the mission
received itsfirst new missionaries, namely Elder Shazer I. Luis, Elder Guillaume G. Nava,
Sister Belen Avila and Sister Yoseline A. Lopez, all among the first group tograduate from the new Mexico City Centro de Capacitación
Misional. The mission’s first English speaking sister missionary, Sister Sandy T. F. Matuu,
arrived in late October, 2013. And in November, 2013, the mission received its first
Senior Missionary couple, Elder David P. and Sister Carolyn R. Bird, of Taylorsville, Utah. The Birds immediately established and organized
the mission office, organizing and distributing referrals in a timely fashion,
taking on the heretofore neglected issues of missionary housing, and lending a hand in
proselyting and creating tools for the missionaries to enhance their success. The Birds also recruited Senior Missionaries to staff the
office, including couples who had served as Temple Workers but were left without
an assignment while the Mexico City Temple is remodeled, expected to be completed
in July, 2015.
In
October, 2013, the Monday following the Church’s General Conference, the mission held its first mission
wide Soccer Tournament in central Chalco. Snacks, pizza and drinks were provided and
every missionary participated in the games. The competition was spirited, the jerseys and socks creative, and after a long, hot day of
sport, the zone Meyehualco took home the trophy. Actually, the trophy bears Meyehualco’s
name,but sits in the office to inspire future participants. It was cut by Humberto,
a stone cutter along the road to the mission home.
Between
November 12-15, 2013, Elder and Sister Arnulfo Valenzuela of the Seventy and Second Counselor in the
Area Presidency, together with Elder and Sister Miron, toured the mission,
emphasizing the importance of teaching to find new people and finding to teach new people. At the end of the tour, Elder Valenzuela commented on
the excellence of the missionaries in the Chalco Mission and encouraged the
mission to continue to raise its expectations in service to the Lord.
In
December, 2013, the mission held its first Christmas Zone Conference, with inspired
training and testimonies, humorous skits and a gift of socks and candy to each missionary. A
highlight of the day was the White Elephant game, played by 134 missionaries.Sister Crickmore did a great job of extending the game and
getting everyone laughing, after which everyone enjoyed tacos.
On
February 8, 2014, Elder Dallin H.Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles invited the Chalco Mission and
the MMC South Mission to the Stake Center on Temple Grounds. All missionaries were
in place early and treated to a spiritual outpouring during Elder Oaks remarks.The Chalco missionaries were asked to come prepared to ask
inspired questions of Elder Oaks and shone brightly during the subsequent
question and answer session with him. The missionaries departed full of the Spirit and
anxious to return to work in their areas.
With
the arrival of the new missionaries on March 3, 2014, the MMC Chalco Mission is now at
137missionaries, including 24 sister missionaries and Elder and Sister Bird. On
that same date, a sixth zone, Mixquic, was formed to accommodate the increased number of missionaries now and in the future.
March 26, 2014, became an historic date when the MMC Chalco Mission received its first native speaking full-time Senior Missionary Couple to serve while living at home. Elder José and Hermana Anna Alvarado received their missionary call and were set apart as a Full-Time Senior Missionary Couple working in the Mission Office and with the Work of Salvation in the Porvenir Ward, their home ward.
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INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES
Wall and Street Art
Here in the Misión Chalco while walking or driving you will notice paintings on the walls and buildings. The people call these paintings "Graffiti" as compared to the tagging seen in other parts of the world. Gifted young artists are given a wall or side of a building to decorate. Some of these paintings are art treasures. We constantly collect images of this graffiti.
You can check this collection often as the contents expand also daily as we encounter new examples. Some of these images were taken during travels outside of the boundaries of the mission indicating that this is a practice common throughout México.
March 26, 2014, became an historic date when the MMC Chalco Mission received its first native speaking full-time Senior Missionary Couple to serve while living at home. Elder José and Hermana Anna Alvarado received their missionary call and were set apart as a Full-Time Senior Missionary Couple working in the Mission Office and with the Work of Salvation in the Porvenir Ward, their home ward.Top
INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES
Wall and Street Art
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