Hey family
This week my camera broke... I don’t know what to do. A different missionary was taking a pic. with it and when he went to give it back it just slipped in between us. The lens inside broke. I don’t know what to do cuz I need a camera. I can’t take pics. of my baptisms or anything. I was so sad when it broke, I took it to an electronics guy here and he said it’s broken really bad so I have to buy a new one. They are alot here, my same camera would be like $200 here and in the US it was only $120. I feel so bad it broke. I have never dropped it or anything, it didn’t even have a scratch and now it is ruined!
This last week has been super good! I committed 5 people to get baptized in March and I took 4 to church for the first time, so that was 7 total. I did really good, it has really helped me to be with a youth. I have learned more these last 2 weeks than ever before. I’m really stressed and I’m losing weight again cuz I’m so stressed I think. But it’s all good I’ll just be even more handsome when I get home LOL.
I had a cool experience on Friday. I had 5 people who said they were going to go to church for the 1st time so I was feeling good! Then on Sat. the family of 3 I had couldn’t come cuz the dad got in a crash and was in the hospital. I only had 2 people so I got way stressed cuz my goal was 4. I didn’t know what to do so all afternoon we went by every investigator I could think of but still couldn’t find any one to come. At 6pm I was at the breaking point and I said “let’s say a prayer,” so we did. I prayed with all my heart and when we finished we just started walking. We were walking along and I saw a house and it popped into my head “knock there!” We were walking to a different appointment so I was just like “No,” then the youth that I was with said “Hey lets knock that house.” It was in the middle of a street with houses all around but he pointed at the same one I had felt, so I was like “OK.” So we went and knocked and they let us in and loved the message!!! They both came to church on Sunday, it was a way cool experience for me and the youth I was with!
This week I made a deal with a lady I’m teaching, I was telling her she had to stop smoking. She said “it’s so hard, I can’t.” Then she said it would be like if I just stopped drinking soda. So I just told her “OK I’ll stop drinking soda and you stop smoking!” So we drew up this agreement, it was just so funny. So I’m not drinking soda anymore, I haven’t since Tue. It’s hard but I’m doing it and she has not smoked, but ya it’s hard.
So as for me and my youth comp. it has been going good. I have had good youth and they all loved me. Two of the boys I worked with talked in church this week with me about missionary work and they said how cool their experience with me was. It was really cool, they both said they learned alot and want to do it again. So maybe I helped them or maybe they are just BIG butt kissers!!! LOL
My comp is cool, his name is Elder Rivera. He is from the north part of Mexico. He has more time in the mission then me by a few months but I am the senior comp. I’m excited for this change
That is it for this week.
I love you all!
Love Elder Fackler
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
E-Mail 2-15-10
Hey everyone
How are you guys? I am doing good. It has been a long week. I started out on Tue. with a missionary that got home a week ago, working in my area. On Tue. night we saw a pregnant lady and her daughter moving these huge buckets of dirt so we decided we should help. Well it ended up being an hour and a half of carrying buckets of dirt to fill in her yard!!! It was not fun! I carried so much dirt I have bruises on my arms. I would carry 4 buckets at a time to look tough (ha-ha) 2 in my hands and 2 on my arms. I really just wanted to get done, it was a long hour and a half. So after the service my comp was just like “I got to go home” then he didn’t work with me all week. He just kept making stuff up so that he wouldn’t have to go. I think the service killed him! So all week I have been working with whoever I can during the day and some of it I couldn’t even find a comp. I only got to work like 2 and a half days of the week. I have been sleeping on the tile floor at the other missionary’s house so it has been a long week. One more week and then I’ll have a regular comp. again
OK, it is so much more stressful to be the Sr. comp, I don’t really like it ha-ha!!! If stuff goes wrong it’s all your fault, that is the only difference. I had a good week. I put 4 baptism dates up this week, had 3 in church for the 1st time and 2 for the second and I only got to work 2 and a half days!!! God really helped me cuz I had been so stressed. But it all worked out in the end.
The guy I baptized last week got the Holy Ghost this week. He is so amazing!!! He is going to be a bishop for real someday. I took money out so I could buy him a book of Mormon with the D and C and with the Pearl of Grand Price or however you say it in English. I took some money out because I have to buy everything for my young men I work with.
This week we had interviews with president, they were good. He told me he knew the next 2 weeks were going to be hard but that he knew I could do it and that I was going to grow so much. It really is so true, my Spanish has gotten way better and my teaching and everything have improved. You just learn alot when you have to do it all by yourself I have learned a ton this week!
When I get my new comp I’ll still be here in this area. I like it here, the members love me and take care of us really well. There is even a lady here that washes my cloths so I don’t have to and she washes them way good. It’s so cool our next door neighbors just got baptized and they love me so they always bring stuff to me at night like cake or tamales or tortas just way good food, they are so cool. I really like this area and this ward. I think it helps cuz I know what I’m supposed to do and I know Spanish and so I can use my personality here!
So I am a freak for sure now!!! We had a baptism on Sunday but we have to go to the other ward to baptize them cuz are prayer house doesn’t have a font. Anyway all the members in the other ward wanted pics and all this stuff cuz I’m so tall. The other missionaries there told me they always talk about me, they always say the giant missionary with beautiful eyes. I don’t know why everyone here likes my eyes. I think they changed colors or something cuz before it was not very common people would say stuff but now it is like every day. I really think the color changed, they are like orange on the inside then greenish blue now. I don’t know it’s probably just cuz they are not brown like everyone else’s.
So that is it for this week. I love you all and hope you are all doing good! Tell Bridger I said HI and he can do this! I love you guys!
Love Elder Fackler
How are you guys? I am doing good. It has been a long week. I started out on Tue. with a missionary that got home a week ago, working in my area. On Tue. night we saw a pregnant lady and her daughter moving these huge buckets of dirt so we decided we should help. Well it ended up being an hour and a half of carrying buckets of dirt to fill in her yard!!! It was not fun! I carried so much dirt I have bruises on my arms. I would carry 4 buckets at a time to look tough (ha-ha) 2 in my hands and 2 on my arms. I really just wanted to get done, it was a long hour and a half. So after the service my comp was just like “I got to go home” then he didn’t work with me all week. He just kept making stuff up so that he wouldn’t have to go. I think the service killed him! So all week I have been working with whoever I can during the day and some of it I couldn’t even find a comp. I only got to work like 2 and a half days of the week. I have been sleeping on the tile floor at the other missionary’s house so it has been a long week. One more week and then I’ll have a regular comp. again
OK, it is so much more stressful to be the Sr. comp, I don’t really like it ha-ha!!! If stuff goes wrong it’s all your fault, that is the only difference. I had a good week. I put 4 baptism dates up this week, had 3 in church for the 1st time and 2 for the second and I only got to work 2 and a half days!!! God really helped me cuz I had been so stressed. But it all worked out in the end.
The guy I baptized last week got the Holy Ghost this week. He is so amazing!!! He is going to be a bishop for real someday. I took money out so I could buy him a book of Mormon with the D and C and with the Pearl of Grand Price or however you say it in English. I took some money out because I have to buy everything for my young men I work with.
This week we had interviews with president, they were good. He told me he knew the next 2 weeks were going to be hard but that he knew I could do it and that I was going to grow so much. It really is so true, my Spanish has gotten way better and my teaching and everything have improved. You just learn alot when you have to do it all by yourself I have learned a ton this week!
When I get my new comp I’ll still be here in this area. I like it here, the members love me and take care of us really well. There is even a lady here that washes my cloths so I don’t have to and she washes them way good. It’s so cool our next door neighbors just got baptized and they love me so they always bring stuff to me at night like cake or tamales or tortas just way good food, they are so cool. I really like this area and this ward. I think it helps cuz I know what I’m supposed to do and I know Spanish and so I can use my personality here!
So I am a freak for sure now!!! We had a baptism on Sunday but we have to go to the other ward to baptize them cuz are prayer house doesn’t have a font. Anyway all the members in the other ward wanted pics and all this stuff cuz I’m so tall. The other missionaries there told me they always talk about me, they always say the giant missionary with beautiful eyes. I don’t know why everyone here likes my eyes. I think they changed colors or something cuz before it was not very common people would say stuff but now it is like every day. I really think the color changed, they are like orange on the inside then greenish blue now. I don’t know it’s probably just cuz they are not brown like everyone else’s.
So that is it for this week. I love you all and hope you are all doing good! Tell Bridger I said HI and he can do this! I love you guys!
Love Elder Fackler
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
E-Mail 2-8-10
Hey family,
So how are you guys? This week has been ok. My comp got transferred to be a zone leader and I went up to a senior companion. I have a youth from the ward not a companion for the next 2 weeks. Transfers are not for 2 weeks, my comp just left early to get trained so for 2 weeks I am with a youth. This makes me really nervous cuz I am in charge of our area as the senior comp and I don’t even have a regular comp to help me remember everything. It’s all good I guess, let’s just see how I do on this crash course. The other thing is my area is really good and always baptizes and helps our zone alot so if I fall apart it all falls apart, so pray that I can baptize 3 more this month! Now the area is my responsibility completely.
They are taking part of our mission in July and making a new mission that will just be Mexico City. They are taking missionaries from our mission to fill in the new mission. We don’t know who will go or anything yet but I hope I don’t have to, I love my pres to much! If they ask me to go to the other mission I will, I just hope I don’t have to but it is still far away.
I baptized a guy named Daniel this week, he is so cool. We found him knocking doors 3 weeks ago and his family is Christian. He started listening and prayed and had a super sick (awesome) prayer and got an answer and got baptized. He really is just so cool, I think he will be one of the best people I have baptized. He is going to be a bishop someday. He just wants to know everything about the church and just accepts everything we teach with no question, he is just so cool!!!
So I have a reputation here now, it’s just people here are stupid. The teenagers are so dumb and were always yelling at us and swearing at us in English and they are all half my size! So this week I had had it… everyone who yelled at me I went back to and asked what their problem was! I just scared the crap out of them, I would walk up and start talking to them in English then they would just look at me super lost. So I would tell them in Spanish “What’s up dude? 2 min ago you were yelling at me in English, what’s wrong now dude?” I am never mean or said anything mean I just make them feel kind of dumb and scare them cuz I’m about 5 times as big as any of them!!! So ya, I’m not taking crap now and people are starting to not yell at us. Some of them after it is all said and done are cool to us and are our friends. I just needed to help them learn you don’t scream bad things at GIANT WHITE people or they will come scare the crap out of you!!! Ha-ha-ha-ha, who knows maybe they won’t yell at missionaries in general now.
I have been kind of sick, I just had a really bad head cold and just felt like my head was going to blow off. It has been raining like crazy so we work all day in the rain then by the time we get home it is freezing and I think that’s why I got a head cold. I’m better now so doing worry (ha-ha) it was just a head cold.
So I can’t believe Madi got in a crash what a smart girl. Its good no one got hurt though. I’m so glad dad got that job, I fasted twice this week and during both of them I was fasting for that so I’m glad it worked out. Special K needed that job lol!!! That’s so funny Sandi calls him Special K lol. That’s her name right? How sad I don’t even know my sister-in-laws name, what a pile I am! That is about it this week, not too much more happened. Pray that I’ll be able to do this senior comp thing ok! I love you all!
Love Elder Fackler
So how are you guys? This week has been ok. My comp got transferred to be a zone leader and I went up to a senior companion. I have a youth from the ward not a companion for the next 2 weeks. Transfers are not for 2 weeks, my comp just left early to get trained so for 2 weeks I am with a youth. This makes me really nervous cuz I am in charge of our area as the senior comp and I don’t even have a regular comp to help me remember everything. It’s all good I guess, let’s just see how I do on this crash course. The other thing is my area is really good and always baptizes and helps our zone alot so if I fall apart it all falls apart, so pray that I can baptize 3 more this month! Now the area is my responsibility completely.
They are taking part of our mission in July and making a new mission that will just be Mexico City. They are taking missionaries from our mission to fill in the new mission. We don’t know who will go or anything yet but I hope I don’t have to, I love my pres to much! If they ask me to go to the other mission I will, I just hope I don’t have to but it is still far away.
I baptized a guy named Daniel this week, he is so cool. We found him knocking doors 3 weeks ago and his family is Christian. He started listening and prayed and had a super sick (awesome) prayer and got an answer and got baptized. He really is just so cool, I think he will be one of the best people I have baptized. He is going to be a bishop someday. He just wants to know everything about the church and just accepts everything we teach with no question, he is just so cool!!!
So I have a reputation here now, it’s just people here are stupid. The teenagers are so dumb and were always yelling at us and swearing at us in English and they are all half my size! So this week I had had it… everyone who yelled at me I went back to and asked what their problem was! I just scared the crap out of them, I would walk up and start talking to them in English then they would just look at me super lost. So I would tell them in Spanish “What’s up dude? 2 min ago you were yelling at me in English, what’s wrong now dude?” I am never mean or said anything mean I just make them feel kind of dumb and scare them cuz I’m about 5 times as big as any of them!!! So ya, I’m not taking crap now and people are starting to not yell at us. Some of them after it is all said and done are cool to us and are our friends. I just needed to help them learn you don’t scream bad things at GIANT WHITE people or they will come scare the crap out of you!!! Ha-ha-ha-ha, who knows maybe they won’t yell at missionaries in general now.
I have been kind of sick, I just had a really bad head cold and just felt like my head was going to blow off. It has been raining like crazy so we work all day in the rain then by the time we get home it is freezing and I think that’s why I got a head cold. I’m better now so doing worry (ha-ha) it was just a head cold.
So I can’t believe Madi got in a crash what a smart girl. Its good no one got hurt though. I’m so glad dad got that job, I fasted twice this week and during both of them I was fasting for that so I’m glad it worked out. Special K needed that job lol!!! That’s so funny Sandi calls him Special K lol. That’s her name right? How sad I don’t even know my sister-in-laws name, what a pile I am! That is about it this week, not too much more happened. Pray that I’ll be able to do this senior comp thing ok! I love you all!
Love Elder Fackler
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
E-mail 2-1-10
Hey guys how are you all? I’m doing pretty good, me and my comp are starting to have success again here we have a baptism and the guy is so good his name is Daniel. He is a Christian guy but he came to church and loved it and now this week he is going to get baptized. He is such a cool guy and he loves us so much he is good with whatever we say and is just so amazing.
Also today we went to these old ruins. It was so cool they were these huge statues, and big Aztec ruins they are up on top of this pyramid. It was so cool they were giant and there were like 10 of them so I’ll send pics of that home. The only thing that sucked is it was raining the whole time but it was still fun. They have all of these stores that sell souvenirs and it was so funny they all thought we didn’t know Spanish and were just dumb white boys. So they would start out the prices so high and we would talk them down so fast just cuz we knew Spanish. If we ever visit my mission we will go there for sure cuz it really was so cool.
So how was taking Bridger? Was it as bad as you thought? Wed. night I prayed for him like crazy cuz I know how that first night is. It really is terrible but Bridger will be fine. He is a little stud muffin ha-ha. I’m starting to lose weight again. Me and my comp work so hard. He is so cool I just love him!
I had a bad experience this week. I was on splits with our Zone Leaders and we went to teach one of our investigators. We were going to give her a baptism date, so the other missionary gave her one and she was just like “I’m not ready” so he just kept pushing her and pushing her and finally she got mad and was just like “You want an answer now, NO, stop pushing me!” and just got super mad. So I took over and like told her how sorry we were she felt that way and that I’m sure he had just been pushing cuz he knew the blessings the church held for her and just all this super cool stuff and like it was just so cool cuz I could feel the spirit talking threw me. At the end she was happy again and said she would pray about being baptized and stuff and it turned out way cool so ya it was just awesome.
I’m sorry to hear about dads job and Madi but don’t stress everything happens for a reason and when we do our part god always does his. Mom call and check on Angela I’m worried about her I don’t know if you know or not but her grandma died this week so check on her ok. I love you all so much hope all is well.
Love Elder Fackler
Also today we went to these old ruins. It was so cool they were these huge statues, and big Aztec ruins they are up on top of this pyramid. It was so cool they were giant and there were like 10 of them so I’ll send pics of that home. The only thing that sucked is it was raining the whole time but it was still fun. They have all of these stores that sell souvenirs and it was so funny they all thought we didn’t know Spanish and were just dumb white boys. So they would start out the prices so high and we would talk them down so fast just cuz we knew Spanish. If we ever visit my mission we will go there for sure cuz it really was so cool.
So how was taking Bridger? Was it as bad as you thought? Wed. night I prayed for him like crazy cuz I know how that first night is. It really is terrible but Bridger will be fine. He is a little stud muffin ha-ha. I’m starting to lose weight again. Me and my comp work so hard. He is so cool I just love him!
I had a bad experience this week. I was on splits with our Zone Leaders and we went to teach one of our investigators. We were going to give her a baptism date, so the other missionary gave her one and she was just like “I’m not ready” so he just kept pushing her and pushing her and finally she got mad and was just like “You want an answer now, NO, stop pushing me!” and just got super mad. So I took over and like told her how sorry we were she felt that way and that I’m sure he had just been pushing cuz he knew the blessings the church held for her and just all this super cool stuff and like it was just so cool cuz I could feel the spirit talking threw me. At the end she was happy again and said she would pray about being baptized and stuff and it turned out way cool so ya it was just awesome.
I’m sorry to hear about dads job and Madi but don’t stress everything happens for a reason and when we do our part god always does his. Mom call and check on Angela I’m worried about her I don’t know if you know or not but her grandma died this week so check on her ok. I love you all so much hope all is well.
Love Elder Fackler
E-mail 1-25-10
Hey guys sorry I took so long to write. This week has been really good. The name of my area is Santa Teresa it’s in the Estado de Mexico. The work here has been going really good. We are working really hard and have found alot of people. If things go good we should baptize about 8 in Feb. which will be super cool. We have had alot of success this week, we found a guy named Daniel who is just so cool. He went to church and is asking us about baptism and really is just super cool. Also this week we found this cool family who told us how they had talked to the missionaries before. They want to get baptized and they want to go to the temple, they are just super cool.
I have been progressing so much, I have been trying to study alot more and I have been trying to pray better. I have been working on being more humble and rely on the lord for everything. It has just been so cool. I have been trying really hard to not say anything negative about anything cuz it has been raining here alot and before I would always be like, it’s so cold it sucks! But this week I just decided I wanted to be better and not be negative so now when it rains I just say it is freezing cold just the way I like it lol! I’m just trying to be more positive and be more humble and it is going good.
So also it’s so funny there are so many people that have been yelling at us and swearing and stuff so we finally just said ok we are not going to take it anymore! So now when people yell we just go talk to them and it’s so funny cuz we are not mean, we just act lost. We go over and are like what’s up guys, were you calling us? It is so funny cuz they all get super scared cuz I am so big. They just say oh we didn’t say anything. It’s so funny cuz they think we will just walk away but we don’t, we just go over and are like what’s up, what did you say, and they get so scared.
My companion is so cool, he is helping me so much. I am doing so much better as a missionary and I am learning so much from him. I think I will only be with him this transfer but I’m just trying to learn all I can and be the best missionary I can. He really is helping me so much and I’m so glad cuz I needed a good comp and my comp is amazing!
I can’t believe Bridger is really going that is so crazy. He will do so good and change so many people’s lives. He just has such a love for everyone that he really will be great. I am so proud of him he is amazing. Tell him I said just tell people how it is be direct yet loving and never be afraid to just tell people they are wrong and you are there to help them come unto Christ, but say that in a loving way lol.
That is about it for this week sorry its short, we just had so much going on today. We had meetings as a zone and we played soccer after and then helped the zone leaders. Next week will be better and longer I promise. I love you guys I’ll write next week. Tell Bridger I said be great!!! Love you all!
Love Elder Austin King Fackler
I have been progressing so much, I have been trying to study alot more and I have been trying to pray better. I have been working on being more humble and rely on the lord for everything. It has just been so cool. I have been trying really hard to not say anything negative about anything cuz it has been raining here alot and before I would always be like, it’s so cold it sucks! But this week I just decided I wanted to be better and not be negative so now when it rains I just say it is freezing cold just the way I like it lol! I’m just trying to be more positive and be more humble and it is going good.
So also it’s so funny there are so many people that have been yelling at us and swearing and stuff so we finally just said ok we are not going to take it anymore! So now when people yell we just go talk to them and it’s so funny cuz we are not mean, we just act lost. We go over and are like what’s up guys, were you calling us? It is so funny cuz they all get super scared cuz I am so big. They just say oh we didn’t say anything. It’s so funny cuz they think we will just walk away but we don’t, we just go over and are like what’s up, what did you say, and they get so scared.
My companion is so cool, he is helping me so much. I am doing so much better as a missionary and I am learning so much from him. I think I will only be with him this transfer but I’m just trying to learn all I can and be the best missionary I can. He really is helping me so much and I’m so glad cuz I needed a good comp and my comp is amazing!
I can’t believe Bridger is really going that is so crazy. He will do so good and change so many people’s lives. He just has such a love for everyone that he really will be great. I am so proud of him he is amazing. Tell him I said just tell people how it is be direct yet loving and never be afraid to just tell people they are wrong and you are there to help them come unto Christ, but say that in a loving way lol.
That is about it for this week sorry its short, we just had so much going on today. We had meetings as a zone and we played soccer after and then helped the zone leaders. Next week will be better and longer I promise. I love you guys I’ll write next week. Tell Bridger I said be great!!! Love you all!
Love Elder Austin King Fackler
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