First off, it was really good talking to you on the phone yesterday!!!! It is great to hear from everybody at home and hear how they are doing. I hope you had the greatest Mother's Day ever!!!! It is Preparation Day again, so we get time to do our laundry, write people, clean, and play sports. I want to play some soccer, but most of the Elders here are basketball fans, and I'm no good at basketball, but I still play. Elder Hopoate and I have been working to find people to teach. Yesterday was a good day. I found a young man at church who has been coming to church with a friend, and he WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED!!!! We are going to start the lessons with him tomorrow, and hopefully we'll set a baptismal date tomorrow too. The work is hard right now, but my companion says it gets easier after a few weeks. It is especially hard in our area because we were "flushed in", which means we are both new to the area. But hopefully we'll start to have some success within the next couple of weeks.
Cinco de Mayo.... what is that? haha just kidding. There wasn't much celebration for Cince de Mayo. In fact, I didn't see anything about Cinco de Mayo. haha of course, I'm an Elder, and Elders can't go to parties and such.
Last night my companion and I had a really interesting experience. We were over at a member's house because her husband has a drinking problem. While we were over there, we started talking to her daughter, who is a college graduate. We found out that she was now inactive. It was devastating to listen to somebody who had fallen completely away from the Church. We ended up speaking with her for about an hour, trying to help her come back to the truth. The most powerful thing we can do in situations like that is to bear STRONG testimony. The Spirit speaks louder than any voice can yell. The Spirit was strong. We committed her to think about the things we talked about, and we committed her to pray about it. SHE SAID SHE WOULD PRAY!!! It was so cool to see her change, at least a little bit, during our impromptu lesson. My companion asked her to say the closing prayer of the lesson, and she did!!!! It was soooo cool!!!! We asked her a few times if she would listen to the lessons again, but she wouldn't accept. All we have to do now is wait. I really hope she has the desire to come back to church. I know it would bless her life a ton!!!!
We talk to people from all over the world here. We have met people from all over Central America, Korea, Liberia, Ghana, and who knows where else. It is cool.
I went through Hollywood on Saturday.
ANDREW IS THE MAN!!!! Mom told me he helped save a woman's life the other day. At least he's doing something good in the world, while Alesha just sits around and watches haha. Mom told me that Alesha is going to school over the summer!!! Woooo!!!! That sounds way cool. I just hope she doesn't get too burned out!!!! Alesha, just remember to eat your prunes each day, and you will be well on your way to a successful life haha :) Oh yeah, Emily: keep the tradition of throwing food in the kitchen (it helps keep the house lively). And Lindsey, you had better be better at soccer than I am when I get home. It's going down. Mom, keep being awesome! You are the best mom in the world!!! And Dad, I'm expecting to see a garage in the backyard with that old chevy truck in the making haha just kidding, but that would be pretty cool.
So I have this awesome quote that I want to tell you. I don't have it memorized perfectely, so I will paraphrase: "if our lives are centered on Jesus Christ, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. But if our lives aren't centered on Christ and His teachings, nothing in our lives can ever go permanently right." -Elder Dallin H. Oaks.
I love this quote!!!! It basically sets the foundation of our faith. The world we live in is CRAZY!!!! I'm in the center of Babylon, and I see so many people who need the gospel, and are completely lost. Some people think they have happiness, but they aren't centered on Christ, so their happiness is only temporary. But then we go into the houses of members, and there is a different feeling. People who have the Restored Gospel of Christ still have problems and worries, but the problems are only temporary, and the promised blessings are eternal. By having our lives centered on the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the hope of being able to live with our Father in Heaven, with our Families for Eternity, and to become like God! There is no greater thing in the whole world. We are so blessed to have this knowledge! I love this Gospel, and I am so grateful to know that I can speak with my Father in Heaven and receive answers. This Plan of Salvation is perfect.
So I hope all the family is doing well. I hope the ward is doing well, and that my friends are all doing well. It is great to hear from you all (My mom and Tonya are the winners for this week haha). Alesha, I had better hear from you by this Friday (when mail is passed out), or there will be serious consequences. (I'm still angry about the "bee in the flower incident", "and the poisonous mushroom prank", I KNOW IT WAS YOU!!!!!!)
I love you all, and good luck with all you do! Keep pressing forward to bring about this "great and marvelous work"! It will be so worth it!!! And, as Elder Larsen puts it, "keep smiling" :)
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