HOLA FAMILIA

Ugly Sweaters from Goodwill

 Elder Poirier, Elder Bowen, Elder Glenn

Ramon's Day

 Joseph F. Smith

"Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, by one having authority, is a true principle, because Christ taught it; Christ obeyed it, and would not fail, for anything, to fulfil it— "



Dear Family!

  I hope you had a merry Christmas! I loved calling you all! Thank you for making sure Reagan was there too (Shout out to Reagan! Thanks for being there!). I really love you all. It was great to hear what has been going on with you all. I do miss Bentley a ton! So after I called, I got a killer headache (from the tears "o'course" [as Hagrid would say]) that lasted until I had about 9 mates. That's mah-tay. I loved having dinner at the McCue's that night! They're such a fun family and we all really felt part of it. It felt like a Christmas dinner (if you remember, Thanksgiving was kind of awkward somewhere else). Mom, you need to look her up on facebook haha. Has she emailed you yet? After the phone call home was the baptism. Ramon is baptized!! WOOHOO! Again, such a special time. It was incredible; his family even came. I'm so happy that I got to be a part of his conversion--it really was an honor. He's overjoyed! His life has completely turned around and he actually is feeling true happiness. I love being a missionary! And NOW I'm ready for my visa!

  So this past week was transfers. Elder Bowen left for Bisbee (ugh Bisbee). He's our district leader now. Elder Muniz (with a tilde over the n) has filled his spot in our companionship. Elder Muniz has five weeks left before he goes home! Crazy! He's a really good teacher. But. He's from Utah. So now it's me and two utards haha. He says things like "oh fetch!" and "he totally biffed it!" Aye aye aye.

  Well, the other day we met a girl who told us her name was "um..here? uh.. Blanca." We saw her again and she said, "Hey guys!"I said, "Hi Blanca!" She responded, "You guys remember my name? That's nice.." Well, did you try the chili lollipops?! How were they?! What are you all doing for New Year's? We have to be safe in our apt. at 6PM. Oh, and what does a tear drop tattoo mean if it's not solid? We met a guy who had it. Elder Sharp gave him five dollars for "gas" which is the only reason the guy listened to us.

Well, I love you all! I'm excited to call again at the airport (hopefully soon). Have a happy New Year! And to all my friends and family reading this as well!

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier

 

Feliz Navidad!



Dear Family!

  Merry Christmas!!! I am so excited to be here still for the holiday. I've read all your emails and am so happy that you're all together again! It makes me feel better knowing that. I'm also glad that everybody is doing well. This week was pretty strange. I had to go on a week-long exchange because our district leader got to go home a few days early to be there for a few days before Christmas. So someone had to fill his place before transfers. I was in Bisbee (actually their area also covers Elfrida, Sunsites, and Naco). It was super boring because there was SO much driving to do. I got SO sick of all the music we had, so we went to Walmart and bought Christmas music. But I'm sending the disc I bought home. Max will like it. Last time I emailed you was a monday. Later that day, Roger, one of our investigators, went insane. The story is that we went to go give his friend a blessing (who is a member), but Roger also put his hands on Randy's head... So Elder Bowen (who just got transferred to become the new district leader) politely told him that the priesthood was something he would get after baptism. Well, after the blessing, Roger wanted a word with us outside. "To chastize the @*%$ out of [us]" Apparently he had just been annointed a priest in the Cherokee Nation and had "more power to give blessings" than we do. He was getting in our faces like he wanted to fight. It was bad. I don't know how he doesnt understand that his authority in one church doesn't apply to another church. He wouldn't let us explain. It was bad. So we had to drop him. He wasn't getting baptized for any other reason other than to marry Sister Farhendorff in the temple. Well, as he would say, that's "WRONG". Anyway, Ramon is still doing awesome. We can't wait for his baptism! Also, this week we were tracting in Bisbee. We met a kid named BJ. His mom came to talk to us at the door and said she was really busy at the moment. I briefly described the message of the Restoration and asked if she'd be interested in learning more another time. She was hesitant, but BJ cut her off and said "I am!" And that was that. We set a time to go back and teach them! BUT it's not my area. The exchange ended today. Transfers were today. Elder Glenn and I now are companions with Elder Munice. This is his last 6 weeks. Well, I'm doing well. I love being a missionary. I'm trying to be better everyday, to be more Christ-like. I really wish all my friends and family a merry Christmas. I hope that they'll take the opportunity to read Luke 2: 1-14 and to meet with missionaries! Let them teach you! But family, I love you and look forward to calling you at 2PM your time!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love,

Elder Mitch Poirier

Elder Nystrom

Living Life in Arizona!

MOM! I love you!

 Well, I taught gospel principles this Sunday. My lesson was on agency! I didn't make a pie recipe (b/c elder glenn would've been tired of it) but instead used a quote from Harry Potter: "Soon we must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy" It's by Dumbledore, but I had everyone guessing. They thought it MUST be a prophet. ahah. Well I'm glad that you're taking care of all the missionaries. I hope they love coming by our house. I feel that way with the McCue family. We're going there for Christmas. Should I call home in the morning? What's a good time for you all? And remember, if it's possible, I'd like Reagan to be there. We did get together, two zones, for Christmas. President Walker and his wife each spoke about Christmas time. They told some pretty neat stories. I really enjoyed being there. He doesn't really know me since he hasn't had a conversation with me since the day i got here, but he does know my name. I hope that I get my visa the day after Christmas!! I will miss Douglas though, and all the people here. I love you mom! I love what you said about the Prophet! Isn't he such a sweet and amazing man? I'm so glad that Ramon was able to hear him speak and know he is a prophet. Well, I hope you have a wonderful week! I really am grateful I get so many letters from you! Mom, this mission is exactly part of my purpose in life, and part of the plan for me. I can feel it. It's building me up so much that even I can tell. I can't imagine not being here to see the change in the lives of Erika and Ramon, and our other converts. It has really struck me in my mind and heart. I love you mom! Thank you for being so wonderful!

Love, your son,

Elder Mitch Poirier

Dad!

Thanks for that bit of world news! Very interesting.  I'm super glad to hear that sister is doing so well. It really is wonderful that you spoke with the spirit that night. That really was a powerful night. When i think about it, tears come to my eyes. How awesome is it that the Lord works through people like us? I feel so young and weak, and yet continually I'm blessed with miracles and the spirit to guide me. I'm very happy to hear that you are home teaching haha. Do you have a companion? My gospel principles class is going well. I really don't have time to prepare for it except for Sunday morning, but Heavenly Father really has helped me to do a good job and teach with the spirit. I like getting the class involved, asking questions, and learning about their personalities and interests. We talked about agency and the creation this sunday and I asked a few people which creation makes them feel peace and contentment. For me it's being underwater, especially under Kados Bridge. And I love when it's thunderstorming. It is SO good to see all of our converts and investigators becoming friends! I can't even describe it!

Well, I can't wait to call home on Christmas! I look forward to speaking with you all! Thinking about it reminds me of when we went to go hear Joe Brown's call. Am I really that old? Am I really a missionary? It's so crazy. I want to cry again thinking of how happy I am to be a missionary. I love it out here. I love the gospel. I know this is where I'm supposed to be. The mission is THE place to be at this age. Satan is working with all his angels to get young men unworthy to go. I pray for Max, that he'll prepare for his mission and prepare to fight Satan as the days get closer.

Well, I love you dad! I hope I didn't make you cry too much! ahah! Save those tears for Christmas!

Love, your son,

Elder Mitch Poirier

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, I'm running out of time! But this week was pretty cool! My favorite part was on Thursday when we went to the McCues for dinner. She's the one that's from Chile. Well, guess what. We made EMPANADAS! And I actually put them together (with all my expertise). Pictures included! She even made the dough herself! We had three different kinds: shrimp and provologne, cheddar cheese, and the meat/egg. They were ALL fried! And they were all delicious!! The other four elders didn't like it at all! Can you believe it?! We even had pastel de choclo and chilean salad! I was in HEAVEN. So good, but they are all so picky. When we left, Sister McCue told me, "Yo se que le gusto, elder" (I know that you liked it, elder). She likes me the most!!! She's funny too. When the others don't like something, she says "You're offending my country!". So this time I said, "you're offending our country." The other elders got mad at me haha "You're hardly Chilean!" Well, I have no more time than that! But I love you all and look forward to a phone call home!!!!! LOVE YOU LOVE YOU MISS YOU!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier
1840 E. River Rd. Suite 102
Tucson, AZ
85718

Still in Douglas!

 Big Ray in his "cranberries"

Querida Familia!!

  It has been kind of a lame week, all starting from when that little boy told me, "It's my turn on the computer" last Tuesday. We still have been able to see Ramon everyday to teach him and see how he is doing. Tonight he has his interview for baptism. It's incredible how much he knows this is the true church. I wish everyone would sincerely find out for themselves the way he did. Because his prayers really have been answered. He knows it's real, it's true. I really hope that I'll be here for Christmas to see him be baptized (and honestly I hope that he'll ask me to baptize him). He does like me the most. I can tell. Seriously. It's just they way it is; I don't mean to sound at all snobby. But anyway, besides Ramon, our week was pretty uneventful. I'm excited for Christmas! We've finally started listening to Christmas music in the car. I want to listen to the Christmas CD Aleksi made me.

Also, as I may or may not have told you, I suggested that we teach a Gospel Principles class for our investigators and recent converts. I've been able to teach both Sundays! I love it! The other elders tell me that I'm a good teacher! I took each lesson and made it a recipe, a pie recipe. And (shout out to Reagan) in each one I used the pie bird as an analogy for something. It's super fun. What makes me really happy is that our investigators and recent converts are all getting to know each other. They're even becoming friends! I do hope that you are all reaching out to help the missionaries and get to know their investigators and converts! And, mom, I was wondering what we could do to get the addresses of the two missionaries who taught you. I'd really like to write them and tell them what a difference they've made in our lives. Well, there's not much more to write, so I'll just put one short, random, funny story.

1) Today we were all five walking down G Ave where a bunch of shops are. A woman walked past us saying several times to us, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" What?

Well, I love you all! Merry Christmas! 19 days until I can call home!! Crazy!!

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier

 Ho, Ho, Ho

 McGraw's cousin?

 My Apartment (top right)

 My "room"

At the border

"Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny."  Thomas S. Monson

     UAdd a Note 

     UAdd a Note       UAdd a Note 

HAPPENINGS...

Querida Familia!

It's been a busy week and has sped by pretty quickly. I'm going to just make a list of what has happened. I've found that lists are easiest when letter-writing. If it's annoying, tell me, and I won't do it next time.

1) This Thanksgiving, the five of us Elders ate dinner at the Noriega family's house. They had a big hispanic Thanksgiving, with all their family over. It was all in Spanish, and only a few of the people there even talked to us. We were fed a lot though. I got to try Champura for the first time. I loved it. [I also love to have Mate at the McCue's house--she's Chilean] So it kind of felt like I was intruding on someone's holiday.

2) We baptized big Raymond Hartman on Saturday the 27th. Both Elder Glenn and Elder Bowen got in the font to baptize him. I got to confirm him on Sunday. It was nerve-wracking without a microphone [since no one can ever hear me]. But he had tears in his eyes throughout the baptism (at which, I spoke on baptism and the Holy Ghost) and also on Sunday. We're super happy for him. I'll try going on another computer to send photos. But you'll see that he's wearing his "cranberries"... you'll see.

3) I found a house whose number is 1023! It's a sign, right?! [For those of you who don't know, I always see the clock at 10:23 somehow] Well we've tried three times and no one ever is home or opens the door. I don't want to give up though..

4) We are teaching a guy named Ramon. We found him while tracting. He was out walking. He said he'd been waiting for missionaries to one day show up at his door. He'd been way into drugs, but had quit two weeks ago. He'd been praying for some way to know which church he should go to. He wanted to change his life. And then he found us. He's been reading the Book of Mormon, the little pamphlets we gave him (on the Restoration and Plan of Salvation), came to church this Sunday, went to Ray's baptism, set his OWN date for Christmas to be baptized, and is perfectly honest in intention. He's prayed to know this is all true and really got the answer, the feelings of his heart and thoughts of his mind, that it IS true. So awesome. He blows me away everytime we see him with how well he understands things. I'm so impressed by him.

5) We met a little girl who'd shaved her eyebrow off. HAHA Siblings, get why that's hilarious?

6) Then I accidentally shaved off my sideburn... HAHA what?

7) Last Monday was Pie Night at the Everett's house. They baked a bunch of pies. They wanted me to bake one too, but of course I don't have my recipe book. And dad wasn't online (since he had work off). There is one on Max's laptop, but it's too late now. SWEET POTATOE PIE was DELICIOUS. MMMMmmmm

8) The day after Thanksgiving, we had Thanksgiving leftovers at the Arnejo's house. As we left, I accidentally broke their bench that three of us had been sitting on. "It's okay Elder Poirier, it was just an ANTIQUE!" they joked. So embarrassing.

 

I'm out of time!!!! Sorry LOVE YOU

 

ELDER POIRIER



22 months to go...

Dear Family!

I'd send photos, but this computer I'm using doesn't allow me to connect anything to it. Who sent me the photo key chain? The young women or you guys? It's neat. I really appreciate all the mail I've been getting from everyone. I can't believe today marks TWO MONTHS out on my mission. Crazy! I really want to be in the MTC for Thanksgiving, but I'm not thinking it'll happen :( I'm kind of sad that I won't be home for Thanksgiving). You are all having so much fun at home, so that makes me happy. This week was a little harder for us. We at first had a huge success where we set FOUR baptismal dates, but since that day we have not been able to teach those people again! It's so frustrating. We keep praying that somehow it'll work out. Details in my letter home. This week, because of our lack of success, Elder Glenn and Elder Bowen proved to be a bit more moody. We all got in little tiffs occasionally. Fortunately for me, that is how Tucson was, so I wasn't at all discouraged. But I had to learn to let them plan the day because it seems that planning is what's always causing the arguments. So I'm trying to hold all my opinions back, even that of beach vs. mountains. I want to focus on getting along again. And we have the past couple of days. I really do want to just get to the MTC though and then on to MEXICO.

Well, Harry Potter came out.. Thanks Max for the details! Twenty two months until i get to see it!!! There's not much more for me to say. I enjoy my studies. I enjoy the weather. I like my compys. I get mail. Everything's great! I'll only be sad to leave Kassia though. I want to get on another computer to send photos. Anyway, I do miss you all and hope that you have a Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to list a few things I'm grateful for. But let me just say that because of my transfer to MTC/Mexico and the whole Christmas back up (with packages), please don't send me any packages for Christmas. There's nothing that I really need. I really do appreciate the thought, but it would stink for it to get lost in the mail or something. I might though be sending a package home full of the letters i've received and things i don't want to take to mexico. LOVE YOU ALL!!!

 

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier

 

THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR:

1) For my family of course. I love you all so much. We have so many good memories. I look forward to eternity with you all!

2) My call as a missionary and for the opportunity I have to bring people the joy I have in my life.

3) Water. I love the beach, the pool, etc. And I miss being able to swim

4) The prophet. I especially love rereading his talk on gratitude.

5) My friends! Thanks for writing me!

6) My dogs. I wish Bentley could sleep next to me at night.

7) Books. I really miss just reading books.

 

(random) but true. i'm grateful for a lot!



My First Baptism

 

 "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

   And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me! "

D&C 18: 15-16

Kassia's Day

Erika and her family

Dear Family!!!

  I love it here in Douglas!! One, it's been really cold!! We are always wearing our suits now. And our apartment has only one little heater in the bathroom. So we wake up FREEZING. But I found a blanket somewhere to go with my sheet haha. Now we're fine. We close our bedroom door, leave the bathroom one open, and let the heater heat our room. I bought candy cane hot chocolate packets today so that it will feel like Christmas. I hope I'm in Mexico for Christmas though. Two, I get along pretty well with my companions. It's definitely not so lonely with three of us. We have some really good conversations. Last night we were up until 12:30 in bed all talking about Beach vs. Mountains. It was 2 vs 1 (not fair, Utard and Udaho). But Elder Glenn was a shy, studious kid. Elder Bowen was a trouble-maker autoshop kind of kid. We are all pretty different, as I consider myself a scientist, pie-maker, Harry Potter fan. It's really fun here together. Three, I get to use Spanish all the time!! We went to a mexican family's home for dinner and had spaghetti and pizza. Have you ever heard of that? It's really good! I love mexican food now! ahaha what? I was confused. But we did go to a Chilean family's home for dessert one day. We got mate!! It burned my tongue really badly! She was from some city in the south, on the coast that started with a V. Four, it's really old here. All the buildings are really antique. It's so cool. We're going to a town called "Old Bisbee" today after lunch. You should look it up on google images or something. It's a little town set in the mountains. It's really colorful and kind of European. I'm excited to go.

We bike and drive. There are five of us in one ward, so the city is split in half for us. The best part though is that it's flat, so biking isn't hard. Unfortunately that leaves no excuse for my fall. My hand got all cut up, pretty deep too. It was embarrassing. But my scabby right hand kind of plays a role in my next story:

 I GOT A BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!

We were teaching three, unrelated people who all were set to be baptized on November 12th. Rae Marie is an old grandma who loves to finish your sentences and say "Gimminee Crickets!" or however you spell it. Michael (or Miguelito) is 42 or so and very short. He's really nice and was SO excited to be baptized. It really impresses me when people actually want to really know if this gospel is true. Because then they get a real answer. Erika is a single mom of three kids: Kassia, Erik, and Leyla. She'd been taking lessons for YEARS, but had her doubts. (She even thought that if she was baptized, the bishop was going to ask her to marry someone ahha). Finally she decided to keep her baptism date. Well, we'd been going to teach them all week, preparing them for their baptism, when two days before the baptismal service, Kassia asks us if she can get baptized too. She's eight. So yes!! We were so excited. I'd talked to her a bit. She's really sweet and very quiet. The day before the baptism we asked her who she wanted to baptize her. Immediately she pointed to me!!!! I was SO excited!! Let me tell you, it was one of the most special experiences of my life: so humbling and happy. I relate to D&C 18:15-16 so much more. I cannot really express how happy I am for her, and how honored I feel that I was able to baptize her. The other day she gave me one of her stuffed animals as a thank you. It was the lion from the movie "Madagascar". Wondering where my scabby hand comes in? Uh, duh, when I baptized her! I had it all wrapped up (for those of you who don't know, I had to raise my right hand to the square).

LOVE YOU ALL!!! KEEP WRITING ME!!!

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier.

PS

My address is the same.

                               More Walls                                 

Look Ma, No hands

My first mission injury---clumsy!

 

TRANSFERRED!

Dearest Family!

  I got transferred!! Now I'm in Douglas, Arizona, spanish-speaking, right on the border of Mexico. My two companions are Elder Glenn (as new as I am and pretty cool) and Elder Bowen (so far all he's told me is that I have a lot of stuff and will probably be here for a lot longer than I hope). Because of transfers occurring today, I didn't get my Pday yesterday. It's today. And also, my mail was put on hold until I got here. So hopefully I'll get a lot of letters this week. I won't be writing many today. It's pretty depressing without mail :( I seriously can't wait to get back to the MTC and on to Mexico. So this past week was pretty neat. We met a woman who's husband just passed away. We were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation. She really felt the spirit. It was a powerful lesson. Also, Josh and Heather are doing well, minus the car accident they got into yesterday! That was a sad goodbye (at the hospital of course). I hope that the next missionaries in that area are really cool and hard-working. I know how much the Gospel can bless all these families. Also, on Saturday we had several appointments from 1PM to the end of the night, all of which made us eat. Well. Of course. I had to vomit at that last home. I went to the bathroom and puked. They heard me of course. SO embarrassing. But very funny. When we left their home, I told them, "it was a pleasure... using your toilet!" Aye aye aye. Elder Ricks and I ended on a good note. He was super annoying and talked too much, but he was an obedient, diligent, enthusiastic missionary. It was a good experience overall. I really do just want to get out of Arizona though. Douglas is a small town. I wonder what it has to offer. I'm getting used to being a missionary. Again, it's a lot of hard work. I'm really being humbled. I again ask for your encouragement. I can't wait to call you from the airport!

  So how is home? How's Nana doing? How's November been? I feel like it's been forever since I've heard from you all! Thanks for the Greenie Package!!! And I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

 

Love, Elder Mitchell Poirier

Jesús es el Cristo

HELLO FAMILY!!

My heart goes out to you all! I miss you a ton. Things here are pretty good. We've found a lot of potential investigators. On Saturday I had the opportunity to give out four copies of the Book of Mormon. We are teaching a few people. I hope that we can set a few baptismal dates this week. We'd be setting them for the 4th of December. Although I'd love to baptize people, I really hope I'm gone by then. This week I treated Elder Ricks to icecream from an icecream truck three times. First I got a Double Screwball, which is the cone with two gumballs at the bottom (reminded me of being a kid, we'd have to wait until after dinner to eat it). Then I got a Spiderman and a Spongebob. MMmm. And since it's been pretty hot here in the afternoons, we sit in the shade and eat them. Basically, we've done a lot of tracting and street-contacting. We've been pretty busy. Saturday, Elder Ricks exchanged with Elder Neilson. So I spent the day in charge basically since Elder Neilson didn't know the area. He'd served a year and 5 months in Spain. But his visa expired and couldn't get renewed. That STINKS. But anyway, I did all the planning and leading. It was awesome. It felt so natural. And I had confidence in teaching people and going up to talk to EVERYONE. Actually everyone. I'm a leader, not a follower. That's one thing I need to work on though, is following a leader. Elder Ricks is annoyed that I disagree with most things he decides. I don't do it on purpose. I need to work on patience too. Anyway, besides that, the highlight of the week was the Halloween party and Halloween night. The party was fun. There were A LOT of little kids. It was good for our investigators to meet members. And I'm sure their kids had a blast. We saw a lot of cool costumes: Phineaus and Ferb (disney channel), a Lego guy, Glinda from the Wizard of Oz, and a few other cool ones. Halloween night we had to be safe in our apt at 6 PM. Then we planned for the week. Then we played with play-doh for an hour. It was fun i guess. I can't wait to go back to the MTC. Oh yeah, sad story. Adriana (our investigator) dumped us. She actually said, when we stopped by, "I'm glad you guys came. I have something to tell you." She'd been anti-ed. So sad. That was the week in a nutshell. Elder Ricks leaves for home in 9 days! Crazy! It makes me think of how great that day will be for me in 23 months! Well, I love you all!!!! Keep the letters coming, because when I'm in Mexico, I won't be getting them!!

Love,

Elder Mitchell Poirier

 Elder Ricks and I cooling off after eating ice cream

My Missionary Tan

BIKING!!!

 Play-Doh time!

                                                      Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Elder Neilsen and I with our investigators at the Ward Halloween party

Write me:

Arizona Tucson Mission

1840 E. River Rd. Suite 102

Tucson, AZ 85718

Los misioneros de tiempo completo, más de 52.000, sirven en 340 misiones en todo el mundo. Son siervos creyentes y dedicados del Señor. Su objetivo es “invitar a las personas a venir a Cristo a fin de que reciban el Evangelio restaurado mediante la fe en Jesucristo y Su expiación, el arrepentimiento, el bautismo, la recepción del don del Espíritu Santo y el perseverar hasta el fin”~Elder Nelson

ONE MONTH DOWN!!!

Tucson, Arizona Group

"The history of the world is the biography of great men."

Library of Congress

Elder Ricks and I

Hello Family!!! Can you believe one month has already gone by?! (Before I forget, can someone let Reagan know that I have been getting her funny letters and that I can only write back once a week? lol thanks) It's gone by incredibly fast. And Elder Ricks only has 16 days left on his mission!!! Crazy! Which means I get a new companion...mixed feelings. So this week was much better! I got SO many letters! That really makes my day! Scott Shumway and Stephen Bowzer each wrote me! Scott sent me chocolate haha He says that's his way to make sure people write him back. I have to find something that I could send.. So this week we started riding bikes. Elder Ricks had a bike without a tire, but he finally got one. Mission rules let us only have 900 miles on our car each month, so without a bike, we're running low on miles left. Thus we biked A LOT this week. My poor booty was so sore. Not to mention, I would have BAD helmet hair when we'd go anywhere. So I'm very grateful that in Mexico, we will only be walking and taking the bus. The weather here has improved a lot! It stays pretty cool all day. Although you can feel the heat of the sun, the wind is pretty chilly. So that makes riding bikes bearable. What I don't like is having to ride a bike in my suit coat with a backpack. That makes it pretty hot. But mission rules say coats on after 5 PM. Boo. So this week we met a young single mother named Adriana. She seemed really into what we had to say. We taught her the Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon. She had been looking for a church to go to and said she'd read the Book of Mormon and pray to know that it's true. We set a baptismal date (that's a mission rule here too--set after first lesson). She accepted because if she knows it's true, then she'll know she needs to be baptized. We invited her to church. She didn't come... So we have to go back this week and see what's up. We've just gotten a referral from a couple members. There's a guy who lives in the same neighborhood as about 10 other LDS families. He knows most of them. They always talk religion with him. He's accepted their offer of meeting with missionaries. He can understand everything we believe. But somehow missionaries have never made it out to see him. They've either been transferred or they were lazy. So we get that opportunity! We are praying to know how we should teach him. He needs to know for himself it's true, and that takes missionaries to commit him. One thing I've learned out here is that I need to have faith that God will answer their prayers when they ask if it's all true. If it is (which i know) then why on earth wouldn't he answer them? So it comes down to their faith and "real intent" (Moroni 10:4). We're meeting a lot of the members and are excited to celebrate Halloween with the ward on Friday. I'm already ready for Christmas though.. We're teaching another couple. Details in a written letter since I'm about out of time and need to send photos! Love YOU ALL!!!!!!!!! Keep writing me!!

Yeah--I did try the pumpkin blizzard...so good!

"If we are faithful to God in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life."  Hudson Taylor

TUCSON, ARIZONA!!

Oh family! I miss you so much! I don't really know where to begin. My last week in the MTC was pretty awesome. I love it so much there. I really look forward to going back after these few weeks in Arizona. Everything is provided for you, there are so many people there, you're learning a lot--it's just so great. I still can't believe how good of friends you can be with people there because you're always around each other. I hope to keep writing some elders and sisters while i'm here and in Mexico.  So I don't really know what to say more about my last few days in the MTC. I loved going to the temple so often. It was really nice even when we just walked around the temple grounds. I loved that it was getting cold in Utah. I loved being in the advanced spanish class. The MTC is great. I also got a haircut there, haha.

So one week ago I took a jet to Tucson with four other elders. I loved getting to call you all at the airport. I'm excited to do it again. I just need to get more quarters. Aleksi better answer her phone this time!! We landed and our mission president and his wife picked us up witht the two elders who are assistantst to the president. They'd all read up on our information and stuff, so Elder and Sister Walker started talking to us about things they learned. Elder Walker had served his mission in Chile, so he really likes that I have Chilean blood in me. In fact, he was in Chile during the same last two years mom was in Chile (I'm pretty sure it was '72). He asked us all how our spanish was on a scale of 1-10. Everyone said 3 or 4, but because I said 6 or 7, I got assigned to speak English for this transfer :( since I don't need the practice. But, I've still been studying spanish and have actually been able to use it three times now. People like to tell us when we go tracting that they only speak Spanish. Well. I can speak it too. So I take over and then they tell me they're Catholic and uninterested. Fun.

My companion, Elder Ricks, is from Utah. He loves loves loves to talk. Before his mission he'd shattered his leg and was on bedrest for a year. So he had no one to talk to. And then he served his mission. So basically he is socially starving. But he only has 3 weeks left. We get along though. I've just learned how to nicely tell him he's being obnoxious or talking too much.  There's so much to study and to work on. There's so many rules and things to do. And two years is a LONG time. My days and evenings are nice because that's when we're actually working, talking to people, and meeting members. I love going to members' houses for dinner. So comforting. I really need your encouragement out here. It's so important that I remember why I'm serving a mission because it's what keeps me going. I want to bring families to have the same happiness we have in our family- and that's a happiness and a family based on the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's fun to actually be tracting and meeting real people.

Anyway, the days here are pretty warm. They're in the high eighties/low nineties. But the mornings and evenings are cooler. I love seeing all the cacti. Some people own the COOLEST houses that are just so Arizona. It's P-day and we're in the library. I've got a lot of letters to write. But you can write me at this address:

Arizona Tucson Mission

1840 E. River Road

Suite 102

Tucson, AZ  85718

I love you all SO much!! I miss you! But I'm working hard and trying to be the best missionary I can. This is hard work!

"Spiritual privileges that call forth the powers of heaven are available to all who diligently seek them."Sherri Dew

New District at the MTC

  This is the new advanced Spanish-speaking District

      Provo Temple

The MTC is filled with old photos.  I love looking at them.

    

  I'm awaiting my visa to Mexico.  It may be a couple of months.



Go and Do

                                             District G at the Provo Temple

                    "You have one business on earth---to save souls."  John Wesley

             

Elder Roden (my first companion) and Elder Martinez from UF

                           My favorite elders--Elder Gonzalez and Elder Summers

Elder Summers is from Sacramento, CA.  He will serve in the Dakotas Spanish Mission

                                           Mi nuevo companero, Elder Midgley

(my new companion)

"The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion."

Dallin H. Oaks -

This is my escritorio (desk).

                                                      I have the top bunk.