Monday, August 8, 2016

Hey guys!!

Can't handle the bundle of emotions that are flying around. We had a wedding on Wednesday, and the couple is going to get baptized next Sunday. Eleven Investigators came to church and there was attendance of 43 in the branch. Nine of my eleven converts made it to church. Well I say eleven of thirteen because the couple that's getting baptized is super excited and prepared.

It's been a time for a lot of goodbyes, and it starts to sink in that I won't walk these streets anymore, and I won't plan how many lessons I'm going to teach either.. or references contacted.

I love you guys and I'm excited to see you. 

I did everything I could out here, I gave all I could, and I couldn't be happier. Or more sad to say goodbye.

See you on Wednesday!

Elder Wadman

Monday, August 1, 2016

Hey guys!

Glad to hear things went well with the rocks! I had a white shirt and tie all ready to go out and work in the sun (I've gotten pretty used to the uniform), or maybe I could burn off some of my missionary tan lines and have an excuse to buy non-dress pants that are my size...

Haha I imagine that all of the weird animated animals with funny names that are on all of the bread products in the stores are probably from the movie that you guys saw.. that's about the only way I inform myself about the real world - ads on junk food... Not that I buy that.. I just see it...

But actually, because there is not money for junk food.

The reality that my mission is coming to an end finally starts to sink in :(. The couple that is getting married this week couldn't make it to church. They killed a pig to celebrate their wedding, but when they got up early to start it was raining and they couldn't get the fire started very early. That meant that they ran late and couldn't leave the thing half done and didn't go to church. They are still on track to get married and baptized, but the baptism will most likely be my first Sunday at home. It's sad to know that I won't be able to be there when they take this step, but I'm glad to know that with or without me they are ready to make a change in their lives, and that there is more than one family that I've been teaching that will likely be baptized in the weeks and months that come. What more can I ask for?

We worked like crazy, as always, and 5 people made it to church for the first time. What a great blessing.

On Thursday we sent 7 youth from Vega to a conference in Martinez. 2 are my converts, 2 are investigating the church, and 2 are recent converts, and 1 was the branch presidents son. They had a great experience, and stayed with the branch president the days of the conference since he lives in Martinez. We got a chance as missionaries to divide the 120 youth and take them to visit less active youth and invite them to the conference. I ended up visiting a family I had coincidentally visited in another mass visiting activity a few months back. We got her excited to go to the conference, and she said she would go, but only if she could bring her non-member cousin. The missionaries in the ward were excited about that...

Anyway, I'm feeling good, glad that I can be certain that I gave a great effort for all of these two years, and that I still have 6 days of work to do!

Love you guys, and see you soon! Not sure if I will get the chance to write this next week, but I'll do my best to get something out to you!

(Also.. 2 more little tooth pieces, even smaller this time, came out. my gum is a little bit worse for wear right now, so something tells me that there are going to be a couple of problems at the dentist. It seems to be healing but I've got a lot of tissue that has to grow back, so we're in that process.)

Monday, July 24, 2016

Hey Guys!!!

Good to hear there will still be a chance for me to work in the hot sun! I was going to miss that!

You may notice that I took some money out of the account we have set up... a couple of reasons. One, we are helping to cover a part of the cost for a couple that is going to get married.

And two.. 

I went to TAJIN!

Sorry there wasn't really a chance to ask permission from you guys. But its a world heritage site, and its in the one city of the mission I was never in. I got permission from the President to go and I figured it was worth a little extra spending. I took a ton of pictures haha!

We were working a lot this week, and not everything came out how we had hoped... there were 5 people on their way to getting baptized on the 7th, my last Sunday in the mission, but they didn't make it to church. Two of them still could get baptized before I go home though, if they can commit a little bit more seriously to attend church!

We had a baptism this week. I don't know if I mentioned that two of my converts and two other recent converts received the Melchizedek Priesthood a while back, but anyway, they were there too and are going strong.

​Ariana has been going to church for quite some time. Her mom can't get baptized because her husband has stopped listening to us and they aren't married. Her niece goes to church but can't get baptized either because her mom has only gone once thanks to the fact that she works on Sundays, and since she is only 11, she can't get baptized without her parents (new rule). But Ariana was excited to be able to be the first person in her family to take this step! She's changed a lot, and her family too!

Also... my missing tooth made its appearance...

​So that made for a weird experience last night. Thankfully my gum doesn't hurt any more...

Monday, July 18, 2016

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Hey guys!

Having a good time and working like crazy, got my last hair cut and we're doing our best. I just finished the essay for that seminar and all of this paperwork! [for Princeton] Gah, it ate up all my time and now we're cutting into my work time! Sorry I can't write more but I will see you soon anyway!!! Love you guys!

This week we worked like crazy and no one came to church. BUT we have two couples who have decided to get married so that they can live the commanments, and theres still time for one of the couples to get baptized before I get home! 

Love you tons, sorry I can't write more!

Elder Wadman

Monday, July 11, 2016

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

Hey guys!

Glad to hear things went well for Kate and it looks like she has a really nice place!!! [referring to Kate finding an apartment in NY]

Also nice to hear about a talk from someone from the Ward that I actually know! The Hursts have always been a great example for me.

I had a pretty busy week too. We decided to try and complete the 'nomas de excelencia' of the misión [standards of excellence 'of the mission], which basically means we were running like crazy people all week trying to teach enough lessons and find enough new investigators. We managed to reach the goals in every category except lessons with a member, where we were two lessons short. This week we're going to get there, don't you worry!!!

Letter to Bishop Utsch 7-4-16

Bishop Utsch,

I'm doing great! I'm here in my fifth area. It's the only small branch that I've served in here in the mission, but the work is really fulfilling. The branch President lives in another ward about 2 hours away, so during the week, we're about all there is to help the members to learn and live the Gospel. I really, honestly love these people and I can´t even imagine having to get home and not being able to spend all day looking for people who are ready to accept the Gospel. 

These last few months have been challenging, it´s difficult to see that even with experience and hard work, things don't always come out the way that one hopes for the families that they teach. I'm happy and doing everything I can to serve these people, but it's definitely an uphill battle, and failure hurts a lot more when you know there isn't as much time to make up for it anymore.

Next fast Sunday is the day I have marked off to actually fast for myself, for guidance and help to set goals for the next stage of my life. Until then, I have work to do!!!

Thank you for the support and encouragement, I'm excited to see the ward family again!

Until then,

Elder Wadman

Monday, July 4, 2016

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Hey guys! Thanks for the [pre-mission] pictures! Wow I really got lazy about cutting my hair sometimes, didn't I??

This week went really well! The members have been a big help and we're doing what we can to get things done the right way. Some of the investigators that have a lot of attendences in church fell through this week, but we're going to see if we can get them excited again. Super excited to hear that Ryan is headed off on a mission. The work that family history missionaries do is SOOO IMPORTANT! And if I have to shovel rock [with Dad] in summer, I'm all for it!

My new companion, Elder Flores, is a great help and I'm really glad to know that he is my last (16th) companion, because we get along well and work a lot :) Lets hope that that means we can change some lives too!!!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Hey Guys!

IM STAYING IN VEGA!!

It's official, I am in my last change in my 5th and final area of the mission. My companion, Elder Flores, arrives tomorrow. Elder Cáceres is going to Xalapa with a good friend of mine. I have 6 weeks to make the absolute most of every minute I have to build God's kingdom!

It's been a great week. We were running around fixing up the new house of prayer, which is actually very old because the original owner was a general in the Mexican revolution. We repainted, stained some doors, and everything. We sent 14 members to the temple on Saturday, and when they got back a handful of them stuck around to help us clean.

I also have a little story. If you remember the families that we baptized a couple of months ago, you might remember a 14 year old boy named Octavio. He's a little bit wild, but I get along really well with him and he goes to church EVERY SUNDAY even if his parents can't make it. He got home late because he was helping paint some doors in the house of prayer after the temple trip, and the branch president asked his mom to forgive them.

His mom said that there was no problem, that she was just happy that her son had been able to live his dream. She said that every night since we had left him a picture of the temple, that he had kept it under his pillow, and was waiting for the day that he would be able to go to the temple.

Yeah, it was a good week.

Lots of love,

Elder Wadman

Monday, June 20, 2016

Hey guys!

Glad to hear that there will be AC when I get home, although I've gotten pretty used to ridiculous temperatures and the only solution being turning on a fan and trying to sleep... 

Sounds like the house is going to be very different when I get home! I imagine that between the new driveway, the new La Cañada, and other little things, I'll hardly recognize the place!!

This week we are gearing up to change into the new house of prayer that has MORE THAN 2 ROOMS and DOESN'T FLOOD WHEN IT RAINS!!! So that is the exciting news that we've got going.

We found a really wonderful family the other day on a bus and we started to teach them. They are really interested in going to church and finding out if the Book of Mormon is true, but this Sunday went out of town because the mother of the husband is very sick and they go on weekends to visit. We'll see what we can do so they can try and get both things done. We're having a good time and I'm freaking out because next Sunday I find out where I will spend my LAST CHANGE in the mission. Let's hope I can stick around here to see these families get baptized!

It's been a big challenge keeping the converts active and living the commandments, but I guess that's how God feels about all of us all the time, so we're not going to lose hope so easily.

Love you guys and glad you're there supporting me,

Elder Wadman

Mtz. de la Torre Zone

Monday, June 13, 2016

Hey Guys!!

It was a pretty good week! We got a chance to go to a conference in Martinez and President Greer talked about the Book of Mormon. It was basically the same conference he gave when I was pretty new in the mission, but he gave some good insights about how to teach the people without just telling them everything and imagining that they believe you. We talked a lot about the promise in Moroni 10. Several people got to church, especially exciting was a sister and her husband who finally made it after weeks of unimaginable last minute crises that kept them from getting to church. We're going to work hard to make sure they keep going!

Monday, June 6, 2016

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

Hey Guys!

Glad to hear that you all got back home ok! We got lots of rain out here!! The money also got here a little bit late, -see photo-

We've been working hard and trying to get everything to run smoothly. We have a poor sister who has been trying forever to get to church. Her husband and her were headed to church and dropped their son off with their mother in law - hes young and they didn't want to bring him this time, and he fell down and cracked his head open! Hoping that things will FINALLY work out for them this week! We had some other people come to church who are progressing really well, but we're having a really rough time helping the fathers of the family to get excited about going to church, that's been the biggest challenge, since they generally have to get married and if the husband stays home he starts to get annoyed that his wife isn't making him lunch instead of being at church. Ay vamos... [Oh us]

We also activated a single mom and her brother! She's been to church for the last three weeks now. I attached a little photo when we stopped by and it turned out to be her sons birthday.

Don't worry-- we definitely taught her sister the restoration in the middle of the birthday party. She had felt bad for telling us to not visit her family when we went- her husband and in laws are Pentecostal and don't want to know anything about us, but she had lots of questions. Maybe someday things will work out so that the family can learn about the restored gospel.

Anyway, can't believe I actually have to be doing paperwork for Princeton now! Seems like a lot of stuff. Also, I said that I wanted 235 meals for the semester because I mean outside of cereal I'm pretty lazy when it comes to making food..

Lots of love,

Elder Wadman

Monday, May 29, 2016

Hey guys!

This week has been good, although we are kind of running around a ton and we don't have much time! We've had a great chance this week to work with the family of some of the investigators that have been coming to church, and it looks like a father that we have been teaching may be able to come with them now! He changed jobs and now will only work from Monday to Saturday, so we're hoping that we can help him to come with his family this next week.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Hey guys!!!

I guess here in Vega we are kind of spoiled with the investigators. This week only one of the people who had come to church last week came again, but we had another three people who came, and a couple who didn't come because their baby has chicken pox. We're hoping that in June the branch will start growing again!!

This week we had to make a difficult choice. Saturday there was a stake wide activity, members and missionaries were invited to travel to another little pueblo in what they call a 'Mormon battalion' effort. The goal was to visit less active members and find references for the missionaries. We had to decide if taking the three hour trip on Saturday would be worth it, knowing that we wouldn't be able to see our investigators the day before they had to go to church. We prayed and decided that the best approach was to have charity. We were only going to have 2 hours in the morning to visit our investigators.

Immediately after deciding we went to the first appointment of the day, and found a FAMILY OF FIVE that was excited to listen to the Gospel. They didn't make it to church this week but are interested and accepted their baptismal date. For me, it was a confirmation that God wanted me to make sacrifices for others, and that he would make up the difference.

We'll see if one of these days we get the missionaries over here to Vega to put them all to work!

Anyway, we're working hard and having a good time.

Monday May 16, 2016

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Hey Guys!!

This week went a little bit better than the last one. Five people got to church, but the really exciting thing is that all of them are from different families where they have family members who also wanted to go but couldn't! We're really hoping that this week we can work with them to get them going to church with us too.

Changes were yesterday, but Elder Cáceres and I are going to stay together here in Vega, so at least until the 26th of June I'll have the chance to see what we can do, and then we´ll see If the Lord is going to let me stick around here for the last 6 weeks (hoping so!)

I'm grateful for the opportunity to be out here, and grateful for the example that you guys have set for me, that keeps me working to be better and not settle for letting things go my last few months.

We had a conference with Elder Falabella this week and so we were in Xalapa Thursday night and Friday during the day. We got on the bus here in Vega, and the Assistants [to the Mission President], Elder Ibáñez and Elder Marin were on the bus coming back from a conference on the north end of the misión, so we stayed in their house and ate pizza and root beer floats. (Apparently they had gone shopping on Monday). It was good to see them again, now that I am in my little corner of the misión.

Elder Falabella talked about the atonement and repentance, and the process of conversión in our lives. Then he talked to us about the importance of teaching families, and working with those less spiritual dad's who usually don't want to talk about us. He gave some good ideas about how to help people stay in the church, and it was a really great experience.

Let me throw some pictures up here,

This was district class! We decided to order some pizzas...

Here is a picture with all of my sons! We all ended up in the same conference here on the south side of the misión. These are all of the missionaries that I have trained.

And since it was p-day, I started teaching my convert about Christ's earthly ministry while we washed the clothes in his house and he pulled out his old book that the Jehovah's Witnesses had given him that had some images of things that Christ did. So, definitely taught the restored góspel with images from their book. And then he gave it to me as a gift haha. I guess I'll finally learn 'What the Bible really teaches'.

And the storage room [that mom and dad cleaned out] does look much better!

Can you find me?

Mission Conference Photo 1

Mission Conference Photo 2

Monday, May 9, 2016 (Pics)

You asked about my shoes.. they are holding in there! They are all sown up from where they have opened... Still comfortable though!

Monday, May 2, 2016

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Hey guys!

We found a little cyber that has webcams that we are going to use [for Mother's Day]. Hopefully everything works out. Glad to hear you guys had a good time in Prescott! It has been really hot here!!! We have been working with a lot of people to help them accept the gospel, but sometimes they are very stubborn :).

Things have been going well with my companion. Next week we have a visit from Elder Falabella, of the [Quorum of the] Seventy.  We didn't get any investigators to church today, but we had a confirmation that was pending in and got 4 inactive members to come, so that was a win! we were up to 31 attending members again.

Did I send this one already?? We made a friend.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Hey guys! 

How are you doing?? Hope you are having a nice time in Prescott!

Notice anything strange about the way Jesus is Getting baptized? Somebody didn't read Matthew 3, or Romans 6... Its a church window in Martinez de la Torre - we were there one Monday with the zone.

This week Tania got baptized!!!

He was ordained as a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood this Sunday.

The Branch Presidents wife playing ping pong with an inactive member!

The other picture is me eating fruit with salsa... I'm used to that now...

Monday April 18, 2016

Hey Guys!!!

Excited for Mothers Day! I always said when that last phone call got here, I would really feel like I had been in the mission for a long time. Still not really believing that it's almost here... I'm going to have to look for a place where they have a webcam.

Glad to hear that you survived tax season, Mom!

It's been an interesting week! We found a lot of new people that we've been teaching. There's a young man who has been going to church for a while who told the member who lives near him that he didn't want to listen anymore. We went and talked to him. He said that he wanted to keep taking his classes in the Catholic church and that he didn't want to go to church with us anymore. We asked him if he knew which church was true, and he said no, so we explained again how he could know for himself if what we were teaching came from God, and after listening he decided that he would pray. We agreed to go back two days later, but the brother who took us in his car couldn't take us. So we ended up walking 7 kilometers down the highway to the ranch, after getting lost in the wilderness for like an hour beforehand. Anyway, we got there and we asked him if he had prayed. He said that he had, that he had felt a special kind of joy, and had almost wanted to cry. He accepted a baptisimal date for the 24th.

And then he didn't come to church on Sunday because he says that he is going to finish his Catholic classes and he doesn't want to go anymore. So that was almost a great story but it sounds like he's still pretty confused. That's what happens with your Catholic family who doesn't go to church but hates the idea of you going somewhere else :(

A new family came to church on Sunday, and the mother of a member who is recovering from a surgery and has never listened to the missionaries, and a sister who we have been teaching who lost her daughter 3 months ago and wants to take her name to the temple. Unfortunately, the two families who got baptized 3 weeks ago couldn't make it to church AGAIN and only one of the 9 has been confirmed to date. The brother we baptized last week did get confirmed though. Yay!

Also we had interviews. President'e told me to have charity and not worry when I can't fulfill all of the needs of the branch, and Sister Greer talked to me about marriage. soo... anyway we'll get to that bridge some day..

Let me get some pictures up here..

AND it won't let me... sorry. I'll get this worked out at some point...

Love you guys anyway!!

Elder Wadman

Su Foto - Photos from Sister Greer

Zone Martinez (Vega) 

Monday, April 11, 2016

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Hey guys!!!

Sorry I cant get any pictures to you, for some reason this computer can't detect my camera. I think it's too new. My new companion is names Elder Cáceres. He's from Peru, and honestly, looks kind of like you dad, just that he's 23 and from Peru. He got baptized at 14 but he was inactive until last year. He´s kind of different but a good guy, we get along pretty well.

I loved the conference, and last Sunday was super crazy!  We downloaded some talks and brought them to the house of prayer in Vega and put them up at 7 pm. 38 people came. 19 of them weren't members!!! 

This Sunday, unfortunately, not many of them got to church. We did have a baptism though, an older gentleman named Angel. We have another young man who is going to get baptized next Sunday, if all goes well.

What I've really felt that I´m starting to learn is humility. I know that all of this has very little to do with the work I'm doing, and everything to do with the Lord. I'm grateful that I have the chance to be here in Vega and help the work go forward. I'm doing by best to not worry too much about my 4 month deadline.

Glad to know things are going well at work. That poor sister! [serving in your Tucson ward] 8 months in one area!! That´s like half of her mission! I guess the Lord really wants her to learn something or meet someone there.

Anyway, Love you guys, and hope things start calming down over there!

Elder Wadman

2 Weeks in and a Baby!

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Hey Guys!

I'm writing today instead of Monday because the Assistants [to the Mission President] called me today and told me I'm headed back to Xalapa on Monday to pick up a new missionary to train here in Vega!!! Now that I've been in my area for a grand total of 19 days or something like that...

Anyway I'm excited to make the most of it! But it means my P-day [preparation-day] is today, between [sessions of church general] conference, while I'm here in a different city. So we'll see when on earth I manage to get my clothes washed and buy food.

I didn't really know this was going to happen, so I'm not ready and armed with pictures, but I'll try and give you guys a rundown of the week.

This week I only got to work 2 and a half days in my area. Sunday we were occupied with the details of bringing 40 people to the beach and baptizing a bunch of them, and eating at 7 pm for the first meal of the day. Monday we worked from 6 to 9 like normal, and then Tuesday we went to Martinez de la Torre so I could teach my district class. From there I went to the area of some of the missionaries in my district to do their baptismal interviews for a family. They live between Martinez and Vega. The people weren't in their house for the first time ever, so I ended up staying with [the missionaries from that area] that day. I went to work with one of them and sent my companion with the other to give them a hand.  I did the interviews on Wednesday morning. We got to Vega to take a quick shower and work from Wednesday afternoon until Friday when we came BACK to Martinez to go to [general] conference today in the morning. Then about four hours ago they informed me that Monday I need to be in Xalapa to pick up my new companion. So.. it´s been kind of hard getting a good amount of traction in my area. 

I'm listening to general conference with 2 questions in mind, because honestly with 20 months in the mission, for whatever reason it's not as easy as it was before to give EVERYTHING, all day, all the time, and I'm remembering last time I trained and the struggles we had to find success when I know that I really did give everything. My first question is how I can learn to serve the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength, and the second is one that the Assistants asked me to write down, how can I be a better trainer for my new companion? 

Any thoughts you guys have are also welcome. (That goes for the people that read the blog too!)

I'm excited and humbled by the work the Lord has left me. Vega is a place that is ready for the gospel. Before I came people were flocking to the church. I hope I can live worthy to keep up the good fight!

I love you guys and I'm excited to hear from you on Monday the 11th, when I've got a chance to read my email again!

Lots of Love,

Elder Wadman

Monday, March 28, 2016

Hola Familia!

Its been a great week! My rash is gone, so you can stop asking about it and worrying!

I failed to mention that two weeks ago, my first day in my new area, President Greer called me in the morning. He thanked me for the organization and dedication I had put forth in the offices. It was just a little detail, but I really felt like I had fulfilled a great goal that I had put for myself to make a mark in the offices and fix some of the problems. It means a lot when the Presidente of 160 missionaries, in charge of all the missionary efforts in 6 stakes takes the time to give you a call and thank you.

I also told President that I didn't want to leave this area before it becomes a ward. He promised me he would only pull me out if the Lord needed to put me in a leadership position. I guess now I will just hope that someone else can go be a zone leader so I can stick around here till they send me home!

So this is what happened on Sunday!!

Tavo, me, Elder Paredes, Lupe, Elder Howell (The missionary who got sick), Christina, Edith, Enrique, Lorena, Eva, Y Faustino. I didn't think things through, because to be a witness I had to get in the water too.. so after this I got soaked...

 One daughter couldn't come, so she is going to get baptized later and confirmed with the family the week after general conference. Did I mention that both of these couples just got married on Tuesday???

THE WEDDING!!! The second from the left is Tania, the other daughter who is going to get baptized. Also Lupe, the first guy on the left, and Lorena, the third from the left, are going to get married in August! (And sealed in April? Hoping so!)

It was kind of wavy... haha we got soaked even before the baptisms.