September 14, 2015

Alma 7 is an awesome chapter about what the Lord really took in when he completed the atonement. It was all our sins but much more all of our pains and grief and temptations. You can pray to receive love and relief from even the smallest stresses. 

Well my week was pretty awesome to tell you the truth! We went from having 1 investigator to 8 lol. We just went on a finding spree and found like 7 people in like 3 days. Made me feel really good because at first I was really nervous that we were not progressing in the work and that it was my fault as mayor. That all changed this week lol. I know the Lord is helping me out because some of these families that we found were really cool miracles including an old lady that literally asked us at the door what she needs to do to be baptized. Hopefully we can have a ton of success with this transfer and I can keep working and finding new people this week and my whole mission. 

Like now that I am mayor I feel like the mission is flying by way faster. These two weeks were like 2 seconds, I swear. This week should be really cool because it is the 15 de septiembre, which is the Mexican Independence Day. We have to be in our house at like 6 at night. So, literally we cannot work like at all. Also, we have a class with Pres. Greer in the mañana till like 2. Literally not a day for work which I am kinda sad about but it will also be a really awesome relief. 

Today was a super sick pday! We played nerf in the morning with our zone lol It was super awesome because we just were a bunch of idiots and young boys lol. Then after we went and ate at a place called Peter Dog. It is a hot dog and hamburger place that is super American and good. All the zone was like Elder Bigelow needs to do the challenge! I was like bueno lol. It was to eat 2 hamburgers of 4 patties each with like a ton of cheese 8 (like a ton of cheese lol) and toppings and everything with 6 big buns and like 8 onion rings and a coke in 20 mins. I almost did it too! Like I finished all the meat and toppings and onion rings and only needed to eat the bread in like 5 mins and I couldn't chew fast enough to swallow and so I lost. But I was so close lol. It was fun and the whole zone was there cheering me on and well I have cool pictures lol. 

La verdad (The truth), I am doing like really amazing here. My kid Elder Chiñas is like really cool and we are progressing really fast. I had surprise divisions with the Zone leaders and I went with Elder Morales. The whole time he was talking about how I need to be preparing because I am going to serve as district leader and zone leader really fast in the mission. It kinda freaked me out because I don't feel prepared for what I am doing now. Then to have to lead people, I just don't know how I would be able to do it. My spanish is doing good but I don't feel like I could have the respect of latinos if I was to be leading them. That's in the future however and right now I am happy and healthy lol. I know that if I am chosen to lead, the Lord will help me do so. Sometimes I have a hard time taking control, but the Lord is helping me do what is necessary to work. 

I am looking forward to keep progressing!

Elder Bigelow

Peter dog before (and that's only one burger)

After

Family Picture with my mom, my brother and my kid lol

September 7, 2015

Do you have a primary program in Mexico? I don't think we have a primary program because we really just don't have the kids. Right now in Santiago, I am in a branch and it is really small, like 30 people. There are a ton of less actives but I guess they don't want to have anything to do with the church.

My week has been pretty good, a little stressful because suddenly I went from being the kid and just kinda following my comp around and cracking jokes, to being the one making all the decisions. Like we were in a lesson and I was like man we have been talking to them for a while about nothing lol, when are we going to leave. Then I remembered that it was my decision lol. But we have been doing good work here. One of our zone leaders was the old assistant to the pres and he kinda came and got mad at us because our zone is not baptizing like it used to. So we have a goal of 20 baptisms this month. I won't be able to add any to that number because my area was really dead. When I came we had no investigators. We found one youth my age that went to church named Eduardo, but if all goes well he can't be baptized until the 4th of October (investigators need to go to church 5 times to be baptized). But we have some great plans this next week to hit up a few families that seem really cool. Hopefully we will be able to teach a family because I have yet to teach a complete one. 

Everyone is always so surprised at my Spanish when I tell them how much time I have in the mission. They always ask if I spoke it before the mission! Makes me proud but most of all its just awesome that I have the support of the Lord and the gift of tongues, because I know that I can't be doing this without him. 

It is crazy how much I have learned about the gospel in such a short time. I finished Jesus the Christ and am currently (trying) to read the Book of Mormon completely in spanish. It is really hard and takes me at least 30 min to finish a chapter because I have to use all my spanish skills to understand. 

I am really loving the mission though so dont worry about me, just that it is weird to get used to a new area lol. Love you.

Elder Bigelow

August 31, 2015

My week was pretty great! Me and Elder Morillo had another awesome baptism of a cute old lady who always gave us the greatest water or juice lol. Her baptism was really an amazing experience because I could feel the change as she came out of the water. She just stood there for like a minute before she even dared move. I feel blessed to have gotten to teach her and then baptize her before I left Cerro. Cambios came in last night and I am a little freaked out about what the President has trusted me with. I am going to stay in the Zona Tuxpan (woo para calor) but I am going to a sweet little island area on the other side of this huge river. The biggest news though is that I am going to be a Momma! I am going to finish the training of an Elder named Elder Chiñas who literally just came the transfer after me. I am mayor and a trainer the transfer after my training ends. Pretty freaked out but also really, really excited to see how this goes and to prove that I can do these hard things through the help of the Lord. Together me and Elder Chiñas have 6 months in the mission lol. But my district is going to be so sweet. Elder Soto my comp in the CCM is coming to Tuxpan to be the comp of my district leader Elder Wadman, and my old Zone leader, Elder Mesa, is coming to be killed by another Elder Apaza. I will have a ton of support from my zone leaders and I hope from my district leader. Other than that is has just been pretty crazy running around and packing everything up. I left Cerro last night and am in Tuxpan with another Elder and his comp. We went and ate at a buffet this morning and it was super delicious and I am still full. We have just been kind of hanging out and doing small things. I had a lot of fun these past few transfers with Elder Bravo y Elder Morillo. Just have to conquer the next few trials. Love, Elder Bigelow This picture is from our primary lol. They sent me like a packet of drawings and that was my favorite because it was just so funny. Practically all of them sent me in a sombrero or something like that and all the Mexicans were laughing so hard.