Mountain Rescue, Golden Investigators, and One Month Down!

February 23, 2015

Hello everybody! I hope everyone is doing well. Guess what, I've been out for a month! Crazy huh? So, this past week has been awesome! It actually all started last P-Day. Elder Falconbury and I were going hiking in Ephraim with the zone leaders. We did a bit of hiking but, then ended up driving up into the mountains. The mountain we drove up was beautiful, and quite high. Near the top, of the mountain where there was a fair amount of snow, we found a truck stuck in it. In our gym shorts, the four of us Elders helped free the truck. Then we hiked about half a mile further up to free another vehicle. All in all, it took about an hour and a half to free both vehicles, and we were really cold. But it was a pretty view up there in the mountains, and we got to do some cool service (pun intended) and get some extra exercise.

The first half of the week was the most productive. We taught an 11 year old named Isabel. Her family is becoming reactivated, and she has a baptismal date set. We are teaching another person named Monica. Her husband is a member (a really awesome one) and she is taking the lessons. I think she is going to be baptized soon. There is Betty, a teenage girl who is not a member, but lives with members, and she straight up said she knows the church is true and she wants to be baptized. And there is Jason. He is a former FLDS, but he knows that that church is wrong and messed up. His wife is a member, he is active in the church, and he says he knows it's true. He is just getting used to the idea of President Monson being the true prophet. He has a solid logical testimony, and he is praying and fasting for further assurance that Pres. Monson is true. He is super motivated, and basically he is just awesome! There are a few other people we're teaching too, but those are the ones I'll mention right now.

So, it finally is starting to feel like winter here. People are fasting for snow, and we might actually get some soon. We had some up on the mountains the last couple days. I'm just glad I dodged Michigan's winter! I'm sorry for all of you who are enduring it. I know your pain (last year in MI was even worse).

Well, that's all for now. The work is going really well. In addition to the investigators mentioned above, there are a couple more we are teaching, and we just got some promising referrals. If anyone is considering going on a mission, do it! It's awesome! I'm not even sure how else to describe it. The Church is true, and as a missionary, you get an unparalleled opportunity to feel Christ's love for yourself and for others. I'm looking forward to another 23 months!

I miss you all!

-Elder Oswald