I'm good, life's good, my mission and area are good!

Hey familia!

Mom Sorry I didn't get your email last week, that's super weird it sent to dad but not me, but I did enjoy all the emails this week so Thanks! :)

Dad I'll definitely let the boy scouts know about the wimpy Texas requirements, they'll die. I'll send yall the picture Brother Hindle printed out for me of Sister Tuisku and I cutting a log, the snow is pouring down and it'll give you a pretty good idea of what an easy warm year looks like here.

Joe I hope you're doing better and healing up! I just about died when I read you had an ulcer and couldn't figure out why no one had told me, but then Mom's letter talked about it and I realized I just had the timing off, your letter was only a day old not a week, so all is forgiven. But I'll work extra hard to catch a polar bear to ride for you so you'll have something to cheer you up while you're sick!

Mel I hope you're totally recovered as well. Of COURSE Byu has the worst application ever, if it was easy you know you're doing something wrong and are probably actually applying to USU. Hopefully you figure out that terrible, terrible website soon!
Erin congrats on getting into the pre-med program at UT! Don't forget to send me your shirt when you decide where to go :) Also, I'm STILL waiting for a picture of you in your play in your ugly stepmother makeup! I'm glad fiddler on the roof went well though, that picture does look awesome.

So my miracle of the week has to do with less active work, this area has really taught me the importance of working with less actives, which I've never really understood before. It sounds terrible, but my attitude has always kind of been that they know the church is always open so when they're ready they'll come and then we can support them as they return. Last year at school my stake was really big on emphasizing "the rescue mission" we all have for less active members, but I didn't really know anyone who wasn't active that I felt comfortable enough inviting back to church. But I'm seriously repenting of that, cuz in this area we have a LOT of less actives and as we've been visiting them I'm realizing more and more than just assuming they know they're welcome back anytime isn't going to help them, they need support and encouragement. But this week, about half way through sacrament meeting Sister Tuisku nudged me and pointed out a less active sister we'd been visiting who hasn't been to church in YEARS who had walked in! And then, she got up and bore her testimony! She said she'd never done that before but she knew that the church was true and that was in her core essence, and even though most had never met her because she didn't come she encouraged everyone to keep learning about the church until they know in their core it's true. Afterwards we ran and caught her before she left and she hugged us and thanked us, saying we were the reason she had borne her testimony because we had helped her feel the Spirit. It was the best part of my week, I'm so glad we were able to help her, especially when we had talked multiple times about how we weren't sure how to help her or if our visit were doing her any good. It was so cool!

So cool thing that happened in the mission this week, President Scott has started what he calls the Mission Training Plan. I don't remember if I told you this, but the church has started a new training program for missionaries for the first 2 transfers which is supposed to make you able to be a trainer yourself by the 3rd transfer (notice I used the word supposed-Sister Tuisku keeps telling me I'm training next transfer, but I'm praying that WON'T be that case lol!) So President Scott made some changes in how we plan and set goals as a mission. It brings us more in line with Preach My Gospel, because we've been setting monthly goals and goals as a district and zone, but PMG says nothing about those kind of goals so we're getting rid of them. Instead, every area is to totally focus on weekly goals for just their area, backing them all up with names and dates as much as possible, and then as a district and zone we're just supposed to support each area in achieving that. It makes a lot of sense, since we have very little control over what our district accomplishes but a lot of control over what we accomplish. The mission is also going to start focusing each week on a different fundamental covered in the training program- revelation through prayer, revelation through church attendance, the holy ghost's role in conversion, ect. So it should be cool to see how those changes, which don't seem to be a big adjustment but that have been really strongley impressed to President Scott need to be made, can make a difference in our mission!

That's about it. I'm good, life's good, my mission and area are good! I'm loving Canada and surviving the winter (which is actually pretty easy, I think it was above 0 this whole week!) Love you ALL, thanks for the emails again! Talk to ya next week!