January 9, 2017

Hi all!!

Sounds like it was a good week at home! Even with all the snow. That's awesome you got to see all the people from the old Lehi Ward! And yes I know the Barlow center, it's a building in DC owned by BYU that their interns live at and they hold institute there too. All the intern couples in the DC 3rd ward come from there! So sounds like when they get here they will come to the DC 3rd ward! 

Well we got hit with snow this week! Came down pretty good on Saturday and it's been bitter cold this week. But luckily we were still able to grind out a good week. We tried to catch up with a lot of people we have been teaching and been trying to contact what seems to be our endless amounts of Festival of Lights and Christmas campaign referrals. It's been going pretty good so far though! 

We also confirmed Tim yesterday and that was awesome! He's such a great guy and we are excited to help him keep going and he has some family members names we are gonna take to the temple for baptisms hopefully next month. 

We also had MLC this week which was great! They always are. Most of all this time cause to start off I got told by the Anacostia ZLs that Valerie is getting baptized!!! And President is letting people go back to areas for baptisms again!! It was suppose to be Saturday but we had the decent snow storm hit so they pushed it back. So this week I will get to go back to see Valerie get baptized. So awesome someone who Elder Zocca and I found a few months back has now been able to have progressed this far! As well as when she was getting Interviewed by President he asked to tell him about her missionaries and her response was "My first ones or these ones?" So it was pretty amazing to know she still remembers us from the beginning and was asking if we would be there for her baptism. I've been thinking a lot about the Alma 29:9 and as a missionary just wanting to become that instrument in the Lords hands. And that was definitely one of those moments when I was able to feel that way!

I've also been thinking a lot about trials and Gods hand in our life over the past few weeks. And now especially as I hit 6 months left this week and watch all the Sisters I came in with go home Wednesday. I've looked back on my near 18 months out here and it's been some of the highest highs and lowest lows I've experienced so far in my life. And it's amazing to say I'm so thankful for all the hard times that I've learned from. It has stuck me so much while reading the BOM lately that people didn't pray away their trials, they prayed for increased faith, patience, and strength to endure the trials they were given. We are given individual trials big and small to become who our Father in Heaven needs us to be. It's amazing to look back and see how much the Lord is in the details of our lives, he truly is mindful of us and it is striking to look back and see the small things we can see Him doing to support us through our hard times. I love Alma 32:8, the Lord is even more mindful of us when we struggle. And like we read in Alma 34:41, I know there will be a time where we all really do get to rest from our afflictions, but for now we have to much to learn.

I look forward to transfer calls tonight, I feel like no matter how certain you felt before when it gets closer and closer you have no clue. I would love to stay here, but I guess I'll wait a few more hours to find out. I hope you all have great weeks this week, sure love and miss you guys everyday!

Love,

Austin