Week 99: Ceres

The Elders helped construct this playset

 

Dear Family and Friends,

The new area is great!  I heard many stories about Ceres and in all honesty I didn't ever want to actually serve here.  But it's been a really good week.  There's so much to do, and we cover the whole city so there's plenty of places to go.  We also have some solid investigators so the work is going well here.  My companion's name is Elder Redmon and he's from Smithfield, Utah, same as where my trainer was from.  It's not too far from Logan.  He's pretty cool.  Quiet but there's nothing wrong with that.  

This week was pretty crazy and tiring.  My companion has had some bike problems for the last couple weeks so we've been trying to get that all figured out over this week.  We finally got it all fixed and done today so hopefully he'll be good for the rest of the transfer.  I also had my first flat tire in over a year and a half.  Those thorn resistant tires and tubes have really helped throughout the mission.  But I got a big staple stuck in my back tire and the holes were too big to patch so we got a new tube.  

Everyone here is starting school this week too.  It really is crazy how fast everything goes by.  And so many people are leaving on missions or going home or whatever.  It's weird that Devon gets home two weeks before me since I left a week before him and had a week extension.  Will Rogers should have gotten home recently too.  

I guess here's something for a little spiritual thought.  I've read the Book of Mormon 3 times over on my mission and Jesus the Christ 2 times and I'm working on reading them both again along with studying preach my gospel.  I know there's many more times I'll read these writings plus others in my life, but for the Book of Mormon it's not something I can just read.  I have to find things to look for and focus on otherwise I won't get anything out of it.  We recently were invited to read through it and focus on and underline every time a mention to the Savior is given, plus highlight His words, highlight teachings of His doctrine/the gospel, and highlight scriptures that outline our mission vision (which is to be "One with the Savior in doing the will of the Father").  I did most of that the last time I read it over the last few months, and this time around I'm trying to catch parts that I missed, but I'm also looking for teachings, prophecies, and other mentions of Christ's life, ministry, and atonement.  So far it's interesting to see just how much Nephi and his father knew and learned about the Savior's life.  I have definitely grown in my testimony of Christ as our Savior and as the Son of God as I've looked for these references in the Book of Mormon.  There is no better place to understand how His life can affect ours that by reading and pondering the Book of Mormon.  I know that He is there and lived and died and lives again, and He did it all because of His love for us and His Father.  This gospel is true, no matter how hard the day may be or what may happen.

Love,

Elder Weber