Happy New Year!

Familia!

 

What a great week! I think I officially realized this week that every week in the mission is the best week of my life haha. We had to be in by 6pm on New Year's Eve for safety, so we did some planning and I had a few minutes to set some goals for 2016 and review how 2015 went. IT WENT TOO FAST! I can't believe how quick that year went by! But I am looking forward to 2016 and making it the best year yet. I didn't manage to stay up to hear the fireworks go off, I was fast asleep by about 10:45 haha. It's a good night if I can manage 7 1/2 hours of sleep, so I didn't want to lose any of that time! Haha

I appreciate the Hickory Farms package! Haha that was a fun one to get. How did you remember how much I enjoyed getting those things at home? Also, thanks for the great email, Mom! You're the best! I'm getting a letter sent your way, so keep an eye out for that later this week. No opening it until Monday though! Hopefully it doesn't get lost or stolen. Sounds like Dad had a good time snowshoeing up to the cabin! I always felt like the school year flew by once we were back after Christmas, so make the most of it!

 

We taught a guy named Alexander and his wife, Claudia, this week. They are both awesome! Alexander has struggled in the past with some real tough addictions, but he is a good man. He said he remembers seeing missionaries walking around in El Salvador when he was there as a boy. They were both extremely interested in us and what we do as missionaries. We taught the restoration and the Spirit present in that small home was so powerful! It's kind of sad because they're moving this week just barely on the other side of our boundaries, but some missionaries are going to get to teach a great couple. I always get excited when we teach the restoration to someone for the first time and I get to recite the first vision and bear my testimony of it. I remember being so nervous to share my testimony in front of others, but now there is almost nothing I love more! I know that Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and that he was called as a prophet. I've seen so many blessing from that sincere prayer!

 

 We're working with some others, but still haven't been able to get anyone to church. This week will be the week though! We've got good things coming our way! We have Zone Conference this weekend, and I'm stoked for that, it's always a revelatory experience. President Weidman said something this past week that impacted me. We were at a Mission Leadership meeting and a new rule came out that we won't be having any more departing missionary firesides. Previously, at the end of ever transfer, the departing missionaries would bear their testimonies and there would be some musical numbers and things like that. With Elder Oaks being the executive of the missionary department, he has asked that meetings like that be discontinued in order to increase effectiveness. When President announced it, one of the Sisters asked, "But will we still have the one at the end of this transfer?" And he responded, "In the California Los Angeles Mission, we are immediately obedient." That removed any doubts or questions I might have had. What a hero!

 

Have the best week! MAKE it the best! I love you all!

 

Elder Reynolds