Just working hard..

This week was another pretty good week. Just working hard to try to train my companion, open this area, and a bunch of other stuff. Its pretty funny though because I'm literally doing everything--like every little thing. On top of that. I'm also teaching my comp how to speak English cuz Hna. Palmer has put more emphasis in the language study. 

I am also trying to balance a very prideful sister missionary that's in my district. 

On top of all of that I'm just having a good time not letting anything get to me. 

I had a pretty great interview with President Palmer on Saturday, and I really, really enjoyed it. We were just talking about the work and all of that good stuff, and he asked me about before the mission, and all of that.  I started to tell about how I was not liked before the mission.  I said that some people had told me some stuff before the mission that wasn't very nice and he said, "Man Elder that kinda blows. You should give me their emails and I could write a pretty great email to them." haha  I told that wont be needed. I'm happy with the stuff I'm doing here. It doesn't really matter what other's think. And then he said something that got me pretty hyped. We were talking and he said, "I love the missionary that you've become, and the way you work. You put a lot of Hall into the work and its great. I know God is proud with everything that you've done so far." 

That put me to thinking about my mission, and the missionary that I am. I'm definitely not your typical missionary. And to be honest I don't want to be that cereal box missionary--that's not what I was called to be. I was called to this mission for my personality, and that's how I'm gonna work, and that's who I'm gonna be. I have found that when I try to act like somebody that I'm not then I don't have success.  But when I just kick it back to the old school Tanner (but obedient, of course) I have a lot more success.  But I just try to make everybody I contact, teach, or anything smile and laugh. The work that we do as missionaries is suppose to be fun, and enjoyable and that's what i'm doing. However, its not like we go around just trying to be comics--no not just talking and trying to make the person you're talking to feel like and know that they are important to somebody. Lots of missionaries just get stuck in the routine and look at people as numbers not as children of God. That's a dangerous habit to get into, and hard to get out of. That's why I've been just trying to focus more on the people and not the numbers. I truly believe that every contact should feel like someone cares, and that God is actually there for them. If every missionary does that, then I believe a lot more people would join the Church, and get all the blessings of the Gospel.

That's all I got for this week. 

"Church is true--go be awesome." Anne Bagley

We should try not to judge other people...

This week was another pretty good week. It was a pretty unproductive week, and I just am ready to start another one. Its kinda stinky opening up another area, but I'm enjoying it.  I just gotta find my rhythm in this area. 

My companion seems pretty cool as well, and ready to work, which really, really is a relief.  He's a little weird, but there's nothing wrong with a little bit of weirdness, right?

Man this was really an uneventful week--so what to write about. 

Well, we got visited by somebody from the '70' this week for our zone conference, which was pretty fun.  Its kinda fun in this mission because we have such a high standard to reach that if we even fall short for a month (maybe two months) a General Authority comes in to have a talk with us and see what's happening. That's what happened this week.  We had a bad last two months, so he came in to talk to us, and figured out that the members were just  not working with us, and were just putting excuses and stuff like that. So he invited all the members to come to this Conference, and gave them a little lecture.  It was actually really, really funny. 

They were saying how they didn't ever have any time cuz they are always working (and just a bunch of stuff). So this generally authority said, 'Raise your hand if you have a smart phone'. Everybody. 'Now, who has social media?' Everybody. So he says, 'How many people do you have on social media?' We counted like 6000 people. And then he said,  'Who has their phone on them all the time?' And of course everybody. And then he goes, 'Well, let's do a activity with the missionaries. We are gonna go through your list of friends and we will find one of them and then we will send a message or scripture to them'. So five minutes later we finished and he asked how the members felt. And they said 'really good'. He then said, 'Very good. So I don't want to hear that you never have time to share your testimony or Church with people because you can every single day thanks to this.'

Then Sunday I heard a lot of stuff that kinda rubbed me the wrong way, so in the second hour they were talking about how we could help the ward get more people to church. I raised my hand and said, 'Well I think we should probably start with the gossip. Gossip kills wards and people's ability to feel God in their lives. And I'm not going to feel comfortable inviting people to church if when they show up all they are going to get is judged. We should know a lot better. We should know that we ourselves aren't perfect, and because we aren't perfect we shouldn't be judging anybody else. We all go to church cuz we are all sick and looking for help.  Nobody in the Church is so perfect that they should judge.' 

So one thing that I learned is that we should try not to judge other people. Nor should we try to justify their actions. It doesn't matter who has committed more sins in life, our who's committed the bigger sin, because its the one that judges that has the biggest sin of them all. That's one thing that I've learned as I have walked the streets of Mexico. Everybody has their own story, and we don't know it until we ask and get to know the people. 

So sorry for the short email.  This is just all I got for this week

"Church is true--go be awesome"-Anne Bagley

This week has been a pretty good week. (Nov 13th email)

This week has been a pretty good week. 

Got really, really, really annoyed with my companion to the point were I almost punched him in the face--but i didn't, so don't worry. He just kept correcting me on every single little thing. The most annoying was when I said, 'Oh, that car has a problem with one of their belts'.   And he said, 'There IS only one belt--and its not a belt'. And I said, 'No, there's more--and yes, its called a belt'.  He then went on about how he was right cuz his uncle worked as a mechanic for a little. So I just said, 'Yeah, let's just stop talking to each other cuz you're literally gonna try to correct me on every little thing, and its annoying me'. So I just stopped talking cuz I didn't wanna hear it from him. And then out of nowhere during the night he started saying that things like Bush did 9/11 and all that stuff. So I stopped in the street, grabbed him by the arm (like a nice, firm grip), and said, 'You need to shut your mouth. You're lucky I'm having a lot of patience cuz if it was any other kid I would of turned around and knocked your two front teeth out. So shut up and keep walking, and I don't wanna hear another word out of your mouth'. 

However I'm lucky and once again I was transferred today (as I was previously told I was going to be). I am training--so what is up little homies. 

Other than my companion, this week was a pretty dang good week. I knew that I was getting transferred and I knew that President was just putting me in this area to open it up and to just try and fill the teaching pool as quick as possible. So this week we went from only having  two investigators to having  more than 20, and a few complete families.  I just hope my ex-comp doesn't drop the ball on this one. And 6 investigators in church.

I did learn one thing--and it is that as missionaries we have the power to receive the most direct inspiration. Some people can get offended by that, cuz sometimes we need to be really direct with the people. The funnest thing was that yesterday we passed by a less active members house to talk to him about why he isn't going to church. So he starts to pretty much tell us well its just because this, this, and this--just excuses. So I told him that, 'Hey, you were the one who decided to be baptized. It was not the missionaries decision, and you know that it was a sacred promise with God. And God's waiting for you to do what you know you need to do. So I said some other direct stuff and then shared a prepared personal story with him. He got ticked and said missionaries are stupid like that, and they always are promising stuff that are really direct, and they need to be more careful with that cuz what if it doesn't happen. That's when I said, 'Yeah its scary when that happens, and when we promise really direct things.  But to be honest, we have the power and authority to.  So no, its not to scary--its actually really spiritual and special. And the people that doubt this power just don't have the faith that we were sent and called of God'. 

So he start calling me a liar and a bunch of terrible things. My comp was enjoying it cuz the guy was like worshipping my comp, but in the end i just said, 'Hermano, we love you and we want the best for you.  And yeah, I had to be a little direct, but you wouldn't have listened if I wasn't. But I say these things cuz its what God wants.  I do what God wants, not what I want.  And God wants to see you in the church renewing your covenants that YOU made'. 

That was just a testimony builder for me and my calling to be honest. I know that we missionaries are called of God and He is in every lesson, every contact, and every thought out here. That means when we say something, promise, warn, or anything else it is directly coming from God, not from dos chavos in a white shirt and tie.

I know this Church is true and its without doubt that I say that. 

"Church is true.  Go be awesome."-Anne Bagley

Huatusco

This week was another pretty good week here in Veracruz. However, I got transferred once again to another area- this makes it the third area in just this transfer, and my third companion as well. They actually sent me to an area that is literally in the middle of nowhere. Its un pueblito called Huatusco, and the closest "city" is a solid 1:30-2 hours away from us. We actually don't have to go to any district meetings because we are so far away. I freaking love that. However, President told me that I will only be here for like 1 more week, and then I'll be going back to my old area. Right now I'm actually opening an area for two weeks, and then I'll be returning and opening another area next week--this should be pretty fun. 

Elder Salazar and I kinda knew that we were going to be transferred due to our interview with President. He told me "va a ver Elder Hall"--which pretty much is slang for telling Elder Hall that he's about to be changed, or there's going to be a big change in my mission. 

He  told me and Elder Salazar that he can trust us with anything, and we are his two most trusted missionaries, and he has complete confidence in us. We need to know that he's gonna put us in hard situations to help strengthen the mission. So that next day we got word that we were going to be transferred, which sucked. 

But now i'm literally living in the middle of the mountains and its pretty awesome.  I'm tanning pretty dang well here so that's cool. This area is pretty weird and all backwards with everything. 

We are going to be working hard this week and I've got a pretty good plan to help this area in this last week that I'm here. Usually its the poor people that are the most receptive to the missionaries but not here--they hate us. As we say here, "son católicos con huesos colorados." However, the "rich" part of the community (I hear) actually accept us pretty well. The thing is they are all Italians, and they are a really, really tight nit group. So I have a pretty great plan of just going up to them and enter into their circle of friends. It shouldn't be too hard due to the fact that I look a lot like them (a little whiter, dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and tall). They also like accepting us into their houses to talk and they treat us just like family when we have their confidence. So I'm gonna try to take a different approach to this one. I'm gonna just try to gain their confidence, and just try to enter into the status of a true 'Italian'. I'm just hoping to get at least like one or two of them to church this week because, where one or two Italians go--they all go. And then we will slowly start working our way down to the other levels of the community. Since the Italians own literally all of the stores and restaurants here that should help us out a little bit. It seems that they get something they don't just keep it to themselves--they love to share what they have with literally every single person in the whole world. So yeah--we are gonna go that route this week and see how it turns out.  

Another pretty funny thing is that we have gained the confidence of the branch really quick. Just yesterday we had like every single person in the branch ask us for a blessing, and wanted us in their houses, and in the houses of all of their friends. And on top of all of that they put me and my companion in charge of the Primary Program next week. I'm pretty excited for that one. 

However, something I have realized is that time flies by when you are on your mission. It has now been a little over a year. Its been a year of a lot of things. A year of:

1.Bathing with a bucket of hot.

2.Flushing a toilet with that same bucket.

3.Speaking Spanish.

4.Doing stuff for others 24/7.

5.Washing my clothes in a bucket of water and soap.

6.Putting up on a clothes line.

7.Mexican Food

8.Racist comments and looks just because of my skin color.

9.Hate from every side.

The thing is I wouldn't have changed any of this for the world, or for any other experience. I've gained a lot over this past year, such as:

1. A testimony

2. A lot more patience.

3. Such a profound love that I didn't know existed.

4. I feel like God has faith in me just like I have in him.

5. Funny jokes and memories.

6. Great new friends from all over the world.

7. New families (that are Mexican)

8. A better character (don't get me wrong I have my same personality).

9. A different view on life.

10. Just more joy and light in my life.

Its a weird thing, but this year has probably been the happiest year that I have ever had, and its also been the poorest I've been all of my life. It makes me see that money really isn't a big factor in what makes somebody happy--its the things they are doing in their life. And its also about the people that you are around. I'm excited for these 11 months that I have left, and can't wait to see what they hold for me. There's going to be a ton of ups and downs, but that's life. We grow from those moments and can learn and grow from all of our experiences in life. 

That's what I got for this week. 

Love you all. 

"Church is true go be awesome."-Anne Bagley