1-21-13

Family,

Wow, another good week has come and gone. Just like last week, we found 7 new investigators yet again and now have 2 people with a baptismal date. One is a 14 year old girl that plays softball. Her Dad is either less active or not a member (he never goes to church) and her grandfather used to be our ward mission leader. He had to go to the hospital in early December to remove his lower intestine because his digestive tract just stopped working. Apparently 70% of people don't survive that surgery. But he has survived, is recovering, and now has his granddaughter taking the discussions (he's not forcing her. She has lots of friends in the church and wants to do this). The other person on date we taught him a 15 minute quick version of the restoration on his doorstep and invited him to baptism. He said he's been baptized in the Nazarene church down the street from him already but after talking about authority, he accepted. I hope he's sincere because this is a big change for everybody. Neither of them came to church which is a bummer but I think they will next week. I also got a little sick this past week too. Just a little sinus thing that I can't shake. I'll be fine later, I'm sure. Thank goodness for orange juice. Also, on Saturday night at 7 to Sunday night at 7 we had a mission fast to prepare for Elder Gavarret coming this Thursday. It's going to be a great day of rebuking yet testimony building. 

I have also been getting used to all the bashers around here. Yesterday we ran into another one. Telling us that Joseph Smith was a false prophet and yada yada yada, blah blah blah. She used to be RLDS and is now baptist. I often laugh at people who are anti-mormon too because their logic just comes from deep left field. I'm so glad to be a part of a church that just makes sense while also being led by Christ himself because He lives and there's no denying that. We also taught a lesson to a person on Saturday who is against the church but in our lesson I could definitely tell the spirit was there and with her. She said she'd read the Book of Mormon when she found time. That's better than some other people that would grad the Book of Mormon and just throw it away as soon as we closed the door. Oh, that reminds me: could you ask Sister Hepworth about an Elder Stratton? She told me to look out for him before I left and I just remembered last week. Elder Stratton went to Lone Peak high school and knows Jacob really well. He's my district leader right now and is a great missionary. In our district meeting on Friday, he talked about how even if they don't accept the book of Mormon and throw it away, their child may take it outside to read it who accidentally leaves it then some one walking down the sidewalk picks it up and throws it away where the garbage man sees it and takes it out, takes it home and forgets about it when years later their child sees it, reads it, and gets baptized. That's the power of the Book of Mormon. 

Thanks for the weather updates. It has been very strange around here getting really cold for a few days then very warm for a few days. Dad was telling me how cold it was there last week and on Saturday here, it literally felt like a San Diego January day. I didn't know the temperature but it felt like mid 60's. Thanks for sending the music! We are becoming bored of the same music over and over even though we have a CD with 100 songs on it. I'm beginning to like classical music a lot more now that I've come out here. I thought of the other acapella group. Their name is "Eclipse". They have some of my favorite hymns on there and it is done very well. You don't have to send that one to me too. I might like them later but I'll just let you know. Sorry about Cody being sick. Did he have to miss seminary? That would S-T-I-N-K stink! I hope he feels better now that he has had more days to rest up. I heard a lot of people are declaring this winter an epidemic because of how many people are getting the flu and pneumonia. I alos heard about Obama's new gun law. What a jerk that guy is because gangs all over the country aren't going to stop and I still don't think that's going to prevent shootings. He just did that to make himself look good. I know I am not allowed to speak on political stuff but I can't resist. He's still a son of God and needs the gospel just as everyone else needs it. That's exciting that Caitlin and Billy are going to watch the inauguration! I thought since he was already president before that he didn't need to do it again? Whatever. 

Dad, I'm doing great! The work is progressing and evil is abounding but we all know good always triumphs over evil. I know how you feel when it comes to procrastination. That was my biggest problem at school and would often result in me going to bed at 2 every morning. So hopefully my mission will teach me things like that about hard work. I hope my prayers for you have been felt because at later times during the week I don't know what's going on with you so I hope my prayers work because my prayers in the missionary work's behalf have definitely been beneficial. The Lord really does answer the prayers of the faithful. I'm glad to hear about the new ward visits and Loraya's baptism too. Thanks for telling me about Cody and his stuff. I've really been praying hard for him because it's not gong to be long before he's on a mission himself so those habits of hard work are necessary before and after missionary service. I will continue to pray for the health of the family and the hard work aspect for Cody. 

About the weather and stuff, like I said above, I think it was warmer here on Saturday than it was there. But you'll have to look that up for me because I wasn't sure. My body ligaments are fine. We have a full time car so that makes it nice to not have to worry about the cold too much. If it gets cold enough, I'll put on my big coat. I wore my gloves tracting a while back and almost every day in Wamego during bike week. How are the Elders in the ward there? I hope they are doing well and have lots of work to do going in to next transfers with so many more missionaries coming in. We have 26 coming in next week: about half of them will be sisters. Well, that's it for me. Maybe I'll do a little bit of chatting with Mom after I e-mail president Keyes. Thanks for everything. I wish you the best week ever. Love,

Elder Sutherland

PS: "Can GEICO save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance?.... What, do you live under a rock?"
"No way. Hey Rick check this out!"
"what?"