Hola Familia

June 28, 2010

Well I am glad to hear that you had a good time in Powell and at the reunion. I knew you would and I know it probably was not quiet as fun as it could have been.... if I was there. But now things here are going good. I have my new companion, Elder Moncur. He is from Bountiful, So it is cool to have another gringo companion and to be able to talk in English every now and again and just kinda be more on the same page. We are doing well and have been teaching a lot. We are hoping to have 5 to 8 baptisms this transfer and 2 more from the other elders in my district. So I hope that it all works out. But some of our investigators have been kinda weird. Like yesterday, one kid he is 15. We taught him on Saturday evening then in the night we called him and asked if he wanted us to come get him for church, and so we walked an hour out there to get him and he was sitting by the fire dressed, but would not look at us and told us that he is not coming to church. ahh.....my heart broke!! And I had so many emotions. He told us he wants to serve a mission and be baptized in the church and be like us, but I think his smoker of a dad is tearing him down, and talking bad about us when we are not there, cause we had 4 of there kids all ready for baptism and progressing and doing good. Then the parents got baptized in the evangelical church and now we can only get two of the kids to come to church with us. It is so frustrating and hard. I dunno what to do. But this week we are going to teach and baptize the little brother and sister and hopefully the other two come around more. Its cool the little brother is 11 and he reminds me kinda of Sean when we was younger. Looks kinda like him, and just kinda reminds me of him. Really cool kid I love him.

We were knocking doors the other day and it was so funny this guy just had a total freak out at us. He pulled up in his car and got out cause it was his house so we went to greet him and he just slapped our hands down and walked by so we talked to his wife. Well Elder Moncur did.... I followed the man and tried to talk to him. I said ¨hermano, una pregunta.¨ and he turned and yelled at me and said he was not my brother. So I said ¨bueno, igual, señor una pregunta. por que tiene miedo con nosotros y no quierre hablar con nosotros y tan anojado a siervos de Dios?¨ and he told me it was because we are anti Christ and murders and the scum of the earth that we are going to burn in hell. Then I tried to point out that our plaque says Jesus Christ but he would not listen and yelled and said ¨toma te la¨ which here is VERY VERY VERY strong to bug off. Very rude man, so we left and he yelled to burn in the land down under and yeah. Then he drove by in his car and yelled some more at us. It was hilarious!!! And the next day, the very first person we talked to was another guy just like him, with his children, in front of them. It is funny how little people know and how insecure they are with things. We got in a house the other day of this Catholic guy and he said he never has heard our message before but heard we pray to a John Smith or some thing and thought it was really interesting so he had to try it out and see why we think and do that. So we taught and explained lots to him. And he was very amazed and impressed. He learned a lot and has a lot more respect for us and wants us to come back and continue to teach him. So, funny and interesting some things here.

But not all went that way, negative this week. We did really well and had some awesome lessons so don’t think that I just realized a lot of things and how little some people know and insecure they are. We tried to talk to a Catholic priest just to see if we could take a tour of his church and learn of the Catholic Church nothing of the preaching ways, but he said no and was really rude to us. I just don’t get it sometimes.

Then we taught this kid who is WAY into drugs and robbing people. He is 19 and we were just using ourselves as an example with him on how miserable he is and happy we are and how he is throwing his life away. We dropped a little cane but he needed it. And then his brother who is 20 told us he hates Americans and we got into to a little discussion about that and came to the conclusion that all the drugs and crap has just fried his brain and he knows nothing. But we have been talking to a lot of the teenagers lately and they just throw their lives away. It is so sad to see it and how miserable they are. They are happy and having a good time for a few hours then days after they are feeling the consequence. Its really sad and just makes me so grateful to have been born under the covenant and to have had the gospel in my life all through out it and to have family and parents who exercise that faith and priesthood. I used to think that it was kinda restrictive but I knew that it was good for me. Just wish I could have been converted or something at an older age, after experiencing things. But now more then ever I am so happy that it was not that way for me. That I was able to always have it with me. I love the gospel and I love the way that it has sculpted me into who I am to be able to be here on my mission in this point in my life. Such a blessing!

I love you all and miss you very much. I hope all is going well for you and that your happy.

Con Amor

Elder Bigelow

ps. dad, how is my money doing in that stock thing? My car sold yet? And get

Dane to hook me up with a sweet money hook up like that after the mission, please. haha