June 16, 2014

Well I have been pretty sick.... just the sniffles..... it stinks. Ok, I will tell you a story of a girl named R. She is 20 and is going to school to be a teacher. When I first got into the branch she was an average investigator. She didn't really read or anything because of her school. So we challenged her to read before she studied and she has and she said that she has seen a difference in her studies :) She just accepted an IBD for July 12 :) I am so excited. I better be here for a fair amount of time so I can harvest some souls :) I always feel like I have been the planter, especially in my last area, and that is ok :) It's all the work of GOD :) I just heard that the Sister E and Brother I got baptized, the family that I was talking about, and another family that I found is getting baptized next week :) The sisters there said they are harvesting my fruits....  :) So if I could count all the investigators that got baptized that I have either taught or found it would be over 20 ;) That's what the spirit does :P
This week we had a mission tour :) We had Elder Echohawk come and visit the mission :) His talks and things helped me change how my mission was going and help me through a problem that I was having :) It was perfect for me :) I needed it :) One thing that he shared was that life is hard when you go decision by decision. (I know my parents have always taught me this, but I had to be reminded.)  The choice to go to church, the choice to pay tithing, the choice to serve a calling, but what you can do to make it easier on yourself is to make 1 choice. The choice to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and all the choices are already made:) So I recommitted myself that I had already made that choice :) I kept thinking of Aunt Rachel's advice to stop and smell the roses :) I needed to just take one big look around. Things are so busy and time is flying by so fast :) I also had this distinct feeling that Heavenly Father needed me :) I felt loved and just felt like I know I can do this :)
I love all of you :)
Love ,
Elder Bigelow :)

June 9, 2014

This week has been one of the lowest points in my mission but also one of the highest. So as I inspected my life and my mission, I thought to myself that up to this point I have been obedient. I have always striven to be the best missionary I can. This week has shown me I still have weaknesses. To be honest, I had completely forgotten why I was here. It freaked me out a little and I prayed more than I ever have. Its sad to say but I needed that boost that came from that experience. I have rekindled my desire to serve and to see people as God sees them. Its helped a lot. Yes I still struggle sometimes but I am trying to do my best to change. I have seen huge improvements in my life this week and the spirit has been even stronger than it ever has been. Members have commented they have never felt the spirit so strongly. Things are starting to pick up in this area and we have had great success with referrals. :)  I will always remember who I serve. We met this lady name Sis R who has 5 kids :) She was a referral from a member. She has been coming to church for about a month now, but yesterday was the first day that we were able to teach her. We talked about the restoration and how it can help you, the spirit was stronger there than in any other lesson I have taught. She committed to be baptised when she knows its true. She said just going to church has helped her rekindle her faith because 3 years ago her son died and she hadn't been to church since. She said she felt the peace and comfort that the gospel brings to her life :) I know she will get baptized :)
I love you all :) Youth back in the US. Please work with the Missionaries like they do here. They work 24/7 with us. :) It will bring you strength to make the right choices. :)
Please, Please, Please put in your papers and just make the choice to go on a mission.. JUST DO IT :) I love you all :)
Elder Bigelow

June 2, 2014

This week I learned an important lesson. One that the Lord has taught me before but I had forgotten. That lesson is gratitude. Being grateful for the things that I do have and not wishing I had more. This whole past month if you noticed my key indicators (meaning my lessons) have been a little low. Not because I haven't been working as hard or not being obedient. But the lessons and the progression of investigators have just not been coming like they used to. Every lesson I have been feeling the spirit. So, I know that is not a problem. Investigators who promised to their Heavenly Father that they would come to church just haven't in the past couple of weeks. Prospective IBDs have moved due to the lack of work here in San Quintin. We have been getting punted right and left. It felt like everything that was out of my control was not going the way it should. I had been getting down on myself as I tried to figure out what I was doing that could be changed. I thought maybe I should change my circumstances. It all had a culmination yesterday when I had great hopes that families would come to church, only 1/2 a family came. I just didn't know what to do. Yesterday's fast was for me to learn the will of the Father and for me to learn what I needed from these disappointments and hardships. At the end of the day, I started praying to strengthen me beyond my own strength. The thought came to me that all of these hardships are for me to learn, and one thing that you need to learn is to look at the things that you do have and not the things you don't. It was like looking on the other side of a mirror. The fact that I only had 2 investigators come to church looked like the biggest blessing to me. The fact that I have had lessons was the sign of his grace and love. I realized that this is His work and He is guiding it. So from now on, I am going to look at the blessings, I am not going to burden down myself with the things that I do not have. I love the Lord and no matter how hard it gets I will continue to work to bring souls unto him. I hope that everyone will look at life this way. Because happiness really is a choice.
Everyone go do a little service it will cheer you up I promise :)
Love
Elder Bigelow

May 26, 2014

New Area, #5
So, yep I got transferred. I had a feeling. But it actually ended up happening because our area became a Sisters area. So, we got pulled out. :) I moved just down the road and I am in San Quintin :) Which like all my other areas have been, Jungle, in a valley below the mountains. :) I love it there the scenery is so nice :)
The branch already has given me and my new Comp Elder Baabo so much help!!  He is from Kirabati :) I have almost been companions with all the Kirabati missionaries in the mission :) 
I am happy to say though that the family from my last area the M passed their interview and are getting baptized next week :) I am so excited for them :)
The Branch here is amazing :) I am going to love it :)
The best part about it is I still get to shop at SM  :) It reminds me of America whenever I go in :)
Anyway, I love and hate all of you that are going on the Black River Trip!!! Don't get chased by any bears :P You are so lucky :)
Love Elder Bigelow

 My new area.

 My new companion.

Crazy things you see.

May 19, 2014

Week of No Work!
Yeah, its not what it sounds like from the title. We just didn't get very many lessons in. This week was super busy trying to find a new house in the middle of no where is super hard.... Unless you want to live in a shack. That took up most of my time along with going to my district's baptisms and interviews and other DL duties :P I just want to post a picture of a Family :) Their names are Bro Z, E and I :) They are going to get baptized on May 31st :) Brother had a serious problem with cigarettes and it has taken him about 2 months but he has done it :) They are super excited to be baptized as a whole family :) They have come a long way from not wanting to go to church, to going every single week and then being there early for 8 weeks now :) I am so happy for them :)
I hope that you go and support the Elders with baptisms, they need your help and please, please always wear a white shirt to every single meeting. Its a big problem here. So please, the missionaries are working hard in your ward so please help them work even harder.  :)
I love you guys
This is God's work :) It really is :)
Love Elder Bigelow

 Family of Investigators

Zone Activity

May 12, 2014

Happy Mothers Day to everyone :)
I just want to write this week about how special all you Mothers are :) If there is anybody reading this that is planning to go on a mission. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY :)) Your Moms are the best :) Trust me they are :) I miss my Mommy so much :)
Anyway the work here is going great, with a few problems from the branch. This has put a little damper on things.... But all of our investigators are progressing :) We have a family which will be getting baptized in a few weeks because T is following the WOW now :) Their names are S, E, and I :) I wish I had a picture to post on here :) They are way cool :) We have just been finding new investigators and helping them progress :) I have been doing lots of interviews for my district so I have been way busy with that !! Its been way hot the last couple nights so we have been using 3 fans the past couple nights, and I still get hot.
I have gotten way closer to the Lord through my prayers. Tip for prayers to make them more meaningful - talk to Heavenly Father and write what your thoughts are. I have a notebook just for my prayers. It is full of answers and revelations :) Heavenly Father has become my best friend :) I know you can have it too :)
I love all of you :)
Love
Elder Bigelow :)

May 5, 2014

We are going to have a mission tour. :) This week was pretty cool :) The spirit was way strong with me and Elder Ball. We have been fasting for investigators to progress and they are :) We had 7 come to church :)
Sister B is like a little fire ball :) She is taking us to all her different friends and they are all starting to progress :) Its something that this branch needs :) Her husband is wanting to get baptized now too :) We worked way hard but still only got 14 lessons which I don't know how that is possible. I might be able to baptize one of the sister's investigators that is in my district :) We will see how that goes. :) Nothing really cool happened. Just a normal week of hard work :)
I realized that what I did when I was a teenager was bad and when I get back I really want to work with the priests and help to change the music that they are listening to. STOP listening to rap music, its destroying you, I promise !!! It is a spirit killer :) Me and Elder Ball are just such great friends :) We are so cool together :) Sorry I know that this week is way vague, its because this week nothing special happened :)
Heavenly Father has taught me over and over again to be grateful for what I have and that He is in control of things. This week I learned that lesson again. I learned that my prayers are not to ask for blessings but to learn Heavenly Fathers will for me. He will guide me on what to do. My relationship with Him is so much stronger than before.
I love you all :) 
Elder Bigelow