July 30 2012 (215 days)

Hello there! I AM SO UNBELIEVABLY TIRED!! We have been working sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hard! It's a good thing. I do love knowing that we are working hard. I can't believe that we are already half way through this change. I talked to President, and he told me to enjoy my time here, because I wont be staying. I don't know what that means haha. Maybe I will become an assistant (serving him juice and unpacking supplies in the office... uh... a little complicated for me......... I will stack paper.) Just kidding! I love serving here! I have been learning so many different things this last change. Including the importance of not caring what people think of me haha. Sometimes we get asked to do things that are just simply against the rules, or against what our leaders have said, and we have to say no. I have also learned the true meaning of the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law. In the white handbook it says that we are first accountable to the Lord, then to our mission president, and then to our companions etc... Sometimes we will be asked to do something that isn't necessarily wrong, but it doesn't feel right either. The Lord will give us an impression that, this particular thing isn't for you at this time. We then turn to our priesthood leader to see what he thinks about it, hoping that if we get approval from him, it should satisfy our feelings. However even if we have approval from him, we need to rely on the Lord to help us make the correct choice. We are first accountable to Him, and when He gives us an impression, we follow it. Sometimes we have to look bad, and be kind of "the bad guy" but in the words of President Rawlings, "We can be nice bad guys haha." However peace only comes from the Prince of Peace, not from our leaders. We have to obey His voice in order to receive true satisfaction from our work. It is so good to hear that everyone is doing well. I think I meant to write Beau like a hundred times, but never got around to it haha! Tell him hi, and that I miss him. Uh weird............ anyways. I know that learning languages is hard mom! But it's so fun........... until you totally don't understand what their saying! I have many hilarious stories about that, and feeling like a goober head! We have really been working so hard with our investigator from Kotka! He is progressing towards baptism! Unfortunately I wont be able to attend I think, but I am so grateful to the Lord that He has reached down and touched his heart. We have been teaching everything, and he has been progressing tremendously. Last Saturday we went over to meet him, and he seemed a little different. He went to his shelf and grabbed his bible and book of mormon, and he didn't understand a certain part. He really struggled with the translation of a specific part. We did everything we could to explain it, and testify about the book of mormon, and Joseph Smith, but he just wouldn't accept our answer. He has received a spiritual conviction that it is true, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet, but He wouldn't let this go. We told him to write down his question and it would be answered in church. To be honest I was frustrated. I thought for sure we would loose him, and I was sad. As I started feeling sorry for myself I decided (later that evening) to read the scriptures as I was praying by my bed. I just flipped through anxiously to hear the Lord speaking to me. (If you want to talk to God, pray. If you want God to talk to you, read your scriptures.) I all of the sudden opened to this one chapter, can't remember which one in the Doctrine and Covenants. I felt the Lord's spirit testify to me that everything would be alright. That my prayers have been heard in the Lords ears, and He would do His part now. I went to bed with a little more peace, and trust in that promise that I had received. The next day, He came to church and we arranged for him to meet with the branch president about his concern. As he walked in there after church, my head dropped, and I prayed so hard, that everything would be okay. (He was considering dropping his baptismal date.) A little bit later he walked out with a big smile on his face. I talked to him, and he said I got an answer, and everything is okay. I feel the spirit, and now I am so happy! I was so grateful to the Lord that He answered my prayer! He is now more excited for baptism than ever! So cool! I testify that if we look closely enough at the scriptures when we read, and we pay attention, the Lord will speak to us every time, one way or another. The Holy Ghost really will help us to understand and to learn what we need to know. Maybe we need to listen and seek to hear the Lord when we pray, more than speaking words in a personal prayer. So many other things have happened! The Smiths gave me a winnie the pooh journal haha. I will be starting it next week haha. I need to be better about writing in my journal haha. whoops! Elder Van Geenen and I are getting along very well. I don't know what it is, but the Lord has blessed me with amazing companions my whole mission. Knocking on wood!!!! I love you family, yes mom, I am safe and healthy, and all of my fingers and toes are attached, well except for the one I lost in the saw mill............................................................ But other than that, I'm doing fine. Chill!!! it was a joke, set the phone down, don't call president! Elder Perry ps, can you get me garrisons address again, I lost it.