Blessings

Hey,

Good to hear from you all.

First off I'd like to quote a letter that Brother B (if you remember from my last area) sent me. It will last longer if I do.

"How are you doing, I hope just fine. Louie (his dog) and I are doing great. And as for Elder McM and Elder H they are doing very well. Not as well as Elder L and you, but I am a little prejudice. For I have a very special love and playce in my heart for Elder L and "you" for bringing me back to the Lord. As for my son, it will take a while to convert him, but we'll get there together. He has a lot of health problems and we will find out Feb 16 if he has to have open heart surgery. Glad to hear things are going good for you in Springfield. I know that you will succeed at anything you do, because I know that you have a very strong testimony. Hope your new family will be baptized soon and received all the blessings they are promised. Like you to know that I will be going to the temple for the very first time. I'm very excited! I also gave my very first speaking to the ward, it was about, Restoration of the Priesthood on earth. I was very nervous but was told by many that I had done a good job. I got my first calling, that I did accept. It was to be assistant to the High Priesthood Group Leader. Yes I have been doing some family history. I still have to be interviewed so my first wife and I can be sealed in marriage. I've been told by the bishop Brother G that I will be interviewed for the Melchizidek Priesthood soon. I also want you to know that I feel very privileged the Lord sent Elder L and Elder soutas to my home, for I feel it was and will be a great blessing. I will never forget the two young men that changed my life forever. Thank God Almighty: Have to close for now, keep in touch, when you get a little free time. 

Sincerely, 

Brother B

I thought I'd just share that with you guys. I love that guy so much. The spirit testified to me that we are put in certain situations for a reason. Brother B is doing superb!

The U are doing pretty good! They are getting baptized this week! We had their interviews yesterday. Our lesson with them on Thursday was cool. We taught them about the temple. There was a tender moment in the lesson where R was sharing a story of when they went to the Indianapolis Temple on one of their vacations. While on the temple grounds, L and Rb prayed together. 

On Saturday night we met with the U for dinner and their final lesson. They fed us a really good chicken tortilla soup. Our lesson was on service and missionary work. Before we began, Rb asked us some questions about king Benjamin which was perfect because he is a prime example of service. So we decided to read from Mosisah 2 instead of what we had originally planned. The lesson was good although the discussion kind of when on a tangent and ended awkwardly. AFter the lesson they fed us pie and asked us if we wanted to play a round of pool. in my mind I was like we probablyu shouldn't, but we kind of rationalized playing since they are getting baptized and such. But anyway, R and Rb are both pros at pool. I swear R never misses. I made a really cool shot on accident thought. They beat us 2 games to none. After they wanted to show us I art collection (I is a very talented artist and has won many competitions) and L showed us all of the medals she's won swimming (nearly 100). I think she wants to be in the olympics some day. 

After church yesterday during the baptismal interviews, we played around on the piano in the chapel. That was a good bonding experience I guess you could say. They all are musically talented with the piano. R plays the trombone also, and I also plays the guitar and sings. They are all so talented. 

This week I read a great article called Opening the Heavens in the 2009 ensign by Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi of the 70. Not sure if he's still a 70. i was wondering how I can have a more revelatory expereince from my prayers and studies. Sometimes it can feel your prayers go unanswered or if they are you don't even recognize it. 

But I like what he said and I'll share part of it. 

"When I served as a mission president in Hawaii, I had many opportunities to speak with young elders and sisters struggling to become better missionaries. I remember one missionary who became deeply discouraged. His missionary work had become unbearable to him, and he started doubting his testimony. He came to me with the request to send him home.

Instead, I asked him to follow the example of Nephi in pondering and praying about his concerns and desires (see 1 Nephi 10:17; 11:1). This is a practice I have followed for many years and a practice many other GeneralAuthorities of the Church follow. I asked the missionary to go to his apartment and do the following:

• Rise from his bed early—in his case, a few minutes before 6:30 a.m.
• Exercise for a few minutes.
• Wash his body and shave—make himself clean.
• Dress for the day.
• Go to a quiet place inside his apartment.
• Kneel, subdue his spirit before Heavenly Father, and call upon Him. Talk with Him in reverent prayer.
• Wait for His holy inspiration, pondering the scriptures or a recent general conference talk and think about the specific problems he faced.

"I promised this young elder that if he did this and immersed himself in thescriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, for a few minutes every day, he would experience feelings of joy and would receive strength to go on. 3 

A few days later he came to see me. His eyes filled with tears as he told me of his experiences during his early-morning devotional time. He served onderfully as a servant of the Lord and completed an honorable mission.His wife recently told me that he continues to rise early to have privatetime with his Heavenly Father.

I taught this same principle to each of the missionaries over whom I had the privilege to preside. I was concerned that we were not doing all we could to bring the light of the gospel to the Hawaiian people. Within a relatively short time after the missionaries started this practice, the number of referrals we received from members increased, teaching opportunities went up, and the number of baptisms in our mission doubled and then tripled. All of this happened because the missionaries’efforts were magnified by power of the Holy Spirit.

I know from personal experience the spiritual power that can flow into your life if you follow this practice. You will feel the love of God and a cleansing, purifying regeneration of your spirit (see 1 Nephi 11:22–25; D&C50:28–29). You will experience moments of revelation, when the Spirit whispers to your spirit what you need to do to be a better father, a better mother, a better son or daughter, a better disciple of Jesus Christ. 

I've decided to do my personal prayers before I study rather than right when I wake up. Because right when I wake up it is easy to go back to sleep while on my knees. 

The book of mormon is seriously the best. While we were waiting for our car to be lubed and checked up, I read a bunch of verses in Mormon. I think the Book of Mormon in the Book of Mormon (redundancy intended) is probably my favorite. Mormon is my favorite character because of his great example of long suffering. He lived among the most wicked people "among all the house of Israel" (Mormon 4:12), yet he still had hope for their repentance and "had loved them with all [his] heart." How easy is it to be cold to those who are wicked, or even just less obedient than yourself. But Mormon was an amazing example to me of what it means to love your enemies (even though the Nephites weren't technically his enemies), though they could have easily been since they were living a life completely opposite to him. 

We can find lots of answers to life questions in the Book of Mormon. I've learned that recently that it can be easy to be caught up with all of the cool facts of the Book of Mormon, but none of that will change the person you may become. I like the quote that you sent me by Elder Oaks a few weeks ago dad about the difference between testimony and conversion. Thought the instituions of the world teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus christ challenges us to become something. The process of conversion starts in the head (knowing something), makes its way to the hands (doing something) and finally enters into the heart (desiring something). That quote has really had an impact on me. I've learned so far on the mission that it's not enought just to do missionary things. Even good deeds I do though they may do others good, will do me no good if my heart is not right. (Read the talk The Fourth missionary and 1 Corinthians 13). It doesn't matter how much service in the church we do or if we attend our meeting every week, if we aren't doing it because we love god then it will do us no good and the atonement will have no effect on us because we will not be transformed by what we did. 

Jesus Christ is my savior. His grace has helped me through every seemingly insermountable task. Things always work for good for those who put their trust in God. Belief is a choice. We can chose to walk in the light of the Lord and, or to sit in darkness and negativity which comes from the adversary. Whenever I feel down now I try to think of things that bring me light because things that don't enlighten your mind are not true. Being patient can be a very hard thing to learn, but it is possible if we do a lot of praying and try to have virtuous thoughts towards people. 

That's my little testimony for the week! Hope you all have a good one!

Elder Soutas