Ok so just as a snap shot at what I am doing right now...

I am working with a Washington State Placer in Wrestling who comes from a close knit family of 10 or 12, not sure on that note. Who has a great desire to serve Heavenly Father and is new enough to accept advice and change what he is doing to try and be more in line with Preach My Gosple. It is amazing.

This is my first time working in a branch. We meet in a house and have about 30 people in Church. Yesterday we had 4 investigators there and the members are super excited about the work so they are willing to help. (But my companion has yet to see the Branch President at church... yeah....) We are challenging members to pray about who to invite to a family home evening or to a lunch with the Elders and it is fun to see them get excited and to see them express their ideas. A bishop in my last ward told the missionaries to stop asking what they could do for members but rather what they can do to help the members do missionary work. The question is Golden! I love it and love to really help the people and see where the members have doubts or worries about sharing their testimonies. I am so much more excited now that I was last transfer. Last transfer gave me the confidence to be a senior companion but I was sick of not having my ward and my area and my assignments.

We are changing the way we teach people. The mission has it´s lessons. The trainers all teach how to teach the lessons but they don~t follow PMG generally and it is more like a system for baptisms and less like a way to build testimonies. We are trying to work together to teach people and not lessons. And it is amazing to see the way it changes lessons.

We taught a couple last week, Valdo and Kelly, and we taugh the second lesson. I felt really weird about explaining the spirit world so I just kind of explained the attonement more and more talked about Christ and a little about death. Then Valdo shared an experience about his brother who died 1 year ago and some feelings and worries he had. It opened up the lesson completely. We didn~t even talk about ressurrection or judgement of the kingdoms but we really helped him understand the love that Heavenly Father has for him. Because we were less worried about the lesson and more worried about him we were able to help him in an area that he needed. They couldn~t come to Church this week but next week the said they will come. Pray that we can keep teaching with that same spirit and help them come to Christ.

We also taught another couple, Renato and Silvia and we didn~t even teach a PMG lesson. It actually turned into a testimony meeting. It was so much fun to just direct the lesson. We talked a lot less and they just talked and talked to us. It was wonderful.

So many missionaries are worried about saythings but Jeffery R. Holland says that we should just realax and listen because we love them and something they say will highlight a gosple principle about which we can bear testimony.

I love this. I can talk to my companion about stuff I used to do and about the future and just casually enjoying the mission. I feel a lot less pressure now and am just enjoying this time.

Anyways,

It is amazing here. I love it. I am so excited the spirit is so strong in our companionship. It is amazing how much of a difference it makes. We plan for people because we love them and then we walk in ready to leave the plan if necessary and teach the person what they need to hear. We are showing people how much Heavenly Father loves them and I love it.

Hope all is well. Keep me updated on everything.

Thank you for the compliments Dad. I appreciate it. But in all reality Hamilton was reading much more in depth than I was and long before I was too. haha And Romney is a much better example of Charity that I will ever be. Oh and I loved sharing a room. I miss that enviorment and will keep those memories forever.

Love you all so much,

Elder Noel