Elder James Hadley

April 7, 2014

Hello, this week has been great. The new area is the best, I love it a ton. But we don't have that many investigators right now. We are going to baptize 2 people this Sunday and after that we don't have any really... so that is sad. But we are going to search a lot more and try and find people. 
My new companions name is Elder Hansen, he is from Oregon. He is cool. I'm learning how to let my personality really come through in Spanish and not be timid or anything. I'm forming relationships with the members a lot faster and also with people we contact on the street.
So we were happily "forced" to watch every session of conference. I loved it so much. Really though, it is a different experience when you are on your mission. Well just life in general is so different. I'm really excited to get the Liahona and study the talks better. Some of my favorites were David A Bednar, then Dallin H Oaks in the Priesthood session. Well I liked all of them. I had to listen to Hollands in Spanish so it wasn't as good without his voice. Conference was awesome.

April 14, 2014

The mission is good. We baptized two people yesterday. And, well, last week went by super great. We found a ton of people to teach, and a lot of families. So this next little bit is going to be exciting and challenging.
So, we haven't had electricity in our apartment for about 4 days and now we don't have any water. So I don't know what is going to happen. We will see. It should be getting fixed right now but I kind of doubt it.
I'm happy you were visited by the missionaries. It's fun to visit members and just talk to them. We are suppose to do 7 member visits per week. It's interesting to find out about their lives and everything.
Well, another week down. I'm almost at 5 months, isn't that wild? It feels like a lot less.

April 21, 2014

My mission is one of the highest in baptisms of all the missions in Mexico, so yeah, that's pretty cool. We run a tight ship. We are really really driven and don't tolerate disobedience. Like we really don't tolerate it. Which is awesome I think. I mean I came here to work, not to mess around and waste time. So I'm happy they kind of force everyone to be on the same page.
Something I do want is cds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I want you to send the one that I forgot to bring that I got from Bishop Russon and also the one named "Come Thou Fount" it is the best ever. And well, any more you want to give me.
Ok, so a ton happened this week. Leading up to Easter they do a thing called "Holy Week" and they all have work and school off. So none of our normal people were here, and the streets were empty, more or less. BUT we found a lot of great people and we invited 7 people to get baptized. All of them said yes, but now is the hard part, to get them to go to church 4 times. But we are working with everyone.
I can't believe I've been gone for 5 months. Really it feels shorter but longer too. It's weird, in a month I will be 1/4th done. That's wild.
Yes we felt the earthquake, we were on the third floor, and we were ROCKING BACK AND FORTH so much, it felt like we were in a boat. It was awesome. The power went out and everything. But now we have power and water, it's all good.
So yeah, the truth is I'm so happy to be out here. And I'm so happy to be helping people in their lives with ALL my time, it's the greatest ever. I've seen changes in the lives of people. And just like helping members and everything. I think all the time that what I'm doing isn't a game, or isn't fake, I'm actually going into peoples homes and really helping them change their lives and get rid of their addictions and having a better relationship with their family, and well, coming to Christ. Actually realizing what he did for us. It's the greatest thing to be out here.
So I used to have dreams that I was at home, and it would make me sad when I would wake up and be here. But, probably like 2 months ago, I had a dream I went home, and I felt so terrible. You guys didn't treat me any different but I just couldn't stop thinking about all of the people I was teaching at the time. An when I woke up I was SO RELIEVED  to be here in Mexico. So yeah, I'm so happy.
April 28, 2014

This week I was on inter changes, where I go with other Elders in their zones, from Tuesday to Friday, it was ok, but I needed to change my clothes really bad... They told me at first it was only going to be from Tuesday to midday Wednesday. But whatever, it was an interesting experience that I don't really want to happen again.
Nothing that crazy has happened. We found a ton of people though, and brought 4 to church, my zone only brought 8 people to church this week, so we had half of them. One of them is named Anabel, she is so amazing. She is a psychologist that works with rape victims, so yeah, she is a great great great person. She loves EVERYTHING about the church. 
Every day I'm learning more and more about how perfect this church is, and that every single revelation that Joseph Smith received had a grand purpose. The Church is God's way of helping us through this world, and helping us perfect ourselves.
I often think about how beautiful the history of the church is, starting at well, when God made the plan, and the creation of us and the world, following with Adam and Eve, and continuing throughout the stories of the Bible, and then with Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem and Christ coming to the earth. Then the biggest event in human history, the key to the plan of God, the Atonement. And the fall of the Church of Christ. And of course, The Restoration of His gospel. Everything that the Pioneers faced and all of the modern day revelation that was received for us, and well, where we are today, doing more temple work than ever before and more mission work than ever before too. We are so lucky to live in these times and to be members of His church.

Love,
Elder Hadley