October 22, 2008

Well it sounds like you're doing good, remember to stay humble so the Lord can continue to bless you. Don't be like the Nephites and become prideful. If you think that the Rocky picture is cool, wait till you see what I got you for Christmas!!! I picked it up in Chicago last Wednesday on our way through. Just wait. We'll have to see how good you are. I might be able to go and play with this Hatian guy from hati that we met. I'm still deciding how interested they are in the gospel, but he invited us to play soccer with him and his Carribean brothers on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00. It's very tempting. Anyway I love you so much bro. I want to let you know of My testimony of the power of prayer and fasting. The Lord is very mindful of us, and wants to bless us. He is my Saviour and Redeemer, the head of this one and only true and living Church. Being a missionary is a divine calling, and the greatest decision I've ever made in my life. This is where the Lord wants me to be. I love being a missionary. Through our faith and prayers may the Lord watch over both of us. In the name of him who is the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ, amen.
This area is beautiful. I'm right by Northwestern University, and the starting D Lineman is one of our investigators who is married to a member in the ward. It is deffinately getting colder, and I'm going coat shopping today. The last thing I want is to get caught by surprise. I've been wearing my underarmour. I refer to it as my ninja skin to my companion. He thinks I'm insane with underarmour on and the heater cranked up. Every morning we go out running. I'm going to get a picture one of these mornings. The shore is right by us (I don't know if you've google earthed it). So we run along this path by the shore, and there's waves and the sun comes up over the horizon. I also watch the city as I run. It's a beautiful sight, the Chicago skyline, I'm so close to Downtown!!! So we run out for 10 min. and then my comp stops, and I run back and forth on a little stretch of the path. Being a missionary is the life. We can also contact people in downtown Evanston. Talking to people on the street is something I love but haven't been able to do in Beloit. It's the hustle and bustle again. Speaking of which driving here is insane, in my tank of a Ford Fusion. We tried contacting on Northwestern Campus the other day and got the boot from a faculty member. So we contacted outside that. There are some extremely rich people in this area, who inhabit ridiculously huge houses. It's alot different from the hood in beloit. Tracting these houses is deffinately an experience. You should see some of these places. One of the members in this ward lives in one, and we had dinner there Sunday. I felt like I should have had an apron and a silver platter in my hand to set foot in there. There's a little of everything here, city, suburb, rich, everything. This area has a lot of orientals, I got my wish, I'm serving in the orient. They're tough though, because a lot of them are buddist. There is also a lot of African Americans (another dream come true), and Jews (not a dream come true). The Jewish population is probably the most dominant, that and atheist. It's really sad to think they don't have a faith in Christ. This makes it tough because we really have nothing in common, and they are usually not a very happy people. Which makes sense, without Christ, life is tough. Oh also, I've met an unusual number of Hatians who speak Creole and English. I love the diversity. This is deffinately a tough area. My comp has told me there hasn't been a lot going on here, and this was soon confirmed when we had our first planning session. There are only a few investigators. It's nothing like in Beloit where I had appointments almost all day, and baptisms on the way. We fasted and prayed on Sunday though, for the work in the area and for our finding efforts. Also for a special fireside put together by my comp for about 2.5 months. Our prayers were answered!! It was incredible. We worked diligently and hard. We've met some great people. My comp has told me repeatedly that the success we are having is three times what it's been. He's had some tough comps like the one I had. Mom, it's as if the Lord is sitting right in the middle of downtown Evanston and guiding each and every one of our moves. He's guiding us to the people and the people to us. I wish you could witness this miracle brought on by faith, prayer, fasting, diligence, hard work, and perserverance. I had and incredible conversation with a Black gentleman who teaches at Northwestern. He told me his 17 yr old daughter is about to make him grandfather and that he is about to lose his job, and has to train the guy that will take his position. I spoke with him, bore my testimony, and shared scriptures from a copy of the BOM. It's incredible how we met he said he already had brought a lunch for the day, but had the impression to go out and spend the last 10 dollars in his pocket and get a sandwich and go for a walk. My comp and I had decided to head back for lunch because we had an upcoming appointment. Because there were so many people I said let's just hurry and walk back. I then told him, no I feel guilty not talking to all of these people. Just then he walked into my view by the Northface Department store. I had to talk to him. After talking to him as I said. He told me how much I had helped him. How he was feeling a little down. He was so grateful to me for what I had shared with him. It made me feel so good. He was anxious to purchase the BoM I had shown him and to meet with us. I told him I would bring him a copy for free. We have an appointment with him at Barnes and Noble!! As he walked away, I had the thought "What if I never see him again" I ran after him and gave him the copy of the BOM, and wrote a short message in it. It was getting really windy and cold as I spoke with him. This was an incredible meeting. The Lord is answering our prayers word for word, for what we have asked for. The Lord is blessing the work in this area. I know that it is because of the Lords hand that the work is progressing. Things are happening. While on the line of stories. The other day we were walking down the street and a Japanese man shouted to us from across the street, "Missionaries, Missionaries." We said no way, no one calls to us. We ran across traffic and met him. He corralled us into this fancy sushi restaurant where he was working. He told us to "sit down, I feed you." We had just eaten dinner and plus it was Sunday, so I persuaded him to let us take a raincheck and we would come back on Thursday. He agreed and told us he wanted to feed us because he had served a 2 year mission in Utah, and people had fed him. He then went on to tell us that he is now excommunicated. We didn't ask questions about this. His name is Hobbi, from Japan, and he was really excited to see us. So tomorrow we are having dinner at Kansaku, a really nice sushi restaurant in downtown Evanston, on Hobbi. On a not so great note....the past to nights have been painful. Monday night I had a horrible stomach ache but it soon went away. A couple days before that I had wrenching pains hit me while tracting, I almost doubled over. Then they were gone. Last night was the worst. After dinner I felt something coming on. Shortly after I was in intense pain. It was so intense, It hurt so bad. We continued to tract and finish out the night, and go to our appointment,(which fell through). Finally I said we needed to go to the store and get some pepto. As soon as she rang it up I drank some of it. I had to hold on to my comp to make it into the store. I was dying. The pain pursisted throughout the night, and finally I had to get up. I went to the bathroom #2, then I got on my knees and gripped the toilet. I couldn't take it anymore. I made myself throw up 3 times. My stomach still hurt and I was debating whether or not to wake my comp up and have him take me to the hospital. I decided to lay down though, still in pain. After a while the pain finally went away and I was able to sleep for a short while. Last night was intense. If it happens again tonight then something is wrong, because that will be three nights in a row. That was so hard though to make myself throw up. Being sick as a missionary is not fun at all. At least I didn't have to sacrifice the work in this area though.Oh and I got your package. It was awesome. Except I'm possitive that you know that I don't eat candy corns. Not even when I'm home. My comp says they're the best he's every had though. The granola is great, thank you so much. His mom also sent me some stuff for halloween, including candy corns!! Yeah, I got the package yesterday so I love it.I love you mom. I love being a missionary. Yesterday was my 5 month mark, and as much as I love you and the rest of my family, this mission is going by fast. It scares me, I don't think I'll be able to take my name badge off. Choosing to go on a mission has changed my life. I love this work, and I love serving the Lord and serving others. This Church is true, the BoM is true, and Joseph Smith is a Prophet. I hold the Priesthood of God, what and honor. I'm a missionary, what a priviledge. I leave you with these words, my testimony, and prayer, in the sacred name of him whose name I bear, my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.
I just sent a letter and we have to go to give a boy a blessing in the Hospital, Write me back really quick.
Hey mom are you still there. We're trying to see if I can stay and talk to you. OH and tell day that our ward mission leaders wife is Rachel Ray. We had dinner there the other night.
Hey mom sorry, we need to go. Duty calls. I love you and maybe we'll stop back by later. If not look for me next week in the mornings now. Probably around 10:30 or 11 My time. Email will be the first thing we do. See ya later.