"Everybody Falls Sometimes . . . You Will Have The Strength to Rise"

Hey guys!!!

Well it sounds like it's been a super busy week again for you guys, and almost all of you guys said something about having a few rough days. What's up with that?!?! But i hope you guys are doing better and you guys know that if there's anything you guys need, i'm just an email away! 

Well first week of training has not been easy, but it has been a good one. My companion's name is Elder Jacinto!! He is from Puebla and he just barely turned 18 a couple months ago. He's super excited to do the work so that's definitely been a plus! I'll send you guys a picture of him when i finish this. Well after i wrote you guys last week we went to the bus station here and then traveled the 3 hours to Saltillo so we didn't get there until like 10ish, then all the trainers and new missionaries slept in the house of the assistants (which is RIDICULOUSLY nice for a mission house) but the problem was that we were like.. 30 missionaries, but only about 13 mattresses. So i had to sleep 3 to a mattress... so that wasn't comfortable. But then Tuesday we went to the offices and ate and had  a quick training and met our kids and then headed back here to Monclova! This past week has been super super busy with conference and trying to coordinate all of our investigators going with who and when and less active members too, but in the end we had a lot of them come to one or more sessions, which was way cool! And this time we were allowed to go to all of the sessions, whereas last time we could only go to priesthood and the first one on Sunday. So it was really awesome to hear all of the talks this time! There were a lot of ones that i LOVEDDDD. But i'll get to that in a second. 

This week we put another baptism date for F for the 20th of October and she already wants to get baptized! But the problem continues being her mom... who still refuses to talk to us. So we´re going to see what we can do there. The family L is still really really awesome and were able to go to 2 sessions of conference and they loved all the messages that were taught! But still their problem is they aren't married and still don´t want to be. Because really that´s the only thing that´s keeping them from all getting baptized. But they continue to progress bastante! I realized the other day that when i finish training i will have a year in the mission and i will not have had an american companion, pretty crazy huh? I won't be remember to speak English anymore! Haha.

Well out of all the talks, i think the one that hit me the most was one by President Uchtdorf in priesthood session. He talked about an experience when he was skiing with his grandson i think it was, and how he fell and felt really embarrassed to get up because he had fallen, but his grandson came up to him and all he said was ''you can do it now''. Then he talked about how as humans, falling is what we do, but as long as we are WILLING to get back up and become better, that's what will make us better people, and bring us more happiness. Because no one likes to fail, but ultimately our destination is determined by the number of times we can get up after we fall. And although that doesn't mean we should be comfortable with our weaknesses, but instead we should strive to turn our weaknesses into strengths by coming to Christ to reach our full potential. And something that was mentioned various times as well is that if we are passing through a difficult challenge or trial, it's because God trusts us enough because he knows the potential we have. There was a poem that President Monson gave that went... ''Good timber does not grow with ease, the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.'' And i lovedddd that! Because right now i feel a little overwhelmed, and it sounds like you guys too have been having feelings of this too, but really it's because God knows of our strength, and he will never give us something we can't overcome, and ultimately what will define us is whether we come out of it stronger.

Well i feel like this is plenty long, thanks for all the letters this week to everyone! I got a bunch and it made me feel loved:) haha i love all you guys and i hope you have a great week!!!

Con mucho amor, 

Elder Bird