Dec 18th!

11.30.15

This first week went pretty well, and elder Pulver and I hit the ground running. It was definitely hard to see elder Smith go, but elder Pulver is also a great missionary and we are getting along great. At the start of this week we were able to have another good lesson with Pete. The previous week he had a small concern regarding coffee, but he told us that after he had pray about it that he had not drunken it for 4 days! Way to go Pete! Whenever he has a question that he doesn't understand he always goes to God in prayer and has so far always received an answer. He has a tone of faith. We also set a baptismal date with him for December 18th. We are very excited for him! 

 This week we have also been really trying to find more service opportunities, because our mission president gives us 10 hours a week to serve. Right now we only have one place that we regularly serve at, and it's only about 2.5 hours a week. It was quite the adventure trying to find places to serve at. We tried to serve at the library and this animal shelter, but they made you fill out this form that was super ridiculous. They were going to do background checks, and were going to make us pay 25 dollars to go to a finger printing agency! We decided that is wasn't worth it:) We did possibly find this big retail store we might be able to work at, so hopefully it works out. 

We have also been trying to clean up our potential investigator lists. They contain people that have been contacted by the missionaries over the past 3 to 4 years. It has kept us plenty busy, and we have been able to meet some really nice people and hand out some Book of Mormons as well. We have also been trying to do a lot more less-active work lately. We have had some really good success. I have learned that reactivation is just as important as baptizing. Helping members get to the temple and keep the covenants they have already made is so important. There is this one family we have been working with called the Brazals. We are helping them get to the temple to be sealed. We always have good lessons with them and have had some awesome discussions. Brother Brazal also has a very strong testimony of God and Jesus Christ, but has a hard time keeping commitments. Hopeful his heart will be softened and he will see the importance of getting his family sealed in the temple. Brother Brazal is also really into working out, he is a pretty big dude! He always makes us do push ups, bicep curls or the ab carver after every lesson:)

 This week we also got to go to the temple!!! It was the first time I had been in over a year, and boy did it feel good. There is nothing like the spirit that is felt in temple. We went with this really cool member named Cameron. He had a really rough past, but turned his life around and is now one of the most Christ like people I know. I was so grateful that he was able to take us. What a blessing it is to be able to do work for the dead and to be able to provide them with all of the blessings that come from taking part in the ordinances of the temple. What a perfect and beautiful plan Heavenly Father has create!

Well I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you all stay safe this wintry season. 

Love,

Elder Griffin