Time Flies!

Hi family!

Nice to see all the pictures from girls camp and to hear your experiences. Really cool Marissa got her patriarchal blessing. I love reading mine and finding the promised blessings the Lord has for me.

During the course of last week I was hit over and over again with how fast time is going that I'm sure close to being out for a year. It honestly makes me want to work harder. Seeing that picture of Keith being home is a big reminder of how short of a time this is.

Well this last week we had zone conference and interviews which was good, a big spiritual booster. At Zone conference there were like five elders and a sister who bore their testimonies since it was their last zone conference. Last week Elder Heywood hit his 18 month mark. Basically, I'm being reminded how short of time I have to be a missionary and that I need to use it as best I can. I've been thinking a lot about what President Hinckley's dad said to him, 'forget yourself and go to work' Or en espanol... olvidate de ti mismo y ponte a trabajar'' I like it more in spanish I think. Sometimes the gospel and scriptures just make more sense in spanish. its kinda wierd.

Well our area is doing pretty good. We have a lot to work and improve on but good things are happening. One lady, Ana and her nine year old daughter came to chruch for the second time yesterday and really likes it. She said that at church the time just goes by so fast she wishes it was longer. She is living with an american guy named ricky, but they aren't married. She doesn't want to get married to him but doesn't have a job so she can't get up and move out all the sudden. Ana loves learning and is doing well, but it will be a little while before she gets baptized.

Thats the good news for this week. Thanks for your support and you examples. I hope and pray that I can be the missionary the Lord wants and needs me to be.

Love,
Elder Wagner

PS. thanks for getting that drivers license thing worked out... :)

Sher-man!

the infamous chigger!

Howdy everyone.

I got the package last monday. The salsa is pretty good. It is a lot different than hispanic salsa though. Its really sweet and not spicy, but I guess I'm just used to hot stuff now (i.e. the fire sauce at taco bell isn't too spicy.... weird...)

Anyways. Here in the wonderful state of Texas they have stupid little bugs called chiggers. Well they hide in grass and look for you skin and then burrow their little bodies under your skin. They itch and unlike mosquitoes, they stay around for a while. Minus 5 points for Texas being the best state ever.

Speaking of states, my California drivers license expires in september. I might just get a texas one while I'm here unless you know how to renew a license.

That's cool to hear about Marissa's adventure to the big apple. Question: Are there a lot of hispanic people in NYC? Since we just have a spanish group, I don't get to eat delicious home-cooked mexican food. I think I'm having tortilla withdrawls. We eat but its just not the same. And texans eat wierd stuff like fried okra?? saurkraut and wieners(thats what they called it...)??

Anyways, I seem to be rambling. So I gave a talk in the spanish sacrament meeting. There were like 20 people there. The one really strong hispanic member family, the rodriguez's were gone so most of the aaronic priesthood was gone too. I blessed the bread and the water and the lone deacon passed the sacrament. I spoke about the golden rule, or 'la regla de oro.' It was alright.

Well Raul (who has a baptismal date for the 25) is doign really good. We taught a lot about the fall, atonement and the gospel last week. I love it when people 'get it', or when they start realizing how important Jesus Christ is. Its really neat. I also love being able to understand and communicate with hispanics. They are good people. Sometimes we struggle to get them to understand but the spirit makes of the difference and if they are really elect, they'll get it.

As ya'll go to girls camp, be safe, have fun. Enjoy mountains and cold air. Its going to be hot and humid all week here... Mostly I want ya'll to know that I know that this Gospel is true. I've been studying a lot about the Atonement and Fall and repentance. Its sweet. I love being a missionary. I feel sad that I only have 13 months left as of today.

About the family we live with, its a couple and there in their fifties (I think...). Brother Francis (thats their name) is the captain of police here in Sher-man or Sherman. He has lots of cool stories. Sister Francis a way sweet lady and makes good food. They let us eat whatever we want which is way nice. I though it would be weird to live with a member but it is way better to be in a house and not an apartment.

Anyways... Love ya'll and say hi to Elder Jensen for me!!!

Love,
Elder Wagner

Sherman

Dear Family,

Well I wrote an email just a little while ago but it didn't send... I guess I'll write something different then.

So it was a good week. Pretty crazy. We were planning on having a meeting with the stake president so we had to get all sorts of reports and paperwork planned out. But the meeting ended up getting canceled last minute (a little frustrating). It happened for a reason though. We were on exchanges with the Assistants and we went finding since our plans changed last minute. I was with Elder Nate, who speaks very very little spanish. The first trailer we knocked on invited us in, I taught a decent lesson and they invited us to come back again. It was a young family, husband and wife a like a 2 year old. I have a feeling he will be a priesthood holder someday.

So here we have a pretty small group of spanish members. Its hard to adjust but its pretty much the same. We are definetly looking for priesthood holders. Thats what makes the difference between a group and a branch. Worthy, humble future priesthood holders is what we are looking for here. We have a baptismal date with one of them, Raul. He is a good guy who really wants to change. We are teaching him really boldly and its working, he is making big changes in his life.

I can't believe it was just a year ago that I received my mission call. It seems so surreal that its going by this fast. Sometimes I feel like I have so much more to do and improve on but there just isn't enough time to do it. I hope I'm keeping focused on the things that are most important and not on the unimportant things. (like Pres. Uchtdorf's talk in priesthood session)

Well I love ya'll and I'm doing great out here in Texas.

Its not easy, but its worth it.

Love,
Elder Wagner