July 14, 2014

So this week has been, lets just say a wild one. I am in my 6th area because of an Emergency Transfer :) I am in Tayug with Elder Nieva and Macalindong. With everything that went on, I have grown a lot though. Usually when things do not go my way, I tend to ask "Why me?" But the difference in this "trial" is that I did not question why. I just accepted what the will of the Lord was. I did everything that I could. I know there is a reason. Let me tell you a possible reason why I was meant to be in this area. Last night we met a lady who speaks only English. I was able to answer her questions and help her to understand.

At church, I read an Article in the August Liahona about Wondering and Wandering. In the article, it talks about how when there are trials in your life, (wandering) sometimes you lose out on the blessings because you are wondering when things will get better or go back to normal. So in my  mission right now, I am a wanderer.  But I will not let myself wonder when things will go back to normal because I am going to do the very best wherever I am assigned even though I might not know how long I am going to be here or what is going to happen to me.  I know there is a reason for everything.

I just want to tell you about an experience that I had :)  This mission has been focusing on using the members for missionary work. We do what are called 15 min member visits. We go, we share with the family, and then we go meet their neighbors or friends. So, we were out of appointments one night and we went to the house of a member Bro J. He is a less active who goes to church but doesn't really pay attention and who didn't really pay attention to our lesson either.  We were bold and would not take no for an answer of him not having any friends. Finally, after the trial of our faith he said well I have this one friend. So we set an appointment and we went the next day. Turns out she is super rich, has a car and a pretty nice house. :) It was also the first time the tatay (father) ever gave a friend to the missionaries. We also talked to his daughter and she said that she had so many friends that she wanted us to teach. I saw how persistence pays off :) I also saw how faith pays off too :) Sometimes you have to not give up :) 

I love all of you :) I know that this work is true :)
Love,
Elder Bigelow

My Companions

July 7, 2014

Kumusta sa lahat :) (Hello to all)
So I am back to being a Filipino because my companion is one :) He is 6 foot tall, which I am not used to. I am going to miss eating at MacDo. We now are going to eat rice at every single meal........ but my new companion is Elder Agostino :) He is from Pasig Manilla and he is just ready to be on a mission :) He is a brand new member and so he has a lot to learn, but he brought faith and an attitude to work :) He is 18 and it reminds me of how crazy I was with just question after question :) This week we had a lot more work from the ward. The ward is catching the wave :) They are all taking us to meet their friends :) Sorry about the picture it was about 2 mins ago and I am running out of time!!!! Um, I miss all of you but I am so lost in the work which is a good thing.
I met a lady from Mesa. So it was nice to try and remember streets and stuff. She works at the Phoenix Convention Center which is by Dad's work :)  :) Oh I miss being in America :) And I can say I am soooo proud to be a citizen !! Like my American Pride has skyrocketed :) I missed fireworks..... and rodeos... but I know that the sacrifice is worth it :)
I love all of you :)
Elder Bigelow

June 30, 2014

I have a lot to write and I am going to try and write about all of this
1) I am training again
2) My answer
3) The Prompting
4) Members

#1... Yes, I am going to have my "3rd kid" on the mission. I got called to train again and it blindsided me because I had no idea I would ever train again. I guess one thing on my mission that I have learned is to expect the unexpected and that the Lord is in control of who he wants you to be. One thing that President Monahan said that really impressed me is him quoting from an apostle. He said "Some people can argue mistakes in callings," he then pointed at us and said, "but not with this and not with you." He said he really prayed about this :) So I am grateful for this opportunity and guess what I also have a grandson now. Yep Elder Balane is training. So yeah, I am humbled and excited :)

#2 I finished the BOM for the 3rd time on my mission. I took Moroni's challenge and at that moment I had no answer. I thought that was weird but I kept on going. I prayed again that I could get an answer again that it was true. Well it happened in a lesson. When we were testifying of Joseph Smith. The warmest most beautiful feeling came. I almost couldn't breath :) But I know that it is true that he is a true Prophet :)

#3 Is the members :) They are so cool :) We have really been working to strengthen the members here. It has taken about 5 or 6 weeks of just work but this Sunday we had 9 investigators come to church because people brought their friends. 5 of them we had not met before church. :) People are excited to introduce us to their friends. I have the trust of the ward and its beginning to be their work too not just ours. I hope I don't transfer anytime soon :)

4) I just want to share a story of what happened yesterday!! As we were leaving, I had an impression to go to a family. Part of my Patriarchal Blessing flashed through my mind saying its important for you to follow the spirit to find families that only you could teach. So, it was an investigator family. The Tatay (Father) had just come back from working in a different province. They even went to church but their daughter, who is like 25, had not wanted to listen to us because she has her own religion and just never cared. So, we show up and I was so excited. They weren't there but the daughter was. It was pouring rain. We waited for our fellowshipper. He came and we tried the daughter. She gladly accepted. :) During the lesson the Mom and Dad came back. The spirit was super strong. :) We gave all 5 of them an IBD for August 9. :) I am grateful for inspiration. Because they needed me and I was worthy of the spirit. I am grateful for the spirit to take the message to their hearts :) People change all the time :) I testify that this is the Lords Work he directs it :)

Ok, long email!
I love all you  :)
Elder MalakinaMababa :)

June 23, 2014

So Hello to Everyone :)
This week was just a normal week, nothing happened but conversion and preaching :)
We have had rain every single day now... Yeah and being from Arizona, I love my good thunderstorms just not every single day...... You can be the most happiest person but when you don't see the sun most of the day you can't help but to be a little melancholy.
So this week we actually had to drop a couple of investigators due to circumstances that are out of our control so we have been focused on finding.
I just want to share an experience of a RM that has been taking us around his neighborhood. He has no fear of what other people think. He is a great example to me. :) Anyway he took us to all of the Barangay officials. So you can think of them like the "HOA." The people that decide what's going on in a certain neighborhood. Its not completely the same because here its actually part of the government. Anyway, he took us to the Barangay Hall and we taught all of the officials there :) We found a family through that, in which yesterday we taught about the Priesthood. Sis J, is super religious and actually her religion is super similar to ours. But they don't have priesthood. We asked her to be baptized and she said yes because she said that you have the authority.:) The priesthood is our only difference :) Things are going good and I am getting prepared for Bagiuo season again :) I hope there is going to be a big storm :) Not like Tacloban but just big enough so I can say I went through a hurricane :)
I love you all :)
Elder Bigelow

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