Dear Family,
So I'm getting transferred today. Its sudden but its the Lord's work and he knows best. We had a good week too. Daniela and Luis Mercado came to church again with their mom who had been less-active. They are going to get baptized in a couple of weeks which is exciting. They are sixteen and fifteen years old and really have a lot of desire to do the right. Very cool. They were sad to hear that I have to leave. I'm going close enough that I should be able to come to their baptism.Its sad to have to leave when it was really starting to pick up.
Elder Bice is the man and we had fun together. He is really fun to be around and made me laugh a lot. His spanish has improved leaps and bounds and he has grow a lot. Friday and Saturday I was in Irving on exchanges. I got to interview someone on Friday and seee their baptism Saturday morning. It was a great spiritual booster. He was taught be the sisters there. One of them, a brand new sister, gave a talk and the baptism. I couldn't help but think about how awesome it is that Jennifer is serving a mission. She'll help lots of people. In our zone there are lots of new missionaries and it makes me excited for Zach and Trevor and everyone else from the ward who are going on missions. Our missions are special to use because the are consecrated time to serve the Lord. It refines us and helps us become who the Lord needs us to be. We serve others and by so doing, we become intruments in the hands of God.
I'm glad the trek went well and that you had a spiritual experience. Riley looks so big!! He's going to be taller that me for sure. I'm seending a package with some winter clothes I don't need since its starting to get hot. I haven't got you package yet but it'll get to me eventually. I'll get you the new address this next week.
Love,
Elder Wagner
Happy Birthday Dad!!! on friday :)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Oldest in the district!
Dear Family,
Hello, hello.
Sounds like an exciting week. Thats crazy you have a broken foot!!! Who would have thought? I remembered Grandpa Wagner's birthday was last week and I hope they got the letter I wrote them.
So I'm a little crunched on time today but things are going well. The transfer brought some changes because they made our zone an all spanish zone. So I'm district leader for 4 other companionships including the zone leaders, which now include Elder Haslam!!! Its fun to get to serve around him again, now that he's been out a year now.
The other scary thing is that I'm the oldest missionary in the zone!!! Meaning I'm the next one to go home. Its pretty sobering. The date I think it will be is the 18th of August. The transfer ends the weekend before and usually missionaries go home on the wednesday after. I think there is flexibility in that date though.
So that part member family that come to church is awesome. The kids want to get baptized and we'll be setting a date this week. I love ya'll and hope all goes well.
Love
Elder Wagner
ps. if you could send one of the older camel backs w/ the bladder.. .it'd be good
Hello, hello.
Sounds like an exciting week. Thats crazy you have a broken foot!!! Who would have thought? I remembered Grandpa Wagner's birthday was last week and I hope they got the letter I wrote them.
So I'm a little crunched on time today but things are going well. The transfer brought some changes because they made our zone an all spanish zone. So I'm district leader for 4 other companionships including the zone leaders, which now include Elder Haslam!!! Its fun to get to serve around him again, now that he's been out a year now.
The other scary thing is that I'm the oldest missionary in the zone!!! Meaning I'm the next one to go home. Its pretty sobering. The date I think it will be is the 18th of August. The transfer ends the weekend before and usually missionaries go home on the wednesday after. I think there is flexibility in that date though.
So that part member family that come to church is awesome. The kids want to get baptized and we'll be setting a date this week. I love ya'll and hope all goes well.
Love
Elder Wagner
ps. if you could send one of the older camel backs w/ the bladder.. .it'd be good
Monday, April 12, 2010
District Leader!
Dear Family,
So we are staying here in Grand Prairie! I did get a call though on Saturday, I'm district leader for the Grand Prairie district. Both of the other companionships in the district are changing though.
We had a break-through week last week! Things finally started happening. We had a great lesson with Ricardo's brother, Alexander and he came to church. So on Tuesday we taught a lady in our apartment complex for the first time. The lesson didn't go that well but a retired member of the branch presidency came with us to that appointment. The next day he calls us and tell us he called a less-active sister in our area and set-up and appointment to teach the family on friday. He came with us on Friday and we taught the non member father and the two nonmember teenagers.
They all came except the dad to church yesterday! It was a miracle. The lesson on Friday with the family was sweet. He committed the family to listened to the lessons and said that at the end of the lessons that they could decide to be baptized or not. It was perfect!
Saturday, we had a blitz in our area with our district and a zone leader and assistant. We tracked down families that had been taught over the last two years by the sisters but that never got baptized. It was pretty neat. The Lord seems to be pouring out his spirit here in Grand Prairie.
Honestly it really is strange that I only have 3 transfers left. I'm really excited for this area though. After a couple weeks of struggling we've started to figure things out and are on the path to success. The whole mission is "on fire" and has a record number of baptismal date already set for April and May. This week we should be setting a couple in our area!
So many good things are happening. I wish I could tell you all of them. Thanks for the support and prayers. Good luck with finals, Marissa. I liked the epic mountain experience that dad and Uncle mike had though, pretty cool. I love ya'll so much!!
Love,
Elder Wagner
So we are staying here in Grand Prairie! I did get a call though on Saturday, I'm district leader for the Grand Prairie district. Both of the other companionships in the district are changing though.
We had a break-through week last week! Things finally started happening. We had a great lesson with Ricardo's brother, Alexander and he came to church. So on Tuesday we taught a lady in our apartment complex for the first time. The lesson didn't go that well but a retired member of the branch presidency came with us to that appointment. The next day he calls us and tell us he called a less-active sister in our area and set-up and appointment to teach the family on friday. He came with us on Friday and we taught the non member father and the two nonmember teenagers.
They all came except the dad to church yesterday! It was a miracle. The lesson on Friday with the family was sweet. He committed the family to listened to the lessons and said that at the end of the lessons that they could decide to be baptized or not. It was perfect!
Saturday, we had a blitz in our area with our district and a zone leader and assistant. We tracked down families that had been taught over the last two years by the sisters but that never got baptized. It was pretty neat. The Lord seems to be pouring out his spirit here in Grand Prairie.
Honestly it really is strange that I only have 3 transfers left. I'm really excited for this area though. After a couple weeks of struggling we've started to figure things out and are on the path to success. The whole mission is "on fire" and has a record number of baptismal date already set for April and May. This week we should be setting a couple in our area!
So many good things are happening. I wish I could tell you all of them. Thanks for the support and prayers. Good luck with finals, Marissa. I liked the epic mountain experience that dad and Uncle mike had though, pretty cool. I love ya'll so much!!
Love,
Elder Wagner
Monday, April 5, 2010
General Conference
Dear Family,
I can't believe how big Riley and Andrea are!!! They've changed a lot. That's awesome to see all the family pictures from Utah. Sounds like ya'll enjoyed conference as much as I did. In the last talk by Elder Anderson, he said that there are no assigned topics or coordination in regard to the conference talks. It made me appreciate the repeated focus on the family and the roles of parents and children. I enjoyed all the talks and feel reenergized and recommitted to do better.
Leaving the last session on Sunday, our appointments fell through and none of our contacts would answer the phone. So we went to try some potentials and we talked with all those around us. Something I'm trying to work on is to be more bold and direct with people in committing them to do something. We talked to a guy in an apartment complex parking lot. He has been looking for a church to join, but hasn't found one. We gave him a Book of Mormon and I promised that as he read and learned more he would know and feel it was true. It wasn't too different from many contacts I've done before but I felt more confidence and assurance in myself.
We found several other really good potentials yesterday evening.So this is that last week of this transfer. I'm glad to be here in the mission. I'm hopeful for the upcoming months. I feel and desire to really make a difference. Something that really stood out to me from conference was President Packer's talk on Priesthood and Fathers. His words made me realize that I need to make the effort and take the time to help many of the priesthood holders in the Branch. Too many times have I given a blessing to child when the father should have done it, but that's going to change.
There are some great new members here in the branch who we are going to help advance in the priesthood and gospel. The Lord supports us in trial. If we think of Christ, we'll realize that because he could do what he did, we can complete the task in front of us. I pray for yall and hope for the best. Be missionaries and good examples. I know that we are watched over and protected.
Love,
Elder Wagner
I can't believe how big Riley and Andrea are!!! They've changed a lot. That's awesome to see all the family pictures from Utah. Sounds like ya'll enjoyed conference as much as I did. In the last talk by Elder Anderson, he said that there are no assigned topics or coordination in regard to the conference talks. It made me appreciate the repeated focus on the family and the roles of parents and children. I enjoyed all the talks and feel reenergized and recommitted to do better.
Leaving the last session on Sunday, our appointments fell through and none of our contacts would answer the phone. So we went to try some potentials and we talked with all those around us. Something I'm trying to work on is to be more bold and direct with people in committing them to do something. We talked to a guy in an apartment complex parking lot. He has been looking for a church to join, but hasn't found one. We gave him a Book of Mormon and I promised that as he read and learned more he would know and feel it was true. It wasn't too different from many contacts I've done before but I felt more confidence and assurance in myself.
We found several other really good potentials yesterday evening.So this is that last week of this transfer. I'm glad to be here in the mission. I'm hopeful for the upcoming months. I feel and desire to really make a difference. Something that really stood out to me from conference was President Packer's talk on Priesthood and Fathers. His words made me realize that I need to make the effort and take the time to help many of the priesthood holders in the Branch. Too many times have I given a blessing to child when the father should have done it, but that's going to change.
There are some great new members here in the branch who we are going to help advance in the priesthood and gospel. The Lord supports us in trial. If we think of Christ, we'll realize that because he could do what he did, we can complete the task in front of us. I pray for yall and hope for the best. Be missionaries and good examples. I know that we are watched over and protected.
Love,
Elder Wagner
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