Dear Family,

    How grateful I am to be able to email my wonderful family every week, being a missionary is hard... but being reminded of all of the love and support that I have from back home makes it so much easier!  I miss you guys like crazy!! and I can definitely tell that these next two months are going to be especially hard, but I really liked what you said in your email mom.  It's good to know that even though I am away from my family, I can help others so they can be with their families for eternity.  I really struggle (and am still struggling with) missing home, and my awesome family.. but I think it has helped me understand what other people might feel for eternity if they can't be with their families.  

         This week was really rough.  In our stake we are pushing for 100% baptismal invites and 50 Member present lessons a month in our zone.  So Elder Tirrell and I set up 8 solid member present lessons for this week that would really help out the zone.  I felt really good about it and was excited to teach all of these people, but all of our lessons flaked out on us.  It was really hard and frustrating cause I felt like I had done everything right and yet we still didn't get to teach any of those people.  Then in Personal Study I was reading and I found something to help.  It said " Your success as a missionary is not defined by the number of people you seek, find, and teach.  It is measured by your commitment to seek, find, and teach everyone that will listen".  That's probably not exact but it's pretty darn close, and it really brought peace to my mind and helped me realize that if I'm putting my full effort into seeking, finding, and teaching, then I am a successful missionary in the Lords eyes. 

       We have been teaching this guy for the past 3ish weeks, his name is Moses Chege, He is 29 and he moved here with his family from Kenya.  He is a trip!  He's way energetic, and slightly A.D.D. (sound like anyone you know?) and he just loves us coming over and talking "about Jesus" hahaha he is way open minded and way fun to teach.  He also loves to write music and sing!  You could definitely pray for him.  Pray that he will have a desire to know the truth.  He said right now he doesn't disbelieve the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith, but he just isn't at that point where he wants to know...  Pray that he will have that desire.  There are a bunch of other people that you can pray for, but I don't have time to give you a story on all of them, so I'll just give you their names :)  Investigators: Hanna Lamphere, Juanita Beaty, Myranda, James & Susan Dodd,  Jeanne Howe, Scott, Celeena & Daniel, and Wanda Lee.  Less Actives: Scott Cromwell, Owen Peters, Rhonda Cavanaugh, and Gena Walker.

Man I love you guys and miss you tons, and I hope that you all have a fantastic week!  oh and here's my new address! sorry I thought I had already sent it to you guys. (and yes It would be best to send packages to that address :) )

11 Chase Gayton Dr. #1325

Richmond, VA 23238