People matter more than things

Yea this week was another tough one. But my attitude was like a thousand times better so it didn't feel like such a bad week. I really just wonder sometimes about the activities we do. Like, there has got to be a better way to do this! A more effective way to do missionary work in the short term. You can waste so much time tracting if your heart isn't into it, and it is starting to get really difficult to stay consistent with that. Waterbury man. This place is strange.

Sometimes when I'm down I look at people I see who obviously have it way way way worse than I do and think to myself, well, it could be worse. I could be that guy. Maybe thats not nice. Earlier this week during companionship study I was talking to Elder Mansfield about some stuff and found out that he hadn't been praying before he would study. This is one of the most basic obvious things to do when you study! I couldn't believe it and was talking to him about it and shared an experience that I had had that helped me to know and understand and have a testimony of this principle of how prayer helps us learn as we study. I felt this huge sense of gratitude that for some reason I actually had had an experience with it that I could share with him. I felt super grateful that for some reason the Lord had blessed me in that sense. I felt grateful for so many things that I have been given that Elder Mansfield has not. Desire. Motivation. An attention span. Memory. Comprehension. The list goes on a really long ways unfortunately. It just makes me wonder why me. And why not him. Why are these things so hard for him? Why is that his cross to bear? Proportionally we both probably struggle and suffer a similar amount. I just stress and worry about different things. Something like that. So sometimes I just thank God that I am not the boy who is next to me. Again, I know that sounds terrible and I feel bad saying it, but it makes me very grateful and thankful and humble for who I am and how blessed I am in my life.

So... what else...the weather is cold again, today it is raining. We got a huge deduction on our miles per month so we gotta be more careful where we drive. But there is a real nice looking bike down in our basement that as far as I know is up for grabs so maybe I'll start riding that. Why don't I talk about some good things. Members here feed us a lot. There are some very nice people here. The ward is like, 90% converts, probably more, no joke, so things are a little different than the typical way things run. Or at least are supposed to run. We got a new frying pan that is like a hundred times better than the awful one we had. They still make Honey Bunches of Oats with peaches which is my most favorite cereal in the whole wide world. I hope they don't discontinue it due to a lack of sales or something. I get to pick up my suit from the dry cleaner today so it'll be all nice and pressed and creased and will look real good again. There are some buds on a lot of the trees now, so spring is nie. Great. I'm not sick, which is great because being sick is not as enjoyable as not being sick. I learned some stuff this week that was cool and I continue to gain good insights into the things I study and I really look forward to studying more for myself when I get home. I love the gospel. I'm learning stuff. I still have plenty of socks. I never run out of money because I'm good at spending wisely and people feed us a lot. Church is wonderful and I always feel really good there. I made a really really good smoothie yesterday that tasted so delicious. For all these reasons and more, life is good. I am blessed.

I think I'm just in a tough time here right now and I look forward to General Conference for some spiritual recharge. I'm having some struggles with my companion. He will really surprise me sometimes, but I feel like he's the type of Elder thats gonna have to be babysat for 2 years. Again, I'm real happy to be me. So many things he just doesn't care about. So many things just don't bother him. Strange. I am not that kind of person, but that doesn't mean that my way is the right way or anything like that. I'm just having a tough time knowing where to direct him these days.

Okay I gotta stop or you'll probably all think I'm depressed. I"m not. I'm happy. I'm happy! Yay! This week should be good. It should be great! Happy!

I love you all so very much and am so thankful we are a family. The Kunz family.

Love Elder Kunz

Just because you haven't been to, and seen Japan doesn't mean its not there! That's like faith.