Querida familia y amigos,
¡Yo tengo mucho gozo in mi corazon! [I have much joy in my heart !] My mission is so wonderful. As I said before, time behaves very strangely here. The weeks feel like days. I am now two weeks old; I have 1/54 of my mission gone already; I feel like I just got here. The days can sometimes feel like weeks. When I look back on the day at nighttime, it's hard to believe that just that morning I was in class with my district. I love my mission!
Class this week was really good. At the end of last week, we began teaching progressing investigators. Our teachers both portray investigators from their missions or lives and we teach them from the very beginning. Brother Gentry is portraying a man named Thomas from L.A. As we teach him, I feel love for Thomas and have a great desire for him to come to know Christ as his friend, brother, and Savior. Thomas is very excited to learn and is progressing quickly. Another investigator we have is Kord Catt. He is portrayed by Brother Catt—Kord’s older brother. Brother Catt joined the Church about five years ago and his mother and one of his brothers, soon followed. However, Kord did not join the Church. Kord is a senior in high school and has had the lessons a few times. As we teach Kord (Hermano Catt) I think of the actual Kord in Arizona who is also being taught. Hermano Catt said that Kord is like an iceberg—he only shows a little bit of who he really is and we have to find out what is really under the surface. Hermano Catt told us that some things we have taught in class, he has relayed to Kord and talked to him about them. I hope Kord will come to Christ and be baptized! I love my mission!
On Saturday in class, Hermano Catt took us for a walk around campus. We sometimes do this to practice conversational Spanish and so that he can teach us Spanish words outside. However, on Saturday he took us to a statue. This statue is of Samuel Smith walking with a Book of Mormon in hand and a sack over his shoulder. He relayed the following story to us: Samuel Smith was the first missionary of this dispensation. Samuel left his home and family to go spread the gospel and bring people to Christ. All he took with him were the clothes on his back, the sack on his shoulder, and the book in his hand. Samuel traveled across New York and left that copy of the Book of Mormon in a tavern. This copy ended up being the means of conversion of the [Kimball] and Young families. Samuel left everything he knew to go spread the truth. In the church we usually only think of Hyrum and Joseph being the Smith-brother martyrs. However, after they were murdered, Samuel hid their bodies so that they would not be mutilated or mocked by the mob. He then rode through the night with a mob in tail. He rode his horse yelling that the Prophet had been murdered, the whole time the mob was in pursuit and shooting at him. By the time he had reached safety, he had received multiple bullet wounds which would kill him. I know that these men did not die in vain. The Lord is watching over his people. Samuel, Joseph, Hyrum and hundreds of others gave their lives for this gospel because it is true! I love my mission!
Last night our district went to the TRC (teaching resource center) for the second time. We knocked doors and spoke in Spanish for the first 15 minutes. Then we taught the first lesson in English for 35 minutes. I love the TRC. It is such a valuable resource. Elder Matesen and I have definitely improved our teaching skills from last week and I know that we will continue to do so. I love my mission!
Also, yesterday, we got a new district in the zone. Many of the Elders are going to Dallin’s mission, Monterrey Mexico East. I am very excited for them. I even know one of the Elders from BYU—Chris Reed! I love my mission!
I am so glad that you have had a fun summer together as a family. Good luck with school! If you rely on the Lord, He will always bless you! I love my mission!
¡Yo se que la iglesia es verdadera y el libro de mormon es verdadero! [I know the Church is true and the Book of Mormon is true!] I love my mission!
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