April 14

Hey!

 

This has been another great and crazy week! I can't believe how fast the time goes now... I feel like all I do is run run run and then all of the sudden I am sitting back down to e-mail.

 

We had some really awesome things happen this past week...

 

Leatha had to have her baptism pushed back which was a good thing because she is ready but not quite yet (just little details that need to be ironed out). So she is getting baptized May 18th. It was great yesterday because after church she asked to talk with us and she had it figured out who she wanted performing the ordinances. She asked me to do the confirmation and I am so honored. I have done that one other time and the power that you feel is so amazing!

 

We also got a new investigator (Mercedes) that was handed off to us by the Spanish Elders. She is getting baptized on April 27th. She is so excited and really understands what she needs to do so that she get baptized.

 

There is also an investigator that the sisters in our district are teaching that lives in our area that is getting baptized on the 27th as well.

 

The work here is really taking off and we have so much that we need to get done... That Lord has really hastened the work and because of that the bar has once again been raised and it is amazing to see the difference in missionary work just over the past six months. Everyone seems to have missionary work on their mind. We have so much help from members that we never really have a dull moment. I would be just fine finishing my mission here. The only set back is that as of July 1st this area will be in the Salem Mission which would mean a new mission and new mission president... I am willing to go through that but would really prefer to not have to make that change for one transfer. I am also afraid that it might mess up me starting school but we will just have to wait and see... Everything happens for a reason and I am willing to do whatever I am asked.

 

In this ward we have several students that are attending Pacific University. Most of them are going into optometry. Our Ward Mission Leader (Bro Hughes) is from Nampa and just finished classes and is now on his way out for rotations so we had to get a new Ward Mission Leader. It was such a cool experience yesterday because when they set Bro Alletto apart they asked Elder Walker and I to stand in. I don't think that too many missionaries can say that they helped set apart their ward mission leader.

 

This past week we went downtown Portland. I feel about Portland almost the way I do Vegas (not as bad) but while I am there all I want to do is leave and go back to my little area that is safe and clean rather than big, dirty and weird. There are a few cool places though. The picture is in front of the smallest park in the world... It is in the middle of the road in downtown.

 

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

 

Dustin