July 24th, 2011

Dear Family,

Everything has been amazing this last week!! It has been crazy! 

Guess WHAT?? The mission boundaries for my mission were extended the day I got here! We got an extra zone called the Savannah zone! So now we cover the entire Eastern Coast of Georgia and a little bit in South Carolina too! So I have the possibility of serving in 3 states!! So that's cool!

Okay, and here is the the GATOR update:

Shawn: He was confirmed yesterday and he is good to go! Last Sunday his dad needed him at the last minute and made him go with him to work! Shawn was really upset! But he is officially a member! :)

Lisa: She is still crazy and just needs to be more mentally stable! She tells us all the time how people who smoke will turn into birds who can't sing! And how a little forest next to her trailor will turn into a firery pit?? She says really strange things but it is understandable because of everything she has been through! And everyone deserves the gospel so we are trying to help her but it gets really interesting sometimes!!

Mark: Mark is in his 50's and he works at the prison here in Lake City! He is really interested! He even went and got a Book of Mormon on his OWN to read! WAY AMAZING!!! It is so awesome but we wasn't at church and we are trying to contact him but pray for him that his work schedule wiill allow him to attend church!

Stewart family: We dropped them this week :( They just don't want to switch churches! They are comfurtable with their's! So pray that there hearts will open up and they will realize this is the one true church!!

Rodney: We tracted into Rodney this week and he invited us in as soon as he saw us! It was really good! He believes the Book of Mormon is true but he struggles with setting a date to be baptized! He was going to come to church but his friend is in the hospital! So there isn't much you can do about that!

Melissa: Melissa she will come to church but never does! But we visited her yesterday and we talked to her and she says she is committed and she knows it doesn't seem like it because things keep coming up! So we invited her right then to go to the church and we would give her a little mini church tour! She came and we took her through and showed her all the pictured that were on the wall and the stories behind them! Then we went into the Chapel! We shared with her what happens there! Like the sacrament and all! And the importance of it! And she said she felt so homey and peaceful and she just really felt happy! We said that is the Holy Ghost! And we asked her what is the purpose of the holy ghost? and she said to tell you something is true! Then we read Moroni 10:5! Then she said "Well, show me where I am going to get baptized!" AND WE FREAKED OUT IN OUR MINDS HAHA not physically jumping around! But we were jumping around in our minds!! She is getting baptized August 14th!

This really is an amazing work! It is true!! And I can honestly say this is the BEST mission in the world! And I truly believe we have the BEST Mission President here!! Presidant Barry is AMAZING and truly is an inspired man! And he is CALLED OF GOD!! Everything he has us do makes the work so much better! It is incredible!! There are so many miracles that happen everyday!! I LOVE IT HERE! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!! But I will probably get transfered because I am with zone leaders and when zone leaders are your trainers you are only there one transfer! So I will get transfered August 16th! WE WILL SEE WHERE :)

FUNNY STORY:

I can tell you we are definatly in the BIBLE BELT! There are soooo MANY BAPTISTS here!! And they all call themselves "Bible Thumping Baptists" They tell us that as soon as they open the door! "Im not interested! I'm a Bible thumping Baptist :P" It's annoying!! Anyways, this lady was a referall from someone we tracted into! (President Barry really stresses asking EVERYONE for refferals so we do) We went over to knock on this door and this lady opens it and she is really nice! But then we mention the Book of Mormon! And she starts going off on how the Bible is the only word of God and how she feels sorry for us that we believe that the Book of Mormon is God's word because we are going to go to hell! And we said "we just simply invite people to read the Book of Mormon and ask God themselves if they know it is true because we don't expect you to believe us or anyone! It is important to gain your own witness that the Book of Mormon is true" and she flipped out and started telling us we are going to hell and all! She said"well, we will see who goes to hell" And Elder Failner who is a very firery missionary (which is good, he loves to share the gospel) says " we will see"! And Elder Snow and I got on him for saying that because that is inapropriate and its not true!! He agreed!

My companions are amazing! We all have disagreements but they are very submissive and communicate really well! It is amazing! We get along really well though! We only disagree on where we should go or how or what we should teach! But they are amazing and they work really hard! But we have fun too when it is necessary!!

Here is a story I want you to share with the ward:

We were tracting and accidently ran into a members home! Her name is Sister Phillips! She invited us in and we gave her a short lesson and asked at the end if she knew anyone who would benifit from hearing our message! She said to go visit this man! She didn't know his name! She called him Hong Kong man! But he has visited her a couple times and she has talked a little bit about the gospel with him and he seems open! And he lived just down the street! So we drove down there and the dogs were crazy! Dogs are crazy here so we really have to be careful! Anyways, we go up to his house and we talked to him and set up an apointment for the following day! His name was Shagi and he is from India! Not Hong Kong ahah!! Then we asked him if he knew anyone who could benifit from our message! He said his neighbor! So we went over there and also set up an apointment with him! His name is Paul! We are meeting with them this week! and Shagi seems promising! The point is it is so important to give missionaries referrals! Anyways I want to tell you one more story but not enough time I have to get off so I will mail it to you!!

I love you ALL!!

Elder Wise