Gabriel's Baptism!

Buenos tardes familia y amigos!

Happy birthday to my crazy little nephew Nixon! Its crazy how fast all my little babies are growing up. I get to meet 3 more of them this coming Christmas video call too!

One of the highlights this past week was the zone conference! We had our Pachuca Centro zone and also the Tulancingo zone in the same conference, and President asked me to direct! Everything went super well, some good musical numbers and good classes. Elder Housley and I prepared a little class for our zone about Christmas and what it should be focused on. We read Luke 2, showed a little 7 minute video from the church about the Nativity, and shared our testimonies! 

This past saturday, the two tecamac zones went to play baseball with the orphans in pachuca! We were planning on playing in the jail with some inmates who the mission gave Book of Mormons to last year but the area seventy didnt give us permission. So Pres had me and Housley set this up so the two Tecamac zones could still get their reward for having the most baptisms in November. Everything went super well though! Pres bought Dodger jerseys with the church{s name on the back and everything for the missionaries and all the orphans! They absolutely loved it and they told me that they like baseball more than soccer now hahaha. It was a tad scary though because since Housely wasnt in Tecamac in November, he had to stay in our area on exchanges and I had to be the one to lead everyone including president to the orphanage! I had only been there one time and wasnt 100% sure how to get there but nonetheless I was put in charge of everything haha. Thankfully I got everyone there safe and sound and the activity went great.

After the baseball, we had the baptism for Gabriel Sanchez! This guy is a champ. He had an accident a while ago and messed up his leg but he does not fail to come to church. We always see him limping in with his happy face and open heart. Love this kid and Im so glad we were able to help lead him towards baptism. He was one of Elder Housley's contacts a while ago. The program went really well, and you could feel the spirit super strong. I am in love with our bishop and his british accent in spanish haha but seriously his words are always spot on. 

Elder Housley and I are still hungry for more new dope investigators. Im just so used to being in Ojo de Agua where they seemed to flock to us haha. Its a little different here in Pachuca. But things are going great. My comp and I get along a little too well haha. Its a nice contrast with what it was like with Elder Ponce haha. Things are pretty busy as Zone Leaders because our zone is big and there are plenty of issues, so we've been pretty preoccupied lately, but things are getting better. 

One of the scriptures that I love from Luke 2 is verse 17 and 19 where it says "And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child." talking about the shepherds.. "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

I love verse 19 about Mary. Just like her, this Christmas season we can keep these things and ponder them in our hearts. Theres already so much publicity and culture concerning Christmas but what does it really mean to us personally_ This will really help us develop the Christmas spirit. If we focus this season on Christ and his love. 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Millard

Pachuca!!

Que tal familia y amigos!?

What a fun first week in Pachuca! This place is gorgeous. Maybe its just because where I was in Tecamac was pretty ugly haha but this place looks so pretty! There are mountains full of colorful houses and pretty scenery. Defenitely a nice adjustment from where I've been haha.

Im in love with my comp guys. He's a champ, and we've been having so much fun. Also I forgot how fun it was to speak in English haha. I've already learned so much from him. He{s been zone leader since his training which was like 14 months ago so he{s just about seen everything. He{s been teaching me a lot about being a zone leader but also just how to be a good missionary. We{re both expecting to only have this one cycle together because that{s what pres made it sound like, so we{re definitely going to take advantage of our time together, and Im trying to get to know the area and my responsiblities so I can be prepared to take over if he leaves me in five weeks. 

This area was pretty dead when I arrived. Definitely a lot different than Tecamac where there are usually a lot more baptisms. Elder Housley has been putting a lot of dates these past cycles but almost all have fallen for the most unfortunate reasons haha. BUT, we have already found a lot of super cool new investigators and we see a bright future.

On Wednesday, we had the Leadership Council with all the zone leaders and sister training leaders and it went really well! You can always expect to eat super good at Pres' house and I learned so much from these Elders and Sisters that Ive looked up to ever since I arrived in the field. I was the youngest leader there, so I was definitely able to learn from the missionaries who have more experience.

Our ward is a lot different than in Ojo de Agua haha. Its a LOT smaller because this is the kind of area that most people move out of when they grow up and now we{re just left with mostly old people haha. Its super cool though because our bishop is from england and he has the coolest englsih accent while speaking spanish. He married a Mexican and now they{re living here with their kids that our honestly sooo dope. I dont know what it is but I have always been obsessed with the English accent (probably started with my young love for Hermione Granger), so I always love to talk to them. They always make fun of our english in the United States haha. 

On friday we got to play soccer with a bunch of orphans as a zone! It was a super fun opportunity, and it went really well! Elder Housley and I bought 100 donuts for the activity which was a nice bonus. It was a great activity for the light the world initiative.

Yesterday we went to a Christmas Choir program here in the Pachuca stake center and it was honestly so amazing. I came in with low expectations to be honesty because my experience with the music here in Mexico has been sub par haha but there were two soloists that had voices of angels! I was obesessed haha, havent heard voices like that since I left. Definitely a cool experience, especially for the investigator we brought.

The work has been a little more difficult here, but we are keeping our heads held high. It's already been such a cool opportunity to be zone leader and to get to know the zone really well. We have 19 missionaries in three different districts so theres quite a bit to look our for. Right now people are struggling pretty hard core so we're doing our best to motivate them and be an example. Im so grateful for the opportunities im given to learn from leadership. Today we had our zone activity where we had a little party in the chapel watching elf and home alone so that was a good time. Im excited for this coming week when we'll have our zone conference and see a pic of the new mission pres thats coming in june!

Que tenga una buena semana!

Elder Millard

TRANSFERS and Conference!

Que honda familia y amigos!!

We hit December! Wow. November barely existed! I feel like I just started the cycle with Elder Ponce yesterday but changes are already upon us! We´ll get to changes in a sec, first lets talk about the past week in Ojo de Agua!

On Tuesday, we helped two guys move in all of the furniture and items for the new house in Santa Ines for the new missionaries! We helped move the bikes in too and we saw that they were womens bikes! So looks like Hermanas will be staying in Santa Ines! Most members freaked out when they found out that sisters were going to live there just cuz its a little dangerous haha but we let president know beforehand and he still went for the sisters! They´re going to kill it there, theres so much potential that we havent been able to grasp with such a big area.

On Saturday, we had the worldwide service for the light the world initiative! So our zone went to Zumpango and San Pedro to get some good gardening and landscaping in! It went really well! It was fun to talk to everyone in the zone. Elder Ponce and I had an hour and a half long drive to Zumpango in the morning which was insane haha. Guys combis are basically rollercoasters with wheels. Everytime we get in one, I get a little scared for my life haha but they are very fast and efficient I will admit. We worked until 7 at night and then some dope members took Elder Ponce and I out for tacos at Tacos del Hermano! Definitely one of the go'to places here in ojo.

On Sunday we had stake conference! Guys this meeting was monumental. They combined the Tecamac stake into two stakes! Elder Pingri (or something like that) from the Seventy came and gave his testimony. The Stake pres and the new stake precidency also shared their testmonies, they were absolutely incredible and powerful. President and Hermana Kimball also came and talked, always with their amazing messages as well.

 I was also able to sing with the stake choir along with most of the other missionaries in the stake, and we sung consider the lilies, and oh my father in spanish and then homeward bound and you raise me up in english! As soon as I found out that we were singing the latter two, I definitely got a little scared. Haha just because Im already not the biggest fan of the two songs because Ive heard them each a thousand times, but that combined with the tone deafness of the choir was not a good mix. It was an A for effort but we definitely sounded horrible haha. The power and passion behind the words was there so at least we had that haha. It was painful going from the glorious direction of Brett Taylor in MV choir straight to the choir where everyone ignores the rhythm and parts and goes straight to belting their soul out in the melody haha. Im exaggerating only slightly haha but honestly the stake conference was such an amazing experience.

And now to changes!! Lets just start off by saying I am the happiest man on the planet. Wow. Definitely an answer to my prayers.

I am getting transfered to the CENTER OF PACHUCA to serve with Elder Housley as the Zone Leaders! WHAT!??? I honestly couldnt have asked for anything better. What a dream! I couldnt believe my ears when I got the call, I was almost positive Id stay here in ojo de agua! This place is SO beautiful. Mainly just compared to Tecamac where I was haha but there are mountains full of colorful houses and its just a big city! I'm already in love with my new comp. He's another one from Idaho! Soda Springs Idaho for the few who'll know where that is haha. He reminds me so much of my dad Elder Howell who was also from Idaho. So grateful to be with another Elder who wants to work hard! He's literally the funniest guy and is really good with the people. He's honestly just a little kid in a 20 year olds body haha and I absolutely love it. President said we're the companionship he's most excited to see this next cycle, what we can do. Even just our first day here, buying groceries and playing basketball together, we had like 5 people contact us for us to visit them haha. I'm unbelievably excited for this next cycle and that we'll be together for Christmas!

Elder Ponce is staying in Ojo de Agua with Elder Josue. There are also the hermanas that are showing up, so I hope the work will continue good there. I'll miss the area but I'm too excited for this new opportunity to be thinking about ojo de agua haha. Elder Housely and I have both been with pretty hard companions this past cycle. In Housely's case, he's had pretty hard companions his whole mish, so long story short we are absolutely stoked to get working. He's from the same generation from my dad so he has about 16 months. Also my dad Elder Howell got called as an assistant too so that will be fun to work together for the reports as zone leaders.

Today I wanted to testify about change. Just from all of the changes in the Tecamac stake and here in the mission, I can testify that change is absolutely necessary to be able to grow and learn! Thats why we have trials too, because trials also come with change. This change of me moving to Pachuca with Housely is a really good change haha but even the bad changes are completely necessary. Sometimes we dont see why the changes are necessary or why the trials are necessary, but looking back, we can always find the lesson God helped us learn. I testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about change. We can change are lives. We live in a living and changing church. What a