First Zone Conference

Que tal familia y amigos!?

The Utah mountains are looking FINE right now! I know pictures cant do justice but I still remember how those beauties look with fresh snow. Thats definitely not how it is here! Its already super hot here! Occasional rain storms but we're just starting to get into the hot season! 

This week was pretty chill! The beginning of the week was dedicated to the process of several missionaries going home early. There were 5 missionaries who went home early just this week which means most of them stayed with us for the majority of the time. Its been kind of pain to figure out all of the arrangements so that they dont just sit around doing nothing while they wait. There were a couple who even missed their flights in Mexico so the secretaries had to find them other flights.But now everything is back to normal at least for right now.

On Wednesday, we had a leadership conference! I was able to lead this one and it went really well! We were able to talk about some really important things especially about what we can do to help the missionaries remember and enjoy their purpose of being here, and strengthening their testimonies. All the mission did a survey in their email that was sent to president and there were some pretty sad stats. Basically some of that stats said that most of our missionaires said that they dont have testimonies. So how are they supposed to share what they dont believe??? Thats what our biggest worry is right now. So the leadership is going to work with more training, sharing testimonies, sharing doctrine and what we learn in our studies. It was fun to lead this council because it could very well have been my last one. If I end my mission training, which is what Im thinking right now, I wont be in any more Consejo de Liderazgo! Thats so crazy to think about but we'll see what happens. 

My companion has been pretty sick this week with a problem that he's had for a while with his stomach so we finally went to a specialist and it turns out he has amoebas. Theres a five day treatment that should fix all of that but during these past four days its been pretty painful for him so he's been staying at the house a while to rest. I hope he gets better soon!

This Friday was our first zone conference of three. The zones pachuca centro and tulancingo came. the conference went really well! There were some very genuine trainings and testimonies shared. I was able to share a message as well. I bore my testimony about why I came on the mission and why the mission is so important (which is what president asked my companion and I to talk about) and I ended up getting really emotional toward the end of the testimony sharing all of the blessing the gospel has given me. I explained that there is no way this couldnt be true if it makes me and others so happy. Its so important our time on the mission and there are so many people in the world who "cant find the truth because they know not where to find it". It was the first time in a while that I've felt the spirit that strong. I love this gospel. Hermana Maldonado after the testimony told me "If I could hug you, I would" haha I love her.

I know this gospel is true! It brings so much light into our lives! Go share it with everyone possible!

Elder Millard

Triste Guero

Buenas tardes familia y amigos!

How has everyone been? Definitely spaced that it was MLK day, I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! It was a pretty busy week 6 here in Pachuca!

This week consisted of finishing the rest of the mission's interviews and house checks, taking a missionary who went home early to the airport, and working with president on the TRANSFERS!

So starting with the interviews. On sunday, we went to Tulancingo really early because president had a meeting with all of the stake presidents in the mission, the area Seventy, and part of the Mexico City Temple presidency. They took a break in the middle of their meeting to go the a sacrament meeting. There were almost more presidents than members there hahaha. My companion and I did some house checks in Tulancingo while president finished his meeting. We came back to the chapel, and they invited us to have lunch with them! I did not feel worthy to enter and eat with all of them haha. At first we just listened and ate in silence but then they included us in the conversation and it was super fun! I probably wont have another lunch like that again anytime soon. After that, we headed the HUAUCHI and xico for their inverviews! It was soooo fun to see the area again! It was raining pretty hard and there was fog but I could still see everything. We went back to the LZ house in huauchi where I was and it was nice to grab a few things that I accidently left in the house haha.

The rest of the interviews were done here in Pachuca in the offices. While President was doing that, my comp and I went with Hermana Maldonado for the house checks. Let me tell you, Hermana Maldonado is the funniest person on the planet. She is so savage and sarcastic and just the classic Mexican mom. we are basically are kids which means she has the right to reprove us and get mad at us haha. She always calls us "triste guero" which is technically means "sad white boy" but its used as "stupid white boy" just not as strong of a word as stupid haha. She does it all lovingly I promise, thats just how she is and we love her, its so funny haha.

On thursday, we had to go to Mexico City to drop off another Elder at the aiport but this time it was super complicated. I was the one who took him through immigration and it turns out that his green card was delivered to the church like 4 days prior and they hadnt let us know. So long story short, they wouldnt let him pass without it so the people who work for the visa department in mexico for the church told us to run over to the other terminal which is like 15 minutes away to fill a form that said he lost the green card so that they'd let us pass. President dropped us off while he found parking and we sprinted to the place. It was a miracle we got there because we had no idea where we were going, we always go to a different terminal. There were some other small complications and they had to make a special exception to accept his luggage so late but he made the flight!! I think if we got him there 5 minutes later, he wouldve lost it. Crazy stuff!  Our visa people need to be more on top of the game, President was a little frustrated.

In the airport, I had the best gringa Ive ever tried in my life. A gringa is like a quesadilla kinda but with carne al pastor, pineapple and other stuff but holy crap it was amazing. Then we went to President favorite tacos again in the centro and then we went to costco again! This time I bouth rice krispy treats and baby carrots haha they hardly give us carrots here so I was craving them. When we had bought everything, Hermana Maldonado went back in to buy mango smoothies and other stuff for everyone. She made a bet that my comp and President had already put everything in the car but I said that they were still waiting outside for us. I won the bet, and she owed me a carls jr shake. My comp owed her one though from a previous bet though so I kind of just leveled the game out.

Yesterday we almost finalized the cambios. There are 20 new missionaries coming on monday so its been a lot of work especially with all the new houses and stuff we had to buy all week. But everything is in place now we're just waiting for presidents confirmation to let the mission know their changes. Its super cool to be a part of the transfers. He asks us stuff, we suggest him stuff, but he obviously makes the final decision. I'm about to enter into my last transfer as assistant! Next transfer we are going to focus a LOT more on doing exchanges and more training with specific companionships. Im excited!

Last night, finishing the changes and like 10:30 pm, you could just see the fatigue in Presidents eyes. He's probably been getting like 5 hours of sleep average and with dozens and dozens of interviews and challenges. I look up the man. He's working so hard, he cares so much about the missionaries. It gives me more of a glimpse of how the modern day apostles and prophet work for us. Its such a blessing to have the restored gospel with such great men to lead it.

Elder Millard

More Costco Purchases...I was craving carrots!

Pics 1,2: Costco purchases

Pic 4: Back in CDMX

Pic 5: Get up Elder Deursch

Pic 6: interviews in Loreto pachuca

Pic 7: maybe doesnt look like a quality stand but the tacos sure are quality

More Interviews

Como les va familia y amigos!?

This week was pretty chill! On Tuesday we had the consejo de liderazgo (the leadership conference) and it was good because we were able to make a lot of conclusions and decisions! We've been analyzing what we need to change to improve the missionary work in 2020! 

The rest of the week we finished more zone's interviews! We went to the whole Tizayuca zone (which was my last area) and we finished the Tezontepec zone. Tomorrow the goal is to do the entire tulancingo zone which is huge. That means I'm going back to Huauchi!! Itll be fun to see the area again! We've had a lot of long drives with president and its been so fun to get to know him better! This week when we had a long drive on the way back from tezo, he told me everything about when and how he met his wife!

We've been working on transfers little by little instead of waiting until the last weekend. On Thursday, we whipped out almost every transfer that we're gonna do! All the trainers, zone leaders, district leaders, and companionships are 99% decided! Itll make it a lot easier to meditate on certain companionships when the transfers come closer. We're already going into week 6! Crazy stuff.

John 15:13 says "Greater ^alove hath no man than this, that a man lay down his ^blife for his ^cfriends." ohI Laying down our life can mean a lot of different things in this scripture even though the primary meaning is when Christ sacrificed his life. We can all follow his example and "lay down our life" by serving, putting others needs before ours, being selfless, lifting up the poor in heart, etc. I hope we can all find different ways to show this great love, which is charity, every day!

Elder Millard

Pic 1,2: After a long day of interviews at Tezo! We got home at 1 that night.

Pic 3: Center of Zumpango!

MEXICO CITY and COSTCO!!

Que tal familia y amigos!!

I hope everyone is doing well back in school/work! Vacations never existed here in the mission so Im feeling the same haha.

The subject of this email will tell you almost all you need to know about this week- we went to Mexico City and also Costco!!! Let me explain haha..

So one of our sister missionaries went home a little earlier than the transfers because she has to start school. Her name is hermana Fagatoa and she's from Tuvalu which is an island close to Fiji. Its like three football fields long.. so crazy! She has been a great friend ever since she got here in the mission like 2 months after me. She knows English like perfectly but I just love her accent and phrases she always says. Apparently all of the islanders over there ad "as" as an adjective instead of "very" or "really" haha for example she would always say "broooooo its cold as out here" hahahha which definitely sounds like a swear word but thats just what they always say! Her insult is always "bro your dry as" but with her accent it just sounds so funny haha. Anyways, she was always super energetic and fun but her mission ended! It was hard to find a good plane ticket to get to her island. Long story short, her ticket was worth more than my entire mission haha and her flight left at 6 in the morning in Mexico City. She has to go to Buenos aires and then new zealand and then fiji and then her island. Since President Maldonado takes really good care of the church's money, he was really scared that if hermana Fagatoa went by herself to the airport, then she would miss the flight which would make the church lose A LOT of money! So he ended up taking her in his car and he wanted us to come too. So at 3:30 in the morning, he came to pick us up at our house and we headed to Mexico City! It usually takes like an hour and 40 minutes to get there from Pachuca but with Presidents driving we got there in 50 minutes hahaha. We got her bags checked in, and sent her off through security! It was so weird to see. It just hit me that she finished her mission and wont come back! Being in the airport again just gave me a lot of nerves. It was also weird to see a lot of white people again hahaha

The next day, there ended up being another Elder that had to go home early from his mission. He had about 4 weeks in the field and didnt speak very well in Spanish and for that reason, President and my comp and I took him to the airport as well! This time we got to leave a little later at like 11 am and I took him through migration and we got his bags checked him and then sent him on the Delta flight to SLC which is the exact same flight ill be taking. Its always at the same time and everything! This trip to Mexico City was even more fun because right after dropping off Elder Walsh, President took us to his favorite tacos right in the middle of Mexico City!! I LOVED the little tour we took around everything! What an incredible place, one of the top 10 biggest cities in the world! so much culture and so much to see. And let me tell you that those were the best tacos I have ever had. You can definitely tell the difference between the Mexicans in CDMX and the ones outside. They call the ones in the city "Chilangos" and Ive worked with a lot of them, theyre so funny! There are a lot in the state of mexico which I was in in my second area. Such a fun trip! Then to finish it all off, we went to Costco to pick up stuff for the dinner that President had with the stake presidents of the mission. Some of you might think that its not a big deal to go to Costco but Pachuca doesnt have one yet and I havent been in over a year and a half!! I felt back at home. The samples, the pie, the muffins, the honey bunches of oats, the ice cream, everything!! We definitely took advantage and bought a lot while we were there. While we were there, there was a Seventy who knows President really well because they both lived in Saltillo. It was fun to get to know him as well!

So basically it was a great week full of traveling and more house checks but it was so much fun!! Little by little we have been looking at the transfers for next transfers. President started talking to me about what I want to do for my last two transfers! After this transfer, I will have one more as Assistant, and then I will have two more in the field to finish things off! I told him I would love to die training. He loved the idea and said we'll talk more about it later. SO WEIRD to already have to think about my last tranfers. The mission flies!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Millard

Pics: MEXICO, AIRPORT AND COSTCO!

New Year!

Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!!

Happy New Year everyone! Its already 2020!! This year is going to be unreal. Im so excited! I love having a new fresh start. I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

New Year was pretty chill here. President invited us to dinner with his family which was super fun! And then we just went home and hung with the other Elders that live with us.

This week was pretty similar as the last. We've been doing the interviews and house checks all around the mission. We went to the Mixquiahuala zone, and I was able to go into the same house that I was born in!! SO many memories there!! It was fun to get to see all the missionaries and get to know other areas in the mission. Im skoping out which area I want to die in haha. Another plus about going all around the mission is trying all the food in the different places! ahahhh its soooo good. I also just love getting to know Hermana Maldonado better while President is in the interviews. She is the funniest person on the planet haha we're lucky to have her. And the best part yet, we've only done like 24 houses out of 72! We've had some pretty late nights getting back to Pachuca at 12:30-1 ish haha.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

Let this be the motivation to become a new person and leave the bad behind! We can only do it if we recognize that the change can only come through Christ!

I love you all so much!

Pic 1: The pic we left in the Mixqui house!!

Pic 2: President and Hermana Maldonado finding some interesting notes that Elders have left on the table.

Pic 3&4: Check out the Elders new mixtape!! hahahaa I love the Elders in this mission.

Pic 5: The famous "barbacoa" stands on a bike: Its cow head and its really good. Hidalgo is known for its barbacoa.

Pic 6: The "Te Amo" Sign in front of the Mixqui house that I sent my mom right when I got to the house!

Pic 7: The mixqui house.

Mission Tour!

Feliz Navidad familia y amigos!!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy Christmas with family and friends! I saw that in Orem there was a white Christmas even though it was just a couple inches! I miss that snow haha.

Christmas here was also super fun! It wasnt quite as exciting as last year because since we are both new, and we just barely moved wards, we dont know very many members. So I ended up just being with my comp, and the other two Elders that are staying with us while they look for a house, for Christmas Eve and Christmas. We got super lucky though because some members invited us at last minute to their Christmas dinner! It was such good food. Other than that, everything was pretty chill! Most of the excitement was definitely in the past couple weeks with the Christmas activities and devotionals. 

President Maldonado spent a couple well-deserved days with his family for Christmas! Since he was just enjoying the Holiday, he didnt give us much work either which was nice to have a little rest. We had a lot of time to catch up studying. 

The past couple of days, we started the tour of the mission houses! President decided that for interviews this transfer, he was just gonna do them in all of the houses while we check the houses and write down all the articles they need for the huge storage that we bought and are still buying. Yesterday, we went to five different areas in the Valle del Mezquital zone which was fun because I had never been there before! First, President took us to a quick Carls Jr run and then we were off! We left at like 3pm and got back at 12:30 am hahaha. It took quite a while but it was super fun to get to see all the missionaries and get to know new areas! And of course we had to get tacos at the end of the night.

I hope everyone can think of specific things they want to change in 2020! We all need to make specific goals that will last more than just the first two weeks of January if you know what I mean. Lets take advantage of a new beginning and make the changes that we have been putting off! I hope you guys all enjoy the new year!!

Feliz Año Nuevo!!

Elder Millard

Pics 1&2: Merry Christmas to the Family!!! Good ole Pachuca soccer jerseys. Go Tuzos!

Christmas Devos!!

Feliz Navidad a todos!! Espero que lo estén disfrutando!

This week was SO FUN! It passed by unbelievably fast. The first part of the week was the transfers!!! On Saturday night, we went to presidents house to help him with the changes. We were able to put a lot of good input in! After about 2 hours, most of the missionaries were in the perfect place. It was so cool to see everything fit perfectly. President, for the most part, has everyones past areas and companions in mind which is crazy considering we have 144 missionaries. I loved being there during the process, it gave me glimpse of what I would imagine assigning missionaries to missions would be like. Then we gave all the transfers to the zone leaders sunday afternoon! The next crazy thing was monday morning, welcoming the new missionaries!

I think this has come to be one of my favorite things as an assistant- to see all of the new missionaries coming in. They have so much zeal and desire to serve and talk to everybody! Of course not all of them are the same, but most of them are just so excited to finally be in the field. We welcomed them all at the bus station in Pachuca. Then we went in a combi together to the famous clock tower! Around the clock, we took them out to contact their first people in the entire mission which was so fun to be a part of. Then we took all of the pictures and we all headed to presidents house in Club de Golf! All of the trainers were also there at his house. We had a really good lunch together with them and the new missionaries (but they didnt know which one was their trainer yet). Then we all went to the stake center in Villas and did the presentations for the trainers and new-comers that went really well! President did the interviews for the new missionaries. After each interview, the new guys got a picture of their trainer and they had to go to the church to go find them. Its soooo fun to see the reaction of everyone when they find out who theyll be with. I got to translate again for the interviews of all the Elders from the states. It was so cool to be a part of them. President is so good with them and the spirit was super strong. Then we sent them all off to their new areas! It was a good group of 14 that came in.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, most everything was dedicated to the missionaries going home. There were seven that went home, including two hermanas from my generation! Hermana Smith and Wallace, they will be much missed! I still remember when we arrived to Pachuca together. On Tuesday, we had a barbecue and party with the ones going home, followed by the last testimony meeting. It was so amazing to hear all their final testimonies, so powerful! Being there for that made me so grateful that I still have a good amount of time left in the mission. It kind of hit all of us there at the same time when president was talking that they were all actually going home. I got nervous for them!! Im glad Im not to that point yet, theres still a lot of work to do! The Elders stayed with us Tuesday night and then they all left in taxis on Wednesday morning to go take the bus to CDM to the airport!

Thursday and Friday were the Christmas devotionals!!! Sooooo fun! We had a good devotional to start out with, with talks, videos, musical numbers, and a message from us and President and Hermana Maldonado! Followed by unlimited tacos for like 2 hours..... that was the best part hahaha. It was also a fortune to contract the guys but it was worth it. Then after the tacos, we had every zone perform skits which ended up being super funny! Then after the skits, we went outside for the Piñatas!! Classic. It was fun to celebrate with everyone and make this Christmas special! 

It was also super cool to see the final product of the video that Elder Santos from cali made of all the Venir a Cristo activities. I was able to put a little bit of input on the video (mainly just picking the music). And it turned out super good! I invite all of you to go to the (Misión Mexico - Pachuca, 2019-2022) facebook page to look for the vid. Its a good summary of all the activites we had! Im grateful I got to go to all of them.   video link: https://www.facebook.com/363199341003895/videos/800216687071090/  

Now everything will be a little more calm now that the Christmas activities are over. We're gonna focus on buying and delivering what every house in the mission needs, that will be quite the effort. I think in January or maybe february we might actually have time to work in our area. Thats the goal! But Im LOVING working with president. Its very hard work (more mental than physical), but I have learned so much and Im so grateful I got the call. I like the change but Ill also be excited to go back to the field when the time comes.

In my Christmas devo talk, I talked about the messages of the angels to the different people in the Nativity story. To Zacharias, Jospeh, Mary, the Shepherds, and maybe more, the first thing that the angels said to them was "Fear not". Those are literally the first words in every message from the angels to all of them. I dont think thats for nothing. That is also the first message to us! We should never fear or doubt. We need to remember that anything is possible in Christ who strengthens us. Especially in this season, the small things make the difference. Keep on finding the ways to put Christ in the center and make people's day!

Love you all!

Elder Millard

Pic 1: I took advantage when we went to the clock and took pics for momma haha

Pic 2: Filling up piñatas in the offices!

Pic 3: The Christmas devo agenda