Jordan- I hope you are able to understand the people down there pretty quickly. You only had 18 people at church last week? Wowzers. I thought going to Susquehanna where only 40-60 came each week was tiny. They had to call people from other units to fill callings. While I was there the branch president, & both of the branch mission leaders (they changed close to the end of my time there), were from another branch close by. So ya Susquehanna was pretty small but it sounds like it's a huge ward compared to your branch. Look at it this way that means that there is a whole lot of people who are just waiting to hear the gospel and a whole bunch of people just waiting to come back to church. You have your work cut out for you out there but God definitely doesn't just leave us out in the cold. He is with us every step of the way. I've definitely felt that this week. If we give an inch God gives a foot. We just have to be faithful and trust in God. How much would sending you a letter even cost? Would it cost me a arm and a leg or would it only be a little bit over what I already pay to send it in the states? Also the letter address you sent would that be a mission home address or your apartment address. If it is your apartment is there an address that is for you mission home that I could always send something to and know that you'll eventually get it? Work hard and be obedient.
Well these last few days have been really good. I've felt the spirit so strongly. I wont even be able to try to write down how good I feel but I'll try. Nothing big or monumental happened or anything like that so there wasn't any particular reason. I think it's just because I've really tried to study the scriptures and learn from them. Also fasting when done right really helps you be in tune with the spirit. I felt the spirit very strong at church yesterday. I don't know why but I've just felt the spirit really strong these past 2 or 3 days. I think it's partly because I've been trying to really, as the scriptures say "feast upon the words of Christ." As I've done this the spirit has been able to be with me so much more. There hasn't been anything particularly different about this week, except we had 6 investigators at church instead of the usual 1 or 2 and we have 5 bapt. dates instead of the usual 2 or 3. But I've just been able to be more open to the spirit. I've really been feeling the spirit changing me. It has been great to have the spirit with me like this. If only the people we see every day could really understand the happiness that sharing & living the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings (they go hand in hand) then they would be so much more likely to choose to follow God. God's way is the only way to true, lasting happiness.
I've also been studying about the 2nd coming lately. It's been really interesting. I've never really known much about it except that there would be "earthquakes in diverse places" and "wars and rumors of wars" and all the other general stuff that you hear. But really studying it I've seen that the world really isn't going to get much better. There is going to be a lot of not so fun stuff that happens in the future and so maybe that's why I feel so good. I realize that right now it's hard but we really have things good. God has blessed us so abundantly. If you really follow the advice of hymn # 241 "Count Your Blessings" and really name them one by one then it will surprise you what the Lord has done. It's not just some cliche saying that they put in the song but it really is true. If really think of how insignificant we are (God has innumerable children and we're just one of them) and how greatly he has blessed us it really helps you see that He really does love us and that He really does care for us. Just because one little thing goes wrong or even one big thing goes wrong think of how many little and big things have gone right. There are just so many things to be thankful for that we shouldn't even have time to think about the few bad things that have happened. But as humans that's just part of our nature and that's part of the reason we're here on earth is to overcome that. To really show God that we love him and that we're very grateful for everything he's done for us. But anyway God loves us. He wants us to be happy and has done so much for us how dare we think our lives our miserable. Anyone in any situation has something to be grateful for. Look at Job. His family died, his wife left him, his friends turned against him and all that he had was taken away from him and his health just went down the toilet but he was still grateful that God had given him the chance to prove his love for him. We should all strive to be the same way. I know that I'm trying to do that more now. I'm so grateful that God has given us the chance to become like He is. He has given us so much and asked for sooooooooooooooooo little in return. The saying "God is good" is a huge understatement.
Well you probably want to hear about how the work is going our here in Harrington. Here goes.
Tim Robinson is doing well. In case I haven't told you before, if I have bear with me, he used to be a hard core alcoholic and did some stupid stuff and now he is turning his life around and has been dry from alcohol for 16ish months. He's working on trying to quit smoking and has a bapt. date for the 18th of September. He's a really awesome guy. He's really quiet and shy but he's opened up quite a bit around us. I think he's a little more comfortable around us. He really seems to be trying to learn. He's reading the scriptures consistently. It's not much but he's still reading.
Alan Lavere, son of Angela Lavere who was baptized July 3rd, is going to baptized August 28th, the last Sunday of the transfer, also possibly my last Sunday here. He asked Wes Sachau, the recent convert who was baptized June 12th, to baptize him. He was just ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday and now here he is going to baptize someone in 2 weeks. Awesome! Alan was going to be baptized next week, the 14th, but his mom can't get off work so we had to push it back to the 28th. That way she'll be able to come to the baptism and the confirmation.
We also gave another couple a baptismal date. Their names are Rosalie and Clarence Rainey. They are a black couple and they're really nice. Clarence isn't 100% all there but he still knows what he's doing and is a real nice guy. Rosalie is the one who we are focusing our teaching on. Long story short she was having a hard time reading the Book of Mormon and we promised her if she would read in 3 Nephi 11 she would feel a desire to read. Then what do ya know? She did and now, as of Saturday, she had read up until 3 Nephi 19. They have a date for the 25th of September. They have a problem with smoking and I don't think they are married so those could be potential problems but we'll see.
Erique Dorestil, the Haitian guy who doesn't speak much English, is doing well too. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he didn't have any problems with it. Hooray! Practically everyone out here on the east coast has a problem with something in the Word of Wisdom but he didn't. He's doing awesome and His bapt date is for the 18th of September as well.
We also had a really good experience with a less active in our ward. His name is Brother Ireland. He's a super awesome guy and he's been working on coming back to full fellowship for almost 2 years. It's been tough because he's just gone through a SUPER SUPER tough divorce where his ex-wife just tore him apart and he's been really up and down and we had a really really good lesson with him in his car Saturday night after he went teaching with us. He's just been having a hard time and we committed him to read his scriptures, pray daily and go to church weekly. (The BIG 3 for conversion) I think he will. He's a super awesome guy and he really needs the full blessings of the gospel in his life.
Mom- To answer your questions. #1 I think me buying a flash drive and mailing it back and forth would be the best thing. The reason why is because when I mailed my MTC picture card back you kept it as a hard copy and I still want to look at the pictures and if they were all on a flash drive I could only really look at them in the library or something like that. A CD could work but that also requires a computer for me to look at them and just developing them all would cost me a bit to print off all of those pictures.... ooo wait I just realized what you said about the CD. I could send that home. Dur dur dur (my way of saying duh I'm dumb). I just might do that. It just depends on if buying a flash drive and sending it back or a CD would cost less. So disregard what I said at the beginning. I'll see which is cheaper and I'll do that. A flash drive back and forth or a CD once. #2 I think Karson's dad's name is Karl but I'm not sure and he's also a police officer so his name might not be in the phone book. Also if it helps Karson's parents live just up pages lane east of Dick's in case the address in the phone book is there. AJ's grandparents names? I have no clue. I'm sure I've heard his grandma's name but I can't remember. Maybe I'll have to see if Ryan Barker knows their names or something like that. Also how is Grandma doing?
Dad- What is wrong with the van again? Did you say it was the timing or you didn't know but you think that could be it. Man oh man, two days in Park City and then you have to go to the cabin? Oh man your life is hard. You better not just give up and die.
Austin- Did your 12 hour work day in the heat get to your head? Were you delirious when you'd say you'd wear a U of U shirt? I never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth. Is there a pretty girl involved? Did you go on a date and fall in love with a girl and she wants you to wear it? (If you did good for you just don't wear the shirt)
Natasha- I hear you went school shopping. You're going into 7th grade right? You should be excited. Jr. High was pretty fun. Just be normal and don't be afraid of what other people think.
Shaylee- How is summer? Are you still there? You haven't written me in a while.
I love you all and by the way I sent a picture of me and a guy who is an excommunicated member but is coming back. He just moved up to York, PA so he's out of the mission now so I got a picture. He's a super cool guy. Thought you might like that.
God loves us. He is there. He sent His son Jesus Christ to die for us. I'm so grateful that God loves us enough to care for us even though we are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things and yet he still loves us and cares about us and we can talk to Him personally. The church is true. This has been confirmed to me even stronger than it has before this last week. I'm so grateful for all that I have and that I still have a year to serve Him with all my heart, might, mind and strength.
Love,
Elder Schouten
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