The Work Goes On

      It has been a few weeks since I last wrote. Dick and I have had Bronchitis and it literally was all we could do to get out of bed, early and go to the mission office. Amazingly, once we got there, we felt OK to stay and do our work. It is interesting how the Lord helps us feel good while we do our job. On our way home, we start feeling yucky and when we get home, we just crashed into bed. But, I think we are both on the mend (minus this cough that just hangs on).
 
   In my last blog, I wrote about going to the rescue mission to teach Larry. It has been several weeks since then. Last Sunday, Larry came to church and Elder Lund taught him about the scriptures. Elder G. told the sunday school class about how we got the Book of Mormon. There were 14 investigators that heard Elder Lund and Elder G testify to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. After the class, Elder Lund and I talked about how many investigators we have been able to teach the gospel to through our sunday school class. We have felt the spirit of the Lord as we have taught truths and testified of the Gospel.  I am so grateful that we have had this opportunity to work with the missionaries and proselyte with them.

     Anyway, to make a long story short, Larry is going to be baptized this Wednesday. It is amazing to see people accept the gospel and want to make changes in their lives as they accept Christ, the Gospel, and repent of their sins. I have grown so much in my own testimony. At the same time, I have come to realize my own nothingness and realize how important repentance, forgiveness, and the atonement is.

      I am truly going to miss serving as a missionary, miss sharing the Gospel, miss working with the missionaries, miss feeling the Spirit as much as we do, miss it all. As our release day gets closer, it seems that the time is whizzing by. They have decided to split the Utah Ogden Mission. Layton south to North Salt Lake will now be added to the Utah Salt Lake Mission. The church is creating 2 more missions in addition to the three they have, SL South, SL, Ogden, (and not including Temple Square). Now there will be two additional missions. This will all take place when we are released and the new mission president takes over. Needless to say, our office is a busy place and I think will be until mid-July. Each week we are getting LOTS of new missionaries who have been assigned and will be arriving shortly. Last week I received the names of 15 new missionaries. The week before I received 10 names. Lots of stuff happening.

And so, the work goes on. When we leave, there will be no real goodbyes. We will just quietly go home and the next day, the new couple will take over. And the work of building the kingdom goes on. And I am so grateful to be a part of it. Thank you all for your love, support, and continued prayers. It means a lot to Elder Lund and I.