Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! we are celebrating the best way we know how: Pumpkin Pie and Pancakes! 

Wow what an event filled week! I'm sorry to hear that the Rangers blew it... and BYU... and the Cowboys. haha. That’s too bad.  Everything else sounded good though!  Haley got her permit, looks like she is having better luck than I am. I keep telling my driving instructor how easy it was to get a license in Texas. He just laughs...

Everything else though is going great! It was a memorable experience to learn from President Kopischke this week, and then to finish it off with Lorna’s baptism on Saturday. 

Updates:

Well, Lorna’s baptism was just great. She was so excited and ready for her big day.   There is always a special spirit at a baptism, and you could really feel it at hers. The ward was great at getting up early and coming out to support. At the end of the service she was invited to come up and bear her testimony. Let me tell you, she is a professional. She was able to tell everyone of her conversion story. It is just one of those moments that you cant fully explain. 

She is doing so well and is already making so many friends in the church. You need to meet her!

  

Nicky is struggling a bit at the moment. From what happened last week, we still cannot fully see where she is at. But she still continues to read, and pray. This week we will be a bit bolder with our lessons to see if we can get a feel for her commitment.

Mathew on the other hand is doing very well.  He pretty much was the star of the Primary Program that was put on yesterday. He had like three parts and a talk! 

Barbara Lawson, Grandma #2 .. is on fire!  She came to Lorna’s baptism and it really touched her.  She has been asking questions about her own baptism and how things will go. And when we saw her last night we committed her to completely go off Tea the next day.. she responded, “Well, I guess I'm drinking a gallon tonight!” haha. She later promised us that starting Monday she is off of Tea “forever and ever.”

We also met just about all of her family this week. They all live in her area. During each visit this past week some other parts of the family were there.  So it was great to meet them and invite them to church. 

Barbara is such a great lady and also hilarious! - It's always enjoyable to teach her. She is set to be baptised in two weeks.

Bianca put down her payment for her wedding dress this week. And so this wedding thing is happening!  She is getting really excited and so is the ward. The ward has just come out in full force to see how they can help. Sister Cummins has offered to do her make up, others want to help with pictures, and Sister Turner even gave Richard a bike! Not relating to the wedding at all, but still you see the point. The Chester ward just loves missionary work at the moment and because of that the work continue to progress. Richard and Bianca see how much they are welcomed. 

We are still seeing them quite a bit, helping them with establishing FHE has been our latest focus. But they are just great! 

Well as I said President Kopischke came and spoke to us this week. He taught us for about 6 hours at our Zone Conference and mostly just answered the questions that we had. He is just the most fun and loving man who has so much wisdom to offer when it comes to missionary work.   

In Zone Conference he mainly touched upon Goal setting, and having a “dream”.  I quoted him saying “If you bury your dreams, you’re dead.”  It was an inspiring couple of hours as he taught us from the scriptures how we are to carry out our “dreams/goals”. 

In Zone Leader Council it was a bit more personal. He sat down with us and discussed more about the mission. Where we are at and where we want to be. He then opened up for a Q and A. And to every question that was posed he answered with the scriptures. It was something else and I mean not just a scripture that is closely related, it was direct. 

I sat there thinking, how much I want to be like that!  It goes to show why we are to study the scriptures. The answers we are seeking are literally there for us to find. 

His visit and council is something that I will long remember.

This morning we saw quite the miracle. While driving into to town we spotted Dennis, a member of the ward, walking with a man with a bike. Dennis flagged us down and had us come over to see him. He introduced us to Steven, who he had met on the street. He said that Steven was willing to meet with us and so there on the side of the road we taught him. It was so great! It's not everyday that you get a member referral while your driving down the road and then teach a member present lesson on the spot! Wow...    

P.S. Congrats to Tanner on the mission call! I've heard some great things about that mission. There is an Elder from Moscow in the mission, he is great! Elder Zakarov is his name. Look him up when you get in the field. He'll be home.

Love you all,

Elder Eliason