Monday, September 21, 2015

Hey!!!!!!

Surprise!!!!!! 3 days ago I participated in... special changes...

because I'm being trained to be the financial secretary in the offices of the mission! That's right! I got moved to Xalapa, and I work with the president for like 4 hours every morning and do a bunch of accountant things haha. That means I'm now with companions number 9 and 10! Elder Ortiz is from Costa Rica and he'll just be here for a few weeks teaching me his job, and my other companion is Elder Castañeda. He's super fun and we'll be together until he finishes the mission in like 4 months. Sorry I forgot my camera again!!! It's weird being here in the offices, with the president and the assistants and the senior couple, but I think I'll enjoy it.

The ward is SUPER SUPPORTIVE. Wherever we show up they have references and want to help us to teach their friends and neighbors. They also feed us a ton, and I never have to pay for food because Hermana Greer brings us food for the zone leader conferences and the new missionaries when they show up every change. They all stay in my gigantic house that has a washer AND DRYER! AND HOT WATER. Anyway it's a lot of stuff to learn about. We've got some families we're teaching. We have a couple with a special needs son that we're teaching, but they are having a lot of problems and never got married, so that will be interesting. They really enjoyed the church today though.

I miss Tuxpan, but I'm happy to help if this is where they want me! Definitely came out of the blue though!!!

Monday, September 14, 2015

Hey!!!

Elder Soto has a few problems with the language, but his accent is really good, so everyone thinks he knows it really well!!! Ohh washing clothes by hand. Hoping and praying that I won't have to do that again after this change!! I got 6 months off but back in Alamo my hands were always all itchy and gross from doing it haha.

This week we got to attend the re-dedication of the Mexico City temple via satellite. I was really struck by the things that Elder Holland shared. He talked about the verses in Malachi 4 in the Old Testament that are found in all 4 of the standard works. He talked about the Jewish tradition of leaving a chair for Elijah to come to their table every year, as they've been doing for like 3000 years. And when on the 3 of April, 1836, when the Passover was happening and all of the orthodox Jews left the chair at the table and the door open, Elijah came to the Dedicated temple in Kirtland and restored the sealing keys, which make all priesthood ordinances have a binding power in heaven, not just on earth. A big deal! I was overwhelmed by the Spirit during the talks and prayers, it was truly a powerful experience. 

We found some good people this week who are planning on going to church this Sunday, and we have a man we've been teaching for a while who's having a lot of problems with his family, but should be getting baptized in a week or two. We'll see how that goes!

Lots of Love,

Elder Wadman

​CUATES (Fraternal Twins)

We bought exactly the same food last week...

Monday, September 7, 2015

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

HOOOOLAAAA FAMILIA!!!

Aqui con el Elder SOTO! El es de... ARIZONA??????????? [Here with Elder Soto! He is from ... Arizona??]

Sorry I really don't realize I'm writing in Spanish that much. Elder Soto is from a Mexican family, but he learned Spanish here in the mission! He has 4 months here in the field. He got baptized at age 9 but only recently became an active member again, 2 years ago. His family didn't go to church for like 8 years. He has a lot to learn but is very loving and always happy. He's been a great support for me, and we're going to give it all we've got, and then some!!! 

Hard week this week, no one came to church, including the investigator that had his baptism scheduled for the thirteenth. This coming Sunday is going to be the re-dedication of the Mexico City Temple, so I can't bring investigators to the church. Sad cats :(.

Monday, August 31, 2015

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

Hi guys

Sorry to hear it's been kind of rough these last few weeks Dad, I know what that can be like. Glad to hear that you're still happy at work Mom, and that you're doing your visiting teaching, I'm sure you'll be a prima ballerina again in a few more weeks. Poor Wilson, hope he can recover [Aunt's dog was attacked by coyotes]. Just explain to him that God gives us all trials so that we can learn and grow, haha. That poor grapefruit tree, it's like a part of my childhood that's dying. Side note, the exclamation mark on this keyboard doesn't work, and I'm realizing that I always use a ton of those, haha.

Changes came in last night, and..... I'm going to be with my fourth different companion here in Tuxpan. Halfway through his training they're stealing Elder Hernandez from me. Sometime tomorrow Elder Soto will be arriving here, and I'll be with him for the next 6 weeks. That will put me at 6 months here in Tuxpan and at that point it's basically a rule that they'll change me to another area. I'm going to miss Elder Hernandez, but I'm glad I'm going to have the opportunity to keep working here in Tuxpan a little bit longer.

I've been thinking a lot about what I can do to be a more consecrated missionary, to be 100% committed to doing what the Lord wants, every hour of every day. It's a tall order, but it's what I want. That's a start, right?

Oh, and assuming there wasn't a clerical error again, I'm going to be the district leader this change. Woo paperwork and phone calls, haha.

I'd send you guys some videos, we had a ward talent night this week and I sang with my companion, I bought a ukulele a while back with some American dollars I changed for pesos and we sang A Child's Prayer in Spanish and English. I can't really play anymore and my companion can't really sing, but we got through it, haha. Guess you'll just have to see it with the rest of my videos when I get home.

Love you guys, And take care,

Elder Wadman

Elder Christofferson

Trails in Tuxpan

​So This is me celebrating my year in the mission... I bought spicy popcorn and filled the bag with extra spicy salsa and ate all of it by myself.....

​GUESS WHICH ONE I ATE