above that of the kings of the earth.

This is the first week of the new transfer. We had a great transfer meeting on Tuesday, and said goodbye to Elder Rogers and some other excellent Elders I'll look forward to seeing again. It was a bummer to say goodbye to Elder Rogers, but actually it was really good too. I probably learned the most from him of all my companions and it was a huge blessing to serve with an Elder like him and have such an excellent example. But his suitcases have been out for the past two weeks and I was ready for him to take off and be done with the whole exodus of it. We sing God Be With You Till We Meet Again for the closing song every transfer meeting and there's only been a few times it really gets me inside. It got me a little for Elder Rogers.

But there's lots to be done here and Lord has blessed me much more than I imagined he would initially. Fasting and prayer. Turns out it works and I'm almost sad to say that it sometimes surprises me to receive such plain and obvious answers to prayers. I ought to expect it! Anyway, we had to give this leadership training to all the leadership in the mission Tuesday morning and the Lord seriously helped me. It felt wonderful. Everything flowed. I know preparation brings blessings. Transfer meeting was fun too. Fun to see all our mission friends.

That evening we got to spend with the departing missionaries and have a little testimony meeting, as is the tradition here. They are such spiritual evenings. It is so neat to see these Elders having completed good missionary service and being there in the anticipation of seeing their families. But its also kind of a pain because then we just leave and get back to work and it takes a minute to get back in the frame of mind. But its fine. This group was slightly unfortunate as they were supposed to fly out Wednesday morning, and we all awoke to about 16 inches of snow! It was a winter wonderland! I loved it but I hated it because we had to stay inside almost all day! We couldn't drive our cars. I wanted to go play in the snow. Lots of people were saying they haven't seen this much snow in CT for many years. It was awesome. I felt like I should be out with my snowboard setting up rails and drops and all that fun urban shred boarding stuff we do. Connecticut is beautiful in white. I love it. I love Connecticut.

So my new companion came to my "farewell" and I'm sure I've mentioned this many times by now. His name is Elder Burbidge. David Burbidge, from SLC. Sugarhouse even. He is pretty much amazing. He's hilarious. Seriously hilarious. Its so much fun. He's a great Elder too so I'm extremely blessed. I have been so blessed with companions. Had a few challenges but they were all good in some way or another. I love all my companions. So many good people. Our mission is excellent right now. Its changed so much since I came out and its so good. When I came the culture was laziness. Now its like, lets get out and do this. Or something like that. Its been really sweet to see the transformation, as Elders go home and new ones come in, and constantly trying to change attitudes and instruct on different things. The Lord is preparing this land for a Temple and we're seeing it. A lot of good people are just popping up. A TON of good people are joining the church. Our mission isn't baptizing as many people as they have in years past, but so many of the baptisms have been some really wonderful solid people. Truly converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love it!

We had a great appt with our investigator Mary. We haven't been able to sit down and have a good visit with her for a while, her life is pretty chaotic with a bunch of garbage that you feel really bad people have to deal with. Anyway, we taught her the plan of salvation. But it was more like we just needed to teach her something and then ask her a few questions. She's one of these ladies who generally agrees with everything we say, but hasn't had any kind of spiritual witness so when we ask her to do serious things, she's not so committed. She really wasn't grasping this significance of the Restoration. The Spirit was with us and somehow we guided her through it and helped her to understand the loss of authority and some of the other significant points of what that would mean. It was great. She didn't just snap right into it, but she understood what we were really saying and realized that she really did need to put some serious thought and prayer into it all. That is exactly what I wanted for her. We had so many good questions to just guide her to her own self discovery of it all. It was great. It feels so wonderful when it all flows. It was a testimony of DC 50:13-22. I think that's the reference.

Sunday she didn't come to church for some reason, which was a bummer because we had set a baptism date with her and we'll probably have to move it back another week. I may not be able to see her get baptized if she doesn't start being more consistent, but we'll do our best. Its so strange when people tell you like crazy they are coming to church (or are going to read the Book of Mormon or do anything for that matter) and then they don't show up. Its silly what comes up. Sometimes its actually crazy what comes up in people's lives. Week after week, never making it to church. Dang. Anyway, Mary needs to get an answer and get baptized. People don't know what they're missing. Ha, isn't that the truth. Perhaps none of us know what we're missing in our own respective ways.

Also taught Rob, and Rob continues to be absolutely amazing and I can hardly believe it and every time I sit there listening to him say the closing prayer thinking "are you for real?!" He really just needs to get baptized, whether in Avon or Bloomfield I don't care he just needs to come to church a few weeks and DO IT! That's what I told him. Another baptism I may miss, but will be an amazing thing to know takes place. Wonderful people.

So I wrote half of this this morning and had to take off for a while and come back and finish it so I'm kinda out of the mode now so I'll wrap it up. The snow is great, the mission is changing, my companion is perfect, the Lord is helping me, more than I thought, big things in the pipeline, learning more and more, highs and lows, I want some shoes, I want to play music, I don't want to be bored, tomorrow is 23 month mark, not that I'm counting, that's crazy, two years probably just about right, but would stay another, hope things are good and everyone is smiling. Rob described everything that being "set apart" as a missionary entials without knowing it as he tried to vocalize how he saw us. It was amazing. I don't even see myself that way. God has a plan. Might as well be on his side. The rules protect us. Duh. Love!

ELder Kunz