Areas of Service

Areas of Service
Areas where Elder Hagen has served:

Monday, January 2, 2017

Week 11: After Christmas


Hey mom! Here is my week, It was nice seeing you and the rest of the
family yesterday!

Hello Family and Friends, here is an update on my week, just to let
you know what i've been up to this past week.

It was great talking to all you yesterday, honestly, it was the best
few hours of my mission thus far, a real pick me up.

So my was as follows:

Monday was p-day, it was your typical shopping groceries, emailing.
Nothing to spiffy.

Tuesday was our mission Christmas conference, which mainly consisted
of musical numbers, a lunch (which was ribs smothered in bbq sauce, we
where asked to wear suits to this event), and a couple talks about the
meaning of Christmas. We ended around 6, and went to cafe rio, which
was awesome.

Wednesday was our interviews with the mission president, he asked how
i was doing and how the mission had been thus far, the normal mission
president questions. We visited Don afterwards, and went home to plan.

Thursday, we biked to a less actives house in the morning, visited
with her, and went home to find a box of duct tape addressed to me. I
got through the tape, to find a wooden crate and a crowbar, and inside
the crate, was some amazing jerky. Thanks dad!

Friday was, to say the least, an interesting one. The morning we
visited an recent investigator, met a zombie cat, and visited and
taught another investigator who is progressing at an amazingly rapid
pace. We got home around 12 for lunch, and walked to a less actives
house. On the way, I saw a deer get hit by a car, fly a good 10 feet
into the air, land, get up, and run back into the woods in which it
came. We arrived at the less actives, and talked to them for a good
hour or so before heading home to prepare for that nights activity, we
where to sing as a zone at the zoo that night, for the nativity it
hosts every year. We sang for a good 10 minutes, and sat down to enjoy
the show.

Saturday was Christmas eve, and we spent it hoping from one members
house to the next, as was Christmas day.

Thus was my week.

But, anyway, thanks for everything, have a great new year, love you!

-Elder Tayler Hagen

 Living nativity


a very serious district

Christmas Jerky from dad

Christmas pj shirt


A minion ball

Off to the races

Week 10: Christmas is Coming



So, my week, 

Monday was p-day, and honestly, not much happened, we did the usual routine in about half the time because the Zone leaders wanted to visit to play card games, etc, etc. (If you all ever here of card games called Dominion, Machi Koro, or Guillotine, I would suggest playing them), and that was essentially it, not much happened.

Tuesday, was our district's Christmas conference, so the week prior, we where asked to make a dish we wanted to bring, so i spent the morning making baked mac and cheese with bacon. It was great. Our district had our little party, our lunch consisted of my mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, store bought rolls, potato soup, and crepes.... Mission life. After our meeting, we went out to visit with a couple investigators, one of them is progressing, the other, somewhat is not.

Wednesday, the morning was spent at 2 less actives we where asked to visit, one just found out she doesn't have cancer anymore, the other, is struggling with MS, and honestly, both have incredibly strong testimonies, they would attend church if it wasn't for their health. It was extremely humbling. The rest of the day was spent at the mission psychologists essentially, we went to dinner afterwards at around 6. The member took us down a street called Christmas street afterwards, I'll send you a video if I can.

Thursday was the official first day of winter, and we felt it. It was around 38 degrees out with 80% humidity out. And me, being from California, discovered what the true meaning of cold meant while biking about to our appointments throughout the day. Those in Utah, know NOTHING of cold...  

Friday, was just your typical day, went to lunch with a member, I hit and crashed on a curb, Raked leaves for an investigator, in the bitter cold for about 3 hours, and spent the rest of the day after 5 at a quadriplegic members home, doing service for him and such.

Saturday, we got 29 referrals, and we spent the day visiting 11 of them. As it turns out, those 29 referrals, where not really referrals, they where previous investigators. Essentially, what happened was when our ward split, we got the records for everyone but this one area with these 29 people, and the missionary that had those records, got transferred out. So instead of going through the AP's to get them to us, he sent them in as referrals. The day wasn't all a bust, we went out with the same member that took us to Christmas street and he showed us this REALLY cool house with Christmas lights, again, I'll send you a video.

Sunday was Sunday, nothing to out of the ordinary, we went out with a member to go visit, and that was about it.

And so! 'Twas my week, I love and miss you all so much, I hope ya'll are having a great Christmas season.

Tell the Millers and Concidines  thank you for me, I'll try to send a thank you note!

-Elder Tayler Hagen

                

Bacon Mac



Us and the Manchester Elders, and our Glorious pile of leaves


video  of Christmas Street

Week 9: The Zoo and More



Hello mother! Hello family!

As for my week, it was great to an extent, a lot went on...

Monday was p-day, zone p-day, and we went to the local zoo, which I'm
not going to lie, was the only real thing on my bucket list for this
area to do on a p-day. It was the highlight of the week, just being
able to feel like I was a tourist for a moment, we saw giraffes and
penguins and lions and bears oh my! I'll attach some pictures just to
show what we did.

Tuesday was just phenomenal (sarcastically). we went on exchanges and
I got to stay in my area. Now, I need to remind you, I'm on bike, in
dark and hills Virginia, and it is very green and wet out here. So, my
day went as follows; we got up in the morning, it was pouring outside,
we went to an appointment in the rain, she wasn't home, we biked home,
in the rain, exchanged with the Manchester Elders, biked to another
appointment, in the rain, got a ride from our ward mission leader to
dinner, soaking wet, We got dropped off afterwards at another
appointment, the rain had stopped, and we got out from said
appointment after the sun had went down, it was cold, I was damp, my
wind breaker was not helping, my headlight on my bike was broken, so I
biked home from that appointment, in the cold, in the dark, and I hit
a mail box.

Tuesday, was great.

Wednesday, was a brighter day, it was sunny, we spent the morning at a
meeting with our district, and the rest of it visiting members and
less actives.

Thursday was freezing, but a normal day, the usual biking about and
talking to people.

Friday and Saturday, I would call days of service, we went about with
members and other elders raking leaves and moving boat engines and
such. Saturday we did have our ward Christmas party, It was great, out
of the 120 something active members of our ward, about 90 where in
attendance, and we had a special guest, Santa Claus.

And Sunday, we had our first ward council meeting as the Brandermill
ward in the morning, in which we as missionaries where asked to be
"front line emissaries" in finding the needs of our ward. The
afternoon was spent out on a split with a member, visiting with
potentials and less actives.

And that is how my week ended, there is not much else I could really
add, so, love you all, have a great holiday season, love you, miss ya.

-Elder Tayler Hagen

Me and my new friend.


 Jacob and Spencer Mere-cats

The wild chicken

I just found it ironic that peacocks where on display, considering where we live

An extremely exotic animal



I need one



And me on a sky wire.

Christmas as a district


Me, Elder Claus, Elder Eliason

Week 8: Alright




Anywhosers, my week, was alright, to an extent.

Monday was p-day, and p-day is p-day, we spent it shopping for
groceries, writing home, and all other chores that a normal person
would do throughout the week.

Tuesday, elder Eliason and I went on an exchange with the Zone
leaders, I went with the new guy that came in this last transfer to
his area, Elder Smith, he is an Mandarin speaking elder. Essentially
the day itself was spent going about and visiting with investigators
and less actives in the Zone Leaders area, so, I don't really have
much to write about in terms of an actual day.

Wednesday, we exchanged back, and visited an investigator who, in
lamen terms, is plain crazy. She, is extremely nice, but she doesn't
have any sense to her logic, except when it comes to the gospel, which
is interesting. So essentially, she listens to the lessons, she enjoys
them, she WANTS to be baptized, but she doesn't....

The rest of Wednesday was spent out and about, visiting shut doors and such.

Thursday, was an interesting one. We had a MLC, a mission leadership
conference, and only 40 our of the 100 companionships where invited, I
went, because the rest of my zone was going. We had a guest speaker,
the mission president from the District 2, that one mission training
series. He spoke on the need of using technology, and it's importance
in the modern mission era. It was great, we where told we could use
skype now for lessons. We left around 4:30, got stuck in some REALLY
bad traffic, and the 30 minute drive, turned into 2 hours. So we got
home at 6:30, ate dinner, and went out to visit some less actives.

Friday we had a zone conference in the morning, and service in the
afternoon, raking leaves and board games with a quadriplegic member of
our ward, which actually turned into a lesson, as there was a
non-member who was there with us, we got to teach the plan of
salvation and the restoration.

Not much happened Saturday.

Sunday was a normal fast Sunday with church from 1-3. We went out with
a member afterwards to visit some potentials/ investigators.

And essentially, that was my week, not too fancy, but a week non the less.

Anyway, love ya, i'll see y'all at Christmas.

-Elder Tayler Hagen

Elder Eliason and I

Zone


favorite car viewed while stuck in traffic

service

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