July 27, 2015

This week was really busy and fun and crazy all at the same time! We really got down to work. Elder Morillo is a cool dude and we just get along. He is sort of quiet and speaks little to no english so I have had plenty of practice with my Spanish this week and for the next 5 lol. After transfers it just kinda feels like there is an energy to work and find new investigators! We found a few new ones and had 5 investigators at church! That is way more than we have had yet. I am excited to see how they progress. That is one thing I have been worried about is that I lack experience to help someone to progress and how to see if they are or not. I really just lack experience in everything lol. I feel like I can teach and even Elder Morillo says that I seem like a missionary with like 6 months in the mission.  I do kinda feel like I am the senior companion though because Elder Morillo is pretty quiet and I just seem to make all the decisions on where to go and who to teach. It has been stressful making that change from literally in training to leading lol. Elder Morillo is a powerful missionary and everything but he just seems to be lacking the leadership part. He is the district leader and everything and it is his first time with that so he is stressed about these responsibilities and I can't help because I have no clue lol.  But mostly I am doing just great and having a fun time. We are trying to apply and work with the members more and are trying to find some new investigators. I want to baptize a lot this transfer because I know that we can do it! Its crazy that summer is almost over! How are Landen, Braden and Holden? Of course they are not writing me because thats how life is so if you could shoot me an update about them that would be super cool lol. Love you guys so much! Elder Bigelow

 Hayden/Elder Bigelow and Elder Morillo

July 20, 2015

Hey Everyone!  So this week is cambios(change)! Crazy it has already been 6 weeks in the mission! Time is flying so fast I can't even believe it. So the news about transfers in that Elder Bravo got called to be a zone leader in Martinez which is just north of Xalapa. So I will be receiving a new comp named Elder Morillo to finish up my training. Elder Bravo says that I pretty much have finished my training so it will be more like he is just a regular comp for me. I will be staying in Cerro Azule so that is pretty awesome because I have just built a strong relationship with some members and they are starting to really be a help in the work. Sometimes we don't even ask for references anymore they just give us them lol. We have some really good investigators that I am excited to possibly become baptisms in this next transfer. My goal is 3. These include 2 familes that I am super excited for!  I had some cool spiritual experiences this week. One that was Tuesday that involved a recent convert that needed our help badly and I felt the prompting that we needed to go to his house. We are trying to help him with some addictions that have remained since baptism and help him be free of any doubts about the church. The other was that I went on divisions with a member of the ward, a 17 yr old named F. It was my first time teaching without my Papá and it was kinda scary. But my spanish could not have been better I felt. I taught two lessons all by myself and they were pretty spiritual and made me happy and feel confident about this next transfer. There really isn't much more news to report except for today, we will have to head to Tuxpan where I will chill with the zone leaders until tomorrow when my new comp will arrive. I hope you are all enjoying what is left of your Summer vacations! Love, Elder Bigelow

July 13, 2015

Everything was good for me this week! Just everything was like super fast, I felt like it was Sunday and then another Sunday. I swear. lol I gave a talk yesterday in church and that was really, really cool. My convert J got confirmed this week and he was so happy! He feels so clean, and me and him have this awesome relationship. We are always laughing together and just being weirdos. He really wants to find his eternal companion and get married in the temple when he can because we have been talking about the temple and families a lot. He never really cared for a family before and just has a couple of kids, but now he knows the eternal importance and wants to enjoy the blessings.  We had a decent week of work, met a few new investigators and have 3 that are progressing really fast and should be ready for baptism in the next change. It is fun to watch people change their life's.  My teaching has gotten so much better and Elder Bravo says that I teach like I have been here for 7 months and speak spanish like I have been here for 6. That makes me feel really cool lol. He said that I have a ton of potential to be a leader in the mission and has been telling President that since like the 2nd week.  We had to go to Tuxpan today for interviews with the President. Pres said something cool- that I will have many assignments and leadership in this mission! I don't know exactly what that means but I am excited to serve the Lord however I am asked.  Nothing really big happened. Just working and working, walking and walking (same thing right?) With us having Cerro Azul to ourselves we usually have appointments like across town from each other and then back again so we are running around all day. lol  I love you guys so much! Enjoy your vacation and stuffs. Elder Bigelow

July 6, 2015

I am doing fine and just being a missionary ya know? Like I am understanding more and more everyday and try to be in on the conversations as much as possible. I am learning the lessons and have pretty much taught every lesson at least once. We have some hopeful new investigators and are excited to teach them. 

But yesterday was super awesome! I got to baptize my first convert and he really is a pretty swell guy. He has such a testimony and was crazy to watch him change and he accepted commitments and lived them. I got to preform my first baptism and that was so freaking cool. 

The world is going nuts... But I could kinda care less right now because I'm in Mexico and the Lord´s work presses on!

I am also no longer in a trio lol. Our third buddy got transferred to Paponcla. Now its literally me and Elder Bravo alone in Cerro Azule, which is a giant area! My mission is losing like a ton of missionaries this transfer and in the next few months so we don't know what exactly is going to happen. 

Anyway I love you guys so much!

Elder Bigelow

So this is how Hayden celebrated the 4th of July in Mexico!

Then he saw this and looked like this . . .

 actually he said that he saw some cool bugs!

 He also found this really cool waterfall, but it happens to be very muddy and gross.

 He says that these are the things that missionaries do for a baptism!

 It took them like 3 hours to empty the dirty font. They had to do it bucket by bucket.

 Then they had the baptism and Hayden is extremely happy for the new member.