This week in about 200 words. Aug 8, 2016

This week has been good. Even though we haven't had many lessons, we have been able to recognize the spirit more in the work. There are many simple things that the spirit helps us with. I was walking to go to a less active's house, when I thought, "We should go this way." And getting that impression, I thought that we are going to find someone here. I thought of the number 90 so we knocked on number 90. Nobody answered. As we were waiting, the house across the street caught my eye.  It had overgrown trees inside the garage/parking space, so I was thinking nobody lived there. But then my companion started walking towards the house. Must have thought it too. So we knocked. A man answered and said that he was really interested in listen to us. Cool!

If anyone is thinking of reading a book and want to gain spiritual knowledge, Read The Teachings of President Brigham Young. It's really cool. 

Shout out to Sister Haggard! My sister is a missionary now!

​The district.

Aug 1, 2016

This week was cool. For the first time in my mission, we had more less active lessons than other lessons with investigators. It's interesting because we have real numbers so we know faster when we need more investigators. (all the time) 

I think I might need to do what others do, write about each day. 

On Thursday we taught a investigator named Sergio. Normally he pays a lot of attention and we can't stop him from talking. But this week I think he was a bit tired. We started talking and he didn't comment, weird. So I keep talking and his eyes start to droop. oh. we kept talking but it got to the point where we could take a 30 second break from talking so then I say, a bit louder, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." "Amen." He wakes up. "When can we come back?"  

Today we went paintballing! I've got a few reddish/purpley things to prove it too.  It was quite fun.

Our cat garden. There are about 7 cats that just roam around in the apartment complex.

Today is Today. And Tomorrow is a Better Today. July 25, 2016

This week was interesting. We now counted with real numbers, and some of the missionaries, better said all, in my district are stressed to have only 6-12 other lessons in the week. 

The other week we found a paintball place. This should be exciting to have an activity. And it will only be about 5-6 dollars to do it. 

I'm doing great with Elder Dominguez. We get along really well and we are excited with the new changes to work hard. 

We had a real ward council yesterday. It was great. We planned things and acted.  We got 37 members to work on the ward list for an hour, cleaning the ward list, visiting all the members of the ward to see if they live there, errors in the membership record and everything. We found over 50 people who don't live in the ward anymore. Cool to see how the ward council can work when we really work.

The other day when someone asked how old am I in the mission, he responded, "Wow, you´re on the last stretch." At first I thought, "Don't say that. That means I'm almost done. I'm on the last curve." But the other day I thought, "What do I do when I'm on the last curve of the race? I sprint." Then I thought, "How can I ´sprint´ for the rest of my mission?" Our mission president gave us the cue: use real numbers. Maybe I was running slower than I could have during the race, but I need to sprint now. So I can say at the end, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Tim 4:7-8)

I invite all to think: How can I sprint? or maybe just how can I pick up the pace?

That way we can progress. Many might know the phrase, a bishop only really knows how to be bishop when he is released. We have to learn. That way we can be better. Now that I am District leader again, I know how to do it better. I can help more, and I hope to be able to help all people.  

New Transfer Cycle July 18, 2016

I am still in Casas Alemán, but my new companion is Elder Dominguez! He was in my last zone and now we are companions!  I'm excited. He's really cool and I hope we can stay together for longer than just six weeks. 

President Naumann has made a few changes to the way we count lessons. I always thought 20 lessons as a goal? I guess that's how it is outside of Mexico. But really just our numbers were inflated. Now we are going to count the lesson good, and it will really show our work not just numbers. I'm really excited with all the changes that Pres is making. Right now the number of baptisms is the lowest it has been in 8 years for the mission. But we are making changes to be able to Baptize more people. He explained that in one point in the mission, they baptized 1115 people in one month. All of us think: but now they are less actives. But really the percentage of less actives is the same, if we baptize 20 or 1115 the same percentage will go inactive. Better baptize more people, no? 

​After 17 long months, I found Bagels! Who knew they would be in the freezer section?

​If you want to see my new president and his family, they are in the new pamphlet of service and learning in the church. page 12. Interesting thing is that President Naumann is Chilean, his wife is Finnish, and their children were born in the US.

Zone activity in the Sports park, the only one in the mission, and its huge! It takes up a third part of the Zone leader´s area.

Have a good week!

Un Mango Según Su Fe Jul 11, 2016

We had transfers! Now I am with Elder Dominguez. Still in Casas Aleman. It's cool and I hope to have a great time working with Elder Dominguez.

This week we contacted a person on the street that was washing his car. Elder Paz always asks if we can help. He said no so then we presented ourselves and started talking. Something came up and Elder Paz asked if the Bull Terrier (the ugly fighting dogs, mascot of target) that was tied up across the street was his. And was saying "Oh, they are really aggressive right?" and he said "No, just with cats and other dogs. Go pet him. He's really calm." My companion responds, "No thanks, many people have said that their dog isn´t aggressive." "You know that sounds like a man of little faith. " Then Elder Paz pulls out a rat trap out that he uses for a faith/confidence test. "I want to see how big is your faith." (The test is that he springs the trap to show it works, then secretly takes off the spring, arms it, and asks the person to spring the trap, promising that nothing will happen.)  So he touches it, then says, "Now go pet my dog. That was the agreement, right?" Elder Paz´ face changes. "No. There was no agreement." Then I roll my eyes and I go to pet the dog. " Alli está. No pasa nada." (There you go. Nothing happened.)  Then the man goes inside his house, saying, "I have something for you."  When he comes back, "A mango according to your faith." He hands me a big mango, and from behind his back pulls out a tiny mango for elder Paz. (about 1 1/2 in) AHAHAHAHHA! That's my funny story for the week.

We also had a zone conference with President Naumann. It was mainly to present himself and his family, but he talked about Priesthood keys, and some misconceptions that sometimes we teach. Only presidents have keys. Deacons, teachers, priests, elders, high priests, seventies, apostles, first presidency, mission, and temple presidents. It was really cool. He talked about how the confirmation is a literal confirmation of the baptism done by the spirit. He said that he is going to do more classes like it, but on the questions we had during this class. (temple stuff!)
 

HAGS!

and...I love to hear about home. It makes me more sad when I don't hear. 

Hope. Aug 15, 2016

I gave a district class about hope today, and how it relates to faith. It's something I know and I´m pretty sure it was more for me than for anyone in my district. Ether 12:4 says, "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

I always thought of this scripture as a scripture about faith. But really I was thinking about how it talks about hope. The Hope is what provides an anchor for souls. Hope is an active thing. We don't just wait. Hope is to believe in the promises of God, and when we complete our part, He does His part. Hope is the way to defeat discouragement. When we are discouraged, we remember our hope. Then we know that we need to work, and everything will get better. God promises us many things. 

Who am I, saith the Lord, to have promised and not to fulfill? 

-- The Church is True, The Book is Blue

Elder Haggard