Friday, April 3, 2015

Last Letter

I had a wonderful week this past week. There were all sorts of  highs and lows, but the prevalent feeling is of strength, peace, and excitement to be where I am when I am. I love the Gospel at a whole new level. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I love the time I have been able to dedicate to all three. Yesterday I felt the spirit more frequently and stronger that I think I can remember.
 
See you in a few
 
Lots of Love!

Thursday, March 26, 2015


We had a wonderful week in many ways.

My highlights/things on my mind:
-We had an awesome training on Thursday. The only downside was that it was seven hours long aaaaaahghrhrghgh, so long, kill me. But I learned so much and made all sorts of strides of improvement, so it was worth it. We learned a lot about the Book of Mormon, and we're reminded of its role and had a wonderful, enthralling talk about... Planning. It was wonderful, for real changed my life.
-One of these past days, I don't remember which, we stopped a women walking her dog and asked if we could just share with her a card and we were able to start a wonderful conversation about all sorts of things which ended in the first vision. Vivian is 28, black, with deep roots from Arlington. It was one of the most satisfying conversations I have had in a long time.
-I really want to continue to talk to many people like Vivian, and anyone else who God will put in our path. We have made a large effort to talk to everyone, Hispanic or not, everywhere we go over the past while in my mission and I don't think anything has been more rewarding. Reaching out! It always makes me feel good

Something I read recently in Alma hit me today that says something along the lines of "compassion moved them to act"(it was in Spanish so I am paraphrasing); compassion, charity, and love are the absolutely most enduring motivators and energizers. I love what I do and I continue to try and love who I am. I want love to motivate me to do most everything I do in my life.

I love you!

Elder Bigelow 

With my Mission President:



Wednesday, March 18, 2015

I love being a missionary!


 
Highlights of missionary love this week.
 
-We had just finished making all the calls that had confirmed that all our hopes for appointments  had fallen through (again, its okay, the story gets better). So we said a little prayer asking for some help from the Big Man as usual. We thought about it considered our options and then decided to go check on a guy who we had set up an appointment with for previous week which had fallen through. We had a great conversation about language and its interactions with our lives. We were going to have a lesson about the language of the spirit, but that fell through. We weren't sure about his address but we knew which row of buildings it was in so we started buzzing all the "b's" and "d's" because that is what we thought he had told us. As we were finishing buzzing the apartments and talking to a few people in the street who comes out? Luis. Lookin good and smelling better. He was on his way to a party but saw us and said, "Hey, que estan haciendo por aqui?" We told him, looking for You! We had a nice little chat and set up another appointment up for tonight. I will tell you how it goes next week.

-I am officially out of an ipad. It was taken away last Thursday and I am being a real missionary with paper scriptures until I depart. It is weird to go back after being so used to studying on the ipad. It makes things so much faster and more convenient. I will have a phone when I get home, so I only have to endure for a little w hile. The good news is that in reality I prefer the actually reading in a real book.
 
-We have been talking to a lot of english people and it is a wonderful new experience and challenge. There are a ton of americans in most of our area and very few hispanics so we have been trying to reach out to them a lot more while we are en route to find our Hispanic friends. It is something that in all honesty gave me fear at the beginning and throughout much of my mission but now it is something I love. Talking to your own people, even if they are often losers is extra gratifying in a way.
 
-We also had the opportunity to go to the sealing of Brandon and Daphnee. They are some of our best friends and we were pumped they finally went to the temple. Brandon was baptized right before I started my mission. He and Daphnee received their endowments last week and sealed on saturday. I have been buggin them about it since the day I met them! They are some of the best friends I have made.


 
I have been thinking a lot about Romans 8 this week. Specifically verse 16 but also the rest of the chapter. It has caused me to repent often. I more frequently evaluate where my standing is and how I can feel better about myself. Kick the carnals butt! Become something better
 
I have to roll. I love you lots!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Week of March 9

These week was a great one, lots of little miracles, lots of tender
mercies and Tons of hard work (lots of doors and lots of talking).

I am trying to think of the things that I want to do and feel and see
over the last little time I have left to be a missionary. I think I
have decided that what I want more than anything is to forget I am in
Virginia, see every person for who they really are and try to speak,
and help them. A phrase that my companion and I strive for sometimes
is "forget you are in Virginia."

That is what I want to do with the time I have left. I want to forget
I am in Virginia. I don't want to wind down to the finishing days of
my time here. I want to continue progressing and come home with the
ability to come home running.

I don't have to many words today but I will tell you I am grateful for
my personal testimony, and I am glad I live what I live because of my
own conviction.-- We met a lady the other day and had a tremendously
interesting discussion with her. I think she belonged to a Unitarian
Universalist  Congregation or something like that. (I finally
understand what dad said one time, saying, "They believe in God, sort
of...) She said she chose her view of God and religion totally based
on the social effects on humanity and the good it cause in her life.
Because of that and in part, how she was raised, she now identifies
with Christianity most closely. She doesn't however believe in the
divinity of Jesus Christ or anything like that. Interesting.

I was confused, and obviously I have respect for everyone, their
beliefs and how they got there because everyone has had a different
life experience. Regardless, I am very grateful that I do what I do
because of my personal experience and my conviction in respect to Gods
relationship and communication with me. I love God, I love what the
Gospel has done for my life and I intend to use it to get the most out
of life that I can over the rest of my time on this here little
planet.

See you!

Lots of Love!

Love//

Elder Bigelow

ps. We went to cafe rio today and saw 9 Mormons under one hour. BUMPIN'

Here is another photo of us before another day long excursion into the
foot of snow that fell over a few hours. It was Heavy stuff.


Monday, March 2, 2015

This week has been great; it has flown by like I can't believe. It
just gets faster and faster.

The biggest thing that has grown as of late is my faith, I think. By that
I mean my willingness to do what I know I need to. It has happened
because of an increase of love for the people in our area and the
wonderful experiences I have had as we reach out further and further
to try and help people grow themselves.  Saturday was particularly
interesting...

We planned out our day the night before as we always do, trying to
confirm things, figuring out what to study etc etc. We felt good about
what we had planned and we were ready to get going the next morning.

As we were going on with our day we visited a few people and talked to
some people on the street. Everything was falling through and we both
felt a gentle inkling to go to Fairfax which is a little ways away, so
we baiedl on our plans in early afternoon, seeing as we had no
appointments later on.

We went and checked around every corner for Hispanics in apartments in
our potentials list and we were having no luck. (IT WAS SO COLD). We
skipped dinner to keep going and we could not find anyone who was home
or even mildly interested. After talking to everyone and running to and fro
trying to be productive and efficient we decided to try one last house
because it was about 30 mins to get home if you're lucky and we had
little time left.

We pulled up to the home and it was pitch dark. We said a prayer
anyway and as we looked up Elder Rascon said, "I think I know why we
are here..." He had a light in his eye as he pointed literally over a
river and through a small wood to a house about a hundred yards away.
The family was hustling to bring groceries back from their car. He
mentioned he had spoken with them before about a month and a half ago.
They are friends of a neighbor who introduced them. I said, alright
let's go.

On our way over, excitement was building and the possibility of
teaching a beautiful family ran through my head. I have come to rely
on miracles for our success, while always searching for them. --We got
there and knocked, he answered, we went in and had a wonderful
conversation. It seemed but a moment but took about a half an hour. We
didn't have "a lesson" but we had a good talk. It seemed to influence
him a lot as well as all his daughters we were able to speak to for a
minute. Then we left.

It is interesting how simple and small things can create large change
in the future. It is like that one "a few degrees" talk by president
Ucthdorf. I am so happy we followed our feelings, nothing is more
gratifying.

Follow your gut! (aka probably, maybe the spirit if it is a good thing
you feel you should do)

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Feb 23--Last Transfer

Heyo!

This is my new second half. He is number one. I LOVE HIM TO DEATH. I am finishing training him, which means when I am ready to go home he will be ready to go off on his own. He has been here for 7 weeks. We are seriously both on such the same page it is unreal. We are both 83637489% committed and have seen some tremendous miracles.


 Because of a lot of cleaning to be done and another really bad haircut I am running low on time so I will give you just one story.
 --It was a hectic night and we had not had time to re-plan for the night because things had shifted around and fallen through. Visiting our "prospective elder" list was on the schedule but we had not had time earlier to select the people. We said a prayer and E.R. started to choose which ones he though looked good. We checked the info on five and they all lived outside our area, we found one finally that was in Reston and we went. We got there, said another prayer asking for guidance and a miracle. We went on knocked on the door a few times with no answer. we started to walk back and President Riggs' voice came into my head saying, "God sent you there for a reason, always knock around," so we turned around. We see a house that looked possibly Hispanic, so we knocked it. A guy opened up and said, "oh hey guys, come in, it's really cold." We were taken aback, but even more when he said he is a member, fell away a while ago but knows he needs to come back. His kid is 8 and wants to go to church and he is living with his new girlfriend. We really want to help him out and he says he is ready to come back.

Elder Rascon and I have contemplated direction from the spirit a lot. When we live worthily and are working are tails off, and then are willing to follow our feelings magic happens every time. I am so glad I have recognized that.

Have a great week! I love you all!


Love//

Elder Bigelow

Here is our district-- both sides of us



Monday, February 16, 2015

Week of Feb 16--Cold

I am on the metro riding into tysons to get picked up to go to the
temple today. We are going to do baptisms for the dead with some
recent converts of ours over the past little while. Hopefully we will
be able to get some good pictures. It will be cool to go and do the
baptisms for the dead, I have not done them for a loooong time. It
will be even cooler to go there for the first time with some of our
friends who have recently been baptized.

This week has been a good one. Most of my high moments were connected
to the spirit being recognized in retrospect, seeing it work in others,
or having directly touch me.

First thing. I was on exchanges for the day with Elder Jared Oran,
whom you know. He asked me to prepare and share with him a little
about following the spirit all the time. I was finally able to
recognize and understand all the times that I have been guided by the
spirit in my mission and how often the spirit actually did guide me
before my mission in various circumstances. It was cool to make that
connection and be able to apply how I will be able use that same
direction in my life when I will be home.

I was able to go back to a previous Ward to participate in the baptism
of two HOMIES: Sonia and Miguel. I baptized Miguel and that was cool,
but the really great thing was that after he came out of the water and
we were changing he said. "I felt something really different when I
came out of the water. I felt really good and could only think about
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I think it was the spirit." Elder
Clark and I said, yeah it was! That was pretty cool.









Last thing. During sacrament meeting a family we have recently started
visiting who has been totally inactive for a year or two came and was
happy to be there. The whole family came, even the crazy kids. I sat
with them and tried to help tame the kids so they could get through
sacrament meeting. As I was talking with them another family who has
been inactive for the past two years came and sat down on my other
side. I was really excited for them. During the sacrament I felt
something special. That was cool. It definitely was just as satisfying
to help them get there back in the game as helping someone be
baptized.


Moral of the story--
I am glad I can recognize the spirit.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin.

I like that, and I can feel it


Love//


Elder Bigelow

Ps. Waiting in the metro today was COLD. It was 10 degrees and windy
everyone was dying, especially that girl in the far right.



Week of Feb 9--Fast

This week has been one of the fastest weeks I have lived I think. I
hardly remember it. All I remember was working hard with little
results. But then looking back, we have finally seen progress this
week. We were able to find some really cool people, and make some
great connections.

I'll tell you one of the stories:

First: osvaldo, nelly and joel

We have been trying to diversify our finding techniques to try and
find prepared people. We have in the past tried many things but one
thing we had not done was focusing just on potential and former
investigators. In this process we blocked off an entire night to
check these types of people. After many failed attempts we found a guy
who said his son was a member and a returned missionary.  So we go and
knock the door. A jolly looking Bolivian opens the door and we ask him
if Osvaldo is there. We got in and started talking, we found out he is
actually a member, it's just he hasn't gone to church in about 25
years! He said he has become catholic again for his wife and his son
isn't really baptized anywhere we think... The best news! He has SOOO
many questions, and they are all sincere. His first question was,
"where does God come from, like did he start somewhere?" He had so
many other questions from things like how can I know how the spirit
talks to me to what do I have to do to get baptized... He loved coming
to church and mostly because he liked learning, not for the people,
but I think he liked that too. He is thirsty for knowledge of God that
his parents have neglected to give him over the years due to their
grueling seven day a week work schedule. They all love us and all seem
to have a hidden curiosity to find out more, or rediscover a buried
testimony. We are excited for them.

Anyway, I love you. Time is FLYING



Love//
Love//

Elder Bigelow


Ps. I thought you'd enjoy one of my new "changing of behaviors." Or at
least that is what I call them. Every time I am scared to do something
or feel like I am prompted to do something I am tempted to rationalize
away I say "scared" and my companion pushes me to go do whatever I am
thinking about. It has made a few interesting situations. If a good
story happens of it this week I will let you know!

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Week of Feb 2

This week has been a good one. We have been working hard with on and
off results, but wonderful things have been happening. It is
interesting how much work and perhaps testing of faith goes in to one
miracle. We sometimes will knock doors and talk to people in the
street for a whole day with no "results." Later something always
happens, but I have learned to enjoy the ride, love the work and
appreciate my personal growth as I go through challenges.

Some of the highlights from this week-

-last night was nothing but good it was a build up of all our effort
throughout the week. Everything fell through so we decided to go and
try previous investigators and potentials from previous missionaries.
Our records said that it was a man who's son was a member in Bolivia
and even went on a mission! We knocked and he opened, we asked for the
name we had written down. He said that person wasn't there anymore and
has gone back to Bolivia.(he lied, it was actually him) after that he
decided to let us in and told us who he really was. We got down into
the nitty gritty with his relationship over the years and he said he
is actually a member, baptized more than 30 years ago but has "gone
back" to being catholic because of his current wife. So the story gets
longer and more complicated so I will just tell you that he invited us
back, his son who is not a member is down to learn, so is his wife.

-on Saturday we were finally able to get into contact with Anthony. He
was taught be missionaries pretty seriously like 6 months ago and even
had a day he was planning to be baptized on. When we talked to him at
first he wasn't really interested and said he hD no time. We were
finally able to get in and sit down and have a real discussion. As we
were able to really identify his needs and address them he opened up.
He decided he does need Gods guidance stronger in his life. He also
decided that the best way to start that relationship up again was
1.reading the bible 2. Meeting with us 3. Reading the Book of Mormon.
3 of our favorite things! We are excited to keep teaching him.

We went to dc today. It was fun because we got to go to some of my
favorite museums. The hirshorn and the American history museums. They
were both cool but we BLASTED through them. Seriously so fast. I
decided that a cool museum might be a test for my girlfriends to check
their cool scale. Check out how they handle themselves in museums.
They will have to meet the equilibrium. They might want to spend
WAAAAAAY too long or not even want to be there. We will see though.


The biggest lessons I learned this week were in patience, charity,
hard work, diligence and finding fun in all of them.

Love//

Elder Bigelow

It was a pretty, windy day




Monday, January 26, 2015

Week Jan 26

It will be weird to go home and not to my room and into our back yard,
etc. etc. I will definitely have to ask the new owners for a walk
through tour of the new place, and most certainly the back yard. It is
weird how you get sentimentally attached to things. Just because you
use something over and over or you are repetitively somewhere you
begin to love that thing or place, and that is only quickened when
accompanied by good company and positive atmosphere. The good news is
that we already have that at the Maglebys house. Heck, we even lived
there for a while. But I guess it will be home soon enough.

I feel I have acquired much of the same love for this place and this
time I have had on my mission. I think most importantly and most
deeply I have created an attachment to the Gospel and the enabling
power I feel as I put in effort to come closer to God (Their evil plan
worked!). I will tell you one of the experiences that happened
recently that has helped me develop that deeper connection.

Monday--We are leaving the Gonzalez's house from a dinner and family
home evening. As we are leaving a women says. "Hey, are you on your
missions?" "Yes" we say. She said, "would you like to come in for
something to drink? You'll never convert me but I have some questions.
I have a friend who is a member and is such a good person. I didn't
want to ask her questions because I didn't want her to think I think
she is crazy." Her first question was about our view of Christ as the
very Son of God. She heard we didn't believe that stuff. We explained
that that was wrong and were actually able to help her build her
understanding of his divine sonship and what that really means for all
of us. She was a little surprised but pleased it seemed. She then
started with all sorts of other questions and ideas she has developed
over time swimming in open water Christianity tryiing to find answers
her Childhood pastors could never answer. We were able to share so
many scriptures from the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants
and even Joseph Smith History that were able to either outright answer
her questions or help her come to a conclusion that she has spent
years of thought and study over which is really just in 2nd Nephi. We
ended our lesson asking her if she would convert if she felt that God
wanted her to. She said, "probably." I asked her what would impede her
from being baptized, she said, "well I would have to read a lot more
to find out if it was true!" We said we would love to help her through
that process and she agreed to meet again.

This all happened by the way to an educated white person who from
direct outside appearance people might deem: already religious, not
receptive, not interested, not prepared, too skeptical, not willing
and a whole mountain of other things. What made it more amazing is it
was a members neighbor. I am convinced there are people in every nook
and cranny of the world who with a little love and a little touch of
the spirit will open up and at least be willing to listen. Then, it is
their choice to choose to act or not.

I love my mission. I love my job. I love you and I will see you pretty soon!

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Week of Jan 19

We are driving on the George Washington memorial parkway in great
falls VA. It is beautiful here. We are on our way back from the
temple. It has been a long while since going so it was a great
experience to go back. I will enjoy being able to go often after my
mission. How is progress coming on the Provo city center temple? Do
they have an estimated day of completion?

This past week was a good one, every day offering something new. Being
here again in spring lake has brought back a lot of great memories.

I will focus my feelings of this week into one experience due to lack
of time. Last night, right before heading in, we went and stopped at
the Chiñas house. If I told you before they are part of the Muñoz
clan. There is the grandparents, their four daughters and all of their
families of all sorts and sizes, some married, some not etc etc.
everyone is in a different walk and or phase of life. Regardless of
all of this they have an immense love within their big family unit and
we as missionaries get to feel all of it. We stopped by their house to
see the newest missionary in the ward off. He will be going to Tucson
Arizona, he will be leaving on Tuesday. He is excited, nervous,
animated, sometimes teary and very very ready to go. I am excited for
him and the experiences he is going to have. It was a simple night,
nothing really special, but the love and care was immense. I want to
have that spirit in my family. I am excited to feel that in real time
at home with you guys too.

Got to go---

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Here is Hazi, future Elder Chiñas

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

week of Jan 12

Today is a good day! And also a very sad one. I am, as we speak, packing
to move to a new area. We got a call late last night that due to an
emergency there needed to be a change and we are at the receiving end
of that change. So, I will be going back to springlake, my very first
Ward! But instead of being in Herndon I will be in Sterling, it is
like 15 minutes north of where I was previously.

Obviously there are a lot of mixed emotions when you get moved,
especially when it was totally unexpected and effective immediately. I
have seen people get really mad or sad or distraught in situations
like this before so when president called I was waiting for some sort
of extreme reaction from myself, but nothin happened.. So, I guess I
am still a relaxed kind of guy!

In speaking with some members and investigators and letting them I
won't be coming back it was interesting to see their different
reactions. I was most impressed with Sonia. She is a relatively new
investigator and us coming into her live has totally changed her
universe. since the first time we met with her she has felt the spirit
strongly and she says that "she feels" that she needs to follow
everything we share with her. She also has in a few weeks made an
enormous connection with us. She actually cried when I told her I was
leaving (I was a little surprised...) but then she said something
profound. She said then it is all okay because she knows there are
other souls God has prepared for me to touch. She made me promise to
go back for her baptism which I gladly did, and so I guess you'll get
a picture of that in a little while.

Anyway, I love you all, I am out of time due to the move, but I love you!

Always be grateful for what you have, it could be taken away from you
quicker than you think!

Love//

Elder Bigelow 

Week of Jan 5

A great week again full of all sorts of wonderful things. I'll give
you some highlights

Last night we had a great experience with our "new/returning member
fireside." We get together all of the recent converts in the mission
over the past month together and any returning from inactivity members
as well, and they share their testimonies and their stories. It is
always a wonderful experience but this one seemed even better. All
those who shared their testimonies were so strong and powerful. They
were all so genuine and excited to be a part of the gospel. Being
there helped me reflect and the wonderful blessing that it is to have
a personal testimony. The personal convictions that I have bring me
more happiness and peace when I act on them than anything else in the
world, especially God stuff. I have been studying again a lot about
the ways the spirit communicates with us, and trying to specifically
find more ways that it communicates with me. Last night I think I
finally specifically identified another experience where I was
elevated by the spirit. I did not however have any "burning in the
bosom" moments or any other feeling I personally relate to the spirit
but I was really happy, and I felt I could express my love and
appreciation to all the people there in a way I usually by myself find
hard to do. I feel like that complied with the implications of a
scripture I have been lovin' on recently. Romans 15:13 says --Now the
God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may
abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. In context, I
think the verses before this give the requirement of something along
the lines of, "Gentiles need to glorify God." When that happens verse
13 happens. So, in short: I am a gentile, I glorified God and
appreciated all the things that he has revealed to me and so I felt
great. Woo hoo! It worked

On that same vein of thought we had a lesson with our awesome Puerto
Rican friend Alex. He is a funny guy who pretends to be too cool for
us but always invites us to come back and is trying to read all the
scriptures that we give him... So we think he likes us deep inside. He
is awesome and we are excited to help him keep going.

I hope you all love life and love when you feel great!

Love//

Elder Bigelow
PS I cut my hair again, but this time it is a little different. That
is my best friend. Elder miles. He is from alpine


Monday, January 5, 2015

Week of Dec 29

This week was great! It was great to talk to you and it was great to
have another Christmas on the mission.

The most interesting thing to me about my time as a missionary is that
all the days bleed together. I am hardly aware of what day it is and
what that means. Every day is Sunday, but one Sunday a week we go to
church to make it an "extra Sunday-ey sunday." That is kind of cool but
super weird at the same time.

Saturday was great. One of the coolest people I have met on my mission
was baptized. Ever was so nervous to even think about this step a
month and a half ago, but Saturday he killed it. He had some
butterflies but put confidence in himself and kicked butt! He even
bore his testimony after he was baptized. That was extra special
because he told us he had never before stood up in front of a crowd of
people to speak even when he had to. He bore his simple powerful
testimony of the reality of God and his willingness to guide a
searching soul. That felt great.

Interestingly enough I was filled the same way that Saturday afternoon
as well. That happened while knocking on doors and not being given a
single return appointment or let in. People were more or less polite
but no one really wanted us there to begin. There was one father and
son duo who were from Spain and particularly catholic. Just
traditionally though, so very stubborn and closed but not so sure
about the doctrine... Funny how that works. Anyway, they were nice
enough to listen to us for a moment. After much persistence, a few
scriptures, testifying and offering to re-roof their house for free we
left each other in good spirits with warm hand shakes.
The reason that particular experience and all of our other contacts
that afternoon were so great was I think because we helped everyone we
talked to truly come a little closer to the truth. Some perceptions
were changed, some people were invited to pray, some people were
invited to read and all were given testimony of the restored of Jesus
Christ. That made me feel just as good as helping someone to baptism.
It is all the same work, some are just ready, some aren't.

I will strive to give everyone a fair chance at it.

I love you and and hope you have a WONDERFUL week. I know I will have one

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Ps. Did you ever get more info about the possibility of me getting
some insoles from dr. Brady's offic?
Pps. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GIFTS--I wore my socks last night-I wore my
robe this morning-I plan on eating my salsa this afternoon-I have my
present looking into the light-and I am itching to use my cute little
journals. I think I will start in them with my dope new Tetris
crayons. Aaaaand I am excited to see what Julia made! Did you by
chance get my little envelope yet?

These are some live reactions!


Week of Dec 22

I am really grateful today. I have so many resources at my disposal
for learning, just concerning the gospel. There are so many words in
books and talks and gathered teachings that so far, as far as I want
to go in nearly all of my questions and curiosities, I can find
answers. As I investigate for myself and for others, I receive clarity
of understanding. That is not to say it comes immediately or that it
is extremely easy. It takes of my time, effort, thought and faith. i
am grateful to have learned that here in Virginia. I am sure that I
will find many more questions along the way and if I soldier it out
with time, effort, thought and faith, I'll be able to make it through.

My experience that brought this all about was just simple curiosities
and questions per usual and realizing the amazing resource of
knowledge and wisdom that books are. It helped that today we went to
the capital building as well as the library of congress again. It was
another good realization for me about the power of knowledge. With
that being said, I don't think I will study for 16 years of my life in
university like you did mom but I will be a lifetime reader and
learner. Hooray for books! There is so much power in words.  That was
one of the things that was impactful to me recently while reading in
Ether. All the hullabaloo at the beginning is so they don't become
"confounded." There is power in confusion, and there is power in
clarity of thought. I intend to try and maintain myself well-informed
through the rest of my life.

Cool experiences in trying to bring "entendimiento" to people this week.

Best one. We had a cool lesson with Oscar who has been trying to
receive an answer about everything we have been teaching him. He has
been reading and praying for a few weeks a lot but still doesn't feel
like he has ever felt the spirit reading the Book of Mormon. We taught
him about fasting and did one together this past Sunday, his first
time at church. He was only able to stay for sacrament and we haven't
been able to get in contact with him since. But he left with a big
smile on his face. We hope that is a good sign.

Anyway. I am out of time due to going to the Capitol today. It was
amazing. The more I re-learn since high school about American history
and government/politics the more I think I wouldn't mind being
involved in some way, shape, or form.

So, moral of the story, go read a book I am not allowed to read right now.

I love you all! Have a wonderful day and Happy Holidays!

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Ps. I sent something for Christmas. You may or may not get before the
big day. I hope you do!
Pps. About the call on Christmas Day. I think we will be doing it
around ten o'clock our time, but I will call or text on Christmas Eve
to confirm. Sound good?

They have a big ole' Christmas tree in the library of congress now.