Behold the sign

Good morning folks!

Well what an incredible week its been! Ha, just kidding its been pretty regular. But I feel good and we're working hard. Things seem to be going pretty smooth. Still having trouble finding people, but there are a few right on the edge of us being able to start working with them on a regular basis. Patience is a virtue right?! Good things are worth waiting for, and all good things are a result of hard work. Whatever it might be.

So I got a fantastic letter from Natasha this week! Holy smokes it was so awesome! She'd been writing it for like 2 months so it had a bunch of stuff in it. This girl, my goodness, the Lord is just pouring out blessings all over her and it makes me so happy!!! Its amazing! I cannot wait to see her again and see what she's really like! Few more months and she'll have been a member for a whole year! Ah, I love it! Well anyway, she went to the Sacred Grove and had this fantastic experience there, an incredible witness that the gospel really is true and that God loves her, and an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for everything that has happened to her. She has been able to recognize that her life is like a hundred times better with the gospel and that ever since she came into it, she's happy now! I can attest to this in some amount, as I remember what she was like when I first met her. Its so incredible to see these transformations. No matter who you are or where you've come from, there is the sweet peace the gospel brings. Natasha was down in the dumps a bit, and it brought her out of it. Nicolas and Alexandra seemed to already be a happy little family, but now they are even higher! Its such a beautiful thing.

Anyway, Natasha, sounds to be in wonderful shape and I am so proud of her. I miss her so much! Oh - and she is officially in UTAH! That's where she sent me the letter from. Provo. Who'd of ever thought. I am so excited. She's gonna have a bit of a culture shock I'm sure, but she'll figure it out. So sweet!

I had two exchanges this week, stayed in Hamden for both of them though. Its fun to hang out with some other Elders though. I know them, but its good to get to spend some time with them and connect a little more. On one exchange I had a nice small experience. We were walking back from trying a referral, whose address didn't even exist (great), and we saw this guy spraying something in his back yard. We waved at him as we walked by. I considered going and talking to him, but kinda didn't feel like I needed to that bad. Well, then as we were getting in the car I started to feel more and more like we should go and talk to him. But I also knew that the further I got into the car, the harder it would be for me to say why don't we go talk to that guy and actually get back out of the car and do it. Its just how I am I suppose. But I got in the car, sat there for a moment, and finally got myself to say I think we should go talk to that guy. Again, I suddenly felt like we really needed to. So we walked back there and he wasn't there at first. He was sitting on his back porch so we hollered at him, and eventually asked him if he believed in God. He said NO. Anyway, we talked to him for 5-10 minutes about God and he told us all the reasons why he didn't anymore and we had a nice conversation. Ultimately, it didn't go anywhere. But I did enjoy the conversation. Who knows why I really felt like we needed to talk to this guy. I don't think he totally was athiest, I think he was just mad at God. He'd spent some time in wars and such. But yea, its not like were teaching him now, maybe we just said something that would make him really think. Who knows.

What I mean to say by all this is that I was pleased with myself for actually following the promtping. This is something I seem to struggle with sometimes. Is it the Holy Ghost, or is it me, am I just creating this feeling inside? Ya know? I used to wonder about these things a lot. Now I know the answer, but its still taking me time to really adapt it and make a habit of it. Whether its the spirit or not, one need only ask something to the affect of, Is it a good thing that I would be doing if I followed this feeling? Moroni 7 - Good things come from God. Bad things come from the devil. So really it doesn't matter if its the spirit or not. If its ultimately going to result in something good, then JUST DO IT! Why not, right? If its good its of God. Its from the Spirit. Of course the spirit would tell you to do something good. I tend to rationalize and justify and think too much. Go and Do, not sit and stew! Like I said, I'm still trying to really ingrain that in my head. It comes from Preach My Gospel and some talk by Elder Bednar. That guy is great.

So that is a super small and insignificant thing, but for me it felt great. Baby steps kinda thing. Following promptings.

The last two weeks I have had a wonderful time pondering during the sacrament. There is a special feeling to be had. There is so much to think about with the gospel. It really is infinite. Eternal. I love it! I've been feeling so extremely blessed lately for so many different reasons. A testimony is insane. We talked to this lady the other day who was all upset about her son who joined the church and got offended by someone. She said she believed in Christ and all that, but said that we couldn't know. We didn't see Jesus, so we can't be sure. Lots of people will say that kinda stuff. Well if I knew, then I wouldn't have any faith, would I. And there has to be faith. The Brother of Jared had faith no longer, for he knew. He saw with his eyes. Why do people get so bothered by this topic? Must we know? Is it not enough to have experience after experience that confirm what we put our faith in? I think people who feel like they can't know, just don't DO things. We learn by doing. Clearly. Do people expect God to show up and be like okay, this is how it all works. Now will you keep the commandments? Ha, sorry I'm ranting about this, it just frustrates me and also makes me laugh how confused and blinded people get. It really is easy to forget though. I'm not even talking about Mormons here specifically. Anyway, this lady we were talking to, I feel terrible for her. I feel terrible for a lot of the bitter people we talk to? Why so angry? Is there no hope for something better in you? And all this is perhaps one of the reasons I've been feeling so blessed lately. I will say that I know. A person may combat that, and they are welcome to. I guess what I do know is that whenever I DO the things the gospel tells me to, good things ultimately come. So that there is a confirmation to me, and it makes sense that I could come to a certain kind of knowledge of such a thing. Would I not be justified in saying I know that paying tithing will bring us fabulous blessings? I know that reading the scriptures will make me happier? I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true? By the same token doesn't it make sense that a person could know these things? Gosh, people are silly sometimes. Can experience after experience not confirm something we hope for, thereby giving us faith in a principle, something we can come to put our whole trust in? I think so. We do have to take that step into the darkness though oft times. Experiment. Why not give it a try, right? Around here I think much of it is "traditions of our fathers" that keeps people from trying. Too bad I guess.

Okay, I'm done. Ha, I feel like I haven't gotten on a little rant for a while. Hope you enjoy. Yea right. Testimonies are great. They feel good. But I guess we do have to earn it. Probably the most worth it thing in the world.

Well, I am happy out here. Its very wild to think where I'm at in all this. Such a wild experience. So many emotions. Sometimes I thinks its a big trick God plays on us as missionaries. We dream about going home, but when it gets closer, and when we get there, all we want to do is come back. Not all of us, but I know I am going to miss this with pain. Can't wait.

I love you all of course. Can you believe it September almost? I am quite excited for cool temps. The past two days have been warm, but before that it was super cool for a time. Oh, was it glorious.

Can't think of anything else smashing to say, so I'll say good bye.

Elder Kunz