Really, Everything IS BIGGER!

Dear family and whoever else reads this here email,

So I'm doing great out here in Texas. Its pretty fun. I can barely get through a contact in spanish, but its getting better. They speak so fast! But I really am suprised at how much I can understand (or at least I think I understand).

Okay so there isn't like a timer for reading emails so ya'll can send emails but I can only respond to the family. Its harder to write as many letters to everyone so I'm sorry If you don't get anything for a while.

Well this week felt like a very long eternity but time is starting to speed up. So yesterday was the baptism of Jesús (he is 10). The Elder who started teaching him came and did the baptism and confirmation. I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. It was good, kind of rough with the whole spanish thing, but the service was great.

We are really trying to get the members of this ward to help us out. They just don't have their priorities straight, yet. Its hard because the Ward mission leader is a recent convert and the only ward missionary is his wife! He is trying hard, but doesn't know how all the things in the church work. But we do have some great members who are good missionaries. One old lady, Olga Martinez, invited her neighbor over for dinner and then we taught a lesson and a few days later taught another one. She is the perfect example of a member missionary and how missionary work is best done. She can help us out by answering questions and resolving concerns. Its awesome.

So Elder Barney is pretty great. He is a great teacher and his spanish is amazing. We are working together great and we should get lots of good work done here. One thing I've been trying to work on is being in the moment and putting my whole heart into whatever we are doing at the time. Its hard to not think about other things, but when you really focus in on what your are doing you can gain so much more from it. Everyday I look forward to personal study where I can learn from the scriptures and the Spirit. It strengthens me so much.

Well, the work is hard, but thats because 'salvation isn't cheap' (Elder Holland). I try to remember a quote from preach my gospel, "Discouragement weakens faith." That always helps me remember what I'm doing and that it will turn out alright because this is the Lord's work.

Keep up the good work. Study the scriptures and pray lots. Talk with your friends about the Gospel. The want to be baptized, they just don't know it yet.

Love,
Elder Wagner

PS. Squirrel story: So this cat chased a squirrel up into the tree and they were crawling around chasing each other. It was hilarious!