July 27, 2009

Hey yall! well im in Columbia! im in the Windsor lakes ward to be exact its in east columbia. Its so cool here. Its super humid and hot though, i sweat soooo much. But mmy companion his name is Elder Barton. He is from Peoria Arizona!! haha he went to Sunrise Mountain High School. Crazy what a small world it is eh? My comp is from AZ. He has been out for like 18 months. He is quite a little guy, but i really like him we live in an apartment with just us two. So its not quite as fun with just two as it was with four. haha but he is still really great! He speaks real good too. Although he is real shy so i do a lot of the talking. But it helps me out alot. There are quite a few hispanics around here but you just gotta goa ways to find them so i have been doing a bit of english work. Also there are sister missionaries that are in the ward with us. They are pretty cool, but yeah know they ar ekinda crazy... Like all sisters... haha

But we definitely have our work cut out for us. There teaching pool was not too big when i got here so we have been doing alot of searching this last few days. we have made some big sacrifices like making our meal times shorter, and filling that time with going out to work. and by waking up earlier to study, so that we can leave earlier to work. We have already seen the fruits of our sacrifices. The ward that im in is known to be one of the best wards in the mission, they have 16 ward missionaries, and they got out each week and teach. So the ward has had alot of success. Im really excited to be here. They are one of the most friendly wards as well. I have taught myself to be real outgoing and talk to everyone and ask just everyone, "Hey so when are you gunna come out on splits with us?" and and we have gottn quite a few yes's so... we will see how things go.

One thing i dont know if i have already told you about this but i have been really been trying to focus on when im in a lesson trying to think exactly what the Savior himself would have me say, because im his representative, i stand in his place i do what he wants done and say what he wants said. I have been really thinking alot of how great of a calling i have. I have gotten more bold, because the Lord knows his children and that they need his gospel, i invite them to come to know the truth, i cry repentance and have the spirit bear testimony to help them to gain the desire to change, and come unto him. My spanish is still doing real good. Every free chance i have i study.

Oh also like i said we have been doing some english work we taught this guy yestreday that looked just like Bob Marley! he had dreads and everything man. He let us right in and was like.." what blessings to you bring my brothers?" haha we taught him and he was real accepting but we will see, He was very cool and knowledgeable, he used alot of words like Christ Jesus and said Sholum when we left, and he turned on his music before we left and it was like this Reggae stuff. He was pretty hardcore. haha It was awesome. We have some pretty good people here but we got our work cut out for us.

Martin is actually going to be baptized this coming saturday. He is the man we taught him just before he left and he knows he wants it, and said he is willing to do what it takes, he needs to follow Heavenly Father caus he is being punished for what he did earlier in life, so he wants to repent.

Oh yeah my new address is

3431 Covenant Road L1
Columbia, SC 29204

There ya go. Im still loving it here though. I also have been tryinmg to do what president McConkie has been trying to instill in us. And that is to focus each thought act word and deed in the goal of Baptizing that is our purpose. I have been doing better at this i just need to challenge people more and testify with power. Um i think that is all for this week though im doing good in my new area, im real excited to be here.

Con Carino,
El Elder Riding