February 3

Hey! 

I cannot believe how fast the time really flies. It seems like I was just transferred to Tualatin yesterday and now I am probably down to my last two weeks in this area... Where does the time go???

Sounds like things there are going great. Busy as ever... I really think that is what keeps our family going and keeps us young and healthy. The more people that I meet the more I am convinced that as soon as you stop you die... so everyone needs to just stay really busy. 

Things here have been going really well. We have been loosing our teaching pool which is really sad to see it simmer out but there will be more that come. As a result we have been spending a lot of time trying to work with the members in the area and get them excited to be missionaries. It is fun because we get to build a lot of great relationships. I think that is one thing that would be really hard about serving in ID is that you work with so many members that you really don't get a chance to spend very much time with any of them.

Jeff is still doing well. He is getting friends at church and is learning the culture of the church. I am amazed at how much someone changes as they come into the church. I have no doubt that he will be a strong member for a very long time. 

We are still working with the part member family. It is going well but not as fast as I would like. I am still not the most patient person in the world. They were sick all week so we were not able to meet with them but we were able to go to WINCO today with the Dad. That was great because food in Tualatin is almost double what it is everywhere else.

Things here are still going great. I love to see people and to be able to build relationships with them. I love the gospel and all that it brings to me. I have really been focused on how the gospel brings me happiness and peace I love it!!

Thanks for all that you do for me!!!

Love Dustin

January 27

Hey!!!

That's cool that you are getting snow:) It has started to rain here again. We had a few weeks of dry (as dry as Oregon gets) and cold but it is now mid 40's. 

We have had a very interesting week... Nothing seemed to go according to plan (which is the norm). On Tuesday I was not feeling to well in the morning but I got up and we walked up to our meeting at the church. We were there until about 1:30 and then we were walking back down and then I got really light headed and had to focus on breathing. So I told Elder Byam that we needed to go home so that I could lay down before I fell down. Luckily after sleeping for a while I felt better... who know what was wrong but its all good now:) Then on Wednesday we had a temple trip:) Those are awesome (I love the temple here but I think that Idaho Falls has a better one but I am probably bias) We had an appointment at two that we were going to be late for but it was going to be ok... until our ride didn't come until after four. The last part of the week went pretty well though. It ended up being one of those weeks were everything that you had planned fell through but everything that you haven't been able to get to work just fell into place. 

Thursday we were able to meet with a girl that we tracted into in October or November. She was baptized last May in Caldwell and then moved here and hasn't been to church since. and then She came to church Sunday and we are meeting with her again this week!! 

We were also able to set up a lesson with Mai at the Silliman's house tonight. That will be great because we have not been able to meet with her since the first. It is hard for me to not get frustrated and remember that just because I have my life dedicated to missionary service doesn't mean that everyone else has their life dedicated to listen to what I have to share (even though what I have to share is the greatest thing). 

I think that the miracle of the week though is once again the part member family. We met with them twice this week... once at their house and once at the temple visitors center. It was great and we just let her take the lead at what we looked at and how long we spent at each place. It went really well. Then they came to church yesterday (their daughter was wearing the dress that we got her)!!! There is no doubt in my mind that she will get baptized. While we were at the temple that was all that I could think of was them coming and getting sealed as a family. I hope that I will get to be a part of that.

Jeff is also still doing really well. He called us on Thursday because he hadn't hear from us and he was worried that something might be wrong (that is what happens on a crazy week). So we went and visited him. He is excited to go do baptisms at the temple. He will be a great life long member. 

I love the story of the Savior teaching his apostles after he was resurrected. Each mission president has a theme for the mission so in this mission under President Dykes it was DO THE HARD THING and then President Morby came and now it is LEAVE YOUR NETS. The theme comes from when Christ told Peter to leave his nets and "Feed My Sheep." So we are to leave our "Nets" (iPhones, iPads, cars, friends, family, etc.) and feed His sheep. I love it! 

Thanks for all that you do for me!! I love you all!!!

Dustin

January 

Mt Hood

Visit to Mt. Hood.  Dustin says the snow is very different!

The wood walkway behind Dustin's apartment with snow on it!  :)

January 20

Hey!!

 

This week has gone by really fast. It always seems that there is something going on and something that we need to do. I have to honest though as I look back over this past week there really isn't too much for me to report on. We have really spent a lot of time working on the "Rescue" and trying to find people to teach that have gotten lost. That is a major focus right now in our mission and especially within our ward.

 

But there were a few really cool things that happened this week though. Jeff got the Priesthood on Sunday which was really cool. It is really interesting to me how much it means to him. Growing up in the church boys just get the priesthood and that is all there is to it. But that isn't something that Jeff has grown up with so he is so honored to have that opportunity to be part of that brotherhood of God. It really makes me think how much being a holder of the priesthood should mean to me.

 

We have also been working with another family to try and get her to accept a baptismal date but they haven't been keeping any of their commitments to read... So we committed them to read the Book of Mormon everyday as a couple. We set up that we would send them a text every night and remind them to read and give them a "scripture of the day." Well on Sunday they didn't make it to church so we were really disappointed about that but then during Sunday school we got a text from them saying that their 2 year old had a really bad cold and that is why they didn't make it to church. Also in that text they said that they decided to give us the daily scripture reminder and gave us a scripture to read. That was so cool!!

 

Today was really fun. We were talking with Sister Metler last Monday and talking about how we were missing the snow. So today the Metlers took us up to Mt. Hood so that we could see/play in the snow. That was really fun but really different than the snow in Idaho. It was really wet and mostly ice. It was still a lot of fun.

 

Thanks for all that you do for me. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve the Lord. I love you all so much!!

 

Dustin