3-11-13

Family,

As always, it's great to hear from you. I am grateful this week. That is my word to describe this week: grateful. We had very low numbers and struggled to just find things to do. Almost all of our appointments fell through this week but we managed to pull out of the abyss. Monday is always that day. I don't even remember the first part of the week but I'll try my best. I don't remember Tuesday other than at night we got transfer calls and other than the zone leaders and one other companionship in Kansas City, everybody stayed the same. So it was a very quiet transfer compared to the last 2. Our zone leaders were Elders Gee and Klingler. But Elder Klingler got transferred to Warrensburg and we got Elder Ofengahue (or something like that). Elder Gee is super solid (like a suuuuuuuuppppppeeerrrrr solid missionary). So Elder Andrus and I are still the same. We were actually kind of expecting the singles branch to be given to some sisters but we kept it which I am happy about. I love the spirit that the branch brings. They may not be the best sunday school teachers but they're good. Wednesday I don't remember either. Thursday I forgot to do weekly planning so we did it on Friday. Thursday was a good day because we brought out a young man to tract with us (which I always love doing) and got some referrals. That was one of those days where I was lost as to what to do. Since we are very limited on miles, we try not to go very far from our apartment. We have a huge area and in order to have sufficient investigators, we need to drive around our whole area which, if you look at a map, is quite large. we get 1000 miles a month but we really need 2000, haha! But I know why the church does that so I won't complain. On Friday, we had an appointment with this Spanish investigator that I told you about last week. I was excited and brought a fluent Spanish speaker as a team-up (our ward mission leader) to go with us. It fell through. That was the theme as we tried a couple others to come along with us. In fact, that was the theme throughout the week. On Saturday, we had our single Saturday with somebody from the single's branch cancel on us in the morning for no apparent reason. So after we made some calls, we were able to get someone to come out with us anyways. It was fairly successful as we got a couple of people to say "sure, we'll some back to church!" Too bad they actually didn't show up yesterday. Yesterday was the most depressing day of the week. We had ward council in the morning and watched these training videos about priesthood keys in a ward that had Elders Ballard, Perry, Hallstrom, Christensen, Rasband, and a few others. It was a very powerful video that taught me just to love everybody just as Christ did. I mean I have done that throughout my mission but it has tapered off of late. So I will be working on Christlike attributes a little bit this week.  After church (which is always good) we received the news that our top investigator with a baptismal date for this Saturday told his hard corps baptist parents that he was getting baptized. His Mom said N-O NO! But he hasn't asked his Dad yet so we are praying to soften the hearts of his parents. He pretty much is already a member since he comes to seminary, church, scouting activities, and pretty much everything else every time that comes around. It was very frustrating but he'll get baptized eventually. Besides he has less than 2 years until he turns 18 and can get baptized into the church without his parents permission! So we have a lot of teenagers that are looking into the church but their stubborn parents won't let them. One dropped her baptismal date a month ago and there are two others where their parents are strongly opposed to the church. I HATE SATAN. he has made our church look like the devils church. That great and spacious building just gets too great sometimes. Other churches are so lazy too. I shouldn't bash on them because they are doing their best to follow what they believe to be true. But can't they think the same way for once? It's gotten pretty cold here over the past 48 hours. It rained super super hard with thunder and lightning on Saturday night. So sounds like similar weather here and in SD. I hear it's supposed to get into the 80's this week so big changes! I also hit my 9-month mark this week. Isn't that crazy? 9 months! That means the sisters I came out with are half way done! Now that is crazy. A member of the singles branch got his mission call the other day to Taiwan Taichung mandarin speaking. So it's been a pretty cool week. This week looks better, don't you worry. 

I'm glad to hear ward conference went well because I was praying that Dad would do well on his talk. Sounds like he did. Tell President Ellsworth I said hi. I'm just too pooped to poop right now. Yesterday when I woke up to the new daylight savings time I could not move when the alarm went off, I was so tired. But I got up and am still feeling the effects from that, haha! Also, tell everybody I said hi. Wow, I can't think of anything else to say other than that I am glad to hear how everybody's week has been. Hey Jayce, did you like the picture of Cody that I drew? It looks good doesn't it? Well, I'd better go. I hope to hear from you soon. It's unbelievable how close conference is and I'm looking forward to it. Love,

Elder Sutherland