...to enjoy that which they are willing to recieve...

Hey we had baptism! Two! This was kind of a rarity actually because the husband of this couple is a scientist! Its wild. So cool to see. Nicolas and Alexandra Carrasco. These two people are so wonderful! I was thinking this morning about it, how they have accepted the gospel. These two, when they first came to church, were greeted as members visiting from another ward. That's what people thought. They already looked like Mormons. What I mean to say by that is that they are happy people. Even without the gospel, they still have such great hearts, and are humble, salt of the earth style people. They were like that when we met them. But OH MY GOSH you should have heard the testimonies they bore at their baptism!! Especially Alexandra. Some of the members were commenting on how she has a better testimony than they do! Ha. It was incredible. An amazing conversion story. And what I mean to say by all this is that it is wonderful how the gospel blesses the lives of people who are having hard times and gives them hope, but the gospel blesses people who are already happy and in a good place in life too! Its not just a positive lifestyle or a nice way to live, or culture we are a part of. The principles we live are real! Its truth, and where truth is correctly applied, things get better. I know this, and I know it because I have experienced it myself, and observed it in others (Natasha too, I got an awesome postcard from her this week from Palmyra/the Sacred Grove and apparently she had some kind of incredible experience there!!!! I love it!!). And I feel it. I love being able to observe it in this couple. They were happy, but their testimonies not only told, but showed, that they are exponentially happier people with the gospel as a part of their lives. They were baptized without stubbornness of heart. Humbled without being compelled to be humble. Gosh, its amazing.

I wish I could recount what was said Saturday night at this baptism. I couldn't even come close. So much of it was by the Spirit. The story that Alexandra told of them coming into the church was unreal. These people were prepared. They have such pure hearts and righteous desires. I'm just full of love and gratitude thinking about it. Conversion is a miracle. Especially these days with so much confusion and philosophy and such out there. For people to be able to weed through it all and find the truth is really a miracle. I just look back at all of this and feel like I have done nothing! We just showed up and taught the gospel, coordinated a few things, and they were baptized. This is how it should be! We are truly but instruments in Gods hands. In this case I feel like the smallest most insignificant instrument there is. But again - I am thankful to be a part of this couple coming into the church. It was fantastic.

Baptism is an amazing thing. The sign we make that we will follow Christ. Its a seemingly insignificant action, but it carries such significant meaning, what we witness we will do. Its an eternal action. Its such a special thing. I barely comprehend it often times, but it is something wonderful. There has always been baptism.

We also had this SWEET leadership meeting this week. Not a typical thing, but they are making a lot of changes in the curriculum of missionary work, and we have to learn them and apply them. Still using Preach My Gospel and all, just sort of applying it differently. Or perhaps applying it more precisely is the better word. I'm excited, I like big changes like this, and it was a fantastic meeting. Super spiritual. Really good for the mission to hear. The Doctrine of Christ. 2 Nephi 31. This is our purpose as missionaries, and we are really trying to more effectively magnify it. Its great. Its really hard, but I love hearing it. It makes perfect sense. The gospel is insane. It is so perfect. Twould take an absolute genius to come up with this stuff. Everything works. Man could never come up with 10 percent of the perfection and genius of the gospel and its application to us in so many circumstances of life. It totally blows my mind and I LOVE IT!!

We are making some great progress with some other investigators too. Learning their concerns and trying to address them. There's this other couple, Gus and Brook. Gus has been meeting with Elders for a while, like 6 months I think, and he knows its true, just is a slow learner and has some complicated Word of Wisdom issues. His wife Brook though, she'd only met with us once before I got here and before that never really wanted to talk to us and would avoid us kinda thing I guess. Well now, a month later she wants to be baptized! Can you believe that! Almost everyone we're teaching was found right before I got here, and now they're all getting baptized. Alexandra and Nicolas, Talitha, and Gus and Brook. Gus and Brook will be a little while because of some stuff, but they're there. They get it. Its so cool.

Talitha. I don't know what to say about her that I haven't already said. She is amazing. She's flying out to Utah on Saturday to get baptized. Her dear friends who brought her into the church out here just moved away, and she wanted them to baptize her. Its a good thing. It really is. But of course it makes Elder Tanner and I want to CRY that we can't be there!! Seriously we've been making the program and its gonna be sooooo goooooood. Baptisms are so great! Such a special event. Every time we meet with Talitha its awesome. Something special happens. Everyone wants to be her friend. She has also seen the gospel completely change her life. Totally can't even believe it. Tuesday she basically quoted the scripture in DC 123, I think it is about not knowing the truth because she didn't know where to find it. I was thinking WOW you've got to be kidding me. She's never read that, we've never shared it with her, she just recognized the dilemna. It was SWEET. So cool my friends. So cool. Wonderful people here and I continually wonder how in the heck I have been so blessed for the Lord to place me here.

Well, what else... I love the gospel you guys. Its true. My heart has been full so much this week. Being a missionary is so dang hard! But its the best thing ever too. I was thinking about coming home and how different it will be. Suddenly I won't have 10 percent of the opportunities I do to serve other people. It will be all about me suddenly. I worry so much that I'll just get caught back in the game of life and start to forget all the things I've learned out here. Well, I don't really worry about it right now, just think about it from time to time. But I know what I need to do to keep myself straight, and I'm going to do those things. But being in the world again, it'll be wild man. Wild style.

A bunch more of my friends will be going home again next week! Its weird seeing the face of the mission change so much in these latter parts of it. And we have SO much young blood, but I think that's really good. All the less obedient and disobedient that were out here when I first came are pretty much gone, and I think that spirit's been about beat out of us. In hindsight, there were a lot of problems when I first got here. President Pehrson has done a really good job at shaping us all up. He's had to send a handful home, but for good reason. Now we have great opportunity to really rise up.

I can't think of too many random things right now, we've stayed pretty dang busy this week with a bunch of stuff, and this week looks to be the same. I get to go on an exchange with this kid I'm stoked to spend a day with. He's the "Assistant to the President" oh my gosh and he's a good Elder. I took his place when I came to Madison. He was trained there too. Real good kid. Elder Tanner goes to the Temple Thursday! He's done! He's been holding up SUPER well, which I am SO thankful for. I think its only due to these great people we've had to teach. I know plenty of Elders who pretty much loose all motivation their last few weeks. Ha. I'm going to miss Elder Tanner. He's hilarious. I am WAY curious who I'm going to get as a new companion. We were talking about how we are so seriously going to have to come back out here together when Alexandra and Nicolas get sealed in the Temple. That will be the most amazing thing in the world! To see something like that. One of the blessings of not going to somewhere like the Phillipines or Europe where it would be way harder to do that kind of thing.

Life is good everybody. Its gonna get a lot harder in about a week, but I need it. Its been cake for the past month. Way to easy. But SO good.

Love ya alls.

Elder Kunz