** Sorry everyone, I am 2 letters behind. Wedding plans have taken over my life haha! Enjoy his letters. He is so awesome!**
2/13/2012
Hello Everyone!
How is everyone doing today? I'm doing pretty good, It started to snow here last night but the weather for the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 50's so this snow will not last long at all! It's really not that cold right now and people are dressing up in thick thick layers, I guess that I'm just used to it from home. I think that is great that you have the missionaries over about once a week! It is a real blessing to do that, seeing that missionaries are broke for the most part, people that feed them really help out. Here, we have families that feed us on a certain day of the week every week. One of them is the Vivians, they are so awesome!!! They are a younger people in the ward and I have a lot in common with them, I can defiantly see myself hanging out with them when I come back to visit! Brother Vivians wife is investigating the church as well, she really likes it! Geez, that is really awesome news for home, I hope that Lauren has a good time out there. Also, I've heard of missionaries not telling you how long they have been out so they don't sound trunky, or so members don't make fun of the new missionaries by saying that they have a long way to go, but I didn't know that they would make it as a rule? That is a dumb rule if you ask me, but obedience is a must! and it's not a rule I have to follow thankfully. Yeah, be sure to follow up on who that missionary knows in this mission please, I'd like to know!! Oh, and if Peyton goes to Arizona, I'll flip out... in a bad way...
We had a pretty good week. We had to move our investigators baptism date to the 9th of March, Nothing bad happened, Just stuff has come up, they are not married yet and they want to be married before they get baptized, but they still love the gospel a lot! They have such a strong testimony of it, It literally radiates off of them! They are so ready! What I'm really excited for is in a year, they get to go to the temple and be sealed for all time and eternity and I will be there when that happens! Baptisms are great, but the real reward is when that happens! So I went on exchanges again this week to another missionaries area, and the missionary is brand new so his companion, the district leader, planned the whole day for us. Something that he planned for was tracting, when I heard that word, my eyes got really big. I haven't tracted for a long time, It wasn't because of a me being lazy or anything like that, its just because I've found more use full things to do other than that. I'd rather not tell you how long its been since I've gone tracting tho. Members still think that missionary work is all about tracting and it's really not! More effective ways are working with members and so forth.
There really isn't a whole lot to report this week. Its really just the usual stuff. We had to give a member in the ward a blessing, he is in a lot of pain and isn't doing too good, he asked me to give it and I don't tend to brag what so ever when I say this, but, it was probably one of the best blessing that I have ever given in my life, being in tuned with the spirit that much really helps. When It was done, he was in tears and I don't think it was because of the pain he was in. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel is so gung ho about missionary work. He told us that without the truthfulness of the gospel, he wouldn't be a member anymore. I am defiantly going to visit him when I come back also! I love this Gospel and for all that it has done for me. My testimony of it and of Jesus Christ has grown tremendously since I've decided to serve the Lord for the time that I have been given. I don't see how people could hate us or disagree with our beliefs so much, but notice how happy we really are as a family and as a person. I've met countless people who are strong in there own church but are really miserable. The church is true, and Jesus is the Christ. Joseph Smith was a true Prophet and he really did see the Father and the Son, all because he had the faith to know the truth. I Know how much of a blessing that this Gospel has played in my life and I will never leave it, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week! I'll be looking out for that package!
Love,
Elder Stuart
2/21/2012
Hey,
Wow, that was a pretty short letter lol it's all good. Before I begin the letter, don't send my package off until next week, I'm getting transferred and I don't know the address yet. But I will know it by the next time I talk to you. If you have already sent it, Elder Payne should be able to forward it.
Not much has happened here this week, I'm a bit ticked that I have to leave this area when things are starting to pick up and we have a baptism in a few weeks.... I've been telling everyone and no one is happy about it at all... I told the investigators that will be baptized in a few weeks and they are really sad about me leaving. I was even going to baptize one of them, but, what can you do? they threatened to kidnap me and hide me in there house. I told them I'd be fine with that. Oh well, I'm going to keep in contact with them through out my mission. In church on Sunday, Bishop got up and told the congregation that I'm leaving and asked if I could give a departing testimony, I was more than happy to do it. Mountain Home is a fantastic place to serve in, I love the people here and the work and it saddens me that I have to leave. It feels like I'm leaving my family. I'm coming back here to visit for sure when I get off my mission. Hopefully sooner than later tho, as long as I can save my pennies up! But, I'm going to go into my area with a positive attitude and hopefully this will be my last area ha ha! I'm going to Lebanon, Missouri they pronounce it "Lebanen" Not to be confused with the Middle East. My companion is going to be Elder Young and I will be split training him. So he is very green. You are trained for 12 weeks and followed up trained for 6 weeks and I'll be training him for the last 6 of the 12 weeks. I don't know a whole lot about this place, other then it's about 100 miles from Mountain Home. I guess that you get what you ask for. I asked President Merkley if I can train someone in the near future. He said it would be possible but he wants me to focus on what I am doing know. So, in a way, I am training! I'll be Elder Young's step-dad. President Merkley told me that has a lot of confidence with me being in the next area a split training. It's funny, I've been telling a lot of non members and less-actives that I am leaving and they are way more upset about me leaving then the members are. I've worked a lot with them. One non member wanted to pray for my before I left her house, I let her do so and she gave probably one of the sweetest prayers that I have ever heard before. She had so much love into it.
Well, Sorry that this letter is so short, Not much has happened this week. Expect a package in the near future with all of my winter clothes in it and some of my books. It is really tough to drag that around with me he he. Anyways, I love you all and wish me luck in my new area. Have a great week!
I Love you always,
Elder Daniel Stuart
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