Still in Itzicuaro

Dear Family,

  This is now week 1. I'm still here in Itzicuaro with Elder Perez. We baptized for the third week in a row. Ruben and Laura. It was wonderful! We have many people who I feel really could get baptized in March, but this week we won't be baptizing. I got my TOMS this week. SO COOL. I love them. THANKS! And I don't really know what to write about. Elder Petersen went home today. That was fast. I only have 7 months left. It still feels like a long time. This week I remembered how I fell out of the BOTTOM bunk the night before I started Kindergarten split my eyebrow open, but how the night before Aleksi went to Kindergarten she had a dream that she flew with Jesus to the school. Um.. not fair? This week I've had some pretty interesting dreams that somehow seem to answer my prayers. Or at least they teach me. For example, in one Aleksi and I were on a Mexican bus and she asked me why I should judge certain elders for who they were at one point in their mission instead of who they are now. She asked, "would you want them to judge you for how you were?" True. So I have to develop more charity. And last night I dreamed that Elder Moberg (who already went home) called me to give me some motivation. I feel the desire right now to write in my journal. The mission is so emotionally demanding. But I picture myself at home driving alone and I know that I'm going to miss this great calling that I have. I feel like I'll probably pull over and cry. Or cry underwater. I know I'm still not figuring this out, but I've never felt so important to the Lord before, and it'll be sad to go back to normal life. Don't get me wrong, it'll also be wonderful. I think too much.

  I love you all!

Love,

  Elder Poirier

PS photos next week bc I can't connect anything to these computers..

Happy in Mexico

Dear Family,

  I love you all so much. I had a dream a couple nights ago that I was home again. I have those dreams all the time. They feel so real. This time I was still dressed in my suit and tag, but I went into my room twice, the second time turning on the light, but realizing that Nana was in my bed. She told me how much she had missed me and that she didn't want me to leave again. Aww. I haven't dreamed of Nana this whole time, as far as I can remember. I bet Max has dreams of home too. This week we baptized again! Janette and Yosira. And this coming Saturday we're going to baptize again, Ruben and Laura. And this is already somehow week 6, so next time I email, I'll tell you if there were changes. It's sad because our favorite other companionship, Elder Petersen and Elder Pathakis, is having changes. Elder Pete goes home on Monday. Wow. How fast these 6 weeks flew by, even for me. I can't imagine what it felt like for him.. But I wonder if we'll still play basketball in the mornings.

  I'm going to share the salsa recipe: but I'm not sure how much of each thing... just go by taste I guess.

Tomatoes

Jalapeños or chile verde (those are what makes it spicy)

Fry them in oil until they are soft and a little burnt in certain places.

Then put them in a blender with a little bit of water (the consistancy you want of the salsa) with onion, garlic, and salt.

Add chopped onion and chopped cilantro.

Good luck.

   I love you all family! Everything is well here. I just am content trying to do my best and recognizing what I could do better, but not stressing over it. I just want to be happy.

Love,

  Elder Poirier

21!!! Birthday Pictures

Mi Familia en los EUA

BAD haircut--oh well

Yellow sky means heavy rain ahead

Love the rain

 Dear Fam,

  This week was my birthday!!! I saved that birthday package until the morning of (really difficult, but worth it). Thank you mom for the list of 21 memories. I was cracking up laughing. It's so true how embarrassed I'd be to wear my scout uniform in Publix. It's funny here how all the missionaries eventually ask each other if they got their Eagle. All week it was raining and raining. My birthday was no different, but I take it as Heavenly Father's gift for me. He knows how much I love rain. So all day I wore the grey sweater you got me with one of the ties, my new belt, and my rain jacket a member is lending me. I felt really cool (as cool as a missionary can feel). My companion didn't really do anything for me, so after lunch I came up with an excuse to divide with another set of missionaries and work the rest of the day with Elder Berdejo. He's funny, so I enjoyed myself. The excuse was legitimate, so don't think it was really rude to divide. It's just Elder Perez's personality. He doesn't get cold. He doesn't get hot. He doesn't care when another month has gone by in his mission. And so he doesn't care about birthdays. At night, Elder Petersen and Elder Pathakis (two from Utah, but actually cool.. who we play basketball with) "surprised" me with a chocolate cake and candles to blow out. I say "surprised" because I already knew they were going to do it. When they called Elder Perez that AM to tell him, he didn't hear right and so asked, "un pastel?" When I asked why they'd call he came up with some excuse. So I knew. But I really appreciated it. Elder Petersen is great friends with Elder Parry (who was my compy last bday). So he as well knows how to treat someone on their bday. I just felt happy that day.

  This week we baptized Salomon and Michelle (two boys)! They were so happy. I'm glad we finally baptized! And we're baptizing again this week! I really like it here in Morelia, but mostly for the weather. Today is still cold (though prob not as cold as Chile) and really rainy. We went to eat tortas (which is a sandwich, not a cake like in Chile) with Tomas (a member from Elder Pete's ward). We washed our laundry. We cleaned the house. We're not sure what else to do. There's NO post office here or anywhere close, so who knows when I'll get to send my letter to the Shreeves. Plus I wanted to write Max, Reagan, Eva, and you all. Well, until next week then! Remember that the Lord loves you all!

  Love,

Elder Mitch Poirier

Solomon 

I'm almost 21!

Dear Family!

  Remember how last week I told you I was going to take a step back to assess and get a feel for how I wanted to work the rest of my mission? Well, Tuesday I fasted and prayed that I'd be able to figure it out--what do I need to do to have success and feel happy again. As you know, I broke a few weeks ago. Everything piled on top of me and I couldn't handle it. I fell and felt that I couldn't get up. That was a sad email.. BUT Heavenly Father gave me just enough strength to get up and keep walking, although with a limp. Well, family, I'm running again. (this is metaphorical of course). Wednesday morning I read Moroni 8 (I finished the BOM in spanish this week for the second time) which talks about why babies do not need to be baptized. I thought, "Well, I don't know how this chapter will really help me, but.." and decided to read it. Let me tell you, WOW. I was blown away. Read it. But I didn't pay attention to what was being said about babies being baptized. I read it as if it were a letter from mom and dad to me here in the mission. Verses 2 and 3 tell me that you're proud of me for being here in the mission and that you pray for me. Verse 4 tells me that it makes you sad when I have companionship issues (and therefore cannot let that happen). Verse 6 tells me that you both want me to work diligently. President says that we've got to complete the standard of excellence, so to really be diligent, I've got to do it. Verse 10 says that I've got to teach repentance and baptism. Repentance is how people change their lives to be in harmony with Christ's will. Baptism is how they promise that they want to keep living how he wants. Verse 14 basically tells me that if I'm not having success it is because I don't have faith, nor hope, nor charity. Verse 16 tells me to speak with courage because I have authority from God. Verse 17 is what you want me to be able to say. That I love everyone equally. That I want them all to live with God again. Verse 26 tells me that you want me to learn that if I have meekness and humility, I'll have the Holy Ghost as my guide. THAT will give me hope and charity. Verse 28 tells me to pray for my investigators. Verse 27 and 30 tell me that you'll write me again!!  SO overall I felt really grateful for the lesson I learned from that chapter. It renewed my faith and my desire in this great work. Read it, I hope you'll see how it applies to me. Starting Wednesday, the week took a different turn. We started to see miracles. A member called us to come over and meet her neighbors who are all interested in hearing our message. We had 14 people come to church!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's INCREDIBLE! And we completed the Standard of Excellence. This coming Saturday we are baptizing two boys that I really love. Their parents have to work out other issues that will take a LONG time, but the children are ready to get baptized. They're 8 and 10 years old. Basically, I feel good. I feel really happy. I only have the fear that I'll fall again. That I'll get stressed or lose faith and hope. But I plan to study often Moroni 8 and especially the Christ-like attributes. I want to be a person that I'd love. This week I hugged myself in the mirror. A member had told us that we as humans should do it every day to make sure that we love ourselves. As I closed my eyes, I really tried to imagine that there were two of me and that I was hugging the other me. It felt real. Maybe that all sounds stupid, but it actually comforted me. Even better than when I would talk to you all in the stars. So try it! Max especially.

  Now, it's almost my birthday. I love that I'm 21. For the first time (unless I said it last time) in my life, I actually feel that I'm 21. I definitely don't feel like a teenager. I feel way more experienced and mature. I hope that I really am. I feel like I'm really beginning to love myself. Maybe that sounds stupid too, but I really do like who I am. And I want to be even better. I love you family. Thank you for the first 19 years of my life that I spent with you all. These are only two years. Three away from Max :( but I feel that this mission is WAY necessary for my progress and happiness in the rest of my life and even after. May the Lord bless you all this week.

 Guess what, today I asked a new elder if they still make new episodes of "Hannah Manzana"... really?! I said it like "Mon" in english and "zana" in spanish (not pronounced like "nana"). You get it? Aye.

   Love,

Elder Mitch Poirier