Monday, March 30, 2015

[Note: items in blue brackets have been added for clarification] 

Hey Guys!

Mom, I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I know you love your work and it's really hard when you can't do what you would like to. I'm facing some similar problems here, for my own reasons. I'm getting crazy excited for Conference!! I've literally never been so excited about it in my life. To share the importance of prophets every day of the week really makes you appreciate so much more when you can really here from them. The Ensign from last November has a quote from President Monson on the back that I of course read in Spanish, but came as a direct answer to my prayers and changed my mission, more accurately changed my life, in terms of the plans I have and who I want to be.  [*]

This week was pretty slow. There were a lot of problems. I'm really putting forth a new foot in my efforts to change how things are going with my companion because it hasn't been pretty. Perhaps God gave me this challenge because he thought it was more important that I learn how to deal with this than to have more success in these weeks. So we'll go with that.

And here are some pictures!! Can you tell what the last one is? The Elder was my old District leader, Elder Stevenson. My new District leader is Elder Spencer, he was Elder Rojas's companion just before I got to the field. Did I already tell you that?? Anyway he's pretty cool although sometimes his Spanish is kind of rough. He's been super supportive of me in my challenges these last two weeks.

Anyway, love you guys!!!!

[*"As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can." -- Thomas S. Monson]

Elder Stevenson

Baptisms in Alamo (with Elder Mota)

Guess

Monday, March 23, 2015

Hey guys! 

 

Having an interesting time here in Mexico as always!! We got to baptize Edson and Mildred this week and that was a super cool experience. Edson shared his testimony and said he felt filled with the joy of the Holy Ghost after his baptism. And people still say this isn't true!!!!

 

Anyway we've hit a rut with a lot of people who are willing to go to church until Sunday in the morning, but we're going to keep working and I'm going to have to do a lot more improving. I'm having a hard time accepting my imperfections because I feel like I'm very rarely meeting up to my expectations. I'm learning a lot in my studies about how to teach with more clarity. I started doing my companionship study with a broom in a chair but I really feel like it's helping me to improve. So glad to know that I have the support of all of you guys. Sorry I can't get the photos for you right now, I'm really really pressed for time :(

 

I had interviews with President Greer on Thursday and he told me a lot of stuff that I need to change, but more than anything I was just astounded by the Spirit that I felt sitting with him for a few minutes in that room in the stake center. The desire it brought to me to be better, the clarity that I could feel. I found myself asking: is that how my investigators feel? In short, I doubt it. I've got a long way to go and I really don't feel like I'm doing all that's necessary. We'll see if I ever get there!!!! 

 

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry, getting older doesn't mean anything bad, it just means you're getting closer to God. Getting older only sucks for people who aren't making the effort to get there. I love you so much and I'm so glad that you're a part of my family for forever. You've been an incredible example for me in my life and I appreciate that you've given so many of your thoughts and so much of your time to help me turn out more or less as a decent guy. Hope you have a wonderful birthday! We'll get to talk in 8 weeks or so!!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Hey Guys!

 

First off, I've been thinking the same thing that Dad said to me. I realized that instead of trying to animate my companion, he was disanimating me. I've had to work to put some better habits back into place, but unfortunately there's still a lot of things that are outside of my control.

 

This next Sunday is stake conference, so we have to bring our investigators to another city to go to church. GAHH!! But if we can get Edson and Mildred there, they will be able to get baptized in the afternoon (they're very excited). We're also teaching a wonderful lady named Reyna who is giving up the Santa Muerte to be able to follow God and be saved in his kingdom. She never leaves the house when it's raining because of health problems, but Sunday morning she was at church at 8:40, arriving in the rain. It's such a blessing after trying your hardest to get people excited who really don't care that much one way or the other because they don't understand why they're doing it still, to  have someone who really WANTS this change, really wants to be with God after this life, and understands that she needs to do something about it.

 

Transfers are tomorrow, and Elder Stevenson, my district leader, is on the way out. That leaves me with two crazy Mexicans to work out the next 6 weeks. I'm still with Elder Mota, and the new companion of the other crazy Mexican, Elder Quintana, is our new District Leader, Elder Spencer. He was in my area in Teziutlan with Elder Rojas the transfer before me. Apparantly his Spanish was pretty bad even though he had 8 months in the mission, but he's improved a lot. I'm excited to get to know him, and I've actually been hoping to get a chance to meet him since Teziutlan since he sounds like a lot of fun and a pretty cool guy. I'll have to let you know how that goes!!!

 

Glad to hear the Cats are tearing it up! But if they win the NCAA twice while I'm gone on the mission I admit I'll be a little put out....

 

Wishing you the best!

 

Elder Wadman

Monday, March 9, 2015

Hey guys! Doing pretty well here!! Well mostly. I mean my companion still doesn't like doing things and I didn't write last week because we were busy running around like crazies our preparation day do ``enjoy it to it's fullest`` and so thanks to that I didn't get the chance to write. We got to baptize two girls yesterday, but what makes me much happier is that when I got here, only the grandparents went to church, and that wasn't something for sure either. Now we have an aunt and her sister, her son, a mother, her two daughters, another niece, and two happy grandparents. The other really cool think is that the aunt is married to one man but living with another, but since we've been visiting has decided she needs to be sealed in the temple to her family and is pushing to get herself worthy and get her husband to investigate the church. Fun times! Can't get pictures for you this week because the ones I tried to send crashed the computer.. haha oh Mexico. We're having trouble with a lot of parents who want perfect children before they're willing to let them get baptized, so that's been something of a challenge for us in these past weeks. We also got to see Meet the Mormons with the mission president and ate salad. I really missed salad and that made me happy because it was flavorful and nutritious and not meat beans rice or salsa. Woohoo!!