09/09/09

This was a good week. Elder Boyce went to the south part of the mission and my new comp is Elder Petersen and he is really cool. He's 6'5! He is really tall. So when we went to Concordia with my old comp we went to the baptism the zone leaders had and it was pretty cool. And I felt really sick so I drank boldo it’s a type of tea but its and all natural herbal tea and its approved to drink. so I drank that and I still felt sick like I wanted to throw up but didn’t and Elder Boyce left and that night and I woke up in the morning and I had a killer pain in my lower back and upper legs and waist it was growing pains so I’m going to come home skinny and taller you guys aren’t even going to recognize me in the airport. That I felt sick it took a couple of days to pass but I’m good as new now. So this is my 4th transfer here in federal I will be here for 5 and a half months but its cool. Tonight and tomorrow we have divisions with the assistants to the president and Friday is zone conference so it should be cool and fun. It’s weird to think that I have almost knocked on all the doors of all the houses in this area. This is a town of about 24,000 people and I know this town better than Bend its crazy I’ve been down every street. I don’t think I will ever forget this area. So it’s been good I got a lot of the street names memorized and I’m getting my comp affiliated with the area and I’m hoping to get at least 3 more baptisms and all we need is the people to go to church so it will be good. This week we went by some in-active families houses. The branch is really starting to do home and visiting teaching which is a huge key to getting and keeping people active in the church. The family Borda has 3 kids that can get baptized and the kids want to get baptized they just have to go to church. We went by them yesterday and it went good. That is really the only family right now. Right now we are really working on getting investigators basically finding people by references from members and contacting. it’s funny we have an hour of personal study every day and I always read the scriptures and I finished the triple a while ago and I’ve been reading the New Testament and I’m in Acts right now. It’s amazing how much you learn and how much you learn about the people and how they haven’t changed that much when it comes to hard heartedness. And how quick people are to forget or how people just don’t understand. Mind you nobody is perfect but all God asks is that we constantly try to live better and constantly pray. All we have to do is ask for help and he will help us. It’s amazing how easy it is to change when you want to change. Just read the first part of the New Testament with the Apostles and how they were so slow to understand the parables that Jesus taught and how a lot of people today don’t understand them without the scriptures explaining them. But if you pay attention you understand it. Just like I have really started to understand the Temple and the symbolism in them but it is all in the scriptures and if you read it close and slow you see it right there. Sometimes it takes a couple of times reading it but its right there. It has been really hard in my mind lately I really want to be a temple worker even if it’s in Portland it would be worth the 3hr drive each way once a week just for the learning and understanding you gain. My ultimate goal is to live close to a temple when I get home I really want to go to the Temple every day. and I know it is possible. People say it’s not possible but it is if you live close to one. I have really learned a lot on my mission so far not just about the gospel but the importance of a Ward or Branch mission plan and Ward or Branch mission leaders etc. It is all so important and all of it working together is even more important and how it is really important to have real faith and the willingness to act on that faith is even more important and how you should never ever let a somebody impede you from eternal salvation even if you don’t like a bishop or stake president or anyone else. It doesn’t matter who they are you just need to love them like Christ would and help them and pray for them all you can like the scriptures say. And don’t let a enemy impede you either like the scriptures say love they enemy and pray for them. Sometimes I don’t think the members really understand missionary work and how it is in all aspects of the church- home teaching, visiting teaching, etc. and the importance of a mission leader in your branch or ward they are the biggest part of a ward because they usually know the ward and the they are a huge key to activating and finding people for the church. I just hope to continue serving in the church after my mission because I have learned a ton. And the trick is to never take it for granted. Well I better go I love you all and tell everybody I love them and I will talk to you next week. Love Elder Herold