General Authority

Hello one and all. It felt weird this past week to not be changing companions. I am grateful to stay another 6 weeks with Elder Schanck. He's a great missionary and I can't believe this is kinda his last transfer! He'll have 3 more weeks after to make it home before Christmas! Like serving with an Elder Chase Anderson. Crazy. But things are all going well. Nothing too much new. It was a great week this past week. I love the branch mission leader. Edi. He is such a great member and has recently come back from inactivity. He has a great fire for missionary work and loves to go out with us. His girlfriend/soon to be wife in a month isn't for the church at all, and that really gets him down but I tell him not to worry about it and all things will work out. Don't even fret! But he is the best. We went and visited his grandma in the hospital last week and she was able to go home and we went over to her house and shared a great message all about the Savior and the Atonement. And after that visit with her (she is not a member) we went to visit another one of his friends, Roli, who he grew up with and they are really good friends. He has been taught in the past and is really at a low in his life. Edi was making similar choices to what Roli was doing and then found the church and joined it a little after his father. But Roli is a great young man and I could see the effects that life had had on him. It was a great visit full of the Spirit and one of my favorite lessons ever. We didn't force anything on him. I had met him before but basically just getting to know him and listen. I like Roli a lot. Yesterday Ghita came to church, a husband of a recent convert. He is kind of our investigator, but can simply never meet up due to work, but I see him getting baptized soon. We need some new investigators and working with the members - active and less-active I know we can get some more people for us to teach. 
Studying the scriptures is so important. I am nearly all caught up with General Conference. Slowly watching all of the talks going over to the McFaddens or after e-mail. But I have really loved this past General Conference. It was super good and can't wait for the magazines to come! Reading the scriptures and messages will change your life if you just let it. The more we read the Bible the more we realize how much sense it makes - the need for the Book of Mormon. I love reading out of all the 4 standard works. They are truly inspired of God. I love my study time so much. Read Alma 33 this morning along with some some 2 Samuel. And rereading and studying Preach My Gospel again. Just make and find that desire to believe and it will grow. Faith. Plant the word in your hearts. It's the small and simple things of reading the scriptures and praying that really make the difference. Never forget to read. 
Things are looking well for this transfer here in Arad. It will be one to remember forever.

This week we will be going down to Bucuresti for a conference with 2 other zones on Thursday to listen to Elder Jose A. Teixeira and coming back to Arad that evening. And then next Sunday will be District Conference with Pres. Hill (Arad, Timisoara, Oradea, and Deva) Looking forward to this week adn making it simply a great one! I love being a missionary. Thanks for all the letters family and friends. Mom and Dad. And Caleb with the beautiful drawings. Grant with loving notes. Thanks to the family in Texas. Marissa and Garrett in Utah. Shelby in California and Taryn in Texas. And to everyone else. Thanks for all the support, prayers, and love. I love you all so much.

Make it what you want it.