I GOT A LETTER THAT YOU SENT ON SEPTEMBER 3RD WITH STAMPS AND STUFF, SO I'LL BE WRITING LATER TODAY.
MY COMPANION ELDER LARSEN AND I ARE STAYING IN HOOVER (IT IS TRANSFERS THIS THURSDAY) BUT ELDER DASILVA AND POH ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TOGETHER TO THE NEIGHBORING CITY OF BESSEMER. SO WE MAY BE THE ONLY ONES IN THE APARTMENT, OR MORE MIGHT MOVE IN, NOT SURE. THE CURRENT APS ARE BOTH BEING RELEASED AS AP'S AND GONNA BE TRAINERS FOR THEIR LAST TRANSFER, AND IN ORDER TO REPLACE THEM THEY'RE BRINGING IN 4 NEW ASSISTANTS. 2 OF THEM MIGHT POSSIBLY LIVE WITH US OR SOMETHING. THERE WILL BE 6 MISSIONARIES IN THE HOOVER WARD EVERY SUNDAY. WE STILL CAN'T FIND PEOPLE [to teach], EXCEPT ONE OLDER BLACK WOMAN NAMED CYNTHIA WHO WE HAVE BEEN TEACHING. WE'D TAUGHT HER BEFORE BUT LAST WEEK WE HAD 2 SPIRITUAL LESSONS WITH HER AND SHE IS PLANNING ON BEING BAPTIZED ON OCT 2. BUT FIRST SHE HAS TO LIVE THE WORD OF WISDOM, AND UNDERSTAND WHY SHE NEEDS TO, BEFORE BAPTISM. SO PLEASE PRAY FOR HER. AND SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY, AND LIKED IT.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE PORTUGUESE STUDENTS AGAIN, JUST WORKED WITH A FEW MEMBERS OF THE WARD WHO ARE RETURNED MISSIONARIES FROM BRAZIL. WE PLAN ON GOING THIS WEEK TO GADSDEN [where the Portuguese students live].
THIS WEEK I HAVE LEARNED A TON. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I HAVE LEARNED THOUGH IS THIS: THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU REALIZE YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.
BEING A MISSIONARY IS INDESCRIBABLE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN THEY RETURN HOME AND CAN'T EXPLAIN THE MISSION. SORTA LIKE A ROLLER COASTER SPIRITUALLY, MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND EVERY WAY.
I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE SPIRIT WORKS, ALTHOUGH I HAVE REALIZED THAT MANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH ARE MUCH MORE IN TUNE WITH IT THAN I AM. CYNTHIA, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS MORE FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD THAN ALMOST ANYONE I'VE MET (YES, INCLUDING MORMONS.) AND SOMETIMES SHE'LL BRING UP CONCERNS DURING LESSONS AND WE JUST ASK HER QUESTIONS, AND SHE STARTS RESPONDING AND WHILE WE'RE DISCUSSING, SHE FIGURES IT OUT. AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ELDER LARSEN AND I BEING GOOD AT EXPLAINING ANYTHING, CUZ WE'RE NOT. SO I GUESS THAT MIGHT BE ONE WAY THE SPIRIT WORKS.
IF ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH WERE AS FAITHFUL AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE I'VE MET HERE, OUR CHURCH WOULD BE SO MUCH STRONGER, AND THE GROWTH WOULD BE EXPONENTIAL. BUT I'LL ADMIT I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE MY MISSION, AND MANY TIMES PEOPLE WON'T AFTER [the mission] JUST BECAUSE WE AS HUMANS[tend to be] LAZY AND SELFISH. THAT IS A BIG THING I HAVE LEARNED.
MAN I THOUGHT WHEN I CAME ON A MISSION IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL AND WORRY FREE, STAYING AWAY FROM THE TEMPORAL WORRIES AND STUFF. BUT I HAVE MORE WORRIES NOW THAN EVER BEFORE, AND THEY ARE NOT EVEN TEMPORAL. NOT SAYING IT ISN'T WONDERFUL, BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE LEARN AND GROW, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT.
ELDER BEDNAR IS COMING THIS SATURDAY, I THINK. I HAVE A MILLION QUESTIONS TO ASK HIM. I'LL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK.
THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS AND KEEP THEM COMING PLEASE! LOVE YOU BYE
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