26 October 2025
VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 630
Elders Hill and Gutierrez at Eiden’s baptism
¡Hay trabajo en la isla! Yeah, Elder Gutierrez and I have been working our buns off on Cozumel, that’s for sure. I hope all of your weeks went about as well as mine because, man, mine was amazing here on the misión.
This week, we’ve been working with our amazing ward, planning three baptisms. All we had to do was talk about the people getting baptized, and they handled the rest of the planning.
We were also able to get in contact with Estefania and Royer again! My companion has only met them twice, so he hasn’t really seen their potential, and it has been a bit rough on him as we’ve rescheduled again and again. But he’s kept a good attitude, and we’re making progress with them again.
Monte and Elder Gutierrez with frienda
We had three baptisms this weekend! Eidan, Ulises, and Luis all made their first covenant with God and are now members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
All of the baptisms went amazingly. In Eidan’s case, Jesús was able to perform the ordinance because he received the Aaronic Priesthood earlier this week on Sunday. Such a cool experience! I’m so proud of all three of them for going through with their baptisms, and I know they will be blessed for the rest of their lives.
Instead of a normal P-Day, we traveled down to Cancún to go to immigration for Elder Gutierrez. Then we went back to the mission offices and met up with Elder Amidei and Elder Leatherwood. We helped them set up for multi-zonas and then went back to their house for the night.
Jesus with his ordination certificate
For multi-zonas, we had the regular devotional, which was awesome as always. During my interview with President Witt, we talked about my time left on Cozumel, and I pretty much asked him for a fourth transfer, but he said most likely not. He told me that my time on the island was coming to an end.
With our friends, we have a few new friends in teaching, and they are all really cool. Estefania and Royer are going through a rough patch and need to work some things out, so we’ve stopped visiting until they’re ready to take the next step toward baptism.
Families Shrek Halloween costumes
This weekend, our ward had a Halloween party, and it was so cool. People here are very creative and really know how to throw a party. One family made complete Shrek costumes, and they looked incredible.
It honestly made me miss Halloween at home a bit, but then I remember that I’m literally living on Cozumel, serving my mission—nowhere else I’d rather be.
Well, I think that’s about all that happened this week, besides me having stomach problems and destroying the toilet, but I don’t need to talk more about that. Love you all and enjoy the rest of your weeks!
Monte with other missionaries
This week, my roommates and a couple of our friends went to Walmart to play tag and hide-and-seek. It was nice to get out and do something fun after a ton of schoolwork.
We started playing and then made a bet: whoever was “it” after ten minutes had to buy everyone Frosties. I did really well at avoiding being tagged, but I got caught off guard and eventually got tagged.
For a while, I thought I’d be the one buying Frosties for everyone, but I saw one of my roommates and was able to sneak up on him and tag him. He ended up being “it” last and bought everyone Frosties. Surprisingly, the Frosties were really good! I don’t usually enjoy them, but this time they were very delicious.
Quinn and Joanna at Hogle Zoo
First, we rode the bus to the zoo. We saw a lion and a giraffe while riding on the red bus. We also saw a polar bear and a tiger. We were going to see an elephant, but the elephants were moved to another zoo two years ago.
After that, we saw zebras, wild horses, rhinos, and a camel. We also saw a cougar, a snow leopard, and more wild horses. Then we went to see monkeys, including a spider monkey. We also saw gorillas, orangutans, ostriches, and some rare cats.
Owen, Endia, and Gloria at the zoo
We saw meerkats, a warthog, a bear, a seal, a crocodile, a turtle, and snakes. We were hoping to see a red panda, but we couldn’t. We did see an eagle, but it couldn’t fly because it was injured. We still saw many other cool birds.
One of the last areas we visited was Pokey Pines Savannah. The savannah and the lions were right next to it, and it was really cool to see.
Mom helping Joanna with school
This week was the buildup to the biggest sporting event of the year in Utah: BYU vs. Utah. I never really look forward to this game. For basically ever since I started following BYU football, BYU rarely beat Utah.
My earliest memory of a BYU/Utah game was in 2006, and from then until 2020, BYU only won three times. The longest losing streak was from 2010 to 2019, when BYU never won. Those were rough times.
I think the feeling of being destined to lose still hangs over me whenever this game comes around. However, things have taken a turn in recent years. Utah hasn’t been able to celebrate a win against BYU in six years, and BYU has won the last two games in a row. Still, I don’t really look forward to this game.
Braden, Charlie, and Ellie in BYU blue
Even though I don’t look forward to it, I definitely wouldn’t miss watching it. On Saturday, I took Ellie and Charlie down to Provo to get some BYU merchandise. It was really cool seeing all the Cougar fans out in royal blue, getting ready for the game. Ellie and Charlie had a fun time walking around the bookstore and playing in the little kids’ area.
After the kids went to bed later that night, I’m happy to say I got to enjoy a BYU win once again. It was an awesome game with tons of highs.
Utah had an advantage during the 2010s because they were in a power conference while BYU was independent, but now that BYU is on even playing ground, it seems like the tables have turned. With three wins in a row against Utah and it being seven years since Utah last won, things sure are looking good. Go Cougars!
Caleb on TV at BYU vs Utah game
Caleb
BYU played Utah at Lavell Edwards Stadium this week! For my ticket, I got Group 2, meaning I could show up really early for the game to get better seats. I had a few friends in Group 1, meaning they were the first let into the stadium, so I lucked out and got to sit on Row 6. We won! And BYU extended their winning streak to three games!
Family eating dinner
Endia, London, Keaton, and I are all on the same volleyball team, and we have weekly games on Wednesday nights. It has been so much fun!
We’ve been playing very well and just keep winning, and I am always looking forward to each game. Endia and I have been getting churros from Jack in the Box after each game, and if you haven’t had them, they are so good! Go try them.
Even though my name is Cougar and my parents are big BYU fans, I had actually never been to a BYU vs. Utah football game—until this week.
Owen at Hogle Zoo
I went with my brothers, and we all lost our voices while having a very fun time. I am sure I will remember this game for a very long time.
It was awesome to see BYU beat Utah 24-21. I will always remember Bear Bachmeier’s 22-yard run, which included a broken tackle and eluding multiple defenders.
When it looked like he was going to be stopped, Weylin Lapuaho from the offensive line came in from behind with a huge shove, pushing Bachmeier through the Utah defenders and into the end zone.
Gloria, Mom, and Veidi doing nails
This week I went to Natalie’s to watch her dogs while she went on vacation. It was nice to have some “me time,” but also a little scary because I was by myself. The nice thing was that I had Leo with me, so I spent most of the time talking to him.
It was also pretty stressful because Moo Moo went into labor, and we had to rush her to the vet. One of Natalie’s friends drove me and dropped me off at another friend’s house, and then we went to the vet where Mom was waiting. They were able to deliver her puppies, which was a relief, though one did not survive.
The crazy thing is that Moo Moo was in labor for 12 hours, and the puppy was in the wrong position, where her water was supposed to break. I had no idea until I noticed she was bleeding, and that’s when Natalie said she had to be rushed to the vet.
After she had her puppies, Mom met up with Natalie, and I went back to the house with her. I slept for a long time because I was so tired, but I’m glad the puppies were okay.
Mom’s nails, done by Veidi
The last time I went to the zoo was a long, long time ago, so I was excited when I learned we were going there with the family. I loved being with everyone and learning the fun facts about each animal.
One of my favorite places was the safari. All sorts of different animals were mingled together in one giant area. Owen was hilarious when he saw the monkeys.
My favorite moment was riding the train around the entire zoo. I actually liked the zoo a lot more than I thought I would!
Family on train at Hogle Zoo
Last week was general conference, and I love it because there is always something to learn. I learned a lot of new things and felt inspired by many of the talks.
My favorite talk was probably given by Gary E. Stevenson. He said, “Be a peacemaker.” I really liked this because if you are a peacemaker and avoid being contentious, you can have more peace in your life.
Having peace makes life less stressful, and it also helps you feel the Spirit more. I hope I can remember to be a peacemaker in my daily life.
Gloria’s birthday celebration
This week was so fun because of one of my birthday presents. Dad got me a trip to Idaho to see Ben Rector in concert, and Endia, Dad, Caleb, Isaac, and I were all able to go.
It was such a great gift because it introduced me to someone new, and I didn’t know most of the songs except for a few. I ended up really enjoying the music.
The road trip to Idaho was pretty fun. For most of the drive, we read from the scriptures because Dad and I made a goal to finish the Book of Mormon before I start my mission.
At Ben Rector concert in Rexburg
Everyone helped out, and we were able to read a few chapters together in the car. It was a really nice experience.
After many hours in the car, we finally made it to Idaho. We picked up Isaac, got some dinner, and then headed to the concert. The concert was pretty small, but it was honestly a lot of fun. I didn’t expect to enjoy a concert this much before the end of the year.
Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for the birthday tickets!
Endia and Gloria at hotel in Rexburg
Natalie was finishing up the flooring, and we were having fun. Well, it was mostly just me and Troy working on the other half. Natalia was putting down the flooring while we watched a show. It was actually kind of fun because we had knee pads to keep the paint off our pants.
That didn’t really work out, though, because Natalie and Troy ended up getting glue on my legs. Anyway, Troy was spreading all the glue on the floor while I helped Natalie fit in the flooring pieces.
When it was time for dinner, Troy finished the last of the glue, and we went to eat. Meanwhile, Natalie finished placing the last pieces of flooring.
Family watching three little pigs play
On Monday, we went to see The True Story of the Three Little Pigs at the SCERA Theatre. It was such a cute show, and the kids really enjoyed it. It was a musical, and the cast interacted a lot with the audience. We all had a great time.
Itzel’s 11th birthday was also on Tuesday. Happy birthday, Itzel! We loved celebrating her special day.
This weekend was Selvin’s last outdoor game of the season. His team made it to the championship game but fell short and finished in second place. He was pretty bummed but knew he played hard. He will start a new tournament next week, and this one will be indoors.
Mattias with Selvin after soccer game
It was a shock to me to find out that one of my oldest friends, Tony Olivas, passed away unexpectedly this past week. He moved into my neighborhood in Las Cruces when I was four or five years old, and we’ve been friends ever since. I used to call him the “Ten Peso Version” after an old movie quote from The Three Amigos.
Tony has spent most of the past 25 years living in North Carolina and Florida, but every few years we would go to lunch when he was in town, or even once when I was training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. Recently, he had finally moved back to Utah, and we hadn’t had the chance to catch up.
Surprisingly, his wife asked me to dedicate Tony’s grave after the service. She said that Tony always referred to me as his “spiritual guru”—I have no reason why. I was honored to do that for Tony. Because Tony’s wife was born in Mexico and most of her side of the family are native Spanish speakers, I gave the dedicatory prayer in both English and Spanish.
Isaac, Caleb, and Dad on Rexburg trip
I’m sad to Tony go so soon—he was 52 years old. His funeral was a bitter-sweet experience. While I was there, I had the chance to see old friends from my teenage years, some of whom I had not seen in 30 years—
Aaron Zupanzic, Maura Giles, Kevin Booth, Deena Thurston, Mark Johnson, William and Daniel Payne, Lianhi Chandler (Quinn is named after her brother), Jeff and David Pomeroy and their parents, Monica and Lance Olivas, and Ken Golightly and his parents.
What a sacred and special experience!
Dad with old friends at Tony’s funeral