I also did divisions with the zone leaders this week and one of their investigators is into chess

Christine, Thank you, I like the act styled questions. ha

No, the mission is not what I thought it would be. There are problems where I thought that there just wouldn’t be problems. With companions, members, and investigators. I just figured it would be easier than it is. I learned that there is a reason that they call it missionary WORK. It is hard because it is not a job of what you doing, it is about being. There are no breaks when it comes to being something.

I haven’t had any mind blowing spiritual moments, but there have been things when I have thought, no, this wasn’t a coincidence.

I love what you become because of what the mission demands. It is awesome being in a different country and learning spiritually and mentally. You just gain an understanding of things. I don’t like... well, that changes daily.  There is not really one thing that I don’t like, just sometimes I feel like doing something that I cant because I am a missionary. But it is part of the job, it is what I signed up to do.

My testimony has grown, in just about every aspect. The restoration, plan of salvation, prayer, sacrifice, the Love of God, obedience, families. I don’t know why it has grown, it is just a gift we receive when we study and serve the Lord.

My area is picking up now. We have found 5 families and all of them are positive. The only thing that will stop them is marriage because none of them are married and in every one of the families there is one person that doesn’t really want to get married. They all have kids though. We explain to them why it is spiritually bad, but the husbands are saying that they want at least 10 more years to live with the person before they marry them. There are many flaws in that. If we can get them married though, we will baptize them too this upcoming change. The only thing is that this week is changes and I think I will have changes. My companion told me that is a bummer that I will leave and miss the chance to baptize 5 families (it would be about 12 people that we would baptize). It doesn’t bother me at all though. In missionary work I see it as 3 steps. Find, Teach, and Baptize. all of them are necessary steps in missionary work, and which one you do doesn’t really matter, just as long as you are doing your part.

  I also did divisions with the zone leaders this week and one of their investigators is into chess! I played him a bunch, but he recently got a clock so all he wanted to do is play blitz (I don’t blame him at all), but I never played blitz that much so he smashed me every time. I didn’t mind, I was just glad that I got to play for the first time on my mission. It reminded me of home when me and dad played and he always beat me, but ¡NUNCA ME RENDÍ!

  That is a super bummer about Erika, missing part of the MTC is a bummer. She will be fine though; God always looks after the missionaries.

Love, Bret