March 4, 2014

Hello My favorite and really only family!! I have some great news and some alright news.

Transfer calls were this weekend. BOTH Elder Alder and I were transferred and we were pink washed. Pink washed means that sisters come in to take your place in an area. HOWEVER it is not a bad thing this time. Normally, they send sisters in to take over for Elders that aren't doing any work or can't get the job done. But that isn't the case for us in this situation. A sisters area in our zone got closed for some reason this transfer. They wanted to keep the same number of sisters in the West because otherwise, there would be 2 sets of sisters missionaries. They decided that our ward would be best because I was getting transferred and Elder Alder didn't know the area well enough to take over yet. So it was a good thing! Elder Alder is with an Elder Lowe. He is still serving in the west zone, just with a different missionary. I am with an Elder Mora! Elder Mora is from Kansas City and is totally a gangster! His favorite words are "fool" and "gouchie" (goo-ch-ee). He's hilarious! We came out together as well! He wasn't in my MTC district but he was in there at the same time and came out at the same time. He is such a hard worker too! When we got into this area, there was 1 investigator and that was it. In the past 3 months that he has been here, he has found over 20 news and has 8 baptismal dates for the month of March! I love being with him already! But he is a SUPER fast biker!! He got a good half-mile ahead of me on our way here to the library. He didn't even realize how fast he was going till the light he went through turned red and I had to whistle at him to stop. He claims that it is because he's riding a road bike and I'm sure that has something to do with it. But I also have a mountain bike and is super-duper heavy! I can tell that this transfer is going to be a good one! :)

I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers. Elder Alder and I were trying so hard to get along but it was not working out... I realized however that as we were going throughout our days that we weren't saying any prayers. I realized this when I was ready to just call President and ask to be emergency transferred. This is what happened. We were in a house with just us and a less-active lady who hasn't been to church for years! Neither has her husband. He wasn't home and we were already inside the house when we found out that he wasn't there. Our rule book says that is a no-no and to leave the scenario. I felt the Spirit say "Spirit of the law" and realized that she had turned away people from the church for years and she needed someone to talk to. Elder Alder was more concentrated on the letter of the law and that we shouldn't be there. When he brought up we couldn't be in her home because of this, she was devastated and started crying. Almost the same experience had happened a few years back and that was the one reason why they had fallen away from the church. She ushered us outside and closed the door. I told him that I felt otherwise and he responded that the Spirit of the Law is just for missionaries who want to bend the rules. As I told him that it was the Spirit that had told me so and that I knew it was the Spirit, he just said, "You told me that you don't know what the Spirit is saying to you so I can't believe you that it was the Spirit." I was so mad, I just rode ahead. He caught up and I asked him if he felt the Spirit say we needed to leave or if he was even trying to pay attention to it cause he was too busy focusing on what President Killpack would think. He said, "It doesn't matter at this point cause you were wrong to say Spirit of the Law in that case." I got even more mad and yelled "You are just so childish!" I immediately knew I needed to pray. I stopped, threw my bike down, and took off my helmet and prayed right there on the side of the road. He rode up and sat down in the shade next to me. I don't remember what I even prayed for. But I knew that immediately I felt calmer and everything was going to be alright. I got up and apologized and he did too. Later that night, he came into the room and said that he had read in some talk that the Spirit of the Law is super important especially for missionaries because every person is different and if you apply everything to the same person, then you aren't listening to the Spirit and telling Heavenly Father you don't care cause you know best. So he apologized and said I was right. Since that day, we prayed every morning and night together and that helped a lot. I am glad that he is with another companion who has a lot more patience than I do. But my patience has definitely grown!

I can't wait to call you guys this mothers day! It is coming up so fast! I have been bragging to everyone that my little nephew is cuter than theirs and they don't believe me. But I will prove it to them when I get some pictures on that day :)

Gavin: I can't believe that he liked your teaching so much! I want to hear one of your lessons!! Maybe I will have bishop or someone video tape you teaching and send it to me! What was the card that he gave you? What did he say to you? That is so cool buddy! Keep up the good work!

Connor: How is school going bud? Has your band recorded yet? I cant wait to hear you play now! I bet that you are better than dad now ;) You and Gavin are making me so proud! you are both going to be such great missionaries!

Well, I love you very very very much! Thank you for the emails and the prayers. And thank you for fasting for me! That really helped cause I knew that transfers were going to work out the way they needed to. :) I can't wait to hear from you soon! Feel free to write me some letters so that I write you back. :)

Love you!

~Elder Kyle Harris