Life is Good.

We had another great week! Like always there were some disappointments and frustrations, but we also found some amazing new investigators and are continuing to work with some great people we started teaching last month. One example is Norma G. The English missionaries knocked into her and gave her a Book of Mormon, but she preferred Spanish so they gave her our information. She was raised in another church, but she said more than anything she wants to follow God. We taught the Restoration and both Elder Ballstaedt and I were really surprised--she captured every principle and its importance, and agreed with everything we shared. We talked about Joseph Smith and she liked it and understood exactly the significance of the First Vision and the restoration of the Priesthood. She committed to read the pamphlet we left and pray about it, and asked for a Book of Mormon in Spanish, which we happily gave her.

     One thing I've been happy to notice recently is that I've become more focused on people than on simply teaching the lesson and getting the commitments to read the pamphlet/Book of Mormon, pray, and setting an appointment to come back. Sometimes there is so much structure and evaluation as a missionary that it can be hard to focus on the most important thing--the spiritual progression of the people we teach. I think part of that has come from our focus as a companionship and zone on our missionary purpose-- invite others to come unto Christ by helping them live His gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end). My testimony has strengthen of the importance of maintaining the most basic principles as we go about our day. 

     Other key events of the week: 

-Elder Ballstaedt got a package from his family on this last week with 3 boxes of Chips Ahoy, the last of which will probably be gone tonight. We need to improve our eating habits. 

-We're getting a new Mission President this month, which is in some ways a real shame. President Durrant is one of the more dedicated and Christ-like people that I have ever met, and I can't begin to count the ways he has influenced my mission. But obviously it will be exciting to have someone new, and I'm sure President Taylor has some great things in store for us.

-We knocked a very memorable street of mobile homes this week: we were told there were almost pure hispanics there, and then the first 4 houses we knocked we Americans saying that same thing (one of which was an old man with a VERY strange home interior and story. Ask me about it one day after the mission and I'll share the details). We finally found a nice hispanic family that night, and came back the next day to teach 4 more lessons, including one to a less-active member that wasn't on the ward list.

I love the gospel and what it does to people! I love how merciful and patient God is, and how He allows us to struggle and fail. I love seeing the promises of the gospel fulfilled in my own life and in the lives of others. God's plan and love is perfect, and the biggest thing He has left to us is to make the right choices in the little things every day. Have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Gaughan

P.S. If any of you think about buying a small dog, such as a Chihuahua... just don't. Please. I've met about 5 cool ones on my mission and about 1,000 that just yap and yap and yap and try to bite you.