11-17-08

Hey Y’all,

This last week has been pretty sweet. We’ve been working hard finding and teaching and our investigator pool is looking pretty good. We have been talking to a guy named Mike for the whole time we’ve been out. He was tracted into probably a year ago and hadn’t shown much interest since then. He just let the missionaries in since they didn’t try to push beliefs on him or condemn him for not immediately accepting the message. He had never let any Jehovah’s Witnesses or any of the local church people in, but he liked the elders so they would come over and talk with him, not even religiously most of the time. He’s got a mullet, he has been to prison, he likes the Raiders, and he’s awesome. The prison was self-defense in a 1-on-6 situation dealing with a gang. Since we’ve met him, we’ve been over to his house a few times and he hadn’t shown a whole lot of interest. Last time we were there, we talked a little and I gave him a Book of Mormon and since he had an issue with faith, I gave him Alma 32 to read. We saw him a couple days ago and started doing his first lesson. He cleared off his table and said how the chapter really hit him and how he was excited to learn more. He told us halfway through how he felt a tingly feeling and how he felt a load lifted from him. We taught him the first discussion and it couldn’t have gone any better. He had been so perfectly prepared that I was almost in disbelief. He was excited to learn about each principle in the first lesson. Very cool because he was never able to be taught before because of a lack of interest. He told us how he wanted to get the kids baptized and how he didn’t want them baptized Catholic like his wife, and so naturally I said we could help him with that. He’s pretty much on date and we’ll teach the whole family next time, which was his idea. He’s all, “Do you think you guys could come over a couple times a week and teach my family?”

Things are falling into place when last transfer they weren’t. Today we put a guy on date and found a new investigator all in about 20 minutes. Last transfer we didn’t put anybody on date. Same area, better results, and it’s because we’re more focused and obedient.

Things are going well up here. Brian has been reading the Doctrine & Covenants and has fallen in love with it. He called us at 7:15 one morning to tell us. He’s not comfortable with the idea of a single true church, but he’s still coming along pretty well. He’s running out of money so he might go back into the forest, but we’ll dunk him before that happens, probably in the river.

I had my first baptism, because of the Spirit too. Mallory got baptized on Sunday. Perfect timing. The grandparents get into town, next afternoon we show up..they’re home (they’re never home), the inactive dad is gone, whoopee! We teach her, the grandparents back us up. Then…wait for it…the dad walks in and he agrees to the baptism. It was a big week teaching her all 3 lessons and planning for the baptism. Since she’s already been to church 3x, which is the mission rule, and today (Tuesday) the grandparents left to go back to Utah. And the grandpa confirmed her, and he told us Sunday that he has had prostate cancer and won’t be around for much longer and that this whole thing was an answer to their prayers. Crazy. Hopefully it will get her dad, Lance, back in action with the ward. I think it will.

The ward’s alright. Not a whole bunch of referrals, but cool people who are good at fellowshipping.

Washington is great. Lower class mostly with middleclass here and there, but VERY different from what I’m used to. Houses cost an average of about $250K out here. There’s farmers, the guy we live with works at WalMart. The people are cool though, down to earth and willing to do whatever to help with the work. It’s good.

It’s gorgeous up here too. The lake, the farmlands, the hills and montains that are covered in huge evergreens. It’s nice. And yes, it’s getting cold. Today we were freezing and it was only 50 degrees. It gets down to 30 and with the humidity up here, it goes through you.

Things are good and I’m learning a lot. I understand why people say missions are hard—it’s not fun seeing people reject something they can use.

Thanks for everything. More letters are on their way after this one.

Love, Nate