Email Letter - November 19, 2012

Hey everyone! We had a great week this week. Things are going really well. Although the baptism in hayfork was postponed the man still wants to be baptized and is planning on it happening in December. It would be sooner but we have to get him interviewed again by the zone leaders before it can happen and things will go from there. Things up in Hayfork are starting to get Icy and snowy though so we'll see how much longer we'll be going up there. We got ourselves some chains from a member and we've got front wheel drive, and I know how to drive in the snow, so whatever happens we should be alright. I'm not looking forward to the cold though. I hate the cold. The Redding heat has destroyed any immunity I had for the cold.

Down here in Redding things are on fire. Not temp wise, but missionary work wise. We've picked up new investigators each week for the last 3 weeks, and we are set up to pick up two more this week and set dates with two others. The work of the Lord rolls forward. It's great because this is more work than this area has seen in years. So we're super stoked about it. The ward is excited and we've got people that are helping with lessons and are asking when they can come with us again, we're getting media referrals and some solid member referrals as well. We're also working with some great less-active families and all is going great. I'll be sad to leave if that's what the Lord asks in a couple of weeks. But if it does then such is the way of missionary work, and I'll be happy to go to another area that I'm needed in and work hard there too.

We had a great meeting with President Weston this last week too. A zone conference with the Chico and Anderson zones there too. It was a blast. We had some training on finding and the Book of Mormon, and about the new Christmas webpage that the church is launching. Among other things. I really enjoyed it. We received a really cool challenge too, each missionary was given a fresh, paper back Book of Mormon and given the challenge to read it in the 85 days following that zone conference. The Idea was that Joseph Smith Translated the Book of Mormon in 85 days, and that means it would have been about 6 pages per day translating. We're reading it at the same pace, while also marking references to Jesus Christ, His attributes, His words spoken by Him or His prophets while prefaced "Thus saith the Lord" and also doctrines and principle outlined in the Book of Mormon. Things like prayer, faith, repentance and so on. It's been really good. In the first six pages, plus the title page, introduction, and testimonies of the 3 and 8 witnesses and also Joseph Smith, Christ was referred to over 100 times! Pretty amazing huh? It's been really exciting to have this challenge and to see what the Lord has done with His people throughout all time and is doing even now with us.

Anyway that's all for now, have a wonderful thanksgiving and week! I love you all!