6 transfers down...

Good morning everybody!
This past week was really great! The weather has started to go bipolar and there have been really nice days followed by colder days followed by back up into the 90's days. It is raining today and was raining yesterday and so has been down in the 60's both days. I had to throw on a sweatshirt this morning while we were cleaning our apartment because I was chilly. It has been nice though, I don't think I miss the 110's that much to be honest. But I have decided I don't really like the snow being here for six months either. So I will stick with Mesa being my favorite place to live and say the heat isn't too bad as long as as you can get used to it. With the mornings being so chilly, I keep catching myself looking for the smell of the pine trees or the dampness of the soil around the cabin. Having a mountain view landscape doesn't help either...you think I would be used to it by now, but my mind keeps playing tricks and me and thinking it is at the cabin up in Pinetop and if I walk outside, a bunch of beautiful pine trees will be there to greet me. Not so. Oh well, maybe after my mission is over I will finally get used to it. Life has still been flying by and I can't believe this is the end of another transfer. Transfer calls are tomorrow and I have no idea where I might end up or if I will be moving at all. Most people seem to think so, I have been in one area almost the whole first half of my mission after all. So I have been busy trying to get all my stuff organized and packed back up in suitcases and boxes so that I can move around with them if need be. Also, working on finding some sheets and blankets today so that I can have some - my landlady supplied the ones at my current apartment, but that doesn't normally happen. Also working on starting to go bike shopping in case I end up in a biking area and need to have one. What else....well, I have grown to really love the people here and kind of consider it like home. I really don't want to move around and be transferred, but that choice is not up to me to make. It is up to the Lord and I will leave the choice and what happens in His capable and loving hands. I have been really bad lately at getting letters sent back, sorry! I have been so busy on P-days that there isn't time for much of anything, especially heartfelt letter writing. But I am making plans to get around to it, one of these weeks. Please be patient. Other than that, life has been great! Got drycleaning done, cleaning done, shopping done, getting a haircut today. Hopefully, picking a good place to go out to eat in case I get transferred this week. Like Kneaders, love that food. Anyway, on to all the amazing and wonderful things that have happened this week. Not to mention, spiritual!

Last Tuesday, was a great day! We taught lessons all day long and barely had time to do much else! We saw Noa Bowen on that day. He is set and excited and ready to be baptized. The only question is when because of them losing their home and trying to find another one, also trying to find babysitters to watch the newborn baby twins so that the less active parents can attend, feel the Spirit, and hopefully make a comeback. Noa is ready and committed though. He prays every night that his baptism will come soon and is excited to make that step. He wants it so bad. He has read through the Book of Mormon picture book 3 or 4 times now and has all the stories almost memorized. Not only that, but he applies them to the lessons that we are teaching. Smart 9 year old. We also taught Deylon Falkner on that day. He is doing great and progressing and excited for baptism. His 17 year old sister has really felt the Spirit and wants to be active with all her heart. Deylon wants to be baptized with all his heart. Sister Falkner has been changing a lot too, she was at church yesterday. She seemed to be enjoying herself and enjoyed attending all of church, she didn't even run away after sacrament meeting. I think she felt bad for having to get missionaries to teach her kids what she was supposed to teach them and so now is trying to get Kelly ready to be baptized when she turns 8 next March or April. The whole family is participating in the lessons though and coming to church and making great steps back to activity. The only questions is whether, Dad will be doing the same when he eventually gets back from Alaska or not. Bishop Smart is working on emailing with him and communicating with him to try to help him become active as well. We also taught Wendi that day. She is about half way active now, but has a testimony. We saw the Miler's that day as well.

Wednesday we had zone conference! It was an all day affair, a lot different from when President Laney did them. Had to sit in hard chairs all day at tables instead of move around all day to different stations and rooms. But it was still an amazing spiritual feast and well worth it. Most of zone conference was about the changes they are rolling out to Preach My Gospel. They say that everything is in there, but missionaries were not understanding how to teach. So all the changes are about how missionaries teach and how we can improve our teaching. It was a great experience. Lots of emphasis on changing up role plays to see and fill the needs of our investigators. Also, the need to be more open to and following the Spirit. Lots of stuff about needing to teach by the Spirit. No need to have memorized presentations or to follow a set pattern everytime we teach but to change it up and make it different to fit the needs and concerns of the people we are teaching. It was a good review of not falling into a set pattern, but allowing ourselves to follow the Spirit in everything that we do and say. We started to teach Tom Hansen as well on Wednesday night. His bishop asked him to take the missionary lessons as part of his reactivation process and the repentance process. But he has been an on again, off again member since he was born. Now he is about 18 years old and considering going on a mission and all that other good stuff. He already knows most the stuff we went over, but it was helpful to him to review.

Thursday we met with Kristina Davis finally again. She is set on date to be baptized this Sunday, provided her dad doesn't have to be out of town this week for work. He didn't know yet and won't know until Sunday comes a lot closer. She is excited and ready to be baptized though and looking forward to making those changes in her life. She absolutely adored girls' camp and bore her testimony there. She is also starting to attend church more regularly and we are praying this will become a habit that her parents will allow to continue. Hopefully, it does. We also met with Olivia Morley again. She is so excited to be baptized and wants to move forward with it as soon as possible. But because she is only turning 17 this year, we have to get her mother to sign the baptismal slip. And her mother is throwing up all sorts of obstacles after she said that she wouldn't. Sometimes less active parents really bother me - they had a testimony at one point but now that they have lost it, they don't think the church is true or anyone else can come to that knowledge either. We fasted with her yesterday though to receive revelation about the next step Olivia should take and what she should fight for or allow to happen. She is golden and ready to move forward, we are only waiting for a miracle to happen and doing all we can to make it happen.

Friday was a long day. We did get the chance to eat at Cafe Rio, which was delicious! I miss Mexican food so much, but Elder Holm hates it, so we don't get to visit those places very often. Bummer. Other than that, a lot of contacting and moving around. We did get to teach the Snell's on a regular basis all week long and that was good. Br. Snell just lost his mother and is starting to regain his testimony back I think. Whitney has an undying desire to be baptized and is praying with all her heart to get it to happen. With how often we are able to get in there, I don't think it will be too long before some of the family starts to attend church soon. As least we are praying for that.

Saturday was service day! We did a big breakfast with the Mountain Point 5th ward youth and then a short devotional about the restoration of the gospel. It made all the difference for some of them and was a lot of fun. We also helped the McGee family pull a bunch of weeds in their backyard so that their landlord wouldn't fine them. Also, we helped the Klinger's to tile their basement after it flooded after a heavy rainstorm on Thursday. It was really fun to tile. I learned how to do the whole process with the dry set, the tile, the spacers, the grout, etc. Their basement looks a whole lot better now and it was a lot of fun to do that. The Klinger's are such nice people, they are like my grandparents. Amazing in every way. They made us a big chocolate bunt cake because of our service and it was delicious!!!

Sunday is church day and Spirit day!!! We were able to get 10 or so of our investigators to church, it was sweet! They all had such a great experience and felt the Spirit and had some of their questions answered. It was amazing. I love Sundays! Being able to attend church all day is such a blessing. I learn so much and feel so much. Also, Steve Miler got baptized last night. It was such a spiritual experience! He has been prepared and ready to move forward. He and Nadine are now on their way to making it back to the temple. All the talks were tailored right to them and it was amazing! When I first met Steve, I must admit I judged him the wrong way. With tatoos up and down both arms, earrings, really crooked, yellow teeth. I didn't think we were going to get anywhere. Boy, did Heavenly Father humble and teach me. All of the people on this earth are His children and all have the divine potential to become like He is. He so wants that for all of us, whether we live in a mansion or in a trailer park. He loves us all and prepares each of us in His own time and way to accept His gospel and come unto Him. Steve has done that and did it a lot faster than I was planning on. I need to have greater faith and stop judging people based upon what they look like, because that doesn't matter at all. What does matter is that each and every person is a child of God and has the right to learn how to return to Him if they are willing to learn.

Well, that is about all that went on this week. I have attached a picture of Steve, Nadine, Jordann, Stephen, and us at Steve's baptism. I am so excited to see them head to the temple in about a year. They are excited to do so as well. Life is great! I will let you know next week if I got transferred or what all changed!!!

Love,
Elder Hughes