excited

Today I am excited. The Yuma Zone is going on a road trip!

Tomorrow we have a meeting in Tempe, and we have to make the journey to the valley this evening. That means that instead of going back to regular work at 6:00, like we always do on P-Days, the ten of us will split up between one of our cars and the Zone Leaders' minivan (classy, right?) and head to Tempe. Now don't get me wrong, I love missionary work. I love teaching lessons and contacting people, and I even like tracting believe it or not, but it is going to be so refreshing to have a change to the norm. We'll drive up together, have a good time (all the good friends "called" our spots in the minivan so we can ride together) and then spend the night with some missionaries I probably haven't met yet, and then to the meeting. The Area Seventy is going to have a Zone Conference with us missionaries tomorrow. Elder Lee has been recently assigned to cover our mission, and so this is his first interaction with us, and I'm excited to see what he has for us. Another reason to be excited is to be refreshed of the "homeland." Three months in San Luis, and I've practically forgotten what it's like to be around large groups of missionaries. Yuma in general has a different feel from the rest of our mission and it will be fun to go back, and just remember a little bit. I am excited for after the meeting when the Yuma Zone has an appointment in the temple. And then we'll jump in the cars and come back, ready and recharged to do the Lord's work.

There are of course other reasons to be excited. Every time something good happens with an investigator, it feels so wonderful. We invest so much into helping these people come closer to God, but the one who needs to act is them. When they decide they want to do something, it fills us with joy. We had a baptism last week for a man we tracted into. It has been so rewarding to witness his transformation. Even more of an excitement came last night when the wife of a recent convert told us that she at last wanted to get baptized, this weekend if possible. I felt like jumping up and down, shouting out loud and weeping all at the same time. What a blessing! What a miracle! And what a change. "Susana, for you we'll do a baptism any day of the year." I think of the blessings that their family will receive in a year in the temple, when they are sealed for time and all eternity. They can't even comprehend the blessings, nor can I.

We've had a third missionary in our companionship this week. He goes home next Wednesday in the middle of the transfer, and has been sent to visit some of his former areas. He started his mission in San Luis and it is amazing to think of the people he taught while he was here and look at where they are now. Many are baptized, even some surprises, and most are strong members of our branch. I hope to continually get news of people I taught and, in the end, see all of my friends after this life and rejoice together in the works of our Father.

It is always good to hear from you. I hope you are all well. I am well and happy, and continually working to improve my faults. I wish I were perfect and can only see my imperfections more clearly here in the mission field. But God is with us, and He will guide us to our righteous desires, if we are honestly and truly willing to do His will. Sometimes, His will doesn't sound as fun as my will, but it must be that way. This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the world, and we have the authority of priesthood power that nobody else has. I have seen powerful evidence of that personally, and cannot deny it.

-Elder Sam Bostwick