This week was a pretty great week for the most part.

This week was a pretty great week for the most part. We worked hard and had a little bit of success. So that is a good thing, no?

The thing I learned this week is that old habits start young in the people. Saturday we were planning our day and I felt impressed that we needed to go and pass by someone that is usually never there at this hour. So we go over there and this guy is just hammered drunk--like passed the funny stage drunk. So anyways, we start talking to him and he told us what had happened. He tells us that he was about to kill himself when we showed up!! So we stayed by him for an hour or so and then I said well we gotta go, but we will pass by later.  I also took all of his whiskey, drugs, and all the things that would do harm and put them in a black bag and we left. jajaja   So then we pass by later and he is doing a little better, so I give him a little tongue-lashing and then we put him to bed cuz he is still a little buzzed and hadn't slept for like two days. 

The thing that we learned was that he had started this habit of drinking when he was younger and when he had problems he would just get drunk, or when he wanted to be social he drank, or if he went to a party he drank. He didn't start out a drunk though. He just did it first to socialize and all of that, and then it just progressed into something that he could no longer control. As time went by he couldn't live without drinking at least a few times a week, and then every once in awhile just binge drinking on it. 

So what I learned is that you always gotta be checking yourself and your actions. Because just like him, the small actions that our friends are doing can turn into something that destroy your life further down the line. Nobody starts drinking or doing something with the intent of going bad, but a lot of the time that's what happens. It just escalates. 

The same thing will happen with us if we do GOOD things. If we pray, read, follow the commandments, it becomes an addiction. And its a great addiction, we start feeling that there is no way to live without these things. and there's always something missing if we don't have it in our life.

That's all I got for this week.  

Sorry its a little boring buttttttt--

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

Font Turn On Valve 

Not sure what that is at the bottom

Should probably have those feet wrapped in plastic!

1/22/2018 post

This week was a pretty good week here in mexico. Its been pretty fun for the most part here. I mean nothing too exciting happened this week though.  

Well we did talk about something pretty cool Sunday (or one of these days and I actually enjoyed it).  We talked about the torment of the soul due to your sins and other stuff.  I got  thinking and it was super cool.  I was thinking what if we could all see all the sins in our life at the same time, how would we feel?  We talked about that and I started wondering how does it feel to have a soul that has all this guilt?  When I got to thinking I found out what it felt like. Its like a sadness and a dull pain that just won't go away until you do something to fix it. Its a pretty terrible feeling that you really can't get rid of if you don't change. I believe that missionaries feel this a lot on the mission just because they know all of their sins or they just feel like they aren't doing all they can so the sins and the errors of the people here come upon them because they aren't giving it their all. 

Now just think of how much worse you will feel when you're in front of God and you're being judged for your works here on this world. Man that will feel even worse and the only thing you can do is ask to leave His presence. 

But here and now we have the chance to change it and be clean or try to be as clean as we possibly can. But I think that the thing that causes the most pain isn't the sins, well at least for me, its the guilt of the things that you left undone. Like all of the people that you make feel bad and you never really fix it or mend all the things you can. Those are the things (I think) that cause the most pain for the soul. 

This week was pretty darn cool as well because we are gonna baptize somebody this week, whoop whoop. This lady has worked her tail off to feel ready. It was super cool this week though. So she said she still didn't feel ready because she felt a lot of guilt because her daughter died and she thinks that it was her fault. So she said before her baptism she wanted to fell like she had received forgiveness for this. So we said one way you can is you can fast for the things that you need, and in this case for more peace in this. So anyways, she fasted for 12 hours and then said a prayer and she said she fell asleep and had a dream where she was once again with her daughter and she was just smiling at her, like everything was alright. So anyways  she wakes up and she feels as if a women or girl is hugging her, and then she feels a kiss on her cheek. She told us that she knew it was her daughter telling her that everything was alright and it wasn't her fault and that she's happy now. And then she told us that when she looks at the picture of her daughter she doesn't feel sad at all, but it fills her up with joy and love and hope. So she said she is now ready and she's a gonna be baptized this week. Whoop whoop. It was super, super cool. 

That's all I got for this week.   Have a great week. 

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

So just keep on keeping on...

This week was a pretty good week and I enjoyed it. However it is freezing cold out and my fingers and toes are really, 

really cold and its weird, cuz its still like 70-75. So other than that its been pretty good here in Mexico.

So anyways we are currently teaching a family and it was actually super super cool what happened. So we had 

divisions with the zone leaders and I went with him to the family that we were teaching, and (not cocky, but us 

two are the two best teachers in the zone) we went and we taught about repentance and we invited the people 

to stop smoking and follow the Word of Wisdom and stop smoking. So we told the one that had the most troubles 

that if you stop smoking God's gonna bless you more than you can know. And He promises you that you will 

see your daughter again (cuz she had died). So anyways, I passed by her house again two days later to see 

how it went and she was smiling. We asked how it was going and she said, 'Well, I haven't smoked.  The first day

 that I didn't smoke--that night I saw my daughter! We were walking and talking and just playing around, and after 

that I haven't had a single desire to smoke again'. So that was just super, super cool to see because we didn't 

feel like saying that last part, but we just started opening our mouths and the Spirit was filling it with the things 

we needed to say.

So the thing that I learned is that when God promises something He will complete it if we do our part and fill in 

our part of the promise. Sometimes we are to wait a little bit but we always know that it will all be worth it. I've seen 

that here in the area that I'm in. God promises that if I'm obedient and working hard He's gonna show me some 

success. I've been working like no other here, and Hey--I'm finally seeing the success and the promises being fulfilled. 

I see that all the blessings are being fulfilled with all the people that I'm teaching here. Its algo bonito--its awesome. 

So just keep on keeping on, and if you aren't following the commandments of God  just do it cuz, life is a lot better 

when you've got God. But God can't help you if you don't wanna help yourself, cuz God can't dwell in unclean things. 

If we aren't willing to clean ourselves spiritually, then we aren't willing to receive God. Many people believe that after 

this life they will be all good because 'Hey--I'll just repent and change'. But it doesn't work like that. If you aren't 

willing to follow God here, then you won't be willing to follow God in the next life, because we are going to have the 

same Spirit in this life as in the next. So just get better every day, and stop being dumb and going against the will of 

God.

That's all I got for this week. 

"Church is true--go be awesome"-anne bagley

Jan 8 - This week has full of lots of pretty great moments...

This week has been a pretty good week and full of lots of pretty great moments that were awesome. So yeah that was pretty fun.

The first thing that happened was that we were literally all over the place this week, and in different areas helping a bunch of members of different wards. Its cuz we are the only Elders within like 30 minutes, and the areas around us only have sister missionaries. So anyways, one of these days we got a phone call and the person asked us if we could hurry over to the hospital and give a blessing to her father who was dying. So we dropped everything we were doing and sprinted a long, long ways away. When we got there she explained that her dad was in a coma and his body was failing and shutting down. So we hurried up to the room and when we walked in the Spirit was just so incredibly strong. Beforehand I said a prayer to help feel the guidance of God when I was giving the blessing, cuz I decided my companion would anoint and I'd give the blessing. When it was time to give the blessing I started giving the blessing and I knew that I wasn't the one talking, and that I was actually just an instrument in the hands of God. When we finished and left, my companion said, "Hey you think he's gonna make it?"  And I was honest and said, "He's not gonna make it Elder."   He then told me, "I kinda knew that cuz in the whole blessing that you gave you never told him to heal and be whole again."   I then explained to him that the purpose for one of these blessings isn't just to tell someone they will be healthy again, we need to follow the Spirit. We ungir a las personas because the unción is to give the people rest--that's in the form of healing--and in other cases in returning to your Heavenly Father. And the blessing that I gave I couldn't say that he would be healed, cuz that'd be lying to God."   It was just super, super moving, no?   Cuz I was walking down the hall and didn't really feel anything, but the second I walked into the room it just hit me like no other.  I now know that in times of death God's ever so close to us, and around the family as well. 

The next thing was that we all just are looking for God in this life, some people have found it and the place and some are finding it little by little. The people that have found it have the responsibility to share it with others and help others find the truth and bring them to it. The people that don't have it need to trust in the Lord and in the people and give it a try. The biggest regret that I have here in the mission is that I never really shared the Gospel when I was at home. I have found this wonderful gift, and I was too selfish, or too unfaithful to share this with my friends and the people around me. Reasons such as thinking that my friends didn't believe in Him, or just that they wouldn't be interested. But the thing that I learned is that almost all of our friends and family believe in God and are searching for Him, and we aren't the ones to decide who will hear the Gospel and who will not. We are the ones that need to open our mouths and trust in the promises of the Lord. 

Also hard work pays off--that's also what I have learned this week. My companion and I have been working like no other here for awhile now, and finally we have seen a successful week. It feels great cuz finally I'm seeing the blessings and the hard work pay off. I could always see the blessings in my life and in the work, but finally they are shown as well. We need to keep pushing forward holding on to all the hope that we can possibly find and then wait out the storm and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes we won't be able to see it and some times it seems pointless, but only after the trial of our faith do we receive blessings. 

That's all I got for this week. 

"Church is true go be awesome"-anne bagley

Jan 1 - I finally finished Alma in Spanish

This week was a pretty good week. Por fin we had a little bit of success in this area. And another great thing is I finally finished Alma in Spanish after a week of reading that man its a long one. But I love the second to last chapter of it when Moroni is just giving Pahoran a new one for being lazy, man I should use that one with the ward no?

So anyways I actually learned a whole lot of things when I was reading the war chapters in Alma. So I learned more than anything that we gotta be prepared at all times. We can't just expect that our life is gonna be perfect because we are righteous, cuz that's not the way life works. We are always gonna have problems, but the thing that helps us most is when we are prepared, because when we are prepared we can do all things and overcome all things. Those things are gonna be really, really hard--but really rewarding afterwards cuz we are gonna see all the blessing in our life. 

We also need to "clean the inside of the cup before the outside." I take that as we need to first change ourselves on the inside. Our thoughts and hopes and also our actions if we expect to help others, or if we expect to recieve the blessings. Because you can't help anybody if you can't help yourself. And also if we aren't prepared then we won't be able to overcome all of the obstacles in our lives, because we won't be receiving all the help from God. For example, I taught it in this way this week the Sabbath day (Sunday). Many people think that if you work seven days and don't go to church or observe the Sabbath day then they will be better off. Well science says that seven is better then six, but science doesn't matter in this, because six will always be better then seven if this six has God in every aspect. 

That's how we should look at our lives. Am I living in the way that I'm receiving help from God in every moment or am I living it in the way that other people want me to live it. I can promise you that if you're living what some people would call less then a "seven" but you're living it with God, then even if your a 1-6 you'll be better off than this "seven" because God will be with you. He will lift you higher than you ever thought possible, but only if you let Him.

That's what I got from this week. 

Love you all

"church is true go be awesome"-anne bagley

Christmas!!

Dec 18--Things are slowly getting better and better

This week was a pretty good week, things are slowly getting better and better. So ive been working on that whole patience thing, and continuing to be diligent as well. So yeah poco a poco ¿no? Things that have happened this week...Well ive just given up on trying to remember how to talk normally in english because my grammar just blows its terrible. I cant even think well in english and let alone talk in english on command, so this is gonna be fun returning home and trying to talk normally con people. But its also kinda fun because it means that im actually like fluent in spanish no? but yeah thats just been something fun that ive been dealing with. Another fn thing is that me and my companion are getting along pretty well, we actually never have fought which is a relief. 

Story one:

This week we had a zone conference which was actually really really good, and we got a lot of great news. The first good news is that we get to go to the movies and see a movie. Theres this new movie in the theater called COCO and it was made by some mormons and literally everybody just loves this movie. Its an animated movie and the Area President told us that we all need to see it because its really good and talks a lot about temple work--Like the whole movie is talking about how some dead guy can't get into Paradise or something until somebody comes and says his name, something like that so we are gonna go see that as a zone sometime this week. And then on top of that we got the news that when we reach 1 year in the mission we are allowed to go to the temple. Just once, but its better than one time your last day in the mission. So I expect to go to the temple sometime this week as well or in the weeks to come. So that was some pretty exciting news and we are all pretty pumped about all of this.

Then Hermana Palmer gave a pretty killer talk to us which was actually really, really good. She started off making us think of a world without forgiveness of our sins, of other people, without comfort, without the resurrección, peace. and a bunch of other stuff. Without the birth of Christ we wouldn't have any of this, and that's why its called the good news and all that good stuff--no?  Its because thanks to Him we have all of these things we have the all the blessings in the world. Entonces, We have  to go and bring this news to other people and without any fear because there's no need to have any of that at all. All and all it was really good. Then she said God came here to earth for me, personally for me, and also for you every single one of us. And He lived His life for every single one of us, and He suffered for every single one of us, and He knows exactly how we feel. 

Story two:

Well we are finally picking up the work here and getting a pretty full tank of people to teach. This week we contacted an old lady named Virginia, and she accepted us to come back the next day and when we came back she was actually there and with two of her daughters. So we started to teach and everything an they accepted to be baptized if they come to know that the Book of Mormon is true and it was great. and then one of the daughters asked if she will ever see her daughter again, because she had died when she had like 4 months. So anyways I said yes you won't just see her but you will live with her as well.  Then she asked but as sisters not mom and daughter. And I said no hermana your daughter will always be your daughter and you will always be her mom, so don't you worry. And then I left a chapter in the Book of Mormon for her to read and then we came back to give another lesson and we started off with a song. It was a Mormon Message about Family Can Be Together Forever, you know that primary song. And when we finished the song  man it was water works with the whole crowd, so we talked a little bit more about that and we were also talking to their kids as well and they were all crying and all wanted to watch it again and again. It was great because we could see the their testimony is slowly building and growing. And they are a family of 11 and just great people.

SO anyways I just learned this week that we need to be more personal with God, and we need to believe and know that He came for each and every one of us. So that means that He knows exactly how we feel and what we are going through. So we just need to pray to him and talk to our Father in Heaven, and then turn to the scriptures and read, and we will find comfort and we will find that God really is talking to us and helping us out along the way. That's all I got for this week so have a great week and love you all.

"church is true go be awesome."-anne bagley

Dec 11--This week was a pretty decent week

This week was a pretty decent week. Its been freezing cold and I'm figuratively dying of the cold. Its weird to think that its only like 70 and I'm having a bunch of cold and am wearing my winter sweater, and some running tights, and I'm still cold. But hey, what's a guy gonna do?  I had the wrong idea of mexico.

This week my companion and I worked our tails off like no other. And we had a bunch of success during the week, and then Sunday came around and ya--nada--we had nobody in church--they all left us plantados when we passed by to pick them up for church. So that was really fun. Yeah--I feel bad when that happens, but then I feel fine because I know that we did all that we could possibly do, and they didn't use their free agency.  We  can't do anything about that. 

A little sad story that happened this week--but a story that really has helped me and kinda affirmed some stuff. So anyways we went to go talk to a MA member that was baptized a few months back and she told us that she didn't want us to ever pass by and talk to her again. I asked her why and then let her rant and just let out all of her feelings. And the thing is I felt a love that I haven't felt that often and just saw her in the eyes of Heavenly Father and felt the Spirit really strong and started talking to her. I told her "No hermana, we aren't going to stop visiting you because we aren't wasting our time when we talk to you. If you don't wanna go to church that's your decision, but you still continue to be our sister because you're a daughter of God. And we are gonna pass by, and if you are busy or you can't talk well that's gonna suck, but I'm gonna write a short letter to you ever day and keep it in my pocket just in case we pass by your house.  When we pass by I'm gonna leave this note on your door.  It won't be long--maybe just a few lines, a scripture and my thoughts, what do you think about that?"  She told me that that sounds perfect. Then I told her "We aren't gonna leave you, just like God never will leave you hermana. And I hope you can feel the love God has for you, and I hope one day we will be able to help you more."  After that we went on our way.  I was just super sad--not sad for me--just super sad for her, that she's just throwing the covenant away that she made with the lord, and that He has been trying to help but can't get through to her. 

This experience actually helped me out a ton, cuz I've been feeling pretty down and out due to this pretty tough area but this helped me fell as if God is accepting my offering that I'm giving Him. And there's other forms to have success in the mission apart from baptizing people. I think success is found when you can actually feel the love for the people. and also when you are just talking and helping the people around you and just sharing the love of Christ with them. If a missionary baptizes 100 in his mission but none of these people felt an ounce of love, well I would consider that an unsuccessful missionary. But a missionary that baptized less than that but did it with all his love and actually helped the people feel the love of Christ--well that one heck of a missionary.

That's all I got for this week. 

Love you all have a great week, 

"Church is true go be awesome"-anne bagley