July 22

     Pres. Uchtdorf mentioned in the Ensign how he tells all the missionaries whether they are new or just starting their missions that they are just in the middle! I'm trying to keep that focus ;)

 About faith changing and growing, I feel that is what has happened with me on my mission. I thought I had faith, but I have really felt a huge increase of faith through my mission experience, Heavenly Father has really blessed me, along with you. I'm just amazed on how he does that. Reminds me of Elder Holland's comment in General Conference, "surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it." What a marvelous thing it is for Him to be merciful, loving, and kind, but doing it perfectly! He's blessed me so much it's ridiculous. But I thank Him for it.

       The area is doing good. We have a lot coming our way in potential. We have a baptism coming up! :) Yay! Bro. D is doing awesome.  Recently our meal hours are changed and we're back to the handbook rules which says we can eat at any time but we have to be out by 6.  Translating is a neat experience in sacrament meeting. I find myself praying while I translate, some people use words that are complicated to translate lol. But it's getting better, Sis. Jimenez last week came up to me and said that was a great translation. She does not speak English, but I think my translation was really good this week!  

    When ever my companion and I are eating , he tells the members I want more, I try to plead my case but they just put more on my plate. :) haha, but I haven't gained! :D That roof was a lot of fun, we actually taught their next door neighbors through our service. :D Service brings blessings!  I know now more than ever that God lives and He supports us in our trials and our afflictions. He helps us grow through those trials. I know the Scriptures are true. They are truly an iron rod for me in my life, to grab on to guide me through life, I know Jesus Christ is the Savior, I know He loves me and you, He is our Leader and Guide. :)

New Pics

Only 12 weeks left

 End of June :
   The area is doing well. We had 5 investigators at church! Haha that was a funny story. I'll share the story of two of our investigators. One day Elder Alvizo and I were knocking doors, rejection after rejection, Elder Alvizo said a prayer and we knocked another door and this 18 year old kid answers and we told him who we were and said we could share our message with him. As we got to know him more, turns out he's good friends with a member. After the lesson with him, we stopped by this members house and told her what happened. She said, Well I'm going to invite him to sing with me in church! Haha so she did! Man can this guy sing! I mean it's like Broadway!
  One thing I know I have to do here is be an example and President Weston said to me, you have been out for 21 months and I can't teach you anything. I have only been here for a few hours, you know it all, now you need to apply it and put it into practice. This week has been a testimony builder for me on how much the Lord is mindful in our lives..I don't know how He does it but it is fascinating. I love Him for being so mindful of me, of you, of all of us. His love is infinite and pure. I know He lives. I know He loves me. I can't believe all that He does and has done for me, and will do for me. I can't even begin to fathom that. But, I know He lives!
Beginning of July:
   The area is doing well, we had 4 investigators at church this last week which was just
awesome! One of which just reminds me Of Mice and Men, "George", he's got a heart of gold.  But as for the week, it was hard for me personally. I just felt overwhelmed, confused, and mostly lost, not knowing what to do with everything. I felt soo lost. It was a strange feeling. Maybe it's the heat getting to me haha. But I'm doing better now. I was kneeling to pray yesterday and I felt an impression to read your letters from the MTC as I read them I found some priceless counsel to help me overcome what I'm going through. I'm looking at it in a perspective to seek out what Heavenly Father wants me to learn and learning to pray and to hand it to him. My studies are just wonderful I love them! I'm now in 3 Nephi right before the storms and 3 nights of darkness. It's just incredible the things I'm learning from the examples of the people. It was sad to read about how the Gadianton robbers had such an influence on the people, even on part of the righteous. So much that the younger generation joined up with the robbers...do we not see that today? The Youth are attacked vigorously. It's crazy.

I found a neat quote yesterday that I want to share with you:
    Gethsemane

All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within-the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say:
"Not mine but thine";who only pray;

"Let this cup pass", and cannot see
the purpose in Gethsemane

. ----Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

Transfers

Today is transfers! Sad news! I'm leaving Grand Island! :( I'm heading to Norfolk! With Elder Alvizo. He's native from Mexico! :D Elder Ragsdale and I were super bummed, but we were both grateful that we got to serve together for a transfer!

    It's been a long difficult week for me to. I've had a lot of personal struggles and frustrations, but like Pres. Eyring spoke in Conference, they were just more mountains for me to climb, unfortunately I was not exercising faith in Christ like I should have and I'm certain that's why I struggled. But I'm doing better now.

        I've really grown a lot this transfer. Elder Ragsdale has really helped me see some of the most simple principles and the great power they have. I've grown to talk WITH people and not TO people. It's amazing to me how much more naturally the Spirit flows when you talk with people. We've found a lot of new investigators this last week. One sweet miracle happened! We have a lost sheep here who hasn't come to church for a very very long time. Like 20 years. We were teaching her and her daughter, we invited them to church. She told us of her past experiences. We discerned her needs and promised her that the sooner she came to church the sooner the wall keeping her from that peace will soon leave. She came to church!! :D

I'm excited to head up to Norfolk, I'll still be a District Leader up there. I've heard some awesome things about Norfolk, that's also tornado country up there! :D

 Just like you said you feel there are some good changes and things coming up, I feel the same. As always, I am still nervous because it's a new area and a new companion. 

I hope this insight from President Eyring's talk can help with bearing trials and even the stresses through the day.
 

"It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time. With faith in the Savior, you can repent and plead for forgiveness. There is someone you can forgive. There is someone you can thank. There is someone you can serve and lift. You can do it wherever you are and however alone and deserted you may feel.

I cannot promise an end to your adversity in this life. I cannot assure you that your trials will seem to you to be only for a moment. One of the characteristics of trials in life is that they seem to make clocks slow down and then appear almost to stop.

There are reasons for that. Knowing those reasons may not give much comfort, but it can give you a feeling of patience. Those reasons come from this one fact: in Their perfect love for you, Heavenly Father and the Savior want you fitted to be with Them to live in families forever. Only those washed perfectly clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be there."

Today is my 4 months left mark. I'm 20 months old. Don't get trunky on me :), I know the time is flying and I keep praying and hoping that I do what Father needs me to wherever I go. I love you!