Lol... Well. Thank you for the e-mails. I really enjoyed reading about how my brother almost died. Bro-ski, you gotta be freaking careful. I don't want to hear about any more deaths, you're suppossed to look before you drive through an intersection. You need to be alive when I get home so I can make fun of you for that. I'm glad you were protected, and I'm sorry your ear got jacked up. Too bad you wrecked the big bad Green Wagon, Sarah will never get her turn to drive that bad boy, guess you'll have to try and find another one Dad. I don't want her to miss out, I had some good memories with that car... Like that stop sign I took out, or that median I drove over, and the multiple curbs I hit. Not to mention how cool I always felt pullin up to high school in that bad boy, nothing says swagger more than a wagon. Those were the days.
Well, Not too much has happened this week. I went on exchanges with Midtown, we did a lot of tracting, we found 5 new investigators, so that was awesome, but overall it was a rough week. I think my son is a little discouraged. This next week should be really good though, Crystal and Dennis are both looking good for baptism, and should be getting baptized on Oct 22nd. That should be way cool.
To answer your question Mom, transfers are in 3 weeks, and yeah... since they're closing Raleigh I will for sure be moving. I'm not moving far though. President told me I'm going to the Memphis 2nd Ward. I was way glad to hear that I was staying in Memphis. wooot.
Me and my new companion will actually be sharing an apartment with the Zone Leaders in the other Memphis Zone, so that will be cool. It's always fun being around other missionaries. I hear Memphis 2nd ward is a lot like Memphis 1st, so I should feel right at home, and my MTC comp Elder Emery is training his new missionary in that ward, so I'll get to serve around him, I'm excited for that. It will be werid leaving Raleigh though, I'll have been here for 7 1/2 months at the end of this transfer so it pretty much feels like home to me. I think I'm ready for new surroundings, and to see more of the mission.
I've been studying a lot about Faith the past few days. I've been thinking a lot about how so many returned missionaries talk about all these miracles they saw while they were on their missions. My mission has been a great experience up to this point, but I want to see more miracles. I want to experience things that will change who I am and who I ever will be for the rest of my life. I don't feel like I'm getting the results I want, and I'm getting a little frustrated, I don't know exactly what it is. I was reading through Ether chapter 12 the other day, and throughout the whole first half of the chapter he continually says something like, "and by their faith - this happened, and because they had so much faith- these miracles were wrought." and it links miracles directly to faith. Which I guess might be a common understanding, but it reminded me how there are certain laws that God follows, like how faith always precedes miracles, and how obediece always precedes blessings just like it talks about in D&C 131. If I want too see more miracles, and help my district to see more miracles, I need to increase my faith. In the Bible Dictionary it says something like "Miracles don't increase your faith, faith is increased by obedience". Obedience is something that is always drilled into our heads as missionaries, and it's like there are so many rules it's nearly impossible to follow all of them, without giving up things that are difficult to give up. Sacrificing 2 years is hard. Sacrificing writing letters to family members and friends through-out the week, just to be more obedient to the white handbook is even harder, sacrifcing the little free-time you get at night to make sure you write in your journal and say your prayers and plan for the next day and fill out the area book, and just everyything. It is hard... A mission is hard. and I get a little frustrated, just because I don't feel like I've ever been one to follow the rules. I always looked for ways to get around rules growing up, and when everyone is telling me to do one thing, I just instinctivly want to do the opposite. Now my life is about rules. I'm learning a lot of self discipline, and focusing on how everytime I sacrifice, it will increase my faith. I want to learn more self discipline, just like President Erying talked about in preisthood session. I want my faith to be stronger than it ever has been, and the only way that can happen is through my actions. If I can show God how much this means to me, he will show me miracles, and make me an instrument in his hand. I have a lot I need to work on. Thank goodness the atonement is real.
Sorry I've just been writing my stream of thought. I love all you guys. Dad. Happy Birthday! what are you like 25 now? Keep working out those arms so we can have that arm wrestling competition we talked about. Love you all. take care.
-Elder LeBaron
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