November 12

Hey Family!!!

Sounds like life is still happening! I love that everyday we all get the chance to wake up and decide what we are going to do with the day. We are really super blessed in all that we have. Yesterday in Gospel Principles I was talking with a man who isn't a member of the church and he was just going on and on about how hard life can be and how people stole all of this money from him etc. and I couldn't help but think about all that we have been blessed with. We have our lives, family, friends, the church, the gospel, a beautiful world and most of all our Savior Jesus Christ. When we really think about the blessing that it is for us to be able to have all of the unfairness of life made fair through our Savior Jesus Christ in the next life. When we go out and talk with people a lot of the time we see that the "grind" of life has really gotten to them. I just want everyone to know and feel the happiness that I get from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In our mission we refer to the Atonement as the MIT or the Most Important Thing. When you look at the eyes from the perspective of the Plan of Salvation you really see that none of the small things matter. 

We had a really great week here, We were able to set a baptism date with Jeff. He is going to be baptized on January 5th! It is a little further out than I would have liked but he wants to be very sure that he is ready for baptism. He is really accepting the gospel into his life and wants to make changes that will bring him true happiness in the end. I am probably going to be coming up next year when Jeff goes to the temple for the first time. It is awesome how much love you get for those that you have the honor of sharing the Gospel with.  I think that it might be the closest that we can come to knowing how our Savior feels about us! We also had a first lesson with a less active/part member family. We have been fellowshiping them and we had Brother and Sister Metler come with us yesterday and it went SO great! She seems really open to the Gospel and keeps talking about how the spirit is telling her that she needs to make changes in her life. We are hoping that she will be ready for baptism about the same time as Jeff. 

I love my mission right now. Attitude and the spirit are so important in sharing the Gospel and it is great to know that what I am doing will effect the eternities. I hope and pray that we will continue to "have success in bringing them again unto [Him]." (Alma 31) I know that this work is the work of the Lord and that there are so many things that I could be doing right now but this is exactly where I need to be and where I want to be. Thanks for all that you do for me!!!

Love Dustin 

November 4

Hey!!

This past week has been good. We have had a few set backs... Tuesday Elder Byam popped a tire on his bike so we were on foot for a few days and then we decided to ask for permission to go to the store and get it fixed that we could have use of our bikes again. So we get that and then I decided to put a little air in my tire because it was a little low... well the valve stem was broken so when I put the pump on, it broke off. So now I had a flat. So we called and got permission again and got my bike fixed... But now my back tire is leaking so we have to get that fixed today. So frustrating.

Other than that though things went really well with Jeff this past week. We taught him the Plan of Salvation (Elder Byam did really well) and he said that it was perfectly clear. I love that because that means that we are teaching for his understanding:) Then on Wednesday he called his mom and told her that he was "probably" going to be baptized and she supported it:) Then he called us on Saturday to ask us if we wanted a ride to stake conference, sweet! But wait... He is visually impaired!! We are getting a ride to church from someone who cant really see... Scary! So we get in the car and the first thing that he says to us is that up until he was 36 he was considered legally blind. That isn't the first thing that you want someone to tell you when you get into that car with them. But we live to tell the tail so all is well. The other exciting thing is that he asked me to be the one that helps him in and out of the font (due to the fact that he can't see) so that should be cool. Now we just need to get him to accept a date.

We also this past week had a part member family that we took to the Visitors Center up at the temple accept the invitation to take the lessons and they seem really excited about it. There has been a lot of great fellowship in the ward which really makes it easier to come into the Gospel.

It is fun to be a part of this great work and to see the Lords hand in others lives. Thanks for all the love and prayers

Love Ya'll

Dustin  

October 28

Hey!!

I am glad you got the package. The hats are for the kids yes but as I was packing them up I think that they might be too small so if they are sorry. The brown ones are for the boys and the blue for the girls. Elder Byam and I are going to be making 14 beenies for our district for Christmas. This past week we got almost three done so I think that we will make it.

The work here is going really well. The ward is way excited and happy. We saw Jeff this past week and showed him Elder Hollands Mormon Message "Safety for the Soul" and after we watched it he said "By the way I just wanted to tell you that I have decided to join your church and get baptized. (pointing to me) You closed the deal." The big joke in the ward is that I am the "Closer" because I have a way of being.... well lets just say bold. I really have never had problems expressing what I think/ want. The members love it because  I am bold but still loving.The Halloween party was great here. They really went all out and had a fear factor which included live cockroaches that Sis Schoonmaker went into Portland and bought. It was awesome though! We had Jeff there as well as three other part-member families that we have been working with. It was fantastic!

Really funny story. We were helping Bro LaBar (who is so awesome) with a move and he was telling me that he bought a new 55" LED TV without asking his wife. So he asked if after the move we could come over and help him set it up. So we did and needless to say Sis LaBar isn't super happy with it but the entire thing was so funny just because of everything that had happened. Also yesterday we were on our way to church and we had just started up the three mile long hill to the church and Elder Byam said that he forgot his jacket so we had to turn around and and go back. We were riding really fast down the hill and the light turned red so Elder Byam slammed on the brakes and stopped but my bike is a road bike so when I slammed on the brakes all that happened is that my back tire slid out to the side and I was sliding. Super funny and scary because I was sliding into a really busy intersection but somehow I got stopped and didn't even fall over. It was great!! Plus we were still on time for church.

Thanks for all that you do for me! I love you all very much! Have a great week!!

Love Dustin