December 31, 2008

So, on Sunday night (the 28th) I realized that the next day (Monday, the 29th) would be my 2 month mark. I cannot believe that I have been serving a mission for 2 months. I feel like I only left the MTC about 2 days ago and it's crazy to think that I've actually been through one whole transfer. I've been in the mission field now for 6 whole weeks. Crazy. However, on the other side of things, it feels like it's been forever since I was at home. Kind of interesting how our perception of time works. Anyway, moving on.

It's been a little rough the past couple weeks with the crazy snow-fall and Christmas and everything. But we have taught a few lessons to our investigators (despite many being canceled or postponed or rescheduled). I think the saddest thing has been trying to set up another appointment with John and Joelene Tommer. We'd been trying for awhile and just couldn't get ahold of them. We finally did last Friday (or maybe Saturday) as we were on our way walking home and we caught them right as they pulled in. They said to come back after the first of the year and we would set up an appointment with them that could be on a regular basis. So that was good news! Aside from that, we've taught Emily at least one more time since my last email (and I think maybe twice, but I wasn't here as we were on exchanges with our District Leader) and she seems so close to being ready. We just need to get them to come to Church on a regular basis and stay for the duration of the meetings. They were at Church on Sunday and that was awesome, but they left right after Sacrament Meeting. Hopefully we'll be able to help them with any concerns they have and finish teaching Emily the 4th Lesson (which covers various commandments...we've already covered almost all of them). Aside from that we're trying to get better at tracting and the like, as well as going through our area books to see if there are any former investigators we might be able to hit up or any potential investigators that never were followed up on. We've actually got two that Elder Henry (one of our Zone Leader's) and I found when we were on exchanges that we need to go see. Hopefully as we do our part to find and invite others to learn about the gospel then Emily, the Tommers, Thomas, Leah and others will possibly progress even more! That's our hope anyway. We're really hoping that this transfer we'll be able to commit Emily to be baptized and possibly to have her baptized...and to have her dad do it would be even better! 

The snow has finally melted and gone...though I do miss the snow to some degree. I don't miss the compacted and icy snow, though. The shoes I have are NOT meant to be used in walking on ice. I definitely felt like the Lord was supporting me many times while walking because otherwise I think I should have been slipping around a lot more than I did.