Enduring...

Aug 8, 2011...Dear Family,


This last week was a little rough in some aspects. It was really great in some other areas too! The rough part was that we dropped basically all of our investigators. There was a point last week where we had one legit investigator. Dropping our investigators was not an enjoyable experience. I think I've written about how many people we've been dropping over the last few weeks and it just continues. On the flip side, we have been directed to a lot of new people to teach. Last week we found three new investigators and they all seem like they have a lot of potential...I'm pretty sure I say that every week too.


The most promising investigator we have right now is Bridgett. She is really awesome. I probably wrote about her a few months ago, but we started teaching her again and it has gone really well this time. We actually were going to be baptizing her this Sunday, but she had a family emergency that kept her from coming to church. Tonight we're having an FHE at a members house with her. We're going to try to reset her date for the 21st. We've had some really powerful lessons with her at a member's home. There is a huge difference when we teach investigators in a members house. The Spirit is already there and can be felt very powerfully. I really enjoy it. The members also offer a lot of support. Bridgett has been making a ton of progress, and will be a great member! It also sounds like her dad might be interested sometime in the near future. The other investigators we have are all new.


Shawn is doing...okay I suppose. He has been continuing to read and pray, but missed church again yesterday. He got a new job and it's been keeping him from coming. He works nights, but the problem is that he's tired in the morning and doesn't get up. We're going to teach him about the Sabbath day again.


One interesting thing that happened last week is that we were in a car accident. It was nothing major. We were making a left hand turn and the light went red while we were in the intersection. We went to finish the turn and a lady ran the red light and hit us, but she was able to slow way down. I wasn't driving. We were all okay, but the car is going to need repairs probably sometime this week. When it does get fixed I think we're going to be on bikes for a few days. At least we won't have to walk. That would be really bad in this area!


Transfers are coming up again. They are happening next Wednesday. I don't think I'll be transferred, but it's pretty much a given that Elder Failner and Elder Wise are both going to be transferred. I'll let you all know for sure next Monday when I write.


Yesterday was a good day in church. When it started I was surprisingly in a pretty good mood even though we didn't have any investigators there, Shawn wasn't there, and the week in general had been hard. I was listening to the testimonies and thinking and writing things down in my journal I take to church, and I was thinking about how much I love being out here. To most people it would make no sense. We are out in the hot sun and ridiculous humidity all day, we constantly have people rejecting us or people who won't keep commitments they make. Missionaries go through so much, yet are so upbeat most of the time. I know it's only because this truly is the Lord's work. There is no other reason. Regardless of all that we go through it's the most rewarding thing I could be doing right now. I love all of it. Every time someone says they don't want to talk to us we get one person closer to someone who is ready to receive us. It truly helps me know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. That through this gospel we can return to live with our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and our families. I also studied the principle of enduring to the end this last week. I feel like last week I was tested to see how well I would endure opposition. However, amongst all the opposition there were great miracles and special moments. Those are all that really matter. I honestly don't care what the world throws at me because I know as long as I continue to live the gospel I will be okay and be able to find happiness in this life and after this life.


That's all for now. I'll let you all know what's going on with transfers next week. If you're sending anything you had better do it ASAP, or a better idea would be to send it to the mission office address. It's 8663 Baypine Rd STE 102, Jacksonville, FL 32256. You can send stuff to me at that address anytime. It just might take a little longer for me to get it.


Love Always, Zach