turn up the heat

While it has been consistently hotter than it would be in Utah, the weather had been for quite some time, surprisingly cooler than a normal Arizona summer. We're talking only 105 as the norm instead of 115. But at last the heat has returned, and Elder Rands just shouts out "I love the heat!" To be honest, it is not quite as impacting the second summer as the first—I survived it once, bring it on.

Due to a lot of things that have to get done with a new missionary (new Spanish missionaries get a "training hour" and a full hour of Spanish study; normal Spanish missionaries only get a half hour daily to study Spanish) it feels sometimes that we spend a lot of time inside our house. Add in last week's zone conference, our service in the Employment Center and English classes, meetings on Sunday with stake and branch presidencies, and our two-hour weekly planning session on Fridays, and I am sick of all of these required hours that we are not proselyting. Elder Rands is learning a lot, and we learn a lot from his great attitude about life and missionary service. Elder Argyle and I keep reminding each other that God had a reason in giving us a new elder at this time in our missions, and so we are patient with all the time inside.

In the end, I want to work. The times I have been happiest on my mission, is when we have worked the hardest. There is no secret to happiness in this life, it is written all over the scriptures to be declared by everyone. Be diligent in your duty to the commandments God gives, and you will be happy. I have found considerably increased happiness on my mission than I ever had before because I have been serving other people, rather than catering to my own ever-selfish wants and desires. We went to the temple today and I am pumped to work, not just here for the rest of my mission, but to continue working hard after the mission, for the rest of my life.

The gospel is so true on so many levels and I feel honored and blessed to learn new things every day, to wonder at the works and wonders of our Father in Heaven. My time's out, but I love you all. Take care.

-Elder Sam Bostwick