Latest letter and some pictures from last week

Well nothin to new or special from this week. We worked hard and had some good success. We put a baptismal fecha with this lady named Fanny. She is a writer and has three books published so that is kinda cool. All they are is poetry nothin like huge, but it’s still pretty cool. And we taught the plan of salvation to her yesterday and she was really moved by our testimonies about baptism and the change that comes into peoples lives through the Holy Ghost. It was awesome. The problem is she smokes, so I have yet another person I have to get to stop smoking again. But I know it is possible, and I have a testimony of huge heavy duty smokers stop smoking. And she has the desire to stop and said she will and this week we will be putting our plan with her to get her to stop. So it will be good and I am excited. In my area things are going really good and we are working really well together. Elder Gimenez is awesome I have really become great friends with him and this transfer is flying by. And I don’t think we will be together next transfer cause I have been in Trapiche for 4 and a half months. But its really good and I am loving it so much. It is always just a blast to be out and with him working.

So this week we had zone conference. It was really good but it didn’t even seem like it was conference. But it was really spiritual and the mission is changing things up a little bit with the way we count our numbers and stuff, but it was really good. I again learned more from President Lindhall. He is such an awesome man and I know he truly does receive revelation for us in this mission. He shared a lot of stories from his mission, and things from his experiences and how we can apply it to us. It was good. Then the next day we had our interviews with him and he called me into his office and I saw I had things written below my picture on the paper that he had in front of him. That made me a little nervous. Then he sat down and started into a little small talk, and then said that in front of him he had notes from the zone leaders, my district leader, and companion about me. He asked me if I had any idea if I knew what they might say and I had no idea. The day before at conference he said elders had been lying to him about things and he knew the whole time, so that made me even more nervous cause I really had no idea. So I said I had no idea, and that honestly I have been trying my hardest and doing the best I can but if it says something differently then I will change, cause my leaders have the outside view and will know better. And he said let me read them. And he went down the list of compliments of being a hard worker and obedient and they all said I was ready for the next level and things on that line.
It made me feel so much better I was really nervous for a second, but afterwards I felt good and President told me that its all true facts about me and that I am ready for the next level. And he said I will maybe get moved cause I have been here forever but I will go up and he asked if I knew how to use the district leader verifying papers and said if I have questions about them to ask him or other elders in my pensh. So I will definitely go up to senor comp solo not shared, or district leader.... and he said that if I stay he wants me to train.... wow!! I am still new and he wants me to train, he asked my zone leaders if I was ready for that, and they said for sure he is. So that is a possibility. Also next transfer if I don’t train next, I will be one or both of the others and then the transfer after that I will be training. I am really excited things keep getting better and funner and it looks like it will continue to get that way in my future transfers. He said before a year I will be in lots of leadership positions. Its really cool how much confidence he has in me. I just hope that I keep improving on things and I don’t level out. But that all was really good and a confidence booster.

Also its kinda funny Spanish is starting to feel more like a second language to me rather then a foreign language. But some days I don’t know what happens, but I can’t understand a thing! Then other days I understand every word. But that really makes me feel good about things some days and other days I get A little frustrated and don’t know what the deal is. But it is really funny the things I have learned in just my short time on the mission. I was looking back and reading in my journal and I have learned a lot and already changed a lot. The impact of others on your life and the changes in others lives that impact yours and change yours is crazy and you don’t even realize it til after the fact.

So its about registration time around there for school. Is Sean going to be a HAWK or a BEAT DIGGER? Where is he registering and what are his plans and stuff? So now Lindsey is moving for sure? That’s hard.... but maybe Dane could hook me up with a sweet job making bank after the mission...? But thats forever away. But lately I have been thinkin a little about my future and schooling and stuff and I am not to sure what I want to do or am capable of doing since I limited myself a little from my slight lack of success in school before. I’m not trunky or unfocussed just thinking. I have lots of time I know, but just somethin I am thinkin about. Is Chris living back at home then? Everyone is doing well in schooling and work and stuff I am assuming and hoping?

Some things to possibly include in the package if ya could.... insoles for my shoes...(the ones here suck and rip after like two days with them) possibly gel insoles... a couple pair of socks for p day....postcard sized pictures of temples to give to investigators.....things from utah about utah to give to people in my areas.... copies of my hunting pictures....4x6 pictures of the family together, and possibly the same from the weddings of Austin, Ben and Lindsey to show to investigators who don’t want to get married and or have a problem with the law of chastity.... I really think this stuff would be good and help.

Thank you for everything I love you and miss you but I know there is no better place for me to be then here in Mendoza helping my brothers and sisters. Keep us in your prayers and help me with the spirit and the language.

Con Amor
Elder Bigelow

ps
Dad, please do help Jason with this stuff. You are doing such an awesome
Thing. I am so happy and proud of him and this decision he is making to
Serve a mission. I was thinking about him the other day and what he was doing
With his life and now I know. And I am so happy and was really excited to hear that stuff. Keep me updated on it and tell him I say hi and am proud of him.


These are pictures of his last transfer









COMO ESTAN

Wait there's one more letter!

Well I have been emailing every week and I just sent the emails again though and this time to more people so that you will hopefully get it this time.... that’s a little sad to me you have not been getting them. But its ok I forwarded them again so hopefully you get them this time. I think there is a problem with your email dad. And I just sent a letter today in the mail so you can be looking for that to come in a few weeks as well. But please send my new debit card I keep on forgetting to tell you but yes it does expire this month. So yeah, and I hope it gets here and not taken... ha but I guess we will see here in a few weeks.

This week was a pretty good week though. We taught a lot of lessons and helped people around their houses a bit and it was a lot of fun. And yesterday we had an activity in our zone where the whole zone comes to one area and goes on divisions with the ward members in that area to clean out the ward directory. To go by every family and see if they still live there and if they want the missionaries to come by and if there is any way that we can help them in any way. It was a huge success. We got some really good references of incomplete families, families with members that are not baptized and want us to come by and to teach them and just other people to wanting us to come by. Which is awesome, cause the mission made some new rules and made it so we had to drop a few of our investigators, but we were about to drop them anyways cause they were not progressing to much, and were just being complete ponchos about things that we were committing them to do. So its like we dropped them and then they were just immediately filled by other people new people to teach.

This one guy that we are teaching right now is awesome! He is living the dream pretty much. A random girl gave us the reference on the street one day and this last week we decided to go by and see if it was real cause we were close to his house. So we went by and he was there and wanted us to come in and gave us water and something to eat and listened to us teach the restoration and after he talked to us for awhile and said how he knows a lot about the church cause his girlfriend is a member and so he is investigating because of that. He wants to marry her but she won’t marry him because in her patriarchal blessing it says that she will only marry a member of the church. So he had her start teaching him a little and he went to church on his own, but not the one in my area and now is having us come and teach him. Wow it was really cool, and he told us how he really loves a lot of things in the church and accepts it all, except for one thing. When I heard that my heart dropped... the thing he does not accept right now is la ley de casidad. Talk about hard, he thinks that in this day and age that it is not good to have that commandment. That commandments have changed over time since the time of Moses and this is one that he thinks should be different. But we are teaching him and helping him to see the importance of it. Thankfully his girlfriend is being a good example and tells him no. But again look at how Satan works on people and closes their eyes and only allows them to see the worldly side of things and not the long term and spiritual aspect of things. He did not come to church yesterday but I really think that he could be baptized really soon. All he talked about on Saturday when we were with him was about baptism. So we will keep working with him and see where things go. And our other golden investigator still is coming to church but just wants to be sure of everything first before he commits to baptism but I think it will happen soon. Gido and Roberto are there names. Keep them in your prayers and all of our other investigators that they will progress and accept baptism.

But yeah this Gido kid with the problem with the law of chastity is like 25 or 30ish and lives alone with a way sweet house, sweet motorcyle, and is like an artist. He has a ton of money and just does what he wants. He is way cool. He invited us to have an asado at his house which we were way happy about because people have not been doing them anymore here like they were when I first got here to Argentina, because all the meat prices and wood for the asado has sky rocketed in the last couple months. It is ridiculous right now. And it is really hurting a lot of the members where they had to sell there houses just to have money to buy food and provide for their families and are now living in even worse conditions then what they were. And jobs here are hurting as well, and the doctors are on strike for not getting paid enough. We actually almost like ran into a riot today walking down the street here in downtown Mendoza in front of a government building. Pretty crazy stuff.

Speaking of, the hospitals here are way sketchy!! I went into one the other day to go give this guy a blessing. And there were like policemen in there with their guns and rifles and shotguns and stuff and the people are just dying cause the medical care here is horrible and if they make it out of the hospital chances are they get a nasty infection and its bad. I felt horrible for this guy and his family, that they don’t get they medical care that is necessary or anything. It just really makes me count my blessings for the country and state that I was born in and the amazing family and friends that I had to raise me and to give me examples and to help me all throughout my life.

We were walking to a lesson the other day and were on one of the main roads in our area and lots of taxis and cars are always driving on it. And a taxi went to make a left had turn and did not see a guy coming on his motorcycle and hit him. And the guy on the moto went flying about 25 feet and did a flip and landed right on the back of his head. He had a helmet on but it went flying about another hundred feet once he hit the ground and he was rolling and yelling in pain and got up and walked a couple feet then collapsed and like went into shock. And he was just like a bloody mess. Thankfully the police station was only like a block away and the hospital another like 10 away from that. So they got there pretty quick. But his arm and leg were for sure broken and stuff but I think he will and is ok. Just was crazy to see it right in front of us. And was the second we have seen in like 5 weeks.

I am doing great and I have zone conference tomorrow I am way excited and will be having my interview with prez. He has been emailing me a lot and telling me how I am going to be a leader and helping new missionaries a lot and stuff so I think something could be in the mix here. I am currently senior comp in my area so I dunno we will see what happens. And his daughter is in our stake? But his last name is Lindhall. And the area 70 authority is Bowen.... so you’re sure its not his daughter? But that is way cool that she will come here and bring stuff from you all I am excited. And you keep meeting these people like the Australian gold medalist. Why are you not hookin me up in some way or another? ha-ha chiste. But seriously.

Well fam. I love you and I hope you get this email if not I will be sending it to more then dad so that someone has it to forward to everyone. Keep up the prayers and our investigators in them as well. I love you all and miss you. You’re the best and I am so blessed to have so many amazing people and examples in my life!!!

Con Amor
Elder Bigelow

2 New letters from Elder Bigelow

(We haven't received a letter for a couple of weeks, and just heard from Zack today).


Well this week is transfer week and i am staying in Trapiche and am getting a new companion. Hs name is Elder Gimenez. He is from Juy Juy here in Argentina. Its a province in the north. He has about 13 months in the mission and is really funny i got to know him in my first transfer. He will be here on wednesday to work with me. Also the other latin that was in my pension is now in the offices and is the new AP so that is really cool. He was an awesome elder and i loved it being with him every day in the pensh.

The baptism went really well and i gave a talk on the holy ghost at it. it was good and i felt good about it. we had an investigator come his name is Roberto, and he is about 65 and a little overweight. He has a little problem with vision and walking but is awesome. He had us down load the bom on his computer to listen to it, and loves us coming over. His son is traning to become a Catholic preist and told him to quit listening to us but then Roberto just dropped major cane on his son. Told him that he feels good and we help him when we are there and that he has never done that. But will give him fifteen minutes to preach to him like he did us the first time and if he feels the same way he did then he will listen to his son and not us. And needless to say he is still listening to us and came to the baptism and to church yesterday and bore his testimony about the change in his life just from the short time he has had to listen to us. I was so shocked and impressed. the spirit was so strong and I loved it. That is in small part the fruits of the mission i think. He will get baptized this transfer I think. I am especially excited because I was the one who contacted him when he was sitting outside his house a few weeks ago. And those never work out like this one is or like the one with Mirna. It trully is the fruits of our labors and the blessings of your prayers. Thank you so much.

A couple things really stand out to me about this week and it is people that we have talked to in the street and in the park. One of them was a Jehova Witness. Which in itself is such an apostacy religion.... but its ok. They have one section of the scriptures totally interpretted wrong and they base there whole religion on that. it just amazes me how people can let satan rule there life so much and not open there eyes. Another is a lady stopped us in the street and told us why do you preach and invite people to church its all the same god and all believe in god so they are all right. Well I'm sorry but no that is not how it is. How many churches did Jesus Christ have on the earth when he lived here..... one!!! And if you read in the Bible a little bit you will find that there was an apostacy and a restoration was to come. We are not still in an apostacy like some churches think. Its not our words that teach people and convert them. It's the spirit and prayer and the feelings that they have of remembering that this is the church and that this is the way that we need to live. Its so funny how some people can just get so caught up in the world and what they have done. There is a way to happiness and its through our loving savior Jesus Christ who sacrificed his body for us so that we might be able to live with him again and be able to be clensed from our sins.

The family is such a key and vital part of this gospel and i see it more each and everyday. Just this week we went and visited the daughter of Mirna the woman i baptized last transfer. Mirna had alot of problems and the gospel and the church has helped her so much and we finally got her to give us her daughters address to visit her and when I spoke to her and bore testimony of the church and told her that her mother is now happy and feels more peace in her life because I was able to baptize her with the authority that I have which is straight from god. and showed her the picture and she started to cry and it was such an amazing experience. I love it and I love this work. I am so grateful that I have such an amazing family that supports me and that loves me. I hope that I can raise as good as a family that you have dad and Lisa and have the love and families that all of you are starting and have in yours now. I hope that I will have that in my family and my wife will have the same goals and desires as me.

This week is conference and I cant wait for it. I have never been more excited. And I will give you the same commitment I gave my investigators and members. Pray and ask to recieve an answer or some source of spirit from conference, and you will recieve it. I promise you that. It happened to me last conference.

I love you and miss you. Keep up the prayers and I will do the same they are heard and felt thankyou.

Con Amor
Elder Bigelow



Here is the second letter

Hey there family and everyone!

Wow what an amazing conference we had!!! It was the best I have ever been able to listen to and the thoughts and feelings were so strong. I really was looking forward to it so much and could not wait at all for it to come. I was more pumped then I have been for any movie coming out or for any sports game on TV or anything. And wow did it pay off!!! I was able to watch every single session with the other missionaries in my zone and the whole stake that I am in, in the stake center. I especially enjoyed the Saturday sessions. It was so spiritual and uplifting. It talked a lot about mothers and young women and their importance to us. It also talked a lot about morality. The last talk was by Holland, and wow!!! That was so good and he dropped some serious cane on morality and all that. I really encourage you to read it in the May ensign or liahona. All of the talks on Saturday, cause they were outstanding. I cant wait to be able to read them all again. I took notes on every one of them but I know there is still more to be found to help when I read it again. Some really cool things happened to....

So me and Elder Gutierrez last transfer tried and tried to get Mirna one of our converts to let us go talk to her daughter, who she had had problems with for years and years. They had not said a nice thing to each other in about 10 years and not even talked in about 3 or 4. But we told her the importance of families and we both felt so strongly that we needed to go visit and talk with her. Finally a couple weeks ago she agreed to let us go. So we got on the bus after getting permission and road 45 minutes away from our area into the area of the hermanas. We got there and found the house we were both way nervous but went knocked (clapped) the front door, and she was outside next door and said to hold on she is coming. She came over and was way nice but did not want to listen to the message we had for her but we insisted and said it would only be five minutes finally she let us in. She told us a little about her and we told about ourselves then she said that the sisters had visited her before but then dropped her and quit coming by. We explained that we were sharing a message about families and the importance they are in Gods plan for us and said we have something very special to share with her. I then spoke to her in English cause like Mirna she knows English and loves to talk in it. And I can’t remember the exact words I had but I know I was tingling all over while speaking and had the spirit with me. And I told her that I had a strong testimony of families and I love them very much and that I know she loves her families and that we all can change and have hard trials in the family. And I showed her a picture of her mom and the baptism and how I baptized her and told her how special it was and how at peace her mom is and how she wants to fix things now. At that moment, Debra, Mirnas daughter, started to cry and said how she did not have the best relationship with her mom but has so much she wants to share and tell her and everything. We then talked and bore more testimony and closed with a very spiritual prayer and left.

This last week Debra rode on her bike from her house to her moms to ask for forgiveness and a new start. She took that forty-five minute bus ride to only riding a bike to get that forgiveness. They cried and forgave each other and have worked things out a little bit and this last week they were inseparable. Always together, and a most amazing sight. I was walking around the corner to go into the English room for conference when I saw Mirna and Debra walking in together and Mirna holding the hand of the grandchildren she had only seen a couple times in there 13 year life and the other never before in her arms. It was awesome to see a family reuniting and sharing love one with another. That truly was one of the fruits of the mission. I have experienced and tasted of others but this was such a testimony builder for me and I think could help all of us in the family with all of our issues that we may have had and may now today have.

I have truly loved this time I have spent on the mission and the spiritual experiences are numberless. I am having a blast and experiences like this are what I wanted to have happen on my mission. Its not about numbers its about the lives that are changed by coming unto Christ and excepting his plan that he has for us and receiving and feeling that happiness. Bringing families closer together is what this gospel is about. It’s based around the family and I cant wait to start my family and have the happiness in it that is in this family that I am currently in I am so grateful for that amazing blessing to have been raised in this gospel and blessed with loving parents who know the way. A worthy priesthood holding father who was able to pass that along to me and my brothers, to have in our lives and in our families. I am surrounded by such amazing examples in our family and I am so grateful to be able to count my blessings each and everyday for this family. I hope that I can do as good as a job at raising my children as you have. And that my wife is half as amazing as Lisa or Lindsey or Becky or Jenny or Ashlyn all so great and truly hold the family together. Thank you all for what you do I love and miss you very much and cant wait to talk to you in some weeks and here again from you in a week. Keep strong.

Con Amor
Elder Bigelow