Feliz Navidad

Mother darling,

Feliz Navidad!

What a wonderful mission. In the real sense of the word I have found wonder and amazement, it's almost shock, at how perfectly things fall into play for my benefit and learning. It's a wonderful time to be a missionary.

This week has been a great one. Transfer meeting went well. Sending off Elder Madore was bitter sweet, we love that elder a lot. We talked with him and Elder Burton last night at the Stake Choir concert and they are doing just great. He is a very adaptive person. Elder McKinney and I feel like empty nesters being a normal companionship now ha-ha. The new missionaries that moved in next door to us to take over Elder Madore and Searles new area are Elder Stark and his trainee Elder Elder. Yep that's his legit name ha-ha. It's cool to have Elder Stark back around. He has a perfect training area and a great trainee. I have been a missionary longer than Elder Elder has been a member. Ya, I’ll talk to you about it on Skype because it's a lot but seriously we are so blessed to have him.

District meeting went perfectly. I taught the Atonement and gave a commitment that the district finds hope for change in the new transfer. I followed up on Friday and now have 3 goals (some chose to only have 1 or 2) and a scripture that each missionary will be focusing on daily for the next 5 weeks. It was really great to see a thread of common hopes in the district. Many want to focus on Spanish as well as developing more humility. I am excited to see the new training plan for 2015 but for right now I am focusing on conversations and new investigator. Give the people what they want! It is comforting that I know up front what they want to get out of all this. Furthermore, I feel hopeful and useful in helping them fulfill personal goals.

The Sander's (aka the housing coordinators) gifted us a sofa. It's divine. HO HO Holy cow I love our new couch.

We painted the LA bridge as a service project. It was a delightful time. It is so easy and natural to build district unity during service projects. They are priceless opportunities to feel the spirit and share love with others. 

BIG NEWS THAT I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU ABOUT BUT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. my bad... A new elder in my district (Elder Jack) hit his head on the car as he was getting in. He got a concussion from it. So, we stole his car since he was on bed rest all week. Then he started feeling better but then he hit his head a second time (the other side of his dome, bummer I know) so things got worst. Long story short he is heading home tomorrow...Okay sorry about that slipping by in the past emails. I just didn't know how permanent it all was. 

SO I am grateful for another opportunity to have served and supported Elder Jack where a departure home was fast approaching. We did a lot of exchange this week to try and work both the areas. I can foresee another trio in the near future. Honestly I just don't know what's going down.  I am willing to work in a trio again, just cautiously preparing spiritually for another trial of faith. Change is wonderful, it's almost always a blessing, but it still requires sufficient faith to transform change into an opportunity for repentance. Stay tuned.

Things with the car have been nice. A little annoying to work a bike area with a car just because parking is impossible around here. It is a blessing to run errands and help out other missionaries though. We played taxi a couple times this week. Once with Elder Elder, another with the 6-week follow-up for Elder Jack, as well as the hospital trip. I feel like I am a Zone Leader again with all this administration work. Looking back though Elder McKinney and I have felt satisfied with the effort we made, with the opportunities we had to have conversations about the gospel with everyone we could get the appropriate/chance to talk to. Even today we shared "The Gift" with the butcher at El Super. I feel like I am falling back into my older trainee type energy. I am reminded of Elder Speth's classic "Yeah lets go talk to them." moments when it would be out of our way to share the gospel but in the end it just felt good to try, to have a fresh start again. Transfers are perfect periods for re-newed repentance.

We went shopping today and I got everything I need to make Pazole as well as 4 or 5 other authentic Latino meals. I love to cook and the Spanish culture does not cut short on delicious foods to make!

I love you a lot Mom. I hope you know that. I am so excited to Skype you!  I miss you a lot. We will be Skyping at the Lipe's house. Elder McKinney is going to do it on Christmas Eve because his famila goes on vacation Christmas day but I think I will still Skype on Christmas if that is okay with the Lipes. It would be in afternoonish just like last time. If anything I'll just call the house and we can figure it all out.

Lately, I feel I need less coddling. I think that is generally what God wants. I am learning he want's more righteous use of our agency and less babying-sitting over minor trials and trivial mistakes. I love where I am at. This is the hardest thing I have ever done. But I am grateful that there are harder things to come. I am only going to past by this way once. This isn't a round trip--so why not taste the whole spectrum. This is what I signed up for, literally and in a preexistence view!

News on "missionary work" related topics are rather slim. Gaudencia is still just the best recent convert ever. I love her so much. But one cool story I want to leave you with happened yesterday at church. We saw a man we didn't know, Freddy was his name. Turns out a member brought him (I love it when that happens). He asked some questions during the class but then after church he asked us, I repeat he asked US to have a short chat outside. We talked for about 15 minutes and simply taught and explained about the restoration of the gospel. We have a follow up lesson with him tonight (after we eat pupusas) with him and his member friend.  Last night he came to the stake choir concert. We have an acronym for people like him it's WMOM. It means "what manner of men" ha-ha it's there to describe those investigators that come out of nowhere and are just so easy to teach and so willing to keep commitments. Gosh this work does not need me. I could stay in my apartment all day watching Dish Latino HD and this work would still go forward. And at that go forward quickly. It is such a blessing I get to keep pace with it all. I feel like I am tripping up the stairs but I am still going upstairs. I will talk/see you soon Mom. I love you so.

Elder Bagley

Elder McKinney and Elder Bagley with a member family in their old area, now the area of Elder Stark and Elder Elder. The little girl is the cutest thing ever.