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

One Year later...

Dear Dad, Mom, Aleksi, Max, and Cassie!

   I love you all! This week we had leadership conferences on Wednesday and Thursday. It really helped me to see what things we need to change to have more success. I'm going to really try this week to figure out how I can be really successful, not be stressed, love everyone and Mexico, and really change my mission! Thursday night I was feeling really depressed. How was it already my year mark?! I still haven't even become near the man I know Heavenly Father wants me to be! I know I may be making you all proud, but they expect so much more out of us that you all do from me. I wish I can find the way to just be at peace and love who I am and how I do what I do. I don't know if I can explain. But like I told Eva, I want to be Elder Poirier. Not any other elder. Elder Mitchell Poirier, that is. Because soon there will be another Elder Poirier in the mission! Whoa! Anyway, I'm feeling happy today. We didn't complete the standard this week. I'd explain more about why etc, but you don't care about numbers. Tere did go to church. She wants to get baptized! She just has a few things in the way. Olivia and Alberto finally were accompanied by two of their daughters, Karen and Lupita, to church. The best news is that Karen says she wants to get baptized as well. She's 22 and I FEEL AND KNOW that she'll be serving a mission in a couple years. WHOOP WHOOP! I bought sunscreen. I'm tired of people telling me I'm red. So hopefully by the time I go home I'll have normal skin again. Minus the tan lines of course. I love you all!

Love,

  Elder Poirier

WHOA!

Dear Family,

  Can you believe that in three days I complete one year on the mission?? And exactly one year from today was the last day I saw and hugged Max. One year until I'm home. Two years until I see Max again. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY REAGAN!!! This week my companion and I completed the standard for the 4th week in a row, even though on Thursday we didn't teach a single lesson. Just a whole day of nothing. Phew. Yet we did it somehow. Saturday we found two different people who quickly decided that they were TOTALLY interested in finding out if this really is the true church. They came to church the next day and loved it. Julia said "I feel really blessed." We're pretty thrilled, but we've got to start baptizing soon or all our leaders will be getting on us for completing the standard but not baptizing. By the way, I've been made district leader again. This time I want to do a better job of really showing love for each of the elders in my district, helping them feel encouraged. I want them to think of me the way I think of some of the great leaders I've had so far here.

  Kind of a funny story: we knocked a door and these two teenage girls came out. We actually knocked the door of their gated driveway. It's called a colchon. Anyway, they were acting as if they'd never seen gringos before. They went to go get their mom, and then we began to tell them who we were and the message we share. One of the girls cut me off asking "Are you gringos?" "Claro," I said and kept talking. Then she asked me "¿Me prestas tus ojos?" ahahahaha that means "will you lend me your eyes?" (she wanted to trade eye color). Weirdo. We kept talking trying to keep a smile, but not at all lead them on or flirt or anything. Then one of them cut Elder Willett off asking "Do you have a girlfriend?" He just responded, "We're missionaries." She asked, "How old are you?" I said 40. We set up a time to go back, but it just so happens we didn't have the time... Seriously, they were so forward. Elder Willett didn't at all know how to react. It was funny to me.

  Well, this week there's a three-day conference for all the leaders, so I'll get to see Elder Parry and Elder Padgett again! I'd talked to Elder Parry by telephone a few weeks ago. I hope that I learn a lot. There's a brand new elder in our house now. He's got a few issues with desire. He told his family last week that if he didn't enjoy this past week he was going to go home. They chewed him out today. The zone leaders told me that they want ME to do ALL that I can to make sure he stays in the mission basically, to really be there for him, encourage him. Be the example, they told me. He's not like Elder Silos who came out ready to be 100% obedient, and willing to work as hard as he could to be a great teacher. I miss Elder Silos. But anyway, last night I talked with the elder, Elder Alvarez. I told him, "I love my family so much that I'm willing to give everything I have, or do everything I have to do to please Heavenly Father, to serve Him, so that He might let me live with my family forever." It's true. So that's why I try to be 100% obedient, etc. I'm giving my all to be with you all, family. I love you.

  Alright, I love you all. I'll see you in about one year. Unless you count skyping for Christmas. By the way, I'm hearing that Nativities are all the rage here. I'll probably send more than one home, come Christmas of course. I LOVE YOU!

     Love,

Elder Mitch Poirier