you cannot cross this great deep save I shall prepare you

Hola.

So first week of the new transfer! The week's gone by pretty quick, all things considered. Its way different, but its good. It hasn't been too much of a struggle with Elder Miller at all, perhaps because we were in the MTC and we kinda know a bit about each other. That's nice. This will be a big growth and learning opportunity for him, serving in this position. But it will for me too because now I'm the guy in charge, which is funny because I still don't know that much. But I think a lot of missionary work is just doing something. If you have an issue, just do your best to solve it and do it. Do something. So we've been trying to do stuff. This week that has meant a LOT of tracting/contacting/finding. More than I've done in a long time. But it kinda feels good. It feels good to get home and know that we've really gone to work that day. Really been trying. Ideally we'd be spending our time teaching, but I think its good to have a little down time to fill with the "less desirable" parts of missionary work, to make the good parts that much sweeter. Ya know?

Anyway, we've been out and about a lot. Pretty slow week. But OH MY GOODNESS. The Lord has blessed us with AMAZING weather. No joke. Its been, well I have no idea what the actual temp has been, but basically it has felt like HOME! Ah man, every morning its been slightly cool. It has not been humid at all. FRESH! I LOVE IT! I take a deep breath sometimes and it takes me back to all these memories because I haven't breathed air like that in so long! Redfish lake, camping, hiking, backyard... ah man, its so great. I don't know how long it will keep up, but its been making me so happy. It really affects my moods! To feel super comfortable physically. Its lovely.

We've been all over our area this week, give or take, and in some places I haven't previously spent a great deal of time. Some parts are a little more dumpy, but its okay. I've felt this nice feeling of ... I guess I don't know what to call it. It feels good though. Content. Sometimes I feel like I'm somewhere in Europe or something. I was thinking the other day, as a missionary I get exposed to lots of different places. I was thinking to myself at one point, man, I sure am glad I don't live here ( in one particular town). Yet walking around in this town, I was enjoying myself. It was kinda strange to think on. I've been trying to get myself to love Connecticut lately. Not that I don't like it, but its kinda different as a missionary. I like it, but sometimes we get tired of seeing some of the same old things I suppose. But I've been trying to really love being here in as many situations as I can. I'm kinda just rambling on this one, but I like that I can just have a little taste for places. Especially ones that aren't so desirable. I get to know it a little, and can move on. Its a bummer to me that people get stuck in unfortunate places, but I was also thinking how lots of folks always seem to be displeased with where they come from. I remember people saying it in high school, I've heard people say it here - can't wait to get out of Connecticut. But it seems to me that people just need to change their attitude. Circumstances are circumstances, and unless you're going to do something about it, we have to learn to find some joy in them. Maybe were stuck for a while somewhere, but hopefully there is something we can take from it. Alright I'm done talking about this, it was totally random.

We had this great conversation with this old fella yesterday. We couldn't find an address and were walking around looking, and he asked us if we were lost. We explained our situation, and talked briefly, then we asked if we could leave him with a card (pass-along-card). He was like what kind of card? Then I asked him if he believed in God. Then we were there for like a half hour. It was sweet. This old guy wasn't about to listen intently to us, but did have a good exchange. He's done all his "research" and he thinks were polytheistic for not believing in the trinity. I wasn't about to get into the trinity with him, and I told him that, and that we could go back and forth about the trinity for an hour, and that it canNOT be clearly resolved by the Bible. So he asked us about some other things.

The point I want to make about this guy, is we could hold our ground without trouble. This guy thought he could shake our faith. Explain to us the errors of our ways. But we could stand there are young men and not only defend ourselves, but offer him some things to think about his own ways. It could easily have become a big bash, but I've become somewhat good at keeping things calm and civil. I will not argue with people. That's ridiculous.

Anyway, I thought about how next month it will have been two years since I decided to go on a mission. Since then...to this point now, I'd say I've probably gained about 88% of my gospel knowledge, and 98% of my testimony, of that which I currently posses. And my companion is in a similar boat. And I think its a miracle that we can stand in the street and not be shaken or confounded by a 70 year old guy who, I guess you could say knows his stuff. He had clearly studied many things out. And in two years, we can be blessed with knowledge and testimony to stand up to this guy without trouble. You know what I'm saying? Now in this situation, we were blessed. Things came to my mind that I know wouldn't have so easily in normal circumstances, but that's the spirit and it helped us. Nevertheless, I am amazed by how much the Lord blesses us out here to acquire the things we need, as we diligently seek them.

I love being able to stand strong in my faith. I love that I actually understand it (the Restoration of the Gospel)! I love feeling confident in any situation sharing it. And I loved that when I didn't have an answer for this guy that I could tell him that I just know it by the power of the Holy Ghost. And that he could too.

I could go on with details, many of which I don't really remember though, but in the end, the guy said it was cool to hear some of these things from people, instead of just reading about them (especially because much of what people read about us is false or skewed or ridiculous). So I think he felt something as we spoke with him. I would be impressed if a couple young kids started talking to me and could intelligently "debate" the things we were discussing.

What else...Elder Tanner. The boy is gone! I was really missing him those first few days. But there was work to be done and that was helping to keep my mind off it. There is just this special feeling I get thinking about him and Talitha. Everything we all experienced together. I guess I'd probably just call it Love. What special experiences we have as missionaries. They come very often (at least for me), but they provide that unexplainable joy when they do come. I wonder how many people in the world would say they experience times of Joy. Perfect happiness. I feel happy from things, but its always something that is accompanied by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that gives me those feelings of a fullness. Perhaps with the exception of family I suppose. I don't know.

Talitha said the other day that she could just feel the Holy Ghost. She could feel it all day, and she said she remembered me telling her that once she was given the gift of the holy ghost that she would feel it more. It felt really awesome that someone remembered something I said. I feel like we tell people so many things that its all gotta be a big mess in their minds. But I suppose they do remember some little things now and again. It that feels real nice.

Okay I think I'm gonna be done. Sorry, I feel like this email just a bunch of rambling nonsense. Kind of a different week, but a good one. We're totally in rebuilding mode. We've got hardly anyone to teach. One couple. So at least we got that.

Hope all is well! Its August already! Thats so wild! I can't wait for Fall. Fall is the illest. Plus Conference! Sweet!

Love you all! Hugs and smooches and stuff.

Elder Kunz