Translados

August 13, 2010

Well this week is transfer week and I am still zone leader here in san Juan, but my comp is leaving and I am getting a new companion, he has one transfer more then me and is a gringo, I am really excited we will have a lot of fun together and have tons of success. All is going well though. I was really happy to hear from all of you today and hear that all of you are doing so well. Sounds like everyone is having fun in all sorts of different ways. Austin has inspired me to want to do a triathlon after the mission. I have it written down as one of my goals and aspirations. And Ben gave me some really good laughs with that video. And everything was good to hear especially that Alta won, and that byu has a sweet schedule and will be really fun to watch.

This week nothin to big happened. We have this lady Maria and her son Lucas that we are teaching and they are great. I am loving it with them and they are progressing well and we expect them to be baptized here in the next couple weeks. I sent home a dvd with an elder that finished his mission today and he will be mailing it to you so expect it here in the next week or so. And all is going well. I got bit in the back of the leg the other day by a big dog, it was right below the butt and it was really weird it ripped my pants but not the garments.... and it got my leg... but I dunno I had the mesh ones on so it probably just went through one of the little holes is all. But it hurt really bad and the day before my comp got bit in the hand by a boxer dog. So we had a good week with the dogs it appears.

We went up to zonda yesterday for church in this tiny branch from our ward. And it is in a house there and we go every week. But yesterday about thirty people came and I was sitting in the dirt it was a lot of fun and very interesting I loved it. The church is growing and doing so well here I love it and love to see all the success that is taking place and am very proud to be apart of it all. Such a special experience to see it and be with it.

I dont have much time I need to go and do meetings with the zone and get the elders ready for their transfers and tell everyone who is going and who is staying. But I love you and miss you tons. Take care and let me know asap when you get that dvd and letters.

Con Amor

Elder Bigelow

Su Favorito Misionero

September 6, 2010

Well this week was a good week we found a family of 10 that are inactive and only 3 are baptized. So we will be starting to work with them a lot and see what we can do to reactivate them and hopefully baptize there 7 other kids in the family. They are super nice and accepting of us when we come over and it has been good. The dad, wow...... he is the biggest man I have ever seen. He weighs a good about 400 pounds I kid you not!!!! And last night he got out of bed and walked to the kitchen 3 feet away and broke into a sweat... and the best part is he was shirtless. It was pretty funny. I could not look at him with out laughing a little bit and feeling just so absolutely scared for his health. But we will see what we can do to help and keep them happy.

So last week at consejo it went really well it was a good time. And president had all three zones that were battling all month of august to come up and to get a picture with the trophy. It was good. I felt good cause I knew we had the most baptisms in the mission so I felt a sense of acknowledgment that I won the cup. But it should be on the mission blog if you want to look it up and there always are lots of pictures and updates about the mission on it. So if you don’t look at it you should look sometime.

Pretty crazy that on Wednesday the last of my close friends leave on the mission and go to the mtc. Seth Beccerra goes to the mtc on Wednesday so I wont see him for three years. Wow that will be crazy and some big changes in our lives. I just barely got his letter so I wont be able to write him back only to the mtc I can. haha

This last week we also had a cool lunch. The daughter is now living in Utah in Orem but moving to St. George to get married in two weeks to a RM haha that served here. But like 3 or 4 years ago. But still a little sketchy. But she took down the address and the phone number of the house to call or visit or something if she wants to tell you all about San Juan and things like that. She was really nice. So don’t be totally shocked if an argentine girl calls the house or something sometime. I don’t know if she ever really will. But just for in case now you know.

That is too bad to hear about Alta. it is all because they don’t have the defensive coaches there anymore. They went to cottonwood to coach there last spring. So it was no suprise to me that they lost to Cottonwood or Bingham or Timpview. They are not that good this year and we all knew it would be this way especially if the defensive coaches all left. They were the lifeblood of the team success. But byu I am glad to hear is doing good and at least won their first game. And that Utah won that is good. What did byu decide to go independent or are they in a conference...

Thanks for the packages I will be looking forward to them and be excited to get them. It does not feel like it is my birthday and I doubt it ever will on the mission. But I am excited and I will become an old man... haha

So what is the news on Jason Bilanzich.... has he got a call or left or anything yet....

All is going well I miss you and love you and are always in my prayers. Tell the ward and everyone I say hi. Thanks for everything I really do appreciate it and feel it each day. Stay strong and do all you can.... I love the story at the beginning of the book of Mormon with Nephi and Lehi and the family when Nephi and his brothers go to Jerusalem again to get the plates and Sariah complains. But then testifies when the sons return and never ever again complains. What an example. Really good story, and strong testimony in the prophet and in God. Something good to have and think of now that conference is coming up. Love you take care

Con Amor

Elder Bigelow

(We all won the mission cup, but we had the most baptisms. 2nd to last on right is my comp)

Viento Zonda

August 30, 2010

Well this week was a fun interesting week, And hard and stressful all at the same time. But I had a good time and some good things happened and some bad things happened as well. But all and all it was a pretty good week.

This being the end of august we had 23 baptisms in our zone for the month. And that was and is the most in all the other zones in the mission. But we lost the presidents cup, that zone leaders win every week. We lost because we averaged 2.3 baptisms per companionship. And the zone that won has six companionships and won with 18 total baptisms. On Saturday we were expecting to win we did lots of interviews and worked really hard and did all our part. But Saturday we got phone calls and 7 baptisms we had planned fell through. If the didn’t fall through we would have broke another record and won everything si o si. So that was really heart breaking for us. But its ok cause 8 still got baptized on Saturday and we ended the month really well. The mission broke the record for most baptisms in one month for the Mendoza mission. We had 125 in total so that was really good and we all are happy for that and should be a really good consejo that we have these next couple days for the zone leaders of the mission with president and the assistants.

But this week it was tough working. It was 40 degrees and we had viento zonda. Which is really strong wind that comes through and it is nothing good. It is a wind that is really hot. So it was above 40 degrees and just ruined us. Gave us headaches and drained all of our energy. It was tough to work. And they say that that was just mild. It was nothing compared to what it will be here in a couple weeks to a month. So I will have that to look forward to.

On Thursday, president came up to san Juan for a little meeting with us and the district leaders so it was a really small group one on one almost. but he told me before how proud of me he is and that I am growing every week. And to keep it up and learn all I can that I could be at the top working with him soon if I keep it up.... wow that made me feel so good and such a complement to me from someone like him that I look up to so much. I am so excited for these next couple days that I have here in Mendoza with him in a consejo and I can learn even more from him. And in a practice he used me as an example and something we talked about in my very first interview ever with him. But still to this day remembers the details of it and said that it touched him and that is why he remembers. It was so nice and just made me feel so incredibly good to know that he listens and knows who I am. It was awesome.

I remembered that I also need some short sleeve white shirts if you could send me a few. Not buttoned collar, and a little more fitting not so like aired out and huge around the stomach and stuff. And if possible, some more diarrhea medicine. But other than that all is pretty well with me I said that I wanted.

How does Sean like Alta? Has he found anyone I know? I have a letter written for him I need to send I just need to get the time to send it off. And get it in the mail.

I hope all is going good for all of you I miss you very much and keep you in my thoughts and prayers always. Keep the scripture study up and go to the temple I miss it so much. And drink a dew and dr pepper for me, on me.... haha

Con Amor

Elder Bigelow

Mucho Trabajo

August 23, 2010

Well this last week was good. It was a little interesting. Lots of things happened and we had to do a ton of things. The traveling assistants came to our zone to work with us and to help out the zone. And to learn and see what we are doing to have the things that are happening happen. So the entire week I was on divisions with one of the assistants and my comp with the other and we worked in our area a little bit and went on divisions in other areas and worked there as well. Some really good experiences and fun times. We had to do about 20 baptismal interviews though, so we were all over the place doing that as well.

On Thursday night I got a phone call from one of my district leaders and he sounded scared to death and said that I had to come over!! And he just said elder bigelow I swear I didn’t do anything I did nothing I promise.... it was just one of our investigators and I did nothing I promise. So as you could I imagine I was so scared and nervous so I went over there with one of the assistants right then. It was only about 9:30, but we went over really nervous and not sure what to expect. We had so many thoughts running through our heads. But we finally got there and everything seemed to be fine as we went to knock the door. And then we got in and they seemed alright. And then he showed us a letter that one of his investigators wrote to him. Again expecting the worse I started to read it. And it was from a 26 year old girl that he is teaching and she wrote him a HARD core love letter!!!! Not nearly as bad as I was expecting. but it was still pretty bad and really funny cause he was freaking out. She told him how she loves him and wants to have children with him and is starting to save up money so she can move to the states and live with him and start a family together. That he is the man of her dreams and that she has been searching for her whole life. And on and on...for a fool page front and back, and the paper was very big, not normal size. So we told him to pray and take it easy and stuff and tomorrow he can talk to president at zone conference. (Cause we had conference the next day). So we left his pensh and called president told him what had happened and he said he would talk to him. And as we were expecting there was a special transfer. He still stayed in our zone. But moved really far away from his last area which is what is best.

We then had zone conference on Friday and that went really well I had to direct the entire conference and take care of a lot of things that was a interesting experience but it went really well I loved it and learned a lot. Now next week we will see how things went this month and we have a consejo in Mendoza with all the zone leaders with president to talk a little more and learn what we can do to better ourselves and our zones. That will be fun I am looking forward to that. And this Saturday we should have a baptism here in our area. That will be really good. it is crazy in this area there are like 600 members but only about 100 to 120 go. Which is really good. It is the best assisted ward I have had in my mission it kinda reminds me of home cause everyone has a calling and there are more then 20 members that go. But it still is not home. I still love it though. This last week was a really hot week and I got a little sunburned again. It is really starting to heat up. in the summer time here it get to be 120 about every single day. We still got a ways till the summer time but it is already starting to heat up a lot.

but things I would want/need......

needs....

toothbrush head

new card for my camera, mine is broken that is why i have not been sending

home pics

socks

couple new mesh garments

air bourne medicine

sun screen (just a bottle or two) of 30

wants....

charleston chews

tootsi rolls

tootsi pops

laffy taffy

hot tamales

peanut butter mm´s

recess things

peanut butter(creamy)

cereal

box´s of cake mix (but just sent the bag with instructions written on it)

mix for frosting and texas chocolate cake...

frosting

and whatever else.... just the usual

Did you get or have you ever got a letter from my mission president or phone calls or anything like that from him? How is the ward doing? Anymore baptisms in it? Tell everyone I say hi.

Well I am not sure what else I want to say. But I love you and miss you all. Things here are great, keep us in your prayers and we will keep receiving blessing. Thanks for everything.

con amor

Elder Bigelow

ps

Tell sean to find, Mrs. Lantis, and Coach Berry. My two favorite teachers. And that I say hi.