March 23, 2009 - Week Two

Hello hello!

I 've met some really, really nice people…Tracting still is not that awesome but I'm getting a little more familiar with it and hating it less. I don't hate it, it just is very ineffective. But we had some success with it yesterday, and actually taught a guy and his wife Saturday night that we contacted from tracting. So it’s not a total waste, just very, very low success rate. But this guy and his wife - he is awesome. Rick. He's been shot, had pancreatic cancer, he's been through it all. Been on his own since he was 14! But he has some serious faith in Christ. Hasn't really been going to church, was raised Catholic, but doesn't really agree with some of the things they do. He's looking for truth. He made like 99 of what I would call "golden" comments that you say to yourself, “Yes dude, I have the answer for that!” He's got a lot of potential and is just generally a genuinely nice guy who wants the best for his wife and fam.

This mission thing is such a roller coaster ride. So up and down and exciting and depressing and happy and frustrating and the like. I miss our kitchen and I miss Salt Lake and riding my bike and all the small simple things you don't think of.

We went for a run this morning. A longer one since it was preparation day. We went to Hamonasset State Park. It was sweet. We ran on the beach as the sun was coming up. Running on the beach is really cool. This place is gonna be so different in another month or two. But yea, the beach is great and I want to go swimming. Seriously. It was an awesome morning.

Conference is in two weeks and I can't wait. I really can't wait. I'm so excited for it. Prophets! All day! Gosh it’s going to be amazing. And two days before is Zone conference so it should be a good couple of days in Connecticut. I hope.

My companion is still good mostly. Except that he is basically the exact opposite of me behind the wheel. Where I am aggressive, he is passive. Situations where I am passive, he is aggressive. He also has to follow recipes to the T and gets paranoid if anything is off. Again, the opposite of me. But besides that I like the guy.

What else...I love you all so much! I have so many mixed emotions right now. But plenty of people told me it was going to be hard. It’s definitely hard. I haven't gotten to a part where I say its hard, but "this" makes it all worth it. Hopefully I will experience something like that. Right now I just have my endurance and knowledge that this is a good thing and will be worth it either way to keep me going. Everything is between you(me) and the Lord out here. No grades or payment or anything like that. But that’s quite motivating often times.

I'm forgetting tons of stuff I'm pretty sure, but it will come eventually I suppose. All is well, I'm figuring stuff out, the Lord is helping me/us, I'll be fine. I'm so thankful for all of you and who you have made me.

Love love love!
David