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