Dec 17th

 

Hey Family how is everything going at home? Things here are going well, still really hot and doesn’t look anything like it should be a week from Christmas but yeah that’s alright. This last week went pretty well for us, most importantly this last week we had a stake activity that went really well. It was probably one of the best activates that I have been to in my mission. It was a really cool Christmas program where there were probably almost 200 people who aren’t members and who were invited so that was really cool. So now these next couple weeks we should have a lot of work with teaching the people from the activity and such so that should help us out a lot, so that was really cool from this week. Then also we were able to have pretty much all of our investigators that went to the activity go to church yesterday so that was awesome as well. So we are pretty excited to be here working now so hopefully this week goes really well and our investigators can keep progressing. To answer your question dad they do tithing settlement pretty much the same as at home a meeting with the bishop but our bishop was telling us yesterday that no one has really gone to their appointments so that kind of problem for him but besides that it is the same. Oh yeah so I was thinking of using Skype again to call next week but I am not sure what time but I will let you know next week when I right. I hope that everyone has a good week at home and everything goes well there, with all the Christmas stuff and snow. Have a great week and I will write you next week more.

 

Love Elder bird

Dec 10th

 

Hey Family how is everything going at home? Things here are going pretty well, it is still really hot here so it doesn’t feel like it is almost Christmas. This last week we had a little trouble finding people to teach, but hopefully that all changes this week. This week we are going to have a stake activity for Christmas where the leaders are hoping to have 200 investigators there so we will have to see how things work out. So if all works out well we should be able to find quite a few new people to teach and they should all be people that are somewhat interested in the gospel if they go to activity. Then we have gotten a couple other references of part member families so that should be helpfully of finding new people to teach. It has been kind of different to be back again, it feels kind of like I never left I still remember the area so that was not a hard change at all to get used to and the members I know as well, so the new system of working only with members hasn’t been that big of a change since I already know the members and just now need to work with them again. The new system of not tracking is going pretty well for us it is a little slower and different that I think many missionaries are used to so that is kind of hard but I feel that is will be something really good when everyone is used to it.

 

That is cool to hear that Elder Perry came to a special stake conference, what did he talk about? Well I hope that everyone has a good week at home, thanks for the updates on everything it is cool to hear about some stuff from home especially in this time of year. I just want to end with a reminder I was given this week when I was reading in the book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 4 verse 15 to the end, right when Nephi is talking after Lehi dies, and It was just a nice reminder of the feelings of peace that always come from the Holy Ghost in the times of trouble, that we can always remember that Christ has felt everything that we pass through and when we put out trust in him we can overcome all the problems that we have. In this time of year we have been studying more about Christ and that was something I really like from this week and wanted to share. We’ll have a great week at home and I will write more next week

 

Love Elder Bird

 

Dec 3rd

 

Hey Family how is everything going at home? Sounds like everyone is getting ready for Christmas and the holidays now, things here are going well, not much has changed in the weather to say that it is almost Christmas but oh well, I guess it is a littler cooler than usual so that is good. This last week went well, it was pretty exciting getting to see all the members again here in Iguala and it was fun to see all their reactions thinking that I just came to visit. So it was a good week for us. We found quite a few people that are super excited about the gospel so that was awesome. First is a couple that have been going to another ward with one of their family members then we got a couple references and the three we were able to talk to this week were all really cool and one came to church yesterday alone even when the member that invited her couldn’t come because he son got sick. So this last week we had some pretty cool experiences. Things here in the last year haven’t changed too much, pretty much all the little kids from a year ago are now all a lot bigger so that was different, I didn’t recognize a lot of them. But yeah not much has changed here the ward is still doing well and hopefully in these next week our investigators we have can get baptized, hopefully everything goes well. And to answer your questions about Christmas whatever you want to send is fine but just not quite so much candy, for my birthday I think I got the candy needed but one candy I will ask for is Swedish fish that would be fun, then besides that whatever you want. Oh yeah is Greg still waiting for his visa or has he got to Spain yet? Well I hope that everyone has a good week at home.

 

Love Elder Bird

Nov 26th

 

 

Hey Family, how is everything going at home? This last week went by really fast for us, and pretty crazy and now I am not is Cuautla. So first off I am now back in Iguala where I was before and I am actually in the same ward that I was in before, in other words I am back in Insurgentes. Pretty crazy last week and transfers. So yeah this last week went by really fast because Friday and Saturday I had another leadership training so I was in Cuernvaca those days, so there wasn’t much time to work at the end of the week then, we got transfers. It is weird to think that I was in Casasano for almost 5 months and how fast the time has gone. Now it is even crazier to think that I am back in the same ward where I was a year ago, and that I will have Christmas both years on my mission in this same place. My new companion is Elder Flores he is from California, I don’t know too much about him but next week I will let you know a little more. For thanksgiving this last week we didn’t get to do anything super special just a normal day for us, sounds like thinks went well at home for everyone and that everyone had a good time golfing that’s fun. Well I hope that everyone has a good week, and I will write more next week...

 

Elder Bird

 

Here are some more pictures to make up for the lack of pictures lately. First here is the mexico city temple, second here i am in front of the temple and then third here is my district in from of the temple. Well here are some pictures I will try and send some more next week.

Nov 19th

 

Hey Family how is everything going at home? Things here are going well. This last week went by really fast with my P-day being on Wednesday this last week. So to answer your questions dad. We got to go so the temple as a new system that Pres. Kusch has put in that once a year a district can go to the temple on a Pday, so with the temple just being opened again, we took advantage of the new system and went to the temple as a district but the same day we went there were two other districts there as well so that was kind of cool. We took a bus up there then from the bus stop to the temple we went on the subway and then on a public bus so that was kind of fun going on the subway in Mexico. We got to see little more of the city but not much. Mexico city is a huge city it is crazy, and the thing is that it is not like huge city in other parts of the world but a huge city without really any tall buildings just a few and then the rest are just like houses and apartment buildings that are just a couple stories so it was really different from like New York or Chicago like the big cities in the US. So yeah that was our trip to the temple it was super cool, the temple there is awesome it is really big as well. so yeah that was exciting from this last week, then yesterday we had the confirmation of out baptism from last week so that was good as well. Things here in the mission are starting to change a lot and we were talking without bishop a couple days ago and we are starting to plan out the way we are going to work better with them members to put new goals and to be able to work with the new programs as well. He also explained a little more of how the new programs for the young men and women are going to be and how they are going to be applied to the whole ward, so things are going pretty well here. This is also the last week of the change so we will see what happens next week if I will be staying here more time or if I will be going to another area to finish. Also for thanksgiving here it is not a holiday here so it will be just a normal day for us, we are going to eat with some members who do things a little more like the US so we will see if anything exciting happens or not, but hope that everyone has a good thanks giving and if you see the cousins and such tell them hi from me. Here are some pictures since I haven’t sent them in a while. First is just a cool picture that I liked from when we went to the little town Taxco for the wedding and the old church on the hill. Then the second is the city of Taxco where everything is old style white and black writing it is a cool place from the little I saw. Then last are my companion and I in front of the big old church in this city. I will send some more in another email

 

Elder bird

 

Nov 14th

 

Hey Family how is everything going at home? Sounds like it is starting to be winter now there and here it is cooler but still not like home. Well like I assume you figured out we got to go to the temple today and we are still in Mexico City and we are heading back in about an hour. But the temple here is really cool but I will talk about it a little later. First off for last week, we had a pretty good week that went by really fast. last week we had a multimode conference in Cuernavaca with 4 zones from the mission so that was fun we talked more about the program of not knocking doors, and then how things are changing so much in the missionary work here in Mexico. Here in Mexico they are going to start off trying and working more with the members then move to other places but here in Mexico is where they are saying that it is being tried out. also all the information you told me dad they also told us there as well and then also something else really cool, well at least for me is that they are going to change the time of the transfers here in the mission and now I will get too more weeks in the mission, instead of going home in February like when I started I will now be getting home the first week of march, two weeks more in the mission, something for which I am super excited. then the next day we were able to go with one of our investigators to get married at a little town about two hours away called Taxco where they sell a lot of silver they have silver mines there so we went with them and they got married and then Usiel finally got baptized on Saturday after about 4 months that I have been working with him he finally got baptized so that was really cool. Then this week the most exciting is that today we are at the temple and it is really cool to go back to the temple after 17 months so that was fun. It was different doing everything is Spanish but that’s alright I understood everything and so that was super cool. Another cool thing was that in the temple I saw the bishop from my first ward in Zapata, and he talked a little with me the little he could and told me that he was released as bishop and now he and his wife are on a mission in the temple. it was even better because I didn’t think he would remember me but he talked to me and also something else cool was that in the multizone conference the elders that are in Zapata right now went and ate with Bernice my first baptism in the mission that day so that was fun to hear a little about here and that she is doing good she is going to church and that she had a baby so that was really fun to hear about her a little. So yeah this last week a lot of things happened so my letter is kind of all over the place next week I think I can explain a little better if you have questions. I also wanted to send pictures today but the computer didn’t let me so next week you can count on pictures. And dad I didn’t get the picture you sent this week maybe next week. Well I hope that everyone has a good week at home and I will write more next week

 

Elder Bird

 

Nov 5th

 

 

Hey Family, how is everything going at home? Things here are going well this last week went by really fast and I am sure this week will also. We had a pretty good week last week, we were able to receive quite a few referrals from the members these last two weeks so hopefully things go well with them and we can start teaching them about the gospel. We are also working with our investigators who aren’t married and hopefully this week or next week they will be getting married so they can get baptized soon after. Other than that nothing too exciting for this past week, the weather is starting to change and it is actually getting pretty cool here lately, and then to answer your question dad, they do have day light savings here in Mexico so it gets dark early as well then it gets cool as well so walking around in the dark it is pretty cold but oh well. Oh yeah something else exciting is that next week my district and I might being going to the temple on the 14th of November and so my P Day will be most likely Wends day next week. So we are pretty excited for that so if I don’t write on Monday don’t worry I will write on Wednesday but if you want to be sure you can still write me on Monday and I will respond later. Other things pretty exciting this week is that we are going to have a multi zone conference on Wednesday so we will be in Cuernavaca pretty much all day for a special conference to along with the changes we are having in the mission. That is also super cool to hear about Josh's mission call tell him congratulations for me and I will have little time at home before he leaves to tell him a little about Mexico even though it will be a different mission. Too bad to hear that Greg still doesn’t have his visa hopefully he can receive it soon and everything goes well for him. Well I hope that everyone has a good week at home and next week I will write more.

 

Love Elder Bird

 

Oct 22^nd

 

Hey family, sounds like things are going pretty much the same at home getting ready for winter. It is kind of weird not having the change to winter like at home. But here in Cuautla is actually cooler in the winter so after being in all the other parts of the mission it feels cool. Things this last week went pretty well. My new companion has a year in the mission so it is nice to have a companion who has a little more time and knows what to do. He started his mission here in the same zone then left to another area and now he is back so now he sees a lot of the same people that he saw before. Something cool this week was that we were able to go and talk with a guy who isn’t member but goes to church pretty much every week but couldn’t get baptized because he had to get married but now he is getting closer so we can work with him more to make it so he can get baptized soon so that was exciting. Now this week we are just going to have to work harder on finding more new investigators to teach that is our main goal now is find people. Besides that not too is changing here just the time flying by.

Oh yeah I still haven’t gotten my package yet, I am sure that it is in the offices but I have to wait till someone goes to Cuernavaca to get it but oh well soon I should have it. My birthday went pretty well but nothing too exciting just pretty much another day in the mission, but that’s alright being in the mission makes it worth it. I hope that everyone has a good week at home and I will write more next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

 

Oct 15th

 

Hey Family,

 

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes, it is nice to have my birthday on a P-Day but kind of lame because it was changes today and my companion was changed, so now I have a new companion here in Casasano, Elder Ayala. He is from a state called Gunajuato or something like that it is like in the middle of Mexico. So today has been kind of laid back day getting him to the area and then just getting settled. It is also crazy to think that tomorrow I will have 20 months in the mission, really weird to think about just more reason to work as hard as I can. Well this last week was kind of crazy I had another training meeting on Friday so that was kind of cool hearing more from President Kusch especially about the transfers and to remind us that the changes are made by the Lord and that it is exactly where we need to be. That was pretty much it for last week not too many things exciting but things are going pretty well. Oh yeah I got a letter from Leslie today so that was cool if you see here tell her thanks for the letter to hear how things are going. Then also tell grandma I got here letter and to tell her thank you as well. So I hope that everyone has a great week and I will write more next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

 

Oct 8th

Hey Family,

 

How is everything going at home? Sounds like everyone had a fun time at home this last week. Sounds like dads birthday was fun and the family is doing well. This last week was pretty good for us here. Especially with General Conference, I love General Conference. This general conference was good, the new about missionaries is cool, here in Mexico all the young men already leave at 18 so that is not anything new but the girls being able to leave at 19 that is new so that is cool. We will just have to see how much it changes things now. I was able to watch all of the session, I got to see them in English (it just isn’t the same in Spanish even though I understand) so that was fun. I really like pretty much all of the talks but on that I think I might have like the most of Elder Holland’s talk. His talk was pretty much the same as one he gave in the MTC about a month before I started the mission and we have watched it a couple of times here in the mission and I love he relates our conversion to the early apostles. That when we started in the gospel it wasn’t just a for a little time or it wasn’t just for my mission but it was forever that we choose to follow the Lord and it is forever not for just three years of till we are tired but forever and that was one of my favorites. Also the talk by President Uchtdorf in the Saturday Morning session about choosing to be happy and it is our choice and when we choose to be happy everything goes better. I have come to know and love the principle here in the mission, when I choose to be happy things go better but when I don’t and just am kind of sad, the days just go long and nothing seems to go right but with that attitude change, pretty much everything changes. So those were two talks I like a lot but I really enjoyed all of conference. This last week we were also able to find a couple of cool people to teach thy both seem really ready to accept the Gospel so hopefully things everything goes well with them. Also this is the last week of the transfer so we will see what happens we will have to see if I stay here or if I will go, I think that I will stay one more transfer then get changed to another area but will see. It will also be interesting to see if I get changed on my Birthday with the 15th falling on next Monday we will just have to wait and see. Well I hope everyone has a great week at home and I will write again next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

Oct 1st

 

Hey family how is everything going at home? This last week things went a little tough for us since on Thursday I got sick and well I am still sick, I got a stomach infection so yeah it was kind of lame but I am getting better so that is good. The worst part was that we started off the week working really well and finding more people to teach and it was looking like a really good week but oh well this week we will just have to work a little harder. Also this last week I also finally got my visa renewed after it expired in April so that was good, I am legally here in Mexico again, yaya. So, yeah that is pretty much all for this last week, not much work and a lot of rest. I am super excited for this week though since we have General Conference, the opportunity to listen to the prophet again and see what everyone has to say. It is also crazy to think that this will be my 4th general conference in the mission, time sure flies. Oh yeah and happy birthday dad on Wednesday hope you have a great day and everything goes well. Well sorry it is kind of small letter but I hope that everyone has a good week at home and I will write more next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

 

September 24th

 

Hey family how is everything going at home? Things here are a little slow with the new changes we are making it is different so it takes a little getting used to. This last week we worked a lot more with less active members, and we have plans for doing the same this week. This week we are also going to have to focus a lot more again on finding new investigators. Most of the investigators that we have had have pretty much all fallen and we are having to start pretty much over again, but oh well it happens. There are a lot of people that are ready to hear the gospel here in our area we just have to go find them and that is our task now. Hopefully with the new programs we can find more of the people prepared and that they can then stay closer to the church since they will already have a friend inside the church. So yeah that is pretty much all for around here but that is cool that the Brigham City Temple was dedicated. I am also super excited to have General Conference coming up soon. I love hearing for the prophet and the apostles. The good thing too is that our church is the stake center so our investigators can to go like normal and see the conference. I also heard that they are making pretty much all the church here in Mexico available for General Conference through internet so that will be interesting to see if that all works out. It is crazy to think that next week is already October time just keeps on flying just means that I have to work harder than, so I hope everyone has a good week at home and I will write more next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

Hey Family, how is everything going at home? Sounds like things are going well nothing too exciting. Things here are going pretty good. Last week we had a conference with President Kusch with two zones and now things are starting to change here in the mission, but a change for good. First is we are changing when we are going to do our planning for the week, right now we do it Sunday night but we are changing to plan on Thursday morning so that will be different more time to work Sundays and this will help with us complete more of our goals. Then also we are going to start working only with members and so it is a goal starting in October of not knocking doors anymore but work just with members and references so that will be different. I am excited for the changes to work more with the members and have more references. So now we are getting used to the changes and hopefully it will help us have more success here in the mission. That is pretty much the most interesting thing from last week and so hopefully everything goes well with that and we can work better with the members.

 

That is cool that Taylor talked in church yesterday, I was actually going to ask about him and see how he is doing. That is awesome that he had a successfull mission. Oh yeah have you heard anything about Brian Orr from his dad or nothing just wondering about that. It is also crazy to think that another month has passed since I started the mission now I am at 19 months crazy to think. I love the mission and when I go home I will miss it so much so now I am just trying to not think of how much time I have left and just use it the best I can. I want to continue getting better and working harder. So that is my focus now is just apply the new programs that we have work harder and focus more on the people to help them receive the blessing of the gosple.

 

Well that’s all for this week hope that everyone has a good we at home and I will write more next week.

 

Love Elder Bird

 

PS for my birthday whatever you want to send is well received, some cool pictures of church stuff would be cool, like a picture of the Mexico City Temple that I can use to show the people here about what is the temple and then like whatever else you want. Thanks