1/27/14

A picture is worth a thousand words?

We'll have to wait until next week to hear about this baptism, I guess. I'm guessing it's Esmerelda and Jesus. I received this picture, twice, two hours apart, but no letter today. I'll have to be satisfied with the fact that it looks like he's happy, healthy and having success. And it's an actual picture -I can barely remember the last time he sent one. :)

1/20/14

Neither Andrés or Alejandra got baptized last week. We´re going to see if they will this Saturday. But on Wednesday we have 1 or possibly 2 baptisms. One of a girl named Esmeralda and her cousin Jesus. They´re super excited and I think they will go through with it. We are also teaching Jesus´s mom and she is getting baptized on the 31 and possibly the mom’s cousin also. We´re working super hard and I think we´re going to see a bunch of success! The area is awesome and the ward is supportive.

My companion goes home in 2 weeks but he´s still working super hard! He´s taught me so much. I have never had a companion that really knew what he was doing like he does. So it’s fun to be able to learn from him!

This week we met a lady named Paulina. She was in the house of Eunice but she looked like she didn’t want ANYTHING and left the house like 2 minutes after we got there. 2 days later on Friday night we were walking in the street and a car stopped and a lady jumped out and started talking to us. And it was her. We started talking and she asked if we wanted to eat breakfast in her house the next day. Of course we said yes. We told her we would stop by at 10. When we got to her house the next day she was all ready and super excited. So we taught her. She has lost 2 babies. One in birth and one was still born. She had a lot of questions but it was a cool lesson. After she was going to Eunice’s which is who we had planned for 11. So she gave us a ride and we had another cool lesson with her and Eunice and they both accepted to come to a baptism that the assistants had in the afternoon. They Loved the baptism and Paulina accepted to come to church, which she also loved. We havent had any opportunity to put a baptismal date with here but we think she might get baptized with Eunice. It was super cool because Eunice was too scared to go to church alone, but Paulina is one of the people that really doesn’t get nervous about anything. So she went and picked Eunice up and took her to church. It was awesome because now they have the support of the ward and a friend that’s in the same place they are.

Love you guys! Have a good week!

Elder Lund

1/13/14

Mexico is awesome. Its starting to get hot again. It was like 90 something degrees this week and it feels amazing. I'm starting to hate the "Cold". Its not the funnest to get out of the shower and not be able to dry yourself off because once you dry the water off you’re drenched in sweat but its better than being freezing! haha. 

We could potentially have 2 baptisms this week, and I have faith that we will have them so we will have 2 baptisms this week. One of Andrés. He was super excited to get baptized but never could because of his parents, but they finally going to let him but he stopped reading and praying at some point during the 5 months that his parents wouldn’t let him get baptized and he started to get the Idea that if you’re just a good person you´ll go to the celestial kingdom and it doesn’t matter the religion. So we explained a little about how that’s a huge trick that the devil pulls to trick the people so they fell short of living with God again. But we told him not to just trust us and to ask God. So we´re going to his house to see his answer which will be a yes and he will be able to get baptized on Saturday along with another lady, who is going to have to find a way to get her husband to let her do it. But I feel like she has the faith so I think we should have 2 this week.

Yesterday my compa and I had a cool experience. On Saturday in the night we ended our planning sesh and I was praying to close it and  was saying the names of the people we wanted to see in church on Sunday and my mind went blank for a second and then  kept saying other names. After the prayer my companion asked me who Juan Carlos was, and I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me I had said his name, I assume when my mind went blank. Then he remembered an old investigator , that I had never met or really ever heard about, that never could go to church because he works in the mine and he always leaves at like 1 but since it was stake conference it started at 10 so he would be able to go. So we called his member friend to invite him and he came.

On Saturday in the morning we went with an investigator named Eunice, we knocked on her door and she sent us a text that said she couldn’t attend us because she was sick but that we could come back later. So we went with another investigator named Yanaqui, we hadn’t had a lesson with her in like 3 weeks because she went to Guadalajara. But we had an AWESOME lesson with her and after like 30 minutes told us she had to go to an appointment at the hospital with her daughter. So we ended the lesson and went back with Eunice and she was ready. If we had been able to teach Eunice at 10 we would have gone to Yanaquis house at 11 and she wouldn’t have been there and we couldn’t have helped her with all her doubts and she wouldn’t have come to church.

Love you guys so much!

Elder Lund

1/6/14

This week was pretty good. I got super sick for a couple days with a super super high fever but I’m doing alright now! We worked super hard this week but didn’t have a ton of success. One of our investigators Andrès who was super excited to get baptized for the last 4 months but his parents wouldn’t let him finally got permission. But when he got permission he randomly got super unexcited and now says he doesn’t know if the church is true. So we got some work to do with him! We have a bunch of people and I think they have almost all gotten back from vacations so I think we`ll be able to find some more success this week!

People in America have no idea how to party compared to the Mexicans. They all go outside and shoot crazy fireworks that are basically bombs, shoot machine guns and pistols in the air and the next day when we we’re working there were people that hadn’t slept and were still drunk and partying and dancing until like 4 in the afternoon! People here go hard! 

I always knew that Josè Lemus would get baptized. He always had that feeling that he wanted something more. O and I don’t know why but this week I had a feeling that you guys need to baptize our neighbors.  Invite them to a steak barbecue or something and invite the missionaries. That would be a missionary’s dream family home evening because that family would be super awesome!

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

12/30/13

Buenas tardes! this week was super good. Nobody was home so we had to search for new people, and we found them. It was awesome. We had 7 investigators in the church and we’re going to baptize one or maybe 2 this week. We’re super excited about that! This week 196 people went to church. That’s crazy for a ward down here. Castillo was a huge ward and 120 went and in Angostura only 30. So here is literally paradise for missionaries! We have some 20 or 30 investigators progressing which is like 10 more than I’ve ever had before. So we have a lot of faith that they will get baptized. We have a lot of work to do which is also something I’ve never had on my mission. I’ve never had more than like 3 planned lessons in a week  but now we have like 5 every day.

To be honest this ward has so much money they hardly give us tortillas. Right as I told you I hadn’t had a day in 10 months without a tortilla I now get almost none. The food just doesn’t fill you up with out tortillas bien calientitas. 

The missionaries in our zone are awesome. We got blessed with the best zone in the mission. Right now things are looking pretty good.

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

12/24/13

No email this week, just a great Skype conversation on Christmas Eve.  He looks and sounds very happy and healthy.

12/16/13

I got transferred to an area called Bella Vista. Its the richest part of Obregon and its the most baptizing area in the mission because the ward works so hard. I also got put as zone leader and my companion, Elder Larson, is in his last transfer and is working super super hard. Our house is gigantic too. Its 2 floors and we live there with the assistants. It’s for real the nicest place ever.

Last night I went with everybody and said goodbye to them all which was pretty hard. The bishop’s daughters made me a cake for my birthday because I’m not going to be there on the 27th and another family also made me a cake. We went with the family Pelaez, and the hermano gave me a bible that his dad gave him when he was a kid and he took with him everywhere always. They are battling with money like crazy and they felt bad that they couldn’t buy me a big expensive gift so they only gave me the little bible. But that was honestly the coolest gift I could have ever gotten. Then after we went with an hermana that was less active but has started going to church, but her son has been super rebellious lately but when we started talking to him he started to clean up and now says he wants to go on a mission. She almost started crying when she told me how much we had helped her son. Then after her son gave us a ride to the house of other missionaries and gave me an ice cream to say thanks for everything. That was super cool to hear all that because there were a bunch of days that I felt like we weren’t having anything of success but I realized that if we’re working hard God doesn’t let our efforts go to waste.

Love Elder Lund

O I forgot to tell you! I was walking with my companion and a priest from the ward and we randomly decided to change the road we were walking on. And right like 30 seconds after we changed roads we heard somebody shoot a gun and a bunch of people screaming. Right where we were at somebody killed somebody, and if we would have been there watching he probably would have killed us too. Thats awesome huh!

12/9/13

My district is doing much better and finally having success! We’re in the hardest part of Mexico but still we’re in Mexico! and we’re teaching with the same spirit as those in el D.F. so there’s really no excuse not to be having success unless they’re not working! One or 2 bad weeks in a row is fine, but a whole transfer.. ha but at least they’re finally trying!

This next week I have transfers. They are coming one week early this time because the missionaries from the MTC are going to arrive early. But the next one is going to be 7 weeks. I feel like I’m leaving. I have 6 months here and my companion I think is going to train so I won’t be able to stay unfortunately.. I really don’t want to leave this area..

O by the way I forgot to tell you last week but on Sunday we went to a family home evening with a family and we have to be headed home at 9 but for some reason we felt like we needed to stay there a little longer than were allowed to. And they gave us a ride at 9:30. And it turns out that a little after 9 there was a party 4 houses from our house and somebody drove by in a car and shot like 20 times and killed 4 people. So thank goodness we stayed at the members house! And in our neighborhood they have killed like 8 in the last week and we live in the safest part of our area! But don’t worry nothing will happen to us.

It’s gotten super cold here too. Like 9 degrees Celsius. So like 50 degrees haha. But it feels SOO cold. It was like 100 a month ago then it rained and brought a whole bunch of cold air and it all of a sudden got so cold! 

Your package arrived but it didn’t have any candy except the hi chews you stuffed in my slippers. But I think all the rest of the stuff got here! Thank you so much!

I can call home whenever you want on the 24 or 25 but I can only talk for 30 or 40 minutes. But I can use skype.

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

12/2/13

haha I just started writing in Spanish. This week was really hard to get a hold of investigators and we taught less lessons than I ever have in all of my mission at 7 but we worked so hard and taught more than 20 to less actives and members. We met some new people and were still super excited.

The meeting was really good. It got everybody super excited. And since our bishop was already excited it pushed him over the top and now he’s going crazy about missionary work! I don’t know how long I have left in this area but it will keep baptizing for a long long time. 

I haven’t gotten the package yet but I will on Friday. I think the best way to do everything would be to send it to a member or family member that lives in the states that comes here and you can send it to their house real easy and they can bring it here. There’s ALWAYS somebody coming and going from here so whenever you want I can find somebody. And even more easy in the holiday seasons.

Here on Thanksgiving we ate some fried quesadilla something that was super good but I was super sick. I started throwing up in the night so in the morning I couldn’t really enjoy the food. And honestly i forgot it was Thanksgiving. But with tortillas everything is always good. I can’t picture my life without them now. I don’t know what I´ll do when I go home and there aren’t any!

Have a great week!

Love Elder Lund

11/25/13

This week was super great! I feel like every week on Sunday my companion and I hit our beds at night and decide that we can't work any harder or we would die.. Then the next week we step it up another level. This week we ran around like crazys and led the mission in fechas, lessons and investigators in church. But it was a super bummer how a super potential family we have couldn’t go.. They are definitely going to go next week.. I hope.. And were super sad they couldn’t yesterday. You’d think that with how hard we’re working I’d be losing weight like nobodies business but honestly I’m going to be super fat when I get home! They just have these flour tortillas here in Sonora that they almost don’t have in any part of Mexico that are so dang good but they fatten ya right up! And we always choose them over corn tortillas so were definitely going to come home looking like pumpkins but Ni modo! 

Right now I feel like I’m starting to turn into the missionary I want to be. I feel like I’m miserable if we’re not teaching a lesson or walking as fast as we can to a lesson. Today we’re supposed to start working at 6 because it’s p day, but today we’re starting at 4, and the last 2 weeks we’ve been working more than 7 hours every Monday with our investigators. I think I’m going to die from exhaustion and my feet are super angry lately but I just can't stand not working.

This week I gave a less active member that just told us he wants to go on a mission one of my shirts because he didn’t have one so I had to go to the store to buy one more because I only had 7 and I need 8 because one has to be for when your other 7 are in the wash. ha and my companion and I used up all our monthly money on fast offerings. We’ve been fasting a ridiculous amount but we’re seeing results so I´m going to keep doing it! That’s why I had to buy my groceries with my money from home! But this week I only need to buy some tortillas and some cheese so it’ll only be like 40 pesos. so like 4 bucks or less.

Tell Grandma and Brother Hoyel that I got their letter and package! The letter from the Hoyels was sent in June! and it had 3 2 dollar bills that I gave to the hermanos here in the ward that went crazy when they saw them! haha I love the people here! I never want to leave! They all live WAY below the united states poverty level but they are so willing to give me everything they have! So when one of them needs a shirt or a 2 dollar bill or whatever they need I’m going to help them out a little bit. I’m going to make sure its only if they really need something and I’ll pay for it all when I get home but I would honestly give them anything.

I don’t know if I told you but the hermana Pelaez had her baby and its a little boy thats the cutest future missionary ever! The first thing they they did was put him some church pants! 

I’m honestly so happy here. I feel like God’s opened my heart and filled it full of everybody in my area!

This week we have a meeting with the area presidency. Thats Elder De Hoyos, Elder Johnson and Elder Valensuela (I think that last one’s right). They’re all seventies and I think they’re coming to yell at all the members here cause they do literally nothing. On Saturday we helped our bishop paint his house, and for like 2 hours I just talked his ear off, as you know I’m capable of doing, and just talked about the potential in the area, and on Sunday in ward council he made a goal of 40 baptisms every year. And if they don’t stay active they don’t count. He’s getting really excited about the work, and we are going to take advantage!

Have a great week!

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

11/18/13

This week went by so fast..! I only really got 1 full day in my area because we had so many meetings and I had to do interchanges with both of the areas in my district because the missionaries were fighting.. so I had to leave everything to my companion.

This week we had 1 investigator in church. His name’s Angel and his family are all members, but they got baptized in Phoenix and when the came here they saw how the church is way different, and kind of lost the desire to go. But they are now going, and their oldest son wants to go on the mission. And we’re going to baptize Angel on the 7th of December. There were once again like 10 investigators that were super excited to go to church, that didn’t go.. But thats fine because Im pretty sure they´ll go next week!

We’re doing great here! The ward is literally like my family now. And the Hna. Pelaes (Who just got baptized) had her baby on Sunday at 2 in the morning! They thought that it or the Hna. was going to die because he had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and I guess there were complications, but everything ended up fine! She has so much faith! So does her husband. They called the bishop to ask if it was okay if they missed church because she was having her baby. And if the bishop would have said no, I’m 100% convinced that they would have been to church, on time. 

It’s so awesome to see your converts so strong in the truth. The bishop here is going to be released in 1 year, and EVERYBODY is talking about how the Hno. Pelaes should be the next bishop. And he’s only been a member for 1 month. He’s always the first one to every service project the ward does. And neither him or his wife have home or visiting teaching assignments yet, so they visit everybody at least once a week.The church makes them so happy, and that makes me so happy!

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

11/11/13

I`ll start with transfers. My companion and I are staying together for the 3rd transfer. By the end of the transfer I will have 6 months here. It’s crazy how fast time flies. This transfer I got put as District leader which should be cool. I’m super excited for our area, and I think we`ll have some success. I love the people here in the area so much, and honestly don’t want to leave after this next transfer either..

  

This week we had a some success with new investigators we found, but only had 2 in church. But the coolest moment of the week is when we met this lady from Mesa Arizona. She was a 23 year old that had 3 kids, used to be addicted to meth, and apparently dances at a strip club. She’s from Colorado so we talked all in English, and when she was telling us about her life I just prayed that the Lord could help us make some change in her life in some way or another. Anyway we had a lesson of like an hour and a half and at the end she had started crying because of the spirit, and accepted baptism and the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. It was the craziest change I’ve ever seen in anybody so fast. She left to go to Arizona where she lives with her mom, so i passed the reference up there and I’m hoping I hear about her baptism soon!

Its kind of crazy how I’m ALWAYS tired, but never want to sit still and do nothing. Grandma asked me how the mission has changed me most and I'd definitely have to say in my work ethic and my decisions. haha I feel like I haven’t gotten super mature yet and I still love to laugh and have fun, but now when its time to work I can put my head down and work hard.

Everything here´s going great! I’m loving it and I’m excited to have 1 more transfer here!

Love Elder Lund

11/4/12

Sorry I didn’t write last week! We went to the internet in the morning, but I forgot my cable to the camera so I couldn’t send pictures, so I decided I would write the letter when we came back in the afternoon, but in the afternoon I thought that I had already written in the morning! sorry!

Everything went great with the baptisms. This family is so special. They have absolutely no money because the husband is waiting for his license to get here so he can start working again as a trucker. But in the meantime the ward has helped them out a ton. But a couple of times people have joined the church when they have needed help, but when they get back on their feet they just stop going. So when the Hermana Pelaez went to one of her best friend’s house, Hermana Soto, to ask if she could borrow 50 pesos for the bus to go downtown for something important, Hna. Soto told her she didnt have any money, and just had the food in their house. So hna Pelaez went and did a loan or something from somebody to be able to go down town. She took out 300 pesos and did her business downtown, and when she was on her way back she stopped by the Hna Sotos house and gave her 50 pesos so she could buy tortillas for her family(B.T.W here tortillas are 100% mandatory). Hna Soto apparently just started to cry because Hna Pelaez, who has literally nothing, was willing to give her 50 of her loaned pesos to her family so they could have tortillas. This family is so amazing. They are the most Christ-like people I’ve ever met.

As for my companion and I, we had a great week up until Sunday. We were expecting like 16 people at church, and not a single one went. It was so.. I don’t even know how to describe the emotion... just awful. Its hard when you know your being 100% percent obedient, and the people don’t show up. But it just means we just have to look for whatever else we can improve on, fix it, and then we´ll get those baptisms! Right now were both in like hyperdrive diligence mode! And I´m really excited to see the results!

I feel like whenever I hit a rough patch in the road, I always grow the most. And I can definitely say I grew a ton this week! So to be 100% honest, the hard times don’t bug me too much. Because I know the Lord only makes us stronger, after the trial of our faith. So I’m excited to come home with a 6 pack!

We have transfers on Monday but I honestly don’t think I’m leaving yet. I can’t tell if I feel like I’m staying, or if I just want to stay so bad I’m convincing myself I am! I love this area so much, and really don’t ever want to leave! haha. The members, even though they don’t help us, are so awesome, but especially my investigators! I want to see every single one of them everyday for the rest of forever!

Love you guys!

Elder Lund

10/28/13

No letter today, just two pictures... waiting during the baptism interviews and then the baptism day of their "miracle family"

10/21/13

Feliz cumple años mamá! What is that, 29? haha Hope you had a great day!

So we were going to have a baptism of the Peleaz family on Tuesday, but they got told by a member about this coffee that’s made of soy and wheat, which isn’t against the word of wisdom, but they were putting uncaffeinated coffee in it for flavor, so they are going to have to wait till Saturday and be re interviewed to see if they can do it in the night on Saturday. So we fasted that they will be able to stop drinking it. We go with them almost every single day, and they last night told us that they aren’t having any trouble with the coffee. So I feel like we will probably baptize them on Saturday!! Tomorrow in the morning they are going to get married, and so my companion and I are going to pitch in and buy them a cake, but it will be 600 pesos, so I’m going to have to take like 25 bucks out of my card. This family is so special, I would honestly do anything for them. They are already starting to prepare their 4 year old son for the mission! They pay tithing every week, and the 8 month pregnant Hermana has already fasted! (We didn’t ask her to do it because isn’t that bad to do or something?) She just had something she wanted Gods help with, so she just did it! You guys would absolutely love them. They are so amazing.

We also taught a second lesson with a lady named Carolina who lives in a little town like 30 minutes outside of the city. But she accepted baptism for the 23 of november. So Hopefully I don’t get moved in the transfers on the 9th so I will be able to see it! She is extremely ready to hear and accept the Gospel. Not quite as much like the Peleaz family, but pretty dang close! We’ve had a lot of investigators come and go this transfer, but we almost always seem to have work. And if the people that chose work or other things over the gospel don’t accept it now, in the future they will need it, and they will remember the feeling that they got when they talked to us, and will long to have that comfort with them more, and when their time comes, they will join the church.

So if your sending the package, if you could put in a white shirt and like 3 pairs of socks that would be great! These socks are amazing, but like 10 kilometers everyday is starting to take a tole on them! I think my shoes will last the rest of my mission, but we'll see. They have a really really thick rubber bottom, but its a little less than half gone now, So I feel like it will definitely last until I get back! And No I haven’t gotten the Dvd’s or the picture book yet, So I you could put them in there that would be great!

Can you believe 8 months already flew by! I personally can't. Ive been in this area almost 4 months. Its crazy how fast it goes by. In 2 weeks Camille will be half way done!

Well Love you guys!

Elder Lund

10/14/13

This week went by awesomely! The family Pelaís are going super strong, and I'm still not going to say anything, but I don't see any big obstacles in their way.  They're going to get married on the 22nd in the morning, and going to get baptized along with their little girl in the night at the mutual. They are so excited and so grateful for everything. They came here with nothing, they just packed 2 suitcases for the whole family of 6, so the ward has helped them out a ton. The Hermano is already talking about baptizing his daughter in January when she completes 8 years. And how their 4 year old son is going to be a missionary. This is the family that my companion and I have fasted and prayed so much to find. It's such a miracle that they left Acapulco 3 days before the first of 2 huge hurricanes hit and destroyed where they used to live. We say that the Lord didn't just save their lives, but he gave them eternal life all at the same time. 

  Congratulations on the calling mom! Your going to be great! How long will you be doing it for? That will be way fun for you!

  Today Ule wrote me! He told me he went to church 2 of the last 3 weeks, and when he didn't go it was because they were moving. I really hope he can find his way back to the light, and Pablo also. Apparently Ule is from Guamuchil which is like 15 minutes from Angostura. I probably worked 15 full days in Guamuchil. It's so beautiful, and I'm super excited to pass the references of his family members to the missionaries there!

  

  Have a great week!

Love Elder Lund

10/7/13

  It's finally starting to cool off here. Today is a little bit hot, but the last few days have been really nice. In the mornings it's starting to get cold, well just not hot, and it feels amazing!

  The family from Aculpulco is doing really good. The hermano went to the priesthood session with us on Saturday, and his whole family went yesterday in the morning. They're loving everything about the church. We just have to get them married. And that costs 1000 pesos. So I took that out of my account from home, and I think the church can repay me when I have the receipt.

  We had a really good lesson with the parents of Carlitos, and his mom accepted a baptismal date for the last day of the transfer. I think the dad will also get baptized on the same day, but I'm not sure. We're finally having a bit of success, and it's feeling amazing. I really don't want to have to leave this area, but I'm pretty sure this will be my last transfer here.

  Watching the conference was awesome. It was really cool to be able to understand everything. And on Saturday I watched the 2 sessions we went to in Spanish. But on Sunday I went with an Elder that doesn't speak any Spanish into the bishop's office and we watched in English. Even though I understand Spanish, the English is still so much better! To be able to actually hear their voices and everything.

  My companion is becoming a really good missionary. Sometimes I feel bad because I'm pushing him so hard, but he stepped up to the plate and accepted the challenge. It's nice to be able to get home and just be completely exhausted, because you know you worked as hard as you could all day.

Love you guys

9/30/13

The family from Aculpulco are a miracle family. They are really excited to get married and baptized. They understand everything, and we´re really really excited. But I won't say anything so we don't jinx anything.

This morning there were changes, but nothing changed. We're still here in Castillo. This will be my third transfer in this area, and I'm really happy that I don't have to leave. I love the ward here, and all the members. I'm super excited that you guys will have to opportunity to meet them, even though you probably won't understand anything they say!

  General conference will be great! We're bring our investigators, and I'll be able to understand everything!

  Can you tell Pablo to write me? I really wanna talk to him and see how things are going.

Here everything's going great! It's not really that hot anymore, so it's a little funner to walk all day in the street!

Love you guys! Have a great week!

Eleder Lund

9/23/13

Don't worry, the hurricane didn't hit us! Well it did but it didn't do anything. I don't know how to explain it, because I've never seen clouds so dark, or so mean looking, And the wind and rain during the first like 10 minutes was ridiculous. I've never ever seen anything like it. But then it just stopped. And the stars came out. Nobody here knows what happened. The schools had already canceled class for the next day, because it was for sure that the storm would hit extremely hard. But it just randomly left.

  There's a family that we taught on Saturday, from Aculpulco. And during the first lesson we committed them to baptism. The whole family. The dad told us that he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen about 15 days ago, and decided to come and live with a family friend here. And what do you know, a storm hit his city and leveled everything. The Lord protected this family, and prepared them to fall into our hands as missionaries. They are so excited about the gospel, and when I invited him to baptism, he literally jumped and said yes. I am so grateful to see the hand of the Lord in their life. He saved their lives literally, and gave them a life with their family forever.

  After an extremely hard week where we didn't find anybody, and had to drop a family that we had, and we just about got super depressed. But we decided that the Lord was trying us, and turns out he was. And the next day he gave us a family, and a lady that want to be baptized and they all look really potential.

  I can't believe that it's already almost October. I have more than 7 months in the mission, and it's just flown by.

  I cant wait until Camille and I get home and we can all go to the temple together. Even Kevin will be old enough!

Love you guys, have a good week!

Elder Lund

9/16/13

Dear Family,

This week went pretty well. Our investigators seem to always be progressing, but they never seem to go anywhere. It's getting a little frustrating but honestly we haven't gotten too down. This week I read in the bible about Peter´s conversion, and I realized something. It wasn't when he saw Jesus feed the thousands that he got converted, it wasn't when he saw Jesus heal the mans ear, it wasn't even a miracle, but it was when the cock crowed for the second time in the morning and he realized that he had denied Christ 3 times. Thats when he decided to be the disciple that Christ deserved, and when for the third time Christ asked him if he loved him, and for the third time he said yes, and Christ said "Feed my sheep", in that moment in the last chapter of John is when Peter became "The Great Apostle". The same thing happened with Joseph Smith. It wasn't when he saw The Father and the Son, And it wasn't when he saw the angel, or even when he started translating the Book of Mormon, but when the Lord came and took the plates from him, and when he let the pages get lost, thats when he truly truly became converted. Its like it says in Ether 12:6 We don't receive any testimony until after the trial of our faith. And it really doesn't matter that much if we fall down, But what makes a disciple a stand above the rest, is when they fall, they decided not only to move forward and keep trying, but to truly resolve to be better, and the rise above and beyond what's expected, and give everything to the Lord. 

    That's given me a lot of comfort this last couple weeks, when we haven't had a lot of success. It's like Ammon said, in the moment when we are about to turn and go back, but we decide to press forward, that's when the Lord gives us success. That's when we truly become converted.

    I've realized in my 6 months here, I have never once heard an inactive member tell me that they don't believe that the church is true, or that the book of mormon is true. The knowledge is still there, and they can never deny it. But when the trial of their faith came, they fell down, and never had the strength to get back up. They never made the resolve to become the true disciple that Christ expects of them.

    We put a lot of baptismal dates this week with new references that we found, and after we had the lesson with them, and put the date, we asked them where they lived, and every single one of them lived outside of our area. Which shouldn't be super frustrating because they're going to get baptized but honestly it's hard, because you get so excited that you are going to be able to help them, but then you have to pass them off to other elders. I guess that's just the selfish part of me coming out, and maybe that's what the Lord's teaching me, how to be more humble, but it's pretty hard. But my companion and i haven't let it get us down. Thats one of the good things about training, I have to always be in a good mood! And it's helping a ton.

   This week I think we are going to try and put a date with a girl named Melissa for the 28th. She's gone to church like a million times, so she really could get baptized whenever she wanted. She just has to decide when the time is right for her, or in better words, realize that the right time is now.

  Well have a good week! Go BYU!

Love you guys,

Elder Lund