Weekly Email dedicated to Max

Dear Max and Family!

  First of all, I got the package on Sunday! WHOOP WHOOP new shoes! and a WONDERFUL Christmas CD! Thanks Max! And thanks for the letter Cassie! Now, I decided that I wanted to summarize what I said to Max on the phone today. First though let me explain that I wasn't going to call, but yesterday in church I had the great desire or feeling to talk to President Jesperson and ask for permission. I got all nervous and probably wouldn't have done it were it not for Elder Willett who convinced me. So I called President and he totally was okay with it. I don't know why I'm so intimidated by him. He's incredible though. So anyway, today I got to call from his office phone. I sent the photos. Only a few tears came to my eyes, but I love you Max! I'm going to make a list:

1) As for your first companion, be super humble, meek, and patient. If you are like me then you'll get annoyed really easily and get an attitude with them, etc. But now I look back, and It's just because I wasn't very Christ-like. So work on those attributes first. Chapter 6 of PMG. And don't worry too much about the MTC. Everyone complains about it, but I loved it. And everyone loves it as soon as they are in the field. It's great there. And Christmas there will be great. Apostles come to the MTC on Christmas! But you decide if you should switch to the advanced class.

2) Personal Sanctification. I sent photo of the article. It's that if we want the Spirit to really testify of our words, then we have to be worthy of it. Unfortunately even talking about HP makes the Spirit not as strong with us. You'll understand this more later in your mission, when you get to the point that you just want to see the success already! You want to feel the spirit SO strongly! I'm on day 6 right now. My list of things to give up are: inappropriate thoughts, sarcasm, harry potter, quoting movies, talking bad about anyone, getting frustrated with dumb rejections, cutting people off who are talking, daydreaming about the future, disobedience, wasting time, normal music (even in my head!), and killing bugs and picking leaves for no reason.

3) Read the talk by President Eyring from this past GC and print it. It talks about working even when you thought you were done working. I think it was the Priesthood session. Great. Oh and take notes on the Jeffery R. Holland MTC talk. Bring it with you on the mission!

4) When you miss home, don't look at photos or read letters again. Instead mentally and physically draw the investigators you are going to find, teach, and baptize. They're waiting for you.

5) Obedience is critical. It brings blessings. But being EXACTLY obedient brings miracles. So don't write letters not on P-day. Do your best to not obsess over letters. It's hard.

6) This wednesday we had a zone meeting with President Jesperson. We each had to ask one question for him and his wife to answer. I thought of a few questions, but I knew that they were wrong to ask. Basically they were murmuring questions. How comes. But the Hermana Jesperson caught my eye and somehow could tell I had a question I didn't want to ask. She told me in front of everyone that she knew and that I was going to have to ask it. So I thought of a different question. Does God love me the way the mission president does (Standard of Excellence, always more I can do, etc) or the way my parents do (no matter what they are so proud and I am the best missionary ever)? The answer was great! President told me that my real question was simply, "Does God love me?" True. And yes he does. He explained the parable of the talents. I may have two and some others have 4. But if we both do ALL our part, we get the SAME reward. So maybe my success isn't as great as others', but my reward will be the same--life eternal. And nobody is perfect, that's why Christ takes each of us from our own best and makes us perfect. The Hermana told me that I'll know the Lord accepts my sacrifice if I feel the spirit working through me. And I decided that if my parents were to understand the mission, they would want exactly what President wants out of me. So I feel motivated.

7) I'm sending a photo of my journal of the wednesday I left for the MTC!

           I love you Max and Family! Max, you're going to make a much greater missionary than I am! I love you and miss you!

Love,

  Elder Mitch Poirier

Hairstyle?

Family!

That's it! I have only 6 minutes to write you all! Well, I'm thrilled for Max, but I really wanted to know if he watched the Jeffery talk yet.... It is so incredible! I love you all! Until next week. Here's a funny photo to cheer you all up after this lame letter! It's how many mexican young men style their hair, except that their bangs are cut even. I love you all!

Love,

  Elder Mitch Poirier

It's Halloween!



I made BarBque Pizza for the baptism



Dear Family!

  What a crazy week this was. We are SO behind in everything because we have not had a bit of extra time. They cut our electricity because nobody paid (candlelight again). We didn't get to do laundry last week because we'd gone to Tonala. I'm WAY behind in my journal (which is the worst for me). We baptized three people and confirmed four! That was wonderful! We had a BBQ pizza night. We had a baptismal interview to do really far away. I could go on and on. Basically I just feel overwhelmed, but so grateful that we baptized! I want to keep baptizing! It's amazing how much you grow to love your investigators! I just wish that you could all meet them. The only sad thing is that only mom speaks spanish. The mission is really worth all the heartache when you finally baptize. I just need some time to catch up on a few things. I'm sorry if I don't have more to say. I feel like our lives are SO different and that I can't really explain what I feel or do or experience here through an email. Christmas will be here really soon though! I'll get to call home! Somehow it's already Halloween.

   Well family! Take care! Enjoy your last couple of weeks with Max! I think it'll be a strange reunion for us in two years. Three years apart?! A lot changes.

  I love you all! I wish you could know how much!

Love,

  Elder Poirier

13 months!

Dear Family!

   We baptized Karen! And by the way, can you believe that I completed 13 months! I feel like I JUST completed 12! The 22nd came as a surprise. Aye. How I love the mission (even though it is the HARDEST thing I've ever done)! This week we're planning on baptizing SIX people! Pray that it all works out! I love these six, so I'm putting it in the Lord's hands. Sunday morning came, and Karen had decided that she was going to wait until next week to get baptized. She wanted to wait for her 4 sisters to get home and be able to come. But then she found out that this weekend was transfers. She decided SUNDAY MORNING to get baptized that day after church. So we scrambled, got it all together, and baptized her. The service was very simple, but it was a success! She really feels so happy! I love baptizing. Really, it's the whole point of me being here. And as it turns out, we didn't get changed! So another six weeks here in Polanco with Elder Willett!! We look forward to doing fun things with our investigators and to baptizing more often. We're kind of figuring things out. Seriously, I love the two families we're visiting. I'll send a photo of one of them. The oldest son told me a joke yesterday. "Una persona preguntó, 'quién es el mejor pollero' y la otra contestó '¡pollo, pollo!'" Do you get it mom? It's like he's saying "Pues yo." They laugh because I tell them that my name is Elder Poirier, like pollería (chicken shop).  Anyway. I love you all! Thank you for writing me! Take care! Until next week! OH AND GIVE ME MAX'S MTC ADDRESS!!

   Gracias y con amor,

 Elder Pollo

This week's happenings

Hey family!

  Here's a short synopsis of what happened this week here in Polanco, Guadalajara, Mexico:

1  On Monday after writing, we went to go eat seafood with Tere and Sigifredo, two of my four favorite investigators. We ate a ceviche with squid, fish, and shrimp. But also a warm shrimp and squid coctail. I got the recipes. It reminded me so much of Florida! And we didn't get sick! The best part is that we're going again today to eat lunch with them! I love them!

2  Carlos and Lorena almost broke my heart this week. They are the other two of my favorite four investigators. We knocked the door and Carlos came out telling us that he wouldn't be able to continue meeting with us! NOOO. But I prayed so hard that that wouldn't be the case. I'd put it all in Heavenly Father's hands--this isn't how it should work out. But yes, Heavenly Father took care of it. We told him how sad we were and asked why not. He told us that he was getting opposition from his siblings. Aye. But then the Lord touched his mind. He remembered Nephi, and how he didn't give in to his brother's tauntings and opposition. They came to church! Church was awful by the way! Law of chastity was the Gospel Princ. topic. SO INAPPROPRIATE. aye

3  I got the package with the pants! Oh how lovely was the morning!

Love,

  Elder Poirier!

BUSY!

Dear Family!

  I don't have much time. But I just want to say that, of the people we're teaching, there are two families that I love. Tere and Sigifredo remind me of Lilli and Bill, so I love visiting them. In fact we're about to go eat with them (which is why I don't have more time!). Carlos and Lorena are like a young mom and dad meeting with missionaries. I love it! They have three young sons who love us, and they really want more unity and love in their family. Sunday morning we went by early to help make breakfast before going to church. We're hoping to start baptizing soon. Karen was going to get baptized, but it turns out she needs a little more time. She still hasn't really got an answer about the Book of Mormon. Well, that's it! I love you!

Love,

Elder Poirier

Conference Weekend



Dear Family!

  Wasn't General Conference wonderful?! I loved it! I have to say that it really helped me feel the Spirit in such a way that I remembered why I am all the way here in Mexico. I feel like this past year I've just been worrying so much about becoming the man Heavenly Father wants me to be instead of just doing what I should do. My testimony has just been on a plateau. I've just been saying things that I know are true, but not actually sharing my testimony. So walking out of that first session of Conference, I was a changed missionary. I feel the Spirit when I contact, when I teach, when I plan, all the time! I don't want to forget that I'm here to share my testimony of the Gospel, to call people to repentance and then baptism. I don't feel regret for the past year. It was all necessary in order to get to where I am now, but I promise that this year is going to be way different. I want to depend on the Spirit. I want to treat these people as the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father that they are. I want to make a difference and love the mission and not want to go home. So just so you know, this week marks a difference in my mission. I just want to please you all as well. I love you. I'm sorry I stress out so much. I hope that when I go home nobody starts criticizing me for how I handled the mission, etc (if I was too stressed or whatever). I'm doing my best and giving it my all and trying my hardest to do what I should be doing. Please continue to pray for me. I pray for you all! I love you! I love you all!

  Love,

   Elder Mitch Poirier