Good Day to Ye!

Family,

Things are really going well here. We have an awesome investigator! I can't wait till she comes to church! It is always really rewarding to sit in Sacrament meeting with investigators and less active members there with us! We didn't have any investigators at church this past week, but next week will definitely be better. We are reactivating a family, from Honduras. We went over and dedicated their home this past week. They came to church again this week! We have been finding some good members to work with in our area. We are excited to take him out to some lessons with us!

I can't believe Jessica is getting married! That is really crazy. And I'm really excited to hear about g-ma and g-pa's mission call! Maybe they will come to the CLAM! That would be the best! We have an awesome family history center here! Maybe they will serve there! That is sad they won't be home when I come home! But if they serve here, it won't be too bad because I'll just come back and visit them when I finish! That is really awesome that Tyler is a Zone Leader! That is some serious leadership responsibility! I'll bet he is an awesome leader! Thanks for sending David's messages back and forth, that is really nice. I finally got his letter! It took 6 weeks to get here!

The other day we were eating at a recent convert's house, and he asked us if we wanted chile with our food, so we told him yes. He gave us cerrano peppers, which are SUPER HOT! When he ate his he just about lost it because he ate it all at once, and my companion was in pain because it was so hot, but I was fine. I'M TURNING MEXICAN! Woo! That is good news. I took some chile seeds and planted them in some dirt in a cup in our apartment, so maybe we will have home grown chile's!

Alesha, I'm glad to hear you have obtained a washer and dryer. Emily, stop breaking cars. That is a bummer your car broke down in winter time! I'm really glad to hear you are still going to the temple each week! That will be a huge blessing in the near future. Lindsey, you need to send me pictures of soccer once it starts.

Dad, we have been finding some neat people to teach. The Mexicans are really nice people. Almost everybody we teach (like 95%) are Mexicans. She is an awesome investigator, and we are really hoping she feels the prompting to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized the proper authority!

So, I figured that there are TONS of people that live in our area. We have at least three high schools within like 5 square miles! There are always people on the sidewalks, cars on the streets, firetrucks on the run, and plenty of people to share the gospel with. Andrew would be super busy here!

So lately we have been having more of the "fundamental trainings", where we learn a new style of teaching that the First Presidency wants all the missions to do. It has helped a lot. We focus a lot on asking inspired questions and teaching to peoples' needs instead of just reciting lessons. We rely a lot on following the Spirit, which is how it should be. I don't think Alma and Amulek had memorized lessons that they practiced before they taught the multitudes! So we have been spending a lot of time in these trainings.

Spanish is getting better. I try to practice, and I study hard during Spanish study. My friends who are serving in hispanic countries will probably blow me away when we get back, but I'm trying hard! The most important thing is that we can preach the gospel in these peoples' native tongue.

We went to the temple today. It is so nice to go to the temple! It is like sitting in heaven in the middle of L.A.! And guess what!? They started tearing down the old mission home! It is sad! It has been around for more than 60 years as a mission home, and now it is half gone! Some of the missionaries were taking bricks from the building to take as memorabilia. But I don't really want to lug around a 20 pound brick for the next year, so I passed on that one!

Did I mention that the weather is still perfect?

Hey mom, thanks for the updates on Cory and Tyler's blogs.

Hey, this Sunday I'll be playing the piano for the other missionaries in our ward who will be singing for Sacrament meeting! Then next week I'll be playing for some departing missionaries who will be singing at their "departing missionary fireside". I'm really glad God is giving me opportunities to share my talent!

Family, I know, with all my heart, that this church is true. God's plan is perfect. The way back is simple. I really like the idea of becoming better for the rest of eternity. Eternal progression. That is what we are offering people. A lot of people don't understand the way back to God. Or they do understand it, but they just don't do it. JUST DO IT! It's as simple as that. We are blessed to already have a knowledge of the fullness of the gospel. I'm really grateful for our awesome family. Keep being happy and doing the right thing. It's like grandma Watkins always says in her letters "keep being good, it's worth it." God be with you my friends and family.

Love,

Elder Ross Watkins