rejoicing

Dear Mom and Dad 06 June 2010

The week has gone well. We got transfers over with and I am now with my new
companion. Elder Hancock and I ended on a good note. After serving six
months together it was pretty hard to see him go. This past week has brought
a lot of change that has made things a bit emotional and challenging. It
seems like the whole culture of the mission changed when this last bunch of
missionaries went home. The gap of missionaries is closing that I look up
to. It kind of hit me this past week when I got my new companion and new
roommates that I needed to be the mature one because the missionaries around
me are a lot younger and have a lot to learn. I love the challenge though;
it creates a new focus that I can use to help me grow. Something I have done
is written down all the challenges that I foresee in the next three months
and some action plans to achieve the best results through these challenges
in my journal.

It's kind of sad that Elder Hancock went home. I grew the most while I was
with him. We both grew together, which made things easy when we talked about
our challenges and what we were learning. We had a similar understanding of
things and had similar goals, but now things are different. I noticed today
when I was telling Elder Anderson about what I was and wasn't going to do
when I got home that he doesn't have the understanding that I have, not
because he can't or doesn't, but because he is so young and hasn't learned.
It helped me see that I have a lot to help him come to understand before I
leave. My whole goal is not to go back to "dragging main" when I get home. I
didn't spend two years of intensive trials and proving to create change and
conversion to through it all out the window when I get back home.

We have seen some miracle this week. We have spent Friday and on going
through the ward list contacting every one and cleaning the list up. We have
found several less active members to teach and also some new investigators.
We found one of our new investigators while trying to find an unknown
member; we went up to what we thought was the members home and knocked.
Before we knocked we realized that they weren't who we were looking for
because of an ash tray of cigarettes on the window seal. A lady answered the
door and showed the signs that she had no idea who we were. We started to
talk to her and explained that we were looking for this member family on our
list and ask her if she knew where they moved to, she told us that we were
one door off and that the house next to hers was the address that we were
looking for. After she told us this we got her name and started talking to
her. We had a good conversation and then she began to ask us questions. We
told her what we were about and that we share that God has a plan for us and
that we know this plan. She lit up when we started to teach her portions of
the plan of salvation and told us that her grandpa had just died and that
she was confused and praying for answers. It felt so good to be back into
the missionary world! This happened on Friday, and today we had a follow up
appointment that went well too.

Amy came to church today. She is still doing well; we are going over there
on Wednesday to have dinner and a lesson.

Today at church we met with our Bishop and went through the ward roaster and
got to know some more people that we could go contact. I had an interesting
experience after church was over. I guess to explain things I need to go
back to second hour of church. Second hour is the Gospel Essential class,
which is held in the relief society room. Well, when I left class I left my
little note book and special missionary copy of the book of Mormon there on
accident. I didn't realize this until after church. I went looking for it in
the relief society room and couldn't find it. There was a sister there that
I asked if she had seen them and she responded that she had, but that
someone had taken it. So I began to think about how I was going to find my
books when I introduced myself to the Sister and told her my name. She
responded warmly and told me that she was Sister so and so, and that she was
the one who had a non-member husband. This is the first time I had met this
Sister, so I was pretty surprised that she was so open with me. I talked to
her some and she said that her husband had come with her and that she wanted
me to meet him. So she takes me to him, while we walk I asked her what his
interests are, and it turns out that we have some of the same interests; he
loves classic muscle cars! I was thinking, "This is perfect!" I met him and
he is very friendly and warm. We got to talking about his '67 Mustang and
the details about the car when he invites us to come over for dinner. We
have an appointment next Tuesday. Things are really picking up here.

I could go through with you the list of challenges that I wrote down in my
journal, but one of those goals is to establish a tradition of doing
missionary work as an assistant. It's going to take all my focus and energy.
It's going to be an exciting three months because it will help me reach all
my goals and test all the skills and abilities that I have learned this far
on my mission, such as planning, following the Spirit, having faith, waiting
on God's will, teaching, being consistent and diligent and many other
things.

We are gearing up for the big event this week with having Elder Russell M
Nelson coming to our mission. On Friday we are going to be bringing in the
Springfield South Zone in to stay the night for the Saturday meeting. The
whole mission is so excited for this! I am hoping that it will create a more
mature, dedicated, and obedient spirit into the mission.

Well that as that I have for this week. I think I will be sending a tape
home this week, so be looking forward to that. Have I gotten my last memory
card back yet? I can't remember if I have. Anyways, I love you and thank you
for all that you do for me!

Love

Elder Kelly Conrad