Good afternoon everybody!
Things have been going really great! The weather has been Utah-finnicky as always but it isn't too bad. We have finally been able to take the suit coats off and to wear just white shirts and I have been really enjoying it. I have decided that I need to get more short-sleeved white shirts though next week. I don't really have enough to last all of summer, the ones I have are kind of ratty, so I will get more next week. Everyone up here is kind of sad though because it snowed again and probably killed all the apricot/peach/apple blossoms. Bummer, fresh fruit is so good is something I have learned.

General conference was amazing! I did get to go to a session, I was at the Saturday afternoon session. It was sweet! We got to sit all the way up in the right front corner, about 3 rows back from the pulpit. We were there about 2 hours early so we got to shake some amazing people's hands! We got to meet Sister Wixom from the primary general presidency and about 10 members of the 70 and their wives. As they were walking to go up to the front, they passed by us and shook our hands and talked to us for about 2 or 3 minutes or so. You could see everyone's faces from where we were sitting which was a new experience - usually I have sat too far back to really see anything too clearly, but where we were was perfect. All the talks were great. I loved Elder Oaks' about desire, and the talk about "to be" and "to do". Those really hit me and really got me thinking about what I could do to really become the person God wants me to be not just to do good things. Too truly become a Christlike person and not to just do Christlike things. I also thought priesthood session was overwhelming! The Spirit was so strong and powerful that it literally felt like I was being blown backward against my seat and held there for 2 hours. It was a great experience.

Austin and Hunter are really excited to be baptized but we had to push it back a week to next Saturday. But they already have the program planned out and everything looks good to go. Steve is so excited to be able to baptize his kids, he is telling absolutely everyone about it. Doesn't matter if they are in his ward or not, or members or not, he just invites them to come. When people are truly converted, they go out of their way to invite others to come unto Christ as well like they have had the chance to. It is an amazing miracle to watch. I have really come to love that family and they love us a lot too. They got really mad when Elder Noll got transferred and told me I had never get transferred or they will not be too happy with me. Not much I can do there though, haha.

We had to drop Thomas and Eva John, the people from Africa. They just don't want to get married. They want to get baptized, they want to be a part of the church and they understand the need to get married. But they just won't do it until they can save up the money to go back to Africa. Which won't happen for quite a few years. So we gave them over to the ward to visit and work with and told them to keep coming and that we would drop by periodically, but they don't want to change at this point. That was kind of disappointing.

We have been having great success though in working with members starting this week. We started to visit one member family every night and share the message of the Restoration with them and then commit them to do the 21 day challenge. So far everyone has accepted and is really excited about it. They start to think about all kinds of people that they can share the gospel with and that it isn't really too hard to invite people to meet with the missionaries. It was way awesome.

I went on exchanges yesterday and today with Elder Fordham. It has been fun, but I have really run out of time to email. I love you all and pray for you all!
Have a great week!
Elder Hughes