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

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