Happy New Years

                                                                                         Jan 4, 2016

 Happy New Years everyone,

     My New Year is going to start out a tiny bit rough because I'm a little sick but I am still excited for this coming year of 2016. It's also special because this will start only full year as a missionary (which is also called a black year here in the mission field) which I'm excited for, I cannot wait to see what happens these 12 months in Chicago. Here are my New Year resolution for this upcoming year:

1) Exercise 

     Here in the Spanish program we are fed by members often with tons of food. Which is awesome but at this point even though I walk a lot I still feel like I'm not burning enough calories to balance my intake of calories so I'm going to take advantage of the 30 minutes we get every morning to exercise. 

2) Study Preach my Gospel and the Missionary Handbook 

     I'm part of a generation of missionaries who use Preach my Gospel, a missionary handbook created by so many people through their personal revelations and approved and edited by the 12 apostles and the first presidency. Thus this book can be seen almost as direct counsel from the General Presidency and God himself. If I want to be the best missionary I can be then I must know this book cover to cover. The Mission Handbook, sometimes called the white bible, is a set of rules that protect missionaries and I know if I follow these rules then I know I will find the hand of God in my life. While at the CCM, someone who deals with the reports of missionaries who are injured or worse told us that almost every time he sees a report, the cause is usually because missionaries didn't follow the rules of the Missionary Handbook.

3) Learning Spanish 

     I want to speak Spanish so bad. I'm going to study hard and pray for the gift of tongues everyday so I can be fluent in Spanish. Someone in the mission I respect told me not to worry about too much about things like that while I am still new in the mission. So I'll be patience and practice hard everyday until the day when I need to step up from being a new missionary to the needed missionary. 

4) Supporting My Companion

     I finish my first transfer here in Chicago tomorrow so my "trio will go down to two" (Lion King). So Elder Patrick is going to another area of Chicago, and me and Elder Hanna will stay here. Elder Hanna came only one transfer before me so he is pretty new too. He is also the new District leader so I am going to do my best to help him out anyway why I can.

     These are my goals for the new year I hope you all enjoyed the start of 2016. Still feels a little like 2014 for me I know 2016 will be a special year for me and I hope you feel the same way about this year for you. 

                                   

                                                                               -Elder Agre