Success

Being busy is not an indicator of success; remember that.

Cool thing #1: Tito is continuing to progress. He told us when we visited him that he was reading from doctrine and covenants and he explained to us what he learned from the section he had read and it was clear it made sense to him! He said that he feels the spirit and that his days are going better. He was interviewed for the priesthood and really enjoyed his interview with the Branch President. Tito said he is a really nice guy and helpful and he likes him a lot! That was a good thing to hear cause it means he has started off on the right foot with president and will go to him when he needs to in the future without hesitation. Tito has a great understanding of the need for repentance and that it’s something we all need to do all the time, and that's why we have church and the gospel. After his interview he told us how he was going to have responsibilities to pass the sacrament and how he needed to look nice for it (so president is gonna buy him a nice shirt) he then told us "that means that I've really got to be here every Sunday then!" and we said, "yeah!"

Cool thing #2: Ben almost accepted a baptismal invitation. He is kind of committed to finding out if what we are teaching him is true. (Which really is a big step up) the spirit is in the lessons a lot more than before and he understands a lot better. It’s nice to have Ira there to help teach. Ben has come to church twice. He was supposed to come yesterday but Ira said he wouldn't come cause he was sleeping. Lame.

Cool thing #3: I kinda got to be an office elder again on Friday. The Lees and the Scotts are going home (senior missionary couples) so we packed up all there furniture and put it in a truck and went to Ridgewood in Brooklyn and put it in a church basement. It took all morning (I thought it was going to take a lot longer) but we were finished by 12! we got back to our area by 1 and were done eating a huge buffet, courtesy of Elder Scott and Elder Lee, and got home by 3. It was a nice switch up from what we have been doing. I'll miss both senior couples. :( they were really great. I didn't say goodbye to the Scotts cause I’m just not down with goodbyes any more. I'm more of a "quit acting like this is the last time we'll see each other" kind of guy. If I don't see them in this life (which for some reason just doesn't sound like the case) I’ll see them in the next one. No need to get all sappy and then shake hands (cause we're missionaries) instead of hugging... or what-naught.

Cool thing #4: Jose and Marta Santos and the newest members of the branch. Their home has a different feeling in it now (i went on a mini exchange to go teach them with Elder Sanford last night cause of complications). Jose is a different guy and much more humble and accepting and willing to learn. He told us after he was baptized he felt like a blind man who could now see more because he wasn't looking with his eyes but listening and feeling with his heart. Cool! Ha-ha. Then last night he told me that after he received the gift of the Holy Ghost he has been full of the spirit (as he should be). He said everything is lighter and he feels like a child, "protected". So we discussed how he keeps that feeling is by taking the sacrament every week and making sure that he keeps true to the covenants described in the sacrament prayers. I showed him where they were in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. Anyway, much more than I can explain, it was all the spirit. Basically we were both edified. :)

Brother Mills our Coordinator is finally back from vacation.

We have been working a lot on getting the wards and branches involved in our work and also us as missionaries working around our members (working smart). So that’s been cool, but there is a lot more to do before it really becomes our culture. Mostly I think some of us older missionaries just have to die for it to take hold completely. The work really is a big rough stone rolling and growing. It’s pretty cool. It gets better and better and more and more efficient.

Anyways, please pray that I will have the desire to work out in the morning, cause I hate it...
There was more I wanted to say but it left me. Sorry.
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-Elder Samuel Austin Morris