Lame technology....

Dear Family,

So I just typed a wonderful email that got lost. Plus 1 for technology (just kidding)

Well, I got transferred to two english wards out in East Texas. English! Crazy!!! My new companion is Elder Jensen. He is from Utah.

I hove no more time to email. Its the Longview 1st and 2nd wards. We got doubled into the area. I'm glad to be here. It'll be awesome. Expect a letter.

Love,
Elder Wagner

Getting Transferred!!

Dear Family,

So I'm out of the Rowlett third ward. Elder Olson is staying. Well I'm going to be a District Leader somewhere. Tomorrow I'll find out where I'm going.

We had a good week. I'm sad to leave an area not feeling like I've accomplished a lot. The ward is kind of interesting. I hope Elder Olson and the new missionary in our area have success. Last night we had a great lesson with Erica and Victor Ruiz. Now all the seven kids are living there. We taught the plan of salvation and it was sweet!! At the end Erica was crying and said that now she knows waht she needs to do. We taugh about how she can be with her family forever. It was a powerful.

Well you'll find next week where I'm going to be.

Love,
Elder Wagner

Pictures!

Rudy and Elder Wagner
Elder Wagner at the Dallas Temple

Below-Freezing!

Dear Family,

This last week we had near record lows here in Dallas. Very, very cold. No snow but the high on thursday and friday was like 28 degrees with 20-30 mph winds. And we went tracting. The crazy things you do on your mission.

I'm glad you had a fun weekend with the reception and everything. In spite of the frigid cold, we had a very uplifting and postive week. I'm glad to be done with the holidays and glad for the great things happening here. In the ward now there are three families that come to church who used to go to Casa Linda. They were active when I was there but two went inactive during the year. One moved to our side of the boundary and one lives in our area and used to go to Casa Linda anyways. Anyways, I'm glad to see all these families coming here, its a boost to the ward.

Yesterday I had a cool experience. You'll remember Rudy and Alma from when I was in Casa Linda with Elder Barney. They weren't legally married and when we left Rudy wanted to be baptized. Alma is a member, by the way. Anyways, they finally got married and coming back to church and yesterday Rudy got baptized!!! I got to go since it was so close. It was very special.

This is a very scatterbrained email but this awesome family we are teaching is getting close to baptism. The mom, Erica has been reading and praying to know is the church is true. Pray that Erica gets an answer soon! She has 7 kids!! 5 from her first marriage and 2 with her current husband. Just 6 of the kids live with her but 4 of them are over 8 year old. We've been teaching them for about a month but only about once a week b/c they are super busy (she works nights half the week and Victor (her husband) gets off very late). Anyways. Pray for them, the Ruiz family, that they'll know the church is true and have a desire to be baptized.

I'm scared for transfers but I've learned and grown a lot in the last three months here in Rowlett 3rd. We haven't had lots of success but I've learned a lot about the importance of diligence and obedience. The gospel is true.

Love
Elder Wagner

En sus marcas! Listos! Fuera!‏

Dear Family,

In other words, On you mark, get set, go!!!

You had asked me, Mom, a couple of weeks ago, but I had forgot to tell you after I asked a member. (I wanted to know this for the timed math test I give at school every day!!)

So this week is the second to last week of the transfer. I honestly don't know what is going to happen. Its been really cold here in Dallas. Last week it snowed, but didn't stick. And I'm not sure if I'm 5'9" or not, it was at the entrance of a Little Caesars. We'll just have to see when I get back if I'm taller than Dad.

So I found out something crazy. A member family that lives close to us was baptized by Alex Shafer. They are the Lopez Family (Gonzalo, Juan Carlos...). I asked who had baptized them and they said Elder Shafer, so asked what he was like. They said he had glasses and red hair and I said, I know him! It was cool. They kinda active, they come to church every once and a while but maybe if you could get Alex's info I could pass it on to them.

We had a slow week. Erica and the five kids were out of town all week so we couldn't teach them and they couldn't come to church. However, yesterday we had a good talk with the husband, Victor. We read part of the family proclamation. I showed him our family picture and talked about how much the gospel has blessed me and my family. He thought it was pretty cool that my dad had been a missionary as well. As we were explaining how the Gospel blesses our families I asked him what he considered to be the most important thing in his life. He said that raising his kids right and giving them what he didn't have was the most important to him. It was powerful. I'm really excited for them and the upcoming weeks.

I hope that all goes well in this year. Good luck in school and work. I hope that we can all progress and come closer to Christ this year.

Love,
Elder Wagner

Christmas Eve in Dallas...

Elder Wagner, Christmas Eve, (I seriously tried to edit the red eyes... no luck. This blue-eyed family is red-eye prone.)

Dear Family,

It was very good to talk to everyone!!! Riley and Andrea's voices sound a lot different and in all the pictures they are so big now. Don't worry, I haven't crashed the bike since we talked. Don't worry about clothes for me Mom. I don't think I sound like a mexican/texan but it'd make sense. Thanks for sending those pictures, it looked like a fun Christmas. The picture of Dad and Riley in the snow looked super fun, lots of snow!!!

For all who didn't get to talk to me on Christmas, Christmas Eve Dallas got hit by a snowstorm. About an inch stuck on the ground. It was windy, Icy and cold. As we rode our bikes, we slipt a lot and I fell pretty good once. Last monday, as we were heading to a dinner apointment in the bikes, I got hit by a car. I'm fine but it was a shocker! I think its just really funny (my mom doesn't). I was riding fairly rapidly on the sidewalk and as I crossed the alleyway a nice lady pulled out and hit me. I flew a little bit and landed onthe grass on my shoulder. She stopped and asked if I was alright. I was laughing and I made sure I wasn't bleeding and that no bones were sticking out. The bike and her car were find as well. It was quite the experience.

So we had a good weekend. The family I was telling you about from Bakersfield came to church on Sunday. He really liked it and said that the three hours flew by. His wife said it was long but that its just because she isn't used to it. Their three kids loved primary!!! It was a rewarding Sunday. The other family who came last week, they had a birthday party already planned so they bailed on church, but next week they'll be there for sure. Both families are really receptive. Miracles are happening here.

Honestly this area has been hard for me but I'm learning to trust more in God and less in me and my abilities. When we got here it was a dead area but things are happening and the Lord is blessing us. I'm very excited for the coming weeks.
At church there were a few talks about goals and how at the beginning of the year and throughout the year we should be setting, reviewing and adjusting our goals, individually and as families. While everyone is how you should sit down and set some family goals. Goals can be spiritual, physical, academic and fianicial (and spelling...). But anyways. Set goals. Specific and realistic goals and then make them a part of you. Read in Preach My Gospel chapter 8, there is a section about goal setting!!! Its great!!!

I'm excited for this year. I plan to learn and grow as much as I can in the time I have left as a full-time missionary. The gospel is true and the power of prayer is real. I love you.

Love,
Elder Wagner

P.S. tell Grandma Wagner to feel better! I wish I could have talked to them too.

Feliz Navidad!

Dear Family,

Thanks for the Christmas package. I opened all the presents this morning when I got it. Just kidding!

So we interviews last week with President Smith. I feel like I hardly see him now that I'm out of leadership but it was good to see him.

We had an awesome new family at church. The whole family came to the Christmas Party on saturday and everyone but the dad came on Sunday (he had to work). Its a big family of seven. Erica and Victor are the parents names. We taught them the restoration and they really liked it. They were really interested as we talked about prophetic dispensations and the great apostasy and when we got to Joseph Smith's story it was just perfect!!! They are very receptive. Their kids are way cute too. They have a 15 year old daughter who has downs syndrome then a 13, 10, 6 year old girls and a 4 year boy who is the coolest. It was awesome because they took up like an entire row at church!!! Definetly one of the highlights of missionary work. Its stressful but very rewarding. Well Christmas is this week.

We haven't entirely figured out when/how we are doing phone calls but I'm imagining we'll do it in the morning? like 9-10 am here so like whenever that is in California. So plan out what you want to talk about because we only have about 1 hour (the missionary handbook says 30-40 minutes). Prepare questions and I'll prepare answers??? Anyways.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Love,
Elder Wagner