Elder Tellez Christmas Eve 2012

Elder Tellez 12-17-12 email

Hello family, How is everyone doing? I am super good. First of all thank you everyone for your emails. I'm thankful for your support. I'm sorry aunt Becca for not writing you. Mama, I have been dreaming in spanish since the MTC, haha. They are really weird. How is Gramma doing? I didn't hear from her this week. I hope that she is alright. This week was good. We didn't have anybody to baptize this week, but on Saturday, we talked with this old investigator who just came to church that day and he said that he wanted to get baptized there and then and that is just what we did. I don't have pictures because I didn't have my camera with me. We have two baptisms this week, the mom and brother of the girl that was baptized last week (the miracle baptism). Also, a bunch of my friends ended their missions today, Elder Sulzen (my buddy here in Martinez), Elder Valdez (my old companion), Elder Wilhelm (my first district leader in the mission), Elder LaBianca (my zone leader in Xalapa) and more. It was weird to see Elder Sulzen go like 2 hours ago and it made me think that in just 9 months I will be in the same moment. Thank you for your love and support. Christmas is next week and I will be Skyping you Monday night. I'm hoping that there will not be as many people as there were last Christmas but I think that you said that the Christmas Eve will be at our house, ahhhhhh. It's ok then. The important thing is that I will get to see you. Ok, time to go. I love you all. Stay happy.

Elder Waddell 12-18-12

 It's pretty chillly. It's dropped about 70 degrees in the past 4 days. We had a winter storm type and it warmed up to almost above freezing. then it plummeted again and we only had one hour of church because it was around 45 below. The plug in for our car isn't working too well so it almost didn't start this morning. It's cool how cars freeze and everything is really stiff and hard to move. It's cool when your eyelashes freeze too. haha we blew some bubbles from a cheap bubble wand and they froze and dropped out of the air and landed and just stayed there. If you try to pick them up your finger puts a hole through them but it stays in its form. We're going to buy a big bubble wand today to make a huge frozen bubble haha I'm really hoping the northern lights come out again before this next transfer. I have a tripod now so I can get better pics of them. 
Man you guys must be so excited. In that package the ward sent someone put a mini bottle of old spice "swagger" scented. That's what I used in college. Every time I get a whiff of it at all I get trunky. I miss that place so much. I've already decided the first thing I'm going to do when I get back as far as goals is talk to the Christensens and devise a plan to live there for the rest of my life haha So just to warn you I might look a little green when we skype.

Well back to missionary land.  Things are going well. We've got some baptisms coming up. We would have more but one of them is moving down to Arizona, sad. But he's way cool. I had a lesson with him with two other missionaries and it was a spiritual powerhouse of a lesson. He's normally very talkative and we planned to teach tithing but that's not what came out at all. He ate it up and now he did what we asked and he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I love it when that happens. Nobody ever does what we ask them. But when they do, that happens, they find out it's true. It kills me that the world just lays blinder after blinder over our eyes and there aren't very many ways to get past them. Usually it requires a humbling experience and to feel the spirit at the right window of time. It has to be so exquisitely timed there's no way that He's not in control. We are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest and we are his and HE will raise us up at the last day. Isn't that great that we don't have to depend on our own strength. Well things are good over here. I miss you guys and love you, Elder Waddell

Elder Tellez 12-10-12 email

Hello family, How is everyone? I hope everyone is good. I was so happy to hear from you all. Thank you for every email. We had an awesome baptismal service yesterday. We baptized a teenage girl. It was an amazing story of how we came to this point. Rosalba is her great aunt (aunt of Irene's mom). She has seen many church movies with us like 17 Miracles. She has a strong testimony but her mom didn't want to give her permission. Rosalba and two of her sons, Carlos and Yosemir shared there strong testimonies to her but she wouldn't give in. Finally Saturday night when I was on divisions with another missionary, my companion and another missionary went to talk with the mom and Irene. From what I have heard, it was a very powerful lesson. The missionaries and Irene were testifying. Then this man walked in who is an uncle from Xalapa. My companion thought that he was a Jehova's Witness or some other church and he was scared that he would ruin it. They continued to teach but with caution. Out of nowhere, the man starts talking. He talks about the importance of baptism and that there are two priesthoods and that without this priesthood, the baptism doesn't have any worth. He starts talking directly at the mom saying that she doesn't understand the importance of all of this yet but that Irene does and that is why she wants to get baptized. He said that what would be the difference if she waits for a couple of years or just does it now. No matter what she will de it. And that the mom will finally realize that this is what her daughter needs to do and when this time will come, the mom will want to repent and will feel horrible. He then talks about when HE was baptized is the church like 30 years ago. He is now inactive but wowww. My companion thinks that he was John the Beloved. When he said this, the mom felt the spirit soooo strongly and weeped. She gave permission. When my companion told me about this experience, I just cried. Carlos, the son of Rosalba, (who was just baptized like 3 or 4 weeks ago) baptized her. it was sooooo amazing. In this one picture with two people: the man in the white shirt is the Bishop, he is the greatest, and the other is Carlos. Thank you for your love and support. I love you all. Always keep a strong testimony.

Elder Waddell 12-3-12

So, it was about 40 below this morning. It's getting a little cold. Let's see, we had a good week this week. Pretty much taught the most lessons I've taught on my mission. There was a baptism on Saturday and we had three people we're teaching show up to it. That was exciting. The Jewish Rabbi showed up which was really cool. She liked the ordinance but liked the guy’s testimony even more. I'm impressed by her. This is a big change from what she does as a Jew even though so many things are so similar. That's what the covenant people are about. It's interesting how you can attribute all the differences between us simply because of the lack of a prophet. All the differences of all the faiths are because they reject the Lord’s anointed. I feel like if I was on the receiving end of this message that would click with me, that the heavens are still open. It's so clear. God speaks with his servants. We haven't been left out to dry, but when we make our choices the fruits are evidence of whether it was guided by the spirit or not. And it seems pretty clear to me the difference between prophetic authority and personal revelation. That requires personal worthiness from obedience. It's interesting that obedience doesn't usually bring the blessings we want but always the blessings we need. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to cut me down at times. Who knows me well enough to bless me with the things I need but don't necessarily want. Through that I know that he's in control and when we try to go against that we are legitimately kicking against the pricks. Well this week has been pretty uneventful except it's been ridiculously cold and we taught a lot. Our car almost didn't start this morning even though it was plugged in, so that was cool. Well I hope you guys are excited! Miss you, Elder Waddell

Elder Tellez 12-3-12 email

Hello again, thank you for the emails. Life is good. We didn't baptize this week but we have three for this week. Thank you for all of the pictures of the Christmas tree it looks beautiful. My last Christmas in the mission, haha. We are going to do an activity next week, we are going to some pyramids. The family of Aunt Wanda are in my prayers. Is it cold in Texas right now? It super hot over here, haha. I'm dying for some "mama cookin". I don't think that I will ever eat tortillas again. I am starting to look like a one of those cranky old missionaries, haha. Rosalba, whom I baptized 2 weeks ago, went up and bore a powerful testimony yesterday. We invited another one of her sons to get baptized on the 16 and he accepted. So, his brother who was baptized 2 weeks ago as well is going to baptize him (he just recieved the priesthood yesterday). These kind of things just strengthen my testimony. I am so happy for the success that we are having here in the mission. I love it when people truly become converted. Ahhhh, the blessings of God. I really enjoyed the whole JOY thing. Well, time to say goodbye. I love you all.