Being A Missionary

I keep forgetting to take a picture. Sorry I don't wear my suit other than meetings any more or else I would just take it right now and send it.

Mom, an idea came to me while you were talking about the Lungs. You should ask them if they want to receive our letters to you in email. I don't mind who reads mine and I think that they would benefit from them. Dad told me that his secretary reads them and enjoys them very much (or I think Dad told me that).

Being here in Utah I see a lot of people coming to Church because of missionary farewells or homecomings that would never normally go to Church. If Ben does not mind I think that you should invite everyone you know to come to Church with you. We do that when we have talks in a ward. We run around telling everyone in the ward that we are giving talks and surprisingly, a lot show up to listen to us. So I think that everyone in our family should invite the people that they home teach and visit teach to go to Church, and Robert you should invite your friends to church and tell them that your older brother will be coming home from a mission and he will be talking and that you want them to come with you. That goes for you too Monica :)

I believe that it is a easy missionary tool that can bring people in church and give them a reason to come to church and feel the Spirit that Ben will bring him.

I still think it would be hard for me to give 3 hour trainings. I like environments where I can ask questions and get a response from the people I am teaching. I don't really like it when you are up there just talking and expect everyone just to accept the ideas you are throwing out there. Conversations are a lot easier to bring the Spirit if you ask me.

Transfers are this week. I think that one of us will be transferred. I have learned a lot from Elder Kolpakov and have enjoyed him as a companion. He told me the other day that I am the only companion that he has ever gotten along with. I hope that he has learned a thing or two from me and that it will help him. He reminds me a lot of you Ben. I like that.

Ben did you know that I look up to you a lot. I see you progressing in your letters and I love to see the difference in you. I remember the day that I got my mission call and you sent me a letter. This letter was filled with scripture references. I loved it and set a goal for myself to be able to quote as many scriptures as you do. I hope that you will keep sending me letters. I love the letters that you send.

We have been teaching this boy. He is one of the smartest young boys I have ever known. He is going to be baptized this Saturday.  I love him. You grow such a close relationship with the people you teach it is hard when you have to move on and you can't spend all day with them.

Also quick question for you. I went on an exchange and one of the elders is really lazy and I don't know how to motivate him to do anything. Before my mission I never expected missionaries to do anything bad, but I have found out that that is not true and I don't know how to motivate them. I am very blessed to be with missionary companions that want to be here and want to work. Ben I am sure that you have dealt with that and I want to ask you how you deal with it.

I think it is funny that Ben has 2 wards. It would be such a different mission if you only had one ward council to know. It would also be strange to talk to someone who has never known any LDS people.