Hey there!!!

Thanks for the letters as always. And tell dad I got his letter he sent through dear elder. It looks like it takes about 2 weeks or so to get here. And I still haven´t gotten the package you sent. I am dying here because I really want to get something. Haha but I am learning to be patient with everything. If I learn nothing else while being here, I will learn patience. That is for sure.

This week has been good. We have 2 baptisms planned for this Saturday. Actually more but I am pretty positive the family won`t be baptized this week. We`re hoping by the end of the month. The dad has some problems with the Word of Wisdom and is slightly stubborn. We have asked him to pray about the church and if it`s true and his response every time is he will pray when he wants to pray. He won`t pray just because we ask him to. So we are trying to work with him. And I think he is the only thing that is holding everyone back. The kids like church a lot. Yesterday one of the kids woke up at 4 so he could be ready for church at 9 but then his mom said they weren`t going. It`s really hard to teach a family. I know the kids would be baptized this weekend if they had premission but the mom said either they are all doing it or no one is doing it. Which is awesome but also really difficult at the same time. But one of our baptisms this week is one of their friends. Her name is Gloria and she is friends with the oldest son so we`re going to invite them to come to the baptism and hopefully they will be able to fill the spirit and have a desire to follow her exmaple. We just have to make sure she gets permission. Our other baptism is Kevin. I wrote about him last week I think. He`s the one that didn`t want to be baptized last Saturday but now he is going to be baptized. I am praying really hard that he doesn`t change his mind. His mom supports him and I think we will challenge her this week if we can meet with her. He has an aunt who will come to the baptism if he gets baptized and everyone in his family just wants him to find a church to attend. So hopefully we will have both of these baptisms this week.

We are having a really hard time right now with finding people. We don`t really have any new people that we are teaching. And I have an idea of why but I can`t change things. We don`t work as hard as we could be working. The way we contact in the streets is ridiculous. We simply give a pamphlet and invite them to church. That is really it. I hate it. And I try to make it longer but it`s hard to do it alone. She doesn`t like knocking doors. I try to suggest it because I know it`s part of our work. And we will start but after 4 or 5 doors she`ll just start to walk past them. And I will either say something or will knock a few doors alone and then she will tell me were done. And if I try to say anything she gets really irritated and I hate when people are mad at me. I sometimes feel like I am just in the shadows and that I don`t really have a say in what we do, what we teach, who we visit or anything. I do try to make suggestions but she doesn`tt listen. So I have kind of just stopped. Like when I suggested we make our visits shorter she said I won`t have the confidence of the members or investigators and I won`t have any success during my mission. And I even pointed out that it says in PMG to keep them under 45 mins and she said if I do everything in the book I will leave my mission unsuccessfully. So needless to say, I don`t make a whole lot of suggestions anymore. But we are getting along and I try to change things more by example now. I don`t know what else to do.

Anyways, I was reading in an ensign this week (it`s become something I really like to do when I wake up early in the mornings. Pretty much everyday I wake up at about 5:30 or so) and I came across an article about a member of the 70 who was a mission president in Hawaii some years back. He says he had an elder come in and tell him he didn`t feel like he was making a difference and wanted to go home. The president asked him to do something for him. Have his own personal "sacred grove" or morning devotional with the Lord. He wanted him to wake up every morning a little before 6:30, exercise, shower, find a quiet spot in the apartment, kneel in prayer and just talk with the Lord and then read the scriptures and wait for the Lord to give him inspiration. I decided to try this because he promised the elder if he did this, the Lord would bless him with revelation and he would have the strength to go on. So for the last few days I have been trying to do this. It`s been a little difficult to wait and recognize the Spirit but I do like the time I get to spend with Him. And this is going to be goal for the next 14 months. P.S. I have been out for 4 months.

And tell dad that the poem I am looking for is actually entitled He`s been there before. And although I can`t find it someone told me the first words of the poem. "The alarm rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet. I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheet..." I don`t know if this will help but if so that`s great!!!!

And thanks for checking my facebook. I was actually wondering how everything was there. I heard about Jessie and Tyrel. Mar writes me every once in a while and she told me about it. I wasn`t too surprised about Tyrel but Jessie surprised me. She was always a little flacky with the guys but I am glad to hear she has settled down.

And yes. We are a crying family. I have definitely noticed that. It is pretty funny. But I am perfectly fine with it. I am not ashamed. Haha I cry way too much! It`s probably a little ridiculous. But it`s okay with me. And tell Wyatt that I am proud of him for not walking!!! That is awesome.

Thanks for your testimony. It is really good to read it. I know as I think about it this week, it will strengthen me when I struggle. I really appreciate it. I can say I mimic your testimony. I just know that my faith is being tested like it`s never been tested before right now. But I try to remember the Lord gives us trials because He loves us and knows what will help us in the future. I am going through this trial for a reason and although I can`t see why I have to put my trust in the Lord and have faith that He knows everything. It`s more difficult than I ever thought it would be but I am sure trying.

I love you all. And am thankful to have you in my life. We really are blessed in everything we have. And for our family. You are all such examples to me and am grateful for that.

MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!!!!