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| Elder Bagley, Madore, and McKinney eating a member dinner outside on the steps because there isn't a man home. ..the rules are the rules. |
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| Service at a local Christian church. It's so fun there. They even let us take some food home. |
Hi Mom!
So, this week has been
nuts. I hope I can write it all down.
I had my first District Meeting. It went great. I trained on the District on faith and goal
setting. I challenged them to a new standard for new investigators this week
and we hit the number plus one. Faith is power. I love our District.
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| My new District |
We took our
investigator to the Visitor’s Center. It was spiritual and very impressive. She
felt the spirit multiple times testifying of Christ. It was just perfect.
She'll be baptized by the end of the month.
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| Temple trip with Guadencia and her family |
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| The Visitor Center Hermanas were so great and we had a great tour |
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| The blonde woman is Columba, Guadencia's sister. The one that came from mexico with the sole purpose of bring Guadencia the gospel. |
We went to an amazing
Mexican restaurant. It was SO good. I love spicy food now and I can't eat unless
I have a tortilla in my hand. Honestly, I just love the Latino culture so much. I also ordered a free recipe book over the phone. So we will be trying out some
sweet new dishes around the house.
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| Crazy good Mexican restaurant with handmade tortillas. |
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| They just have a little abuelita in the back loosing her mind making thousands of tortillas. Seriously she was just cranking them out. |
An Elder I who came
out with went home this week. He had been fighting some hard medical problems
for a while and is now getting the attention he needs. We had to say goodbye to
him and it was bittersweet. I really consider him a grand friend and we are all
going to miss him. His companion Elder Madore (mah-door) is now joining Elder
McKinney and me in a trio. The two areas will be combined and the work will
move on.
Being in a trio has
been hard. This first week we have been managing the two areas and trying to
get things under control with Elder Madore moving in and getting settled. I feel like I am just on one big exchange but
that needs to change. We are here and this is us now ha-ha. Change happens so
often around here it’s hard to be affected by anything because you can wait a
couple days and it will all be completely different! Like the other night I was
in the house of a young couple, both my age, with 3 kids and a load of trials. We were all kneeling on the floor with roaches running around and the neighbor
blasting Tupac. But in it all I felt at home. I just felt in my place. My home
now isn't just my apartment but it's this whole valley. Anyplace that
will accept me and have me is my home. It meant a lot when the Lord taught
about having no place to rest his head. That's us in a sense. I don't know it's
a strange thing to try and explain.
I am so pumped about
being in a trio because we all love and know each other so well. We just
have our work cut out for us. Right now we have about 7 people preparing for
baptism and twice as much area to cover on bike. We can do it, we just have to
be focused and on point with everything.
There is evil all
around this valley. It is so shocking how much filth and sin there really is. I
love my mission and I love the people but there are times when you can really
see and understand the dire need for the gospel in people’s lives. Drugs,
gangs, sex, crime, violence are just par for the course. It's very rare
you find family units that aren't in some way affected by one of those things. The work is needed, oh so needed. Sometimes it's weird how much confidence I
have in actually helping these people. It just shows me how much this is not on
me. It's not my message or my divine help. I am just the messenger. Delivering
the message, that part is on me.
SO our investigators
are so well. I will give you some of their profiles:
Mom and 2 daughters
working toward baptism. They are struggling to keep commitments but have the greatest
desire. They have had a rocky, rocky path and the mom become a mom at such a
young age. That is always hard but they are well.
An 18 year old
Salvadorian that is tearing through the book of Mormon but just isn't sure
about getting baptized and changing her Catholic heritage. I have all the confidence that if she keeps reading she'll find her answer. It could be hard
but nothing is more sure than a witness from the Holy Ghost.
Gaudencia! She is just
wonderful. Her member sister is such a help in teaching and fellow-shipping. Nothing is going to stop her. She is on fire.
A young couple who
have a kid together but aren't married. The dad has been clean from a meth
addiction for 20 days now and they are turning their lives completely around. He is 19 years old and want to join the Navy and marry his girlfriend. After walking home from church he read 19 chapters of Mosiah. Nothing is better
than walking into your investigators home and having them answer the door with
a "hand-me-down quad" cracked open in their hands. I love them.
So, I don't have too
much more time but I want to end with this miracle we saw the other night. We
had contacted these two 18 year old girls on the street and one of them said
her mom might be interested in our message. So we gave her our card and went on
our way. We didn't think much of it. That night I said to my companions
"How great would it be if that girl texted us back tonight?" Low and
behold the phone buzzes and it's her. Sadly, she said she is interested, she's Catholic and honestly just gave us the shaft about the whole thing. We were
pretty bummed but then after church she texted us again and said she needed someone
to talk to. We were a little shocked and cautious but set up to meet her in a
nearby park. So long story, a little less long, we just sat and talked. She pour
out her heart about her family's history with mental illness. How depression
has taken hold of her life and she just doesn't know what to do any more. We
listen and shared stories and testimony until the time felt right to testify of
the Book of Mormon. Throughout the meeting she was having a hard time
explaining her feelings and speaking her mind clearly but after I shared a
verse in Alma and we all testified of the truthfulness of the book she just
said, "I feel good. I feel like you are answering the question I didn't
know I had." I couldn't stop smiling. She went on to say, "I always
have felt like the Catholic Church was missing something and I think this is
it." (pointing to the book of Mormon)
Gosh, it was the
greatest moment I've had in a while. It was so natural and fluid. That's how
the gospel should be shared. I shouldn't have to chase you down the
street and shove the restoration down your throat. I shouldn't have to be
scary and threatening as I knock on your door. You should feel like you
are talking with Christ when you speak to me. You should forget about the world
and have peace for just a moment. You should feel the spirit and have questions
flood into your heart, not doubts without answers, but questions that just feel pure
and are designed to be answered. Gosh, Mom it was textbook. Just a classic example
of what missionary work can be. In a park, with a stranger, sharing our hearts,
and rejoicing in the doctrine of Christ. I'll never forget it.
Firm and faithful
Elder Bagley
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| Elder McKinney chopping up something tasty. |
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| I am becoming a great chef. |
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