February 8, 2016

Hey everyone!

Well this week was one of those grind it out weeks. Nothing too special to talk about until the end of the month. It's weeks like this I don't think people really think about/appreciate about missions. It's just the work of trying to find people to teach and just the hard stuff about the mission. The beginning of the week was pretty discouraging but as always the Lord doesn't let us (especially his missionaries) get too low. So we ended on a high note.

First off my email hasn't been working with my iPad this week (I guess it's a problem some other missionaries have been having as well) I feel like a greenie emailing from this church computer. So that's been annoying.

This new transfer, transfer #5!!, started on Wednesday (with no transfer meeting *tear).  I kinda knew I would stay to finish training Elder Schank though. I'm trying really hard to love the area all the time but it's a tough one. I know I'm suppose to be here for a reason and there are still awesome times like getting closer and closer with Ismael and Lucie. Plus other success we have. But it's still been tough here.

You had asked earlier about the Ward and I never gave and answer. This Ward is an interesting one. They use to be a super solid Ward, but have lost a lot of pillar families to the Ward in the past 6 months I guess. So they like to think of themselves as a super solid Ward but they really aren't. They are struggling. 

This past week we were on a split with the HP Group leader and he was talking all about ideas he had to re energize the wards missionary efforts and I was stoked. I had some ideas I've been hesitant to bring up that he loved and wanted to get going. So jump ahead to Sunday morning in Ward Council the HP leader brings up the missionary efforts. Then all of the other WC members start talking about how they think the Ward is a great missionary Ward and doing just fine. Overall I hope we can help them see there is room for us to improve and be innovative.  My last interview with President MacPherson he encouraged me to be an innovative missionary. He shared Helaman 3:7-10 and talked about how the Nephites had to be innovative and entrepreneurial by building with cement. He told me that the doctrine I would teach doesn't change. But the way I teach and most things I did as a missionary was up to me. He told me to be the best entrepreneurial missionary I could be. So of course you know that's right up my alley so I was all about that and way excited. 

We did have a great end to our week with us last night finding a family to start teaching. They have had on/off communication to missionaries since coming here from Jamaica two years ago. But the Mom got referred by a friend to us agin and we found them. They have continued reading the Book of Mormon and I hope I don't jinx myself saying this, but they seem pretty solid! They even were asking about baptism so we made sure to meet with them soon (like tonight soon haha). So we added 7 investigators from the family, only hard thing is we have to find them a ride to church so hopefully the Ward steps up on helping us out on this one! But the Lord really does answer prayers, as I said I was really starting to get discouraged earlier in the week with us having practically no one in our teaching pool. It was a great tender mercy from the Lord.

Another side note from the week on Friday I hit my 6 month mark! Crazy!!!! So I did the ceremonial burning of a tie which I'll try to send the video of that! I know you'll be wondering.. No I didn't burn one of my ties. I found a gross ugly old one in our apartment and burned that.

I hope you all have great weeks!! I love you lots and miss you tons!

Love
Austin

I'm off to go play some football on the mall today for P-Day