GOOOOOOOOOOOOALS

My companion and I are doing fantastic. I have never felt the spirit so strong during the mission.

I actually feel I can fulfill my potential with him.

He is a convert and has a year and a half as a member. Him and his brother are the only members in his family.

His parents were against him going on a mission and didn't write him for almost two months. I can't imagine what it is like for him.  He has 5 months in the mission.

He never leaves my side. I have only been alone once....I think I was in the bathroom.

We are being so obedient miracles are happening.

I got my recommend renewed two weeks ago in interviews with President Kucsh.

I feel worthy to hold it and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

I haven't felt so good and I haven't had my mind so clear all my life.

I am clean, pure, and happy.

I have a plan and know where I am going. I do not have fear but faith in the future.

The spirit is my guide and best friend.

I have developed a relationship with my Father in Heaven and am happy to be a Son of God.

As a missionary I have learned many things, also in my life. All of things I have learned I use everyday.

I feel that I am using more of my brain everyday, Heavenly Father is helping me open up the door to heavenly revelation.

Here is a story.

My last companion didn't really like looking for inactives or visiting members he didn't like so I didn't get to know the area good.

Well, Elder Espinoza and I grabbed the list of all the members of the branch and started looking and memorizing colonias and streets.

One day we were walking down the road when Reyes, a man in his 40´s pulled up and asked if he could give us a ride.

He wanted to practice English with me and offered to take us were we needed to go. The spirit told me it was ok and the man looks like Brother Robb so we got in and only went a few blocks when we found the house we were looking for. His English is alright. I didn't know Brother Robb had a twin Mexican.

Well, he invited us to dinner that night, we got there and he said his wife didn't open here mini restaurant so he bought us Dominos Pizza. We started chatting in English and after 5 minutes there was not really alot to talk about so I started teaching him the Restoration in English.

It was so hard, I could barely do it. My English is getting horrible. But he understood and insisted that we meet again.

So I invited him to church. AND HE CAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like in a Mexican soccer game when I saw him walk in....GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Principles of the gospel class he asked alot of questions and wants to learn more.

After church he invited us to lunch on Thursday.

Another story.

So with the list again we were looking for the street called Hospital, after finding it we were looking for number 64....as we walked down the street I recognized the place. Three months ago I came here for a funeral. The woman we were looking for was dead. So I told my companion I didn't want to ask for a dead woman. But he insisted that we knock on the door anyway. Good thing we did. The dead woman's daughter opened up the doors and welcomed us in with a smile.

Her name is Reina or Queen. It was the right time for us to come. She shared that she was in need to heae about Christ and how she could return to the church. We testified of the Atonement and how it could help her and her daughter get back on the path. She is single and needs alot of help, so we talked about faith and repentance. Sunday she brought her sister to church with her!!!!!!!!!!!! GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She enjoyed the sacrament meeting. The Seminary teacher, Hermana Santillan spoke. The spirit was so strong.

Another story.

So a week ago Elder Bartlome said we needed to go help with a mini MTC for the stake youth conference.

So Friday we woke up early to help 140 young men and women prepare to be missionaries.

President Kusch had name tags made with Hno. and Hna.  like we have.

For two hours in the afternoon we helped them knock doors and receive references.

It was fun. Everyone had a book of Mormon to place. Only forty were given away.

After there was a testimony meeting and it was really funny, all the experiences with TJ's (Jehovah Witnesses) and stuff.

The next day for the conference the youth went to play basketball and soccer. I felt that we needed to go and see if there were investigators there. When we arrived we ran into a Hna. that I didnt know....and she had a reference for us!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!

We then went to look for the youth of the branch. Daisy, one of my best friends and the Hna. that cuts my hair introduced us to a young lady named Samantha.

She is 18 years old. We took down her information and answered her questions. We also invited her to church.

    In church the next day I went to sit by Reyes and my companion....5 minutes later Samantha walks in.....with all her family......5 people that can all be baptized. WOW!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!! The loved the talks and the said they felt great. They are coming to church this next Sunday with us. LOVE IT!!!

Another Story.....

Okay, Monse and her husband have had problems since the beginning. Two weeks ago she moved out of the house and is living with the family Mercado.

They have had alot of problems and Monse wants out. So a week ago we were contacting an old man when she pulled up in a car with Javier.

She said that her husband wants to hear the lessons. I asked if he was angry with us, she said no, that she was just passing the message along.

Her husbands name is Jose. Two weeks ago he would not pray with us and said he would die before he was baptized.

So we go to his house and ask whats up and if this is serious. He said yes. So Elder Espinoza and I taught our first lesson to him.

It was great. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All three of us were almost crying by the end of the lesson. He participated by reading scriptures, answering questions and asking question too. We challenged him to be baptized the second weekend of August and he accepted! GOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!

We taught him how to pray and he said the closing prayer. I almost never kneel with investigators, but Elder Espinoza asked if we could and the spirit was even stronger. We left a chapter in the book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31, about the Gospel.

   The next day was went to teach him again and he had read and prayed. Miracle. Saturday him and monse went to their old school and she ended up spending the night with him. She told me that he wanted to pray and they prayed together for the first time. She cried and so did he. We are going to challenge him to be baptized this week instead of the next. I know he is prepared.

Another story...

So Sunday we were eating at the family Pantonja's house and the family did not come to church.

So I started digging, because they are active members. Their family had some problems with some leaders in the branch and some other stuff.

I shared a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 6:17, "Only God knows your thoughts and intentions...". The spirit was strong and we formed a good bond with the family. It was a perfect time to ask if they knew anyone we could teach, and there was. So Alejandro took us to meet one of their friends. Jesus, a young man. We will be teaching him on Saturday.

Well, I feel better now. We had a great week. I don't know if you could tell.

I love my family.

I know that this church is true and that if we do what is right and have faith in Christ he will help us in every decision we make.

I know that the Priesthood is real and can do anything depending on the faith of the person holding it.

I know that when we take the sacrament we are clean and that we will have the Holy Ghost with us at all times when we obey the commandments.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love Elder Chadwick

NEW COMPANION

Part One July 23 e-mail
Mom, I am about to go get my new companion. I am at my friend Manuel's house. 
Thanks for the article. I am just astounded at the way things are working out right now. 
Yesterday the High Councilmen spoke in Sacrament meeting and he used this very talk that you just sent me. I just cant believe this....OK I can, it is revelation or something. 
I am so happy to have a mother in tune with the spirit. 


I will write my siblings later. Elder Miguel left in a taxi for Cuarnavaca. I will send him an email about the talk you had with his sister. That is so cool. 


Well, my new companion is Elder Espinosa. I have no clue where he is from or how he is.


I love my family so much and think about you guys every day. 
Love
Elder Chadwick


Part Two July 23 e-mail
I am so excited to be with my new companion. 

He is great and happy and ready to work.

He only has five months in the mission and only a year and a half as a member of the church. 

He is from Peru and it is hard to understand his Spanish sometimes.

Things are really going to change and I am happy to be with him. 

Last week was a challenge but I just want to look on to the future with faith in Christ. 

I hope everything is going well at home and everyone is getting along. 

I don't know what else to write because I am just excited and happy to get a fresh start. 

Being senior companion is not going to be a challenge with this Elder. 

I have not met someone like him for a while. He is really going to help me spiritually. 

If I think of anything else to write you I will send you a message. 

I have only five more minutes..

Love ya

Elder Chadwick

BETTER WEEK

Hey,

I hope you had a great week.

Mine was better.

We had divisions and so I was with the red headed pianist.

Changes are in one week. Tomorrow or Wednesday we have interviews with Pres. Kush.

I still dont know what I want in my package.....

We are doing better as a companionship. Still best of friends.

  

So yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting, I wish you could have been there to listen to me.

I have never talked with more power and authority in my whole life.

Everyone loved the story I told, the one Greg Mitchell gave at his homecoming talk...about fire and the wolfs....

It was great. I think the branch is ready to work again. I told them we need to put everything behind us and get our hearts in the right place. I think things are going to improve now.

Everyone thanked my for my talk and said it was powerful.

I felt really good after, not for the regonition but for how everything felt during the talk.

I had selected the scriptures I wanted to use before hand but could not get the order down.

So I just left it up to Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost to help me.

So when I was up there it just flowed. Like the scriptures say," If you study, the Holy Ghost will give you the words that you need in the moment"

Somthing like that.....

So, it is fine that you want to talk about after the mission. That is alright with me.

I am still trying to do my best and am obeying the rules...thank you. haha.

I dont really have much else to say. We went paintballing again today because it is Elder Miguels last week...perhaps.

I am going to have a good talk with pres this week...

Love ya

Elder Chadwick

Last Time With President and Sister Spannaus

Baptism!

THINGS GETTING BETTER HOPEFULLY

Editor's Note:
The last few weeks have been hard for Elder Chadwick. His companion was sick for quite awhile and then just didn't want to work. He has been very frustrated and didn't want to hit the new president the first week that he arrived with this problem. He was able to address this past week. We are hoping everything will be different after changes as he says.

Well, we had a better week.

Tuesday we had conference with President Kusch. It was great. We had the privilege of listening to 48 testimonies....

After the conference I took the opportunity to get a quick interview with President Kusch.

I explained to him the situation. He then asked me if I was waking up on time....I said no because it is hard when my companion is dead.

He then explained to me that Elder M has his free agency and I can not control him....then he asked me what I have....my free agency.

He taught me a great lesson that day. After that Elder M wanted to know what we talked about and so I told him. He then wanted his own interview with Pres.

It was to late to head back and so when we got to the church in our area he called pres....and scheduled an appointment with him for the next day in Cuarnavaca.

So Elder M paid for a taxi to Cuarnavaca and talked with Pres for an hour and a half. The rest of the week was hard but better. We woke up at the right time and studied.

We also planned every night. It was great to have the spirit back with us.

This is between us but Elder M told me he has a problem with porn...that is why he was not working. He would get disanimated (not sure what this is. probably Spanish) with the things he was doing and would not want to go out.

Also, he has a HUGE crush on the Stake Pres. daughter....and is going to return for her after the mission. He told Pres Kusch about this and Pres said it was fine to return but that he needed to focus right now.

On Sunday we had a General Conference Sacrament meeting. Pres Kusch and his wife came. Elder Anaya, a area seventy and the stake presidency. I think they want to fix alot of things.

It was great. They all talked on the Holy Ghost and how we always need to rely on our Heavenly Father to guide us.

Seeing the President of the mission three times in one week is too much times!!!

Well, we didn't really have much success this week. I too don't want to end on a sour note. I know that changes will help in two weeks.

I am renewing my temple recommend on the 18 of this month. It has been almost two year when we went to the temple for the first time.

Do you remember that experience??? It was great. I miss the temple. The Mexico City temple is closing on the 30th of this month. How sad.....I hope I get to go

before I leave for home.

Can you give me one more week to think on the things I need. Thank mom. love ya....!!!!

We have been dropping our clothes off at laundry mat place the last two months....I got sick of not having money and so I asked hermana Ziga if I could wash in her house.

She said yes, then I asked what I needed to buy....nothing she said!!!!!!!! My companion spent almost $8 bucks or 84 pesos on washing his clothes.....I didn't spend a peso...love it. Lunch was included.

 

We are going to do a musical of the Restoration this next Sunday or the next. It is going to be great. We are going to try to get alot of people there.

Well, I don't know what else to write. Good luck with the Moroccan....ha ha.

 

Here is an Idea....you can start saving now to buy me a Ipad for Christmas and my birthday and my next birthday day so I can have a little technology when I get home. (he is nuts here. He will be buying his own!)

 

Love ya

Elder Chadwick

TO MUCH INFORMATION?

Dear Readers,

I never know exactly what I will get from my son. 

Below is an example of this. 

We have the funny, the serious and the "I'm going to tell my parents I am living in a dangerous area and I'm sure they won't worry" information. Enjoy the e-mail. It is typical DJ.

Tina

Hey mom,

I would sure like some more videos. That was sweet. Thank you!

I didn't get your email with the talks....

I never know how my grandparents are because they never write me....hint hint....

We worked really hard this week and every lesson we had was with a member present.

Elder Miguel is doing great and back to normal. He invited me to California buffet today...I ate to much...love buffets.

Here is something funny about my companion.

So on Friday we were getting ready to leave the apartment and my companion yelled from the bathroom "WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE WIPPIES!!" I responded "USE TOILET PAPER!!"

"I don't like too....you will learn when you have a weird butt in 40 years.."

So he waited 2 hours to go buy wipies at the Superprecio...they didn't have any... so he had to wait a hour, because we had an appointment, and went and looked for them at another store. 35 pesos, he could have saved 30 pesos using regular toilet paper. We got a good laugh out of that little experience.

So everyone we found this week is not progressing! I don't like it very much, not at all!

We had branch conference yesterday and people brought their family and friends and so it made up for the others who aren't progressing.

On Thursday night we taught a man named Agustine, he could not say the prayer because he thinks he has to have more experience with other things first. We found out at the end of the lesson that he really doesn't know if God exists or not and so we changed the challenge from praying if Jose Smith was a prophet to does God really exist. It was late so we could not really go in deep to this with him. His wife is a inactive member, didn't keep her commitment to come to church this Sunday.

The surprise was that Monse, one of Elder Miguels converts, brought her husbands brother to church and he enjoyed it. We had a great priesthood meeting on missionary work and how it is a life time calling for us and we always need to carry something of the church around with us so people ask what we are reading or doing. The spirit was really strong as the brethren shared their conversion stories.

I love this area, I feel it is where I need to be right now.

Okay, don't be alarmed by this, it is a letter we received from the Area Presidency of Mexico.

We recommend that the missionaries keep a low profile during the next 2-3 weeks, including the following:

 No attending American institutions, such as McDonald's and Burger King.

No Coming home later than 9:00 pm 

Do not respond to calls or invitations from unknown people.

Strictly obey the rules of the mission. 

Be alert to the whisper of the Holy Spirit and heed the whisper.

Advise the mission president of any strange situation that could be dangerous for missionaries.

Maintain daily contact with district leaders.

Avoid being present or near groups of people on the street, whether peaceful or violent.

Pray each day for God's protection in their daily activities and express gratitude every day for the protection afforded.

May God bless you and your missionaries.

Elder Johnson

Elder De Hoyos 

Elder Tenorio

Let's be faithful and obedient to our leaders and God bless and protect us for it.

President Spannaus

Misión Mexico Cuernavaca

Interesting, no? I think it is because the Mexican elections are going to happen during this time.

Well, I love my family and can't wait to see them in 5 months. I completed 19 months yesterday.

Elder Chadwick

LITTLE INFO June 11, 2012

Dear Readers,
Yes, I got behind on the blog.
I will try better to keep it up.
He didn't have much to say last week but we will see this week.
Thanks for reading.
Tina


June 11, 2012
Today was changes. I didn't have changes but we went and played paintball, it was so much fun. 
We had a group of ten. Two of them are our converts. 
Thank you for the updates, I always love to hear what is going on. 
I too hope that you can have a successful summer in the flower shop. 
Don't worry, I will be praying. 


It is hard to feel the spirit...how to do I say it in English....in Spanish is "bien fuerte" or very strong when 
I am locked in my apartment for two and a half weeks. Elder Miguel  had an infection in his throat and stomach. He still can't eat hardly anything but he is better now. We are going to have a full day of work tomorrow, our first in two weeks...Like I said, a lot of patience.. we are finally going to have a full work day tomorrow. 
Elder Miguel and I are best friends, we have never fought or screamed or contended with each other. 
Yes, I have learned alot about patience. I love it. Breath in, breath out. Like Mr. Miagi says. I do that alot. 
I am almost done with the Book of Mormon in Spanish again. I love and adore this great book. 
I am in Helamen right now. I will probably finish this week. 
I have read alot of Jesus the Christ and have learned something new every time I read the words of Elder Talmage. 
I bet I will love the package that you sent to me. I will probably receive it this week. I am excited. 
I am glad you found my journal, I actually bought a new one for $12 bucks. I am getting better at writing every day.
I will send you another email in a minute. I have to write Jordan something. 


I will probably need more money for food this month. Sorry, I feel bad about that....I am just eating alot right now. 
I don't need anything else. 
Don't stress out about the letter thing. No big. 


Sorry that there was not alot today.
I have to go. Love you!!!!
Until next week!
Elder Chadwick

AH HA MOMENTS

Thanks for your testimony. I loved it! I am learning the same things you are right now.

I am depending on the Lord so much right now. This last week was a challenge but with

His help anything is possible.

In zone conference we learned about repentance. President Spannaus cleared up all the doubts I had

about repentance. For instance, I have always wondered why Jesus can forget our sins but we can't.....interesting, no? President explained that it is so we can learn from what we did and keep moving forward.

That is one of the reasons we have the Book of Mormon. If is wasn't for Alma telling his son Helamen about the time when he was a wicked little man and the process of his repentance I would still feel horrible for some of the things I did in High School.

Mom, Have you ever received an answer from when Heavenly Father says "Your sins are forgiven you"? (Like in the experience of Enos)

Then you do the same thing again, and He is merciful and says "Your sins are forgiven you"...

I have, more then I want to.

President Spannaus said to us, " If this is happening, you do not understand the Atonement and what repentance really is!"

Lets just say the spirit just hit me in the face like five times and struck my heart and that maybe I didn't really understand this until now....

I felt bad but then President Spannaus picked us off the ground again and said look....(drawing a man on the board)

He explained the cycle that we really need to be in....well that I really needed to be in.

I had learned and studied the cycle before but it didn't get inside of me like it did last Friday.

He said the the Lord will repeat His words (your sins are forgiven you) as we climb the steps to Godhood.

Light upon light, line upon line... and so forth.

I had a personal chat with President right after his grand discourse. I had a question for him...

I asked, "I am trying so hard to give up my heart to the Lord right now but feel that I am not there yet, what can I do?"

He told me I have to have a better relationship with God, I have to get on my knees more and talk to Him.

So I did, that night I got on my knees and started pleading to the Lord for forgiveness and an answer that my heart is really in this...

He didn't answer until Sunday during testimony meeting where someone was bearing their testimony on Love and Serving others...

The Spirit really did touch me and I am working hard to always have it with me, in every thought, word and deed.

I am always remembering that I have to look into the mirror of Christ and not the world.

Sometimes I don't like going out to work because I feel the spirit so much more during my personal study.

I am in Alma 45 with the rest of the mission. (Well, those who are really reading)

I have learned alot from Alma and his counsel to his sons.

Think about this for minute. We are like this family in the Book of Mormon.

You and Dad made some mistakes in your younger life and so did I.

You got after me just like Alma did with his sons and also you have shown me that you have repented and are doing better.

I will go on to show you that I have repented. I know God is always with us and He answers our prayers.

I love the clean feeling that comes after taking the sacrament.

Thanks for all you have done and will do for me. I hope this letter makes you happy or happier than you already are....

I pray for the the flower shop every morning and evening, and there is always a prayer in my heart for my family.

I love you so much, never forget that.

Elder Daryl James Chadwick

Last Zone Conference with President Spannaus

Everybody wave!

                                                   DID YOU SEE THE VULCAN SIGN???