• I feel that as we work on our problems as a companionship we will have more success in the mission life and how we feel about missionary work. It has been stressful though, because it seems that those problems are amplified when you know about it or you are just realizing how much you actually do those things that annoy your companion. This truly is the MTC for life, (Marriage Training Center). Well thank you president for all that you do. Have a great day.
• We had another great week, the highlight was our baptism on Sat. for Fitu, his wife is a member and i have never seen her as happy as she was at his baptism. She was in tears for most of the service. I felt the still small voice of the spirit say to me that this baptism and all baptism are bigger/more eternal and glorious than i really realize. We continued to teach our investigators and help them prepare for baptism.
• We had a Bishop call us and reprimand us for not giving him enough info about a baptism this upcoming week. Obviously the first thought that comes to your mind is defend, fight back but instead we chose the better way. We listened to him apologized for our imperfection in a way that was not defensive and then found out through the course of the conversation that at the Bishops PPI's he did have all the information we had been reprehended for not giving him. He tried to apologize but I think he was embarrassed. He had it all written down. We took responsibility though and told him we could have called to make sure he remembered. I think it was a building moment between us and his ward. He told us that usually missionaries leave him in the dark and so he assumed we were doing the same thing. I learned that a strong communication between a Missionary and the Bishop is essential. I still can't spell. We need to be a help as we have always been taught and we need to be meek and humble to all the Bishop asks.
• We did a mutual night with some of the Youth in the ward we live in and we actually had something funny happen from it! Well we were going over what missionaries do like teaching and stuff and we started role-playing with the kids. Well we decided to role-play the word of wisdom and there 2 volunteers to role-play. A girl and her friend. The role play was good and the kids really enjoyed it! Well 2 Sundays later we just felt like we need to go to the sacrament meeting where we had the mutual night for the ward. After sacrament meeting the girl and her friend come up to us, and the girl introduced us her friend to her formally and her friend is a non-member!!! The same friend that role-played during our mutual night!!! She said she wanted to learn more about the church after that! I thought that was just incredible! It was funny because this happened the day after I complained about not finding anybody and appointments falling through and heavenly father just helped us! We are hoping to teach her at her friend’s house soon for FHE. I just thought it was a funny story that this girl wanted to learn more about the church because of role-playing! Ha-ha Tell missionaries to make sure they role-play in companionship study and with members! You never know what can happen!
• We are trying to find some new people to teach by teaching the members first and getting the members trust.  We are having some really good success so far but we rarely find some people when we tract or talk to formers.  I read in the Preach My Gospel on pg. 160 that President Hinckley said that working with members is better than tracting.
• Our companion study is great and we are finding out what to teach and how to teach it according to the investigators or members.  I am learning so many great things I never have learned before in the scriptures and about the church in general.  Everything is going good and I can't wait for the temple day and maybe if we go to Salt Lake with you and your wife.  When we have another baptism we will surely give you a call to see if you can come.
• I really like the whole sprinting to the end. I think I'm trying my best to do that. We are planning 5 baptisms for this coming Saturday and our lessons just keep increasing (23). I'm grateful for the blessings I received this transfer. I just hope other missionaries in the zone were able to catch that enthusiasm.
• This week we continued to see miracles and I was especially uplifted by the faith of another woman we are helping. Her family and she are receiving the lessons from the English elders, but she speaks Spanish, so we have been going and answering questions or helping her learn after the lessons. She is so full of faith and has a baptismal date as well. This week has been a huge trial for her, but she said that she knew because of that, that she was obviously doing the right thing and that the adversary was trying to make her lose her faith. She has been a huge inspiration for me! I love the mission and the things that I am learning. I love my morning study. I have just begun the Isaiah chapters and I am determined, with the Spirit, to understand and love them! I know it is possible. Thanks for all you do.
• Thanks for interviews this week. It’s good to get a reminder of our covenants. I think i forgot to write what i learned in zone conf. one of the things that stuck out to me the most was that we don’t have to, and perhaps shouldn't, use all the information we have. I have always had a hard time keeping lessons short, and i think it is because i feel like i have to "hit all the points". I liked how Elder Holland told us that we should bear a powerful testimony at the end about what the thing that i taught means to me.
• I am grateful for the temple. I hadn't been in a while until last week, and one of the thoughts that I had during the session was that I wish everyone could understand how valuable the knowledge we receive there is. Though I know I'm nowhere near comprehending it myself, I wish others could learn at least what I've gained from it. It's definitely another drive to keep working each day.
• One thing that is on my mind right now is how I can make the last 3 months of studies most effective. I haven't been the most effective studier the world has ever seen, but I realized the other day that I've only got a short time left to be able to dedicate that much quality time every day to study the gospel. It has definitely been a matter of thought and prayer.
• i am so glad i had the opportunity to meet with you on a personal level and become a covenant keeper and a maker! ilearned alot during interviews and realized the responsibility i have to live up to! we only have two years in the field but alifetime to think about it! I heard a quote this week that defines APT! it said: What you do speaks so loud that i cannot har what you are saying! i learned what we as missionaries need to learn while we are here! we need to grow and become the leaders of the future!
• I would honestly love a training on being polite and where we learn proper manners during a zone conference, because I know there are a ton of missionaries with the same problems, especially chewing with your mouth wide open.
• This week has taught me that the Adversary knows us all far too well.  He knows the exact buttons to push and when to push them for the greatest effect to cause the greatest damage.  As we read in Helaman 5:12, as we center our life on the rock of Christ, he will have no power over us, however.  Nothing he throws at us will have power to take us down and cause us to miss everything our Heavenly Father has in store for us unless we allows it to.  This week has also shown me how much God truly is in control.
• Wow, okay President I am going to be honest, the Lord is blessing us so much and I think I know why. I have decided since about this past week to be exactly obedient. I don't want you to think I was disobedient before, I just made little adjustments in my mission experience and have been having alot of success. I put away over 2/3's of my cd's and only listen to church hymns even though they weren't bad songs or w/e I just asked myself what am I willing to sacrifice... Hmmm I make sure to be up and STAY AWAKE at 630 that is the hard part.
• We really Stepped it up this week. After interviews we talked and we decided that we are tired of being just above mediocore missionaries. We made a new "big six" for us which were the big 6 rules that we struggled with most. Obviously theses were not major rules but it was the little things that can brig you down such as sleeping in and abusing luch hours. For its by "small and simple things" right? Once we did that we litterally have been able to tell a difference within ourselves and the opprtunities that are being put in our path. The lord has seen our sacrific and has blessed us for it. The work is progressing and more importantly at this stage of the game I feel that I am progressing and becomeing the missionary the lord wants me to become. One very small step at a time.
• I have been trying to be more obedient since our interview, like we talked about, and I haven't made great strides, but I am doing better, which makes me feel pretty good.
• I have been trying to be more obedient since our interview, like we talked about, and I haven't made great strides, but I am doing better, which makes me feel pretty good. Also one thing I learned from being district leader is that I am really appreciative when people participate in the training, so from here on out I'm going to participate more in District meetings just because I know being district leader and giving a training can be difficult. So I'm going to help out those district leaders more.
• i really liked the interview that i had with you. You always give me good words of inspiration. I love studying this gospel and finding out new information that is going to help me out lot here on the mission and for the rest of my life.

• Love the mission, thanks for everything you do! I can't stop thinking about the quote that one of the stake presidents said at our zone conference - he said "two years to serve. An eternity to think about it." - oh dangit... well, I better get BACK to work now so I don't have regrets!
• Well anyway I learned a lot from zone conferance.  Instead of fervently taking notes I decided to really listen to what was being taught.  One thing that I am going to take from zone conferance is that instead of having really long lessons to have short lessons on a daily basis.  That is something I would like to implement in this area, that would greatly increase our amount of lessons each week.
• I can't beleive this is my last transfer. It doesn't really seem like I'm going home though.'m excited about erving the best I can and keep learning from these experiences I'm going to have in the next month, and so President I promise you I'll finish strong, and I'm going to make sure to serve the Lord the best I can until the end.
• Last Tuesday I taught the two most powerful lessons I have ever taught my whole time as a Missionary. We bore Testimony and read scriptures and I felt so guided in everything. It was simply amazing and beyond words. After a partticarlly strong Testimony from my companion I felt promted to abruptly end the lesson so April the investigator could feel the difference. It worked. We got a phone call on Wednesday from the YW leader who was so excited to tell us that April prayed after getting into a fight with her mom. She told the YW leader that she felt an inexpressable feeling of comfort and love. I'm excited. We took that same spirit with us when we taught our next lesson. A lady was offended by her Bishop's bluntness about her needing to get married to be a member and other things. WE didn't want to knock the Bishop so it was difficult to try and repair the hurt feeling without weakening or deminishing what the Bishop Said. We felt promted to talk about Pahoran and Moroni's epistles to each other. We explained how amazing it was that Pahoron was not offended but was grateful. Again I felt so strong with the Spirit giving us in the very moment we needed it what to say. I now feel like I know how to teach 100% by the Spirit and have been trying to make all my lessons likle that but to be honest I have some work and learning to do.
• Other than being rained, hailed and blown on, this week has brought us some good experiences. I have kept in mind the talk by Elder Holland which has helped us to have better lessons. The Temple has helped us also alot to feel closer to our heavenly father to receive inpsiration for our investigators.
• This week went well. I enjoyed zone conference, especially the training about music. I really enjoyed learning all about how we absorb music and how it affects us, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I also enjoyed the new form of role-playing. I still don't like role-playing, but this new version is better.
• We have a solid baptism for this weekend. The baptism will be of Sister Pat Christensen. She is a 76 year old lady and has lived in Utah for over 50 years. Her grandson is on a mission in Chile and she will suprise him with the news that she was baptized when she speaks to him this weekend. It will make that missionary's day, if not his whole mission! I enjoyed going to the "Celebration of Family History" event downtown. It was a beautiful production and I'm grateful that we were able to go see it with an investigator. We are so blessed to serve here in the Salt Lake Valley. I'm working to "sprint to the end" by being busy all of the time and still striving to have effective personal and companionship studies. We are going to do our best to baptize weekly this transfer. All we need to do is find two more solid people for baptism.
• I have a lot to learn.  I remembered that the Holy Ghost needs to be the teacher, not me.  I'll be working on that this week.
• We have had some very powerful lessons, where I have really felt like the Spirit was our senior companion, and where we have all received similar promptings during lessons. I love that when we have the Spirit present, new things will be manifest to us during the lesson, and the Spirit will give us the words to say.
• We're also introducing more family home evenings to families which they really seem to like since it's non confrontional and people don't feel singled out but it's still a chance to feel the spirit. We continue to work with less actives as well on the nights we aren't teaching but this week our evenings are full of teaching either non members less actives and active members. I'm happy to say that there are more planned with non members than the rest. We made an appointment with a family this week who we have been trying to teach for weeks and finally they set one up with us. I feel very in tune with the spirit in the sense that I have been prompted as to what ward in which stake to work and when I do we find people. Revelation is very cool!!
• I've made a personal commitment to always harken, not just listen. I feel that as I do this, the Lord can mold me to be the man he's sent me here to be.
• Oh yes, and Zone Conference was a great opportunity for me to review my teaching skills and see what I need to improve on.  I feel like I've been getting better at relying on the Spirit during the lessons, and teaching more to their needs.  I'm still working on keeping it simple, that's my main focus right now.
• Zone Conference was really great. I think that this was the first Zone Conference where I was really prepared to receive instruction from the Lord. I was able to prepare myself and to go to conference with questions.I love the idea how we go to conferences to have our questions answered and to receive revelation from the Lord. I will always go to Zone Conference, Stake Conference, and General Conference with questions for the Lord. I have put it to the test since the time we met with Elder Bednar and my questions have been answered through the spirit. The mission is so educational and I am glad for the growth and instruction we receive.
• I really enjoyed zone conference.  I know we were supposed to learn more about teaching skills, but I thought more about accountability during the conference.  Personal and companionship studies are really important, and it shows the Lord that we are prepared to teach His children.  Then he will put investigators in our path.  Accountability while proselyting is also really important.  APT is a good reminder that we need to constantly focus on our appearance and purpose so that we can use our time effectively and truly represent Jesus Christ.
• I learn in the zone conference that Holy Ghost is the teacher and we are just tools. Since the conference I started to recognized the spirit more as we teach and by helping investigators to recongize it, it brings spirit and it testifies all things. Also people can see our spirituality and how we teach. I know it is true. I know that as we are obedient, and doing our best to serve the Lord, members trust missionaries and be able to teach people with a strong spirit. I know the church is TRUE!!
• I loved the zone conference, I think that from all the zone conferences I've been in, this is the one where I have learn the most, I'm trying to apply everything We've been trying to apply all the things that we learned in conference and the work has become better and better every day. The thing that call the most my attention was the preach my gospel video about working with the bishops, in that moment I just was thinking by taking the name of christ upon us, we are taking his work upon us too, so we have to be united in one with the bishops and the members having the same goal that our heavenly father that is "to bring to pass inmortality and eternal life of man".
• I learned a lot in zone conference and I loved your talk about how we either have to connect people with Christ or reconnect people with Christ. We are going to work very hard this week and do our best to do some good.
• Zone Conference was great.  I loved the break-off with the Mo-Tab director about the different filters we have for reacting to music.  Elder Hollands comments were great in the training video as well.  I liked the part on testimony.  He said at one point not to leave any doubt about your testimony.  The language of faith is so important to help people feel the Spirit.  We're also going to be focusing more on keeping meetings more concise and doing the role play idea the assistants trained on.
• I really enjoyed Zone Conference this past week. I really liked Sister Tan and Christians training about building your area. I have never seen anything else besides Mountain View and how things work here so it is always good to see what works for other areas. I have been applying some of their ideas and we will see if they do good here too. I also really like the new way of role playing. I think it is more educational. One thing that I really learned was not from anything that was said, but I just had the spirit bear witness to me that this is the place and the time for what I am doing. As you and Sister Laney spoke in the beginning I just realized that you do love us, and want us to do our bests.
• We met our goal of 25 lessons this week. I got really sick the last half of the week, and I still am not doing as well as I wish I were, but I guess I managed to not hold back the companionship, and we still made it. I've been reading a lot in Matthew the past couple of days. I've been trying to be less arrogant. While I know that it was probably just because I was at the end of the row, you were awfully direct when you were talking about arrogant missionaries at zone conference. I have a lot of growing to do, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. I'm happy that we were able to pass our goal this week. Next week our goal is for 31, and I hope that we meet that one, too. I'm trying to read the teachings of the savior, because that usually seems to remind me of the attitude I should have.
• Zone Conference really helped me with some struggles I've been having here in this new area.  I need to start getting in the mindset that I can feel the spirit regardless of the actions and agency of others, as long as I'm doing what I can.  I'm so grateful to be in the mission.  My mission means a lot to me.  I really want to make my Heavenly Father proud of me.
• i learned in zone conferance that even though we may not fully why something is done it is done to better us and help us in the eternal perspective. i also learned that i need to go through what music i have and make sure it is something helpful and uplifting for me.
• I loved Zone Conference as well and learned so much. Most of it was personal concerns for me or my investigators, which is how Elder Bednar told us we should "take notes" and it is so wonderful. We havent been very good at having lessons for only 30-45 mins and taht is something that really personally hit me that I am trying to do better at and the results have been really good. I also learned that Faith is the number one finding tool and afterwards, I did a study on why faith is the first principle of the gospel and learned so much! If we dont truly believe/see the truthfulness of Jesus Christ, we will not act on it. For example, if we have faith that Jesus died for us and that the atonement is real, then we will be moved to action--to repent--but it begins with faith, believing in something that is not seen. I have just learned so much! I love the mission and I love my Savior Jesus Christ.
• As a companionship, we talked about what the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 104:80 really means. "And inasmuch as you are dilligent and humble and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, i will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt. Untill i shall send means to you for your deliverance." (Hope it's right, it's by memory ;) well, to me dilligence is patience, knock the last door, keep working even though all appointments fall through, to exercise the prayer of faith means to recognize that this is the Lord's work and you need him. He doesn't need you and that you need to ask to receive. To be humble means that after you have been dilligent in finding, tracting, teaching and after you have witnessed that miracle you asked for, you always recognize the Lord's hand.It wasn't us that found this person, it wasn't us that had 21 lessons with a member, it wasn't us that baptized so and so, it was the Lord.
• These past few weeks I have really seen the impact of having a member in lessons. They have so much more experience than we do, having lived (or even having not always lived) the gospel. We are blessed to have many converts in our little branch who can often speak directly to the challenges our investigators face.
• Gospel study is going well. I read an amazing talk "For a Small Moment" by Elder Maxwell last week, and it has really helped me change my perspective on being here on the mission. There is still a lot to get used to, and I often feel inadequate, but I know that this "suffering" will not last forever... I will eventually feel less inadequate, and I will eventually have a stronger testimony. I am glad to be here, as always.
• I really liked zone conference last week. Probably because I wasn't chosen to participate in any role plays, just kidding. I liked how we had stations that were different than they usually are, like the music station. Also, I thought it was pretty neat that there were the different stake presidents that spoke. It was good to see that they are really enthusiastic about missionary work.
• Being able to talk to my Mom and siblings was good.  It is good to talk to them and see that they are proud of what Im doing.  It is a motivater to continue to work hard.  I am really working on charity and meekness with many people around me.
• I got most of my comfort from Zone Conference as the Lord made sure I got a clear understanding of Doctrine and Covenants 100 [from you and President Jensen (from Sandy East Stake)].
Zone Conference
O - It seems many think but lack action
L - "Never let your Faith be difficult to detect." Faith, Obedience and Sacrifice brings Blessings
D - Act in faith, with obedience to the Lord, sacrificing any and everything I have for Him
Week
O - No Matter how well I am treating people, I am not doing enough.
L - Teach simple with the Gifts the Lord grants
D - I need to show Love despite the inperfections I witness
• Zone conference was good.  I loved the explanation about roleplays and how to make them more effective.  As usual I felt like you made the point well that to be a good teacher we need to pay attention and also be connecting with heaven so we can have heaven's help to teach.
• Things have been going good President, Zone Conference was great. I learned that we need to prepare ourselves more before teaching and that the Holy Ghost can use our "arsenal" of knowledge and use it to convert people. But we need to prepared as well. Also we need to not ramble and teach shorter lessons. I know from time to time that sometimes my lessons go too long and that I need to make them shorter but there are time lately that the lessons have gone long because of the many questions people ask while we are teaching them so in a way that is good if they are asking questions. But Zone Conference was a good experience and helped me a lot.
• I really enjoyed Zone Conference, and I really enjoyed the Assistant's training on roleplays. I think its a great way to roleplay, and could really help things a lot. I plan to use that from now on.
• im just trying to learn from him and trying my best to lead by example. because actions speak louder than words. zone confrence was great. i enjoyed the testimonys. every time i hear someone bare testimony. i try my best to listen to them with an open heart and mind. personal study and companionship study is very important. it helps us out throughout the rest of the day. i know things will get better. thanks for your love and kindness presdient Laney.
• We have faced several oppositions this week with a few of our investigators , but we faced it with lots of prayer and seeking help from members,  we saw  a miracle from that , and it was  b/c the Lord helped us out , we did what we could and the Lord took care of the rest. We have been working with a part-member  family and the husband came to church on Sunday!! The two lady's sitting next to me were both in tears  when he walked in . It was a tender moment.
• With zone conference on Friday and calling home yesterday, I have received a lot of encouragement and motivation in the work I am doing everyday. Thank you especially for the preparation you had us do prior to this zone conference. I loved that talk by Elder Holland. I think the greatest thing I learned from the talk and from zone conference is the importance of really being in tune with and discerning the needs of my investigators. Sometimes I think I get too caught up in the agenda: the principles I need to teach, the commitments I need to leave, the details of the lesson, etc. Yes, those things are important, but not as important as the individual. I need to see and understand each person we work with in a way that will allow me to really help them feel the love of Heavenly Father. I need to really pay attention to the Spirit, and that will allow me to help them and teach them in a way I cannot do on my own.
• ive memorized atleast one scripture everyday this week and plan to do it the rest of my mission. its helped me keep my thoughts more focused because I am able to while tracting recite it in my head or out loud and help elder ayoso memorze his also. i really like this companionship, this district and zone aswell as the area and the ward mission leaders.  and am looking forward to doing my best to help build the area back with the help of the spirit, because no one can do anything with out that.
• So today during my personal study I prayed to have the holy ghost be with so that I may write down things that my dad's friend would need to hear, and my testimony really grew about being connected with heaven in the mornings! Thoughts did NOT stop coming through my head as I was writing what I need to tell my dad! Things I haven't seen in months, things I saw recently, and it was incredible! The holy ghost was definitely drawing from a well in which water was there because of my morning studies! I wrote things in which I never even thought about! When I got through with everything I read it and was just amazed! The holy ghost wants something to happen and I can feel it! I can't wait to e-mail my dad and see what happens! he is going to give it to his friend today so I am hoping to hear next week about my dad being a missionary. Again my testimony is really strong about being connected with heaven in the mornings. This morning was a really great experience for me and I hope to keep staying connected! Alright
• Hey, I loved this last Zone Conference. There were a lot of new and great insights. The APs showed a different type of "Role-Playing" that I really enjoyed. Interestingly enough it was almost exactly like the idea that I came up with months ago. I never did like the other way because I didn't see how it was very effective. I very much like the new system now and look forward to using it. Before, I was told that we couldn't do group role-plays but I see a huge benefit to it.
• This week was pretty rough for us. We thought we had a solid baptism for Saturday but it ended up falling through the night before. The good news is that he is back on date for this Saturday. Also we found a new investigator that accepted to pray about a date but did not really accept it yet. The work is moving along, maybe not at the pace that we would hope, but we are trying to have more faith everyday.
• Zone Conference was amazing. I always love the Spirit that i feel at Zone Conference. Sister Tan and Sister Christensen's training was very good I thought. It's true, faith is the biggest and most effective finding tool. If we have faith and work hard the Lord will help us by using finding tools that we had never dreamed of, even if it takes a miracle, He knows how to find.
• We were just 3 lessons from our goal; this week we're going to do better. I'm trying to work the hardest I can even when I'm tired. We're going to have 5 baptisms this weekend in 3 different wards and we have 3 referrals that have already been to church to pick up.
• I also learned that it is up to us to increase the faith of the members in our area so that their faith can produce the miracles we pray for. Great faith = lots of hard work. I think this week to do better.
• So I am very much enjoying my companions and they are helping me in different ways.  I guess right now I have been thinking a lot on how my mission has gone so far and how I can go out with a blast for the last few months and I guess its kinda bothered me cause more than anything I just want the Lord to accept my mission and be happy with what I have done.  Maybe its just me coming to the reality that a mission does end one day or something, i dont know.  Im just going to do the best I can.

• We had another busy week with more miracles. We were abel to put two new people on date and solidify another for May. We miraculously found a new investigator, at one of our investigators houses. I am really looking forward to this month, the Lord has been blessing us with people to teach. thank you for that talk, the Divine Companionship. that talk was so inspiring to me and i have been making a special effort to have to the spirit of discernment and teach more to the needs of the investigator. this week i have felt an added measure of the power of the holy ghost as i teach and i have been leaning as i am teaching.
• We had a pretty good week I loved zone conference and how we learned a new way to role paly I think it works alot nicer than the way I was taught how to roleplay. I also like learning about how the different types of music impact us on a physical and spiritual level. I also liked watching that video on how elder holland taught those members how to teach and how he used the process of makeing them agents and asking them questions to help others answer there questions. This week we had two baptisms and taught a good number of lessons we didnt find any new investigators but we are working on doing just that. Being able to talk to my family and my mom was a great thing yesterday thank you for giving me that oppertunity.
• Elder Holland says in that Teaching with the Spirit talk that we should be teaching together in a way that each of the elders speak for just a few minutes before it switches.
• On Tues I had a neat experience at our dinner apt. i have been praying for extra help to let the holy ghost help me discern the need of those we are teaching. the holy ghost and the Lord know what people need better than me, and i strive to have the holy ghost tell me what to say. So on Tue night at dinner i had the thought and as i picked up my scriptures i felt a prompting to share a scripture in Nephi that i had read that morning about faith and not forgetting the Lord. As I explained the scripture i felt the power of the holy ghost help me know what to say. then after i was done , the lady started crying and said she felt the spirit so strong as i shared the message. she said that she has been praying /pondering some things recently and while i was sharing the thought she gained a answer to her prayer and a witness that all the blessing the Lord has promised her will be fulfilled . she even told me .. you would not have known thats what i needed to hear, and i said no i didn't, but the Lord did. it was such a sweet experience , it is hard to put into words. but my testimony was strengthen in the power of the Holy Ghost and his Divine companionship.
• On our comp studies we are working on my IRA's and teaching better by asking more questions and leading more discussions. As I've applied that in my teaching, specially asking questions, I've seen that the spirit has guided my words and i have learned new truths as i was teaching. Its amazing how having the spirit is so amazing in missionary work. It helps you with every aspect of the work, finding, teaching, everything. As we put our faith in HF and work according to his will and keep our eyes open we can really become a divine companionship with the holy ghost.
• Thanks for your help this week. i especially liked the triangle of the Godhead, Leaders, and Missionaries. that was really helpful in seeing how the relationship between the three should work. that's what we're striving for. Other than that we were blessed to see many miracles this week. We found out we're going to have a surprise baptism next week as long as he passes the "Big 6" and all that, and we found a surprise new investigator yesterday. Her grandma said she wouldn't be interested and then we asked to talk to her and found out she had a lot of questions and is trying to find the true faith and is "leaning towards the LDS church." needless to say we're excited. We're striving to be as obedient as we can and to work hard even when it's tough. and so far, it's paying off. It's weird, it's almost like God blesses us when he says he's going to. who knew? i'm grateful for out blessings and i'm excited to see what else is in store for us. Sure love you!
• We are working picking up new investigators we have about 8 who want to be baptized and we are working with th ward to help us pick them up and start teaching so hopefully in the coming weeks we can see a good improvement in the area. We are constatly tring to be obedient its always on my mind as we work. Me and my companion get along well he is a good missionary and i enjoy being able to teach him but also learn from him. He is teaching me alot about my self as a teacher. And I look at him and cant help but look back when I was a new missionary and remember what I strugled with. We continue to study the lessons and role play them I cant help but feel that although my companion is learning hes learning in english and he is called to a spanish mission so I have tried to have him teach me as much as he can in Spanish, and although I dont understand it i think it helps him.
• Wow, this week has been much better than the last. I have come to realize that everytime change happens I freak out. I lose confidence that Heavenly Father is in control. I start to rely on my own abilities(which always fail me) instead of relying on him. I am learning though. This time it only took me a week to snap out of it instead of 2 or 3. I am very happy to be with new companion. My companion is so pure and willing to do hard things. I know that God is teaching me so many Christlike attributes from being together. I also have great faith that there is a purpose for me serving in this area. I know I seemed a bit unhappy in my last letter, but I have overcome the negative feelings by studying the Doctrine and Covenants at night. I have read about others who were called to go far away and do much harder things. I also have learned so much from the council the lord gives to those called. I know I am called to serve here by God through you. I so appreciate the oppurtunity to train again. I always have much more to learn from them, then they ever learn from me. I am very optimistic about the coming week!
• All went well this week. We continue to try to contact referals.  But it can be difficult at times because people aren't home or they say that they are busy.  But we continue to work hard each day. I continue to learn things everyday.  I try to learn as much as I can about he gospel.  I love reading the scriptures and learning from them as much as I can.
• During ZLC  i was thinking while you were talking, and one thing that seems important and i think some missionaries struggle with is understanding their potential. It seems like all these missionaries just have so much in store if they would just realize all they could do, one important thing with that is to connect with heaven in the morning. When missionaries are connected with heaven they realize their potential and the importance of their calling. When missionaries realize this, they then help investigators catch glimpses of their potential and then in turn they connect with heaven,and then help others realize the same, and then the cycle continues. So when we connect, our potential is understood, when we understand, it helps our investigators understand their potential, when they understand they connect with heaven. I really think the push the mission is applying to morning studies and connecting with heaven is exactly what this mission needs to bring many many more into the fold of Christ.
• I've learned alot this week. I learned how effective i can be as a missionary, specially with a good companionship that works as one and not two separate people, and also that I cannot let the enemy get one inch, Not one inch because he will tear us into shreds and the war for my brothers and sisters is raging. I'm here to rescue my brothers and sisters and i cannot allow little tifs to tear the spirit away and give the enemy a victory. I'm sorry i let you down president but I have promissed the lord and i promisse you that this week we will do even better, we will work our hardest and i will serve my companion even more as i strive to better my self.
• I liked zone conference a lot this time.  Even though it was focused around Chapter 10, it felt like it was more on Chapter 4 and the importance of the Spirit.  I have striven to enhance my relationship with the Spirit throughout my mission, but most especially in the last year.  The importance of the Spirit and the power of the Atonement are the two biggest things that I feel I learned on my mission.  I liked the discussion on discernment and the prerequisites that were spoken of in order to receive it.  I can't remember the section off the top of my head, but it enhanced my understanding.  I am going to strive to discern people's needs even better and do all that I can to give them the best opportunity to accept the Gospel.
• I'll tell you this. Heavenly Father has made me aware that the enemy knows who i am and what i'm capable of doing and he is going to try and break me. And HF has let me know that he wants me to go and find his lost sheep. I Know i wont be tempted beyond what I'm capable of enduring and HF knows me better then i know my self so i know to relly on his arm and look to him for strength and guidance as I am tempted by the enemy. THE WAR IS RAGING AND I'M NOT QUITTING. I'm here to serve and rescue my lost brothers and sisters. I strayed and came back with a stronger testimony then before, now i just need to help out.
• well we still have a lot of work to do....about the zoneconference...im really nervous...we have been working alot on how to teach and laern at the same time...i know that i souldnt bee a problem and it sould be easy...but i have never tryed to train exept animals and they dont say anything they just do as they are told...pres. Rudd said that i sould use that at zoneconference, but that is alot of candy i have to bring, so wee are gonna to stick with PMG and the scriptures.Beside being nervous...we had a good week...we told everyone we meet that we need to find and we are very blessed. yesterday 2 cars stoped to give us referrals...and something happened that i never though would happen over the phone...my companion was talking to one of our potentiel investigators and soudenly a date was extended and asked  to pray abaut it...1)i had No clue if i sould laugh og site very still 2) i thanked Haevenly Father so much, for a quick companion...and he said yes (our PI said yes). so a really filled with experience week and im so glad to be in this area and serve the Lord.
• Well this week has been an awesome week. As you can see the Lord has blessed us a lot by allowing us to find those persons that he has prepared to receive the gospel, and to be honest with you this last two days I've been feeling a joy that I never felt before in my life. This last two days I can surely say that the spirit has been working a lot through us to testify of the divinity of the lord Jesus Christ and his attonment. I had great experiences on this last two days. The lessons have been taught by the spirit because many of the things I say are not thing that I use to say before, and just as the investigator is learning from them, I feel that I'm being edified too during the lesson. The spirit is working through us a greatly. Yesterday as I was going to sleep I ask the lord to let me know what we should do for the lessons that we have today and the lord let me saw clearly exactly what we should do, and as we talk about it today in companionship study, I could see how the spirit has unified my companion and I beacause our ideas were so similar and we know that the things that we are going to do today are the things that our heavenly father want us to do.
• We have had a wonderful week of success and hard work. We have been working so hard and trying to be so obedient and to teach with the spirit. The Lord has blessed so greatly this past week. we have 10 people with a baptismal date, 9 of which are for this month. We were also blest to meet and come in contact with 7 new people. The lord is truly a God of power and of mercy. He has helped and blessed us as we have done the best that we could. I have been so tired at night. I know that if we continue to do what he has asked of us that the work in our area will continue to progress quickly. I also love my companion greatly. We are learning so much from each other and we are teaching in unity and the Lords Spirit has been with us. Thank you for all you do Prsident Laney. Your are a great example for us.
• This has been a good week. It is tough though because everyone has so many peoblems that they have to work through to make it where they want to be. It has strengthened my testimony of living the gospel. Living the gospel just makes it so much easier on yourself. The more that i have been learning about the atonement the more that it amazes me. I have found that we can only turn our back on the savior but that He will never turn His back on us. I know that the Lord loves me. This next week we will try our best to get more people to church and help those who are struggling in their lives.
• I wasnt as happy as i usually am, I was down, I was de-moralized and felt bad. As I was reviewing my self and trying to find the sorce of those feelings I came to the realisation that I hadnt tried my hardest to bring souls unto christ. That night i prayed and asked for forgiveness from HF for wasting his time. I'm not here on my time, I'm on the lords time and i wasted it. Well i asked for forgiveness and on sunday renewed my covenants to do my best to not waste my lords time. My mission goal is to do the best job i can possibly do in every situation the lord gives me. Well, HF is helping me by proving me. Trying to see what i'll do. I've shown him my willingness to obey and excersise faith so now he's turning up the heat on me alittle and i'm having to raise my standards for my self.
• This zone conference was very uplifting, I learned that if we get into a routine as missionaries we can become dull to what the spirit wants to communicate to us.  I made goals and plans to prevent myself from falling into any sort of routine because as that routine becomes mechanical the spirit leaves, it is a pit fall, but at the same time certain routines are worthy as long as you maintain the spirit with you I.E. reading scriptures, praying, and exercising.  I really enjoyed Brother Otley's musical presentation and how he intermingled an intellectual approach with a spiritual one.  The work is going great in our area, this weekend I was able to return to a former area for a couple baptisms . Thank you for allowing us to return to baptisms.
• I really enjoyed Zone conference. It really helps to be reminded of things because we do so much everyday that its easy to forget the more important things at times, and we get caught up in habits. But it helped realize how open we have to be with finding people and visiting and teaching everyone we can including members to help look for investigators. I like the new way of role playing, its a good way for everyone to learn instead of just the people role playing. I really appreciated the visitor from the Tabernacle choir's former director. That was special becuase he realted his lesson to music and I'm really into the world of music, i hae better understanding now about putting things in their proper context. The whole conference was great and helpful.
• Oh yes, and Zone Conference was a great opportunity for me to review my teaching skills and see what I need to improve on.  I feel like I've been getting better at relying on the Spirit during the lessons, and teaching more to their needs.  I'm still working on keeping it simple, that's my main focus right now.

• We had a wonderful week with our investigators.  We picked up three new ones and we tried different style of lesson with each of them.  One we had like a testimony meeting cause the wife was less active, I'm glad we read D&C 88:77-78,122 recently.  It really works.  We were blessed to see 2 of our less-actives go to church.  I am going to change my study habits, I am going to have a little pocket size notebook around me, and if I receive teachings from the Holy Ghost I'm going to write it down, read about it, ponder it, then ask if there is more to learn.  Hopefully I wont fall on my face doing this the first couple of time I try it.
• The trip downtown is a perfect experience, gives you a little boost after a short month and gets you excited to keep serving. When you came around to me and told me to think of some goals for my mission I put some thought into it. So far I have came up with about four, but I'm sure I'll change the a little as I learn more. So far they are...
1. Be 100% obiendent
2. Be an example/leader for other Elders
3. Love my companion and help make this experience the best for them
4. Leave my area better than it was
• This week was very exciting and we had people come to church! FINALLY!!  President we finally found some people who are ready! The 1%!    It is a family of 6 that came to church, except the father because he works. At least 5 of the family came. After working hard the area is blossoming again!! I knew there was no such thing as a dead area! I am so happy for my past area as well ! I had the opportunity to go back 3 different times for baptisms!  I love missionary work !
• Great week as usual!!!! I've noticed something funny about my goals. The goals that I pray hardest and place the highest priority on are always the goals that we achieve. My last companion was always praying over lessons and I was always praying over finding. Now i guess I need to learn to pray over them both. Ha ha. The week was great. We had amazing teaching moments with people.
• For example, we talk about numbers all the time, and a lot of us have forgotten WHY we have numbers. If we have our heart in the numbers and not in the souls, we will NEVER progress. Its all about where our heart is. I was reflecting on that, and reflecting on the companions that I have had, and I learned something very important from each of them. From my current companion, I learned that I should focus on the people not on numbers, that has effected me forever.
• Last Saturday we had a baptism!!!!! Luis is 16 years old. He got confirmed yesterday and he is really happy. His family came to support him and we started teaching his close friend as well. He is alos getting baptized next month. It is amazing to see this guy being baptized and his friend is seeing the spirit and wanting to do thing that is making him happy. Even though his mom said that her son is changing. At the baptism, James(who got baptized last month/the miracle baptism) gave a talk and shared testimony for Luis. He encouraged him to prepare for mission together. It is amazing to see recent convert supporting newer convert. they are both so special. I am so greatful the gospel. James changed alot but Luis changed alot too. This gangster boy started reading the Book of Mormon and he takes notes. He doesn't go to school but he is getting ready to go back to school again. He used to dress up like gangster but now he wears white shirt to church looking great. I know that all those people are going to be the future missionaries, priesthood holders and building zion. I love them and love the gospel.
• I have been grateful for my companion’s drive this week to remain focused on the goal at hand. My studies have been greatly improved by focus, and especially by meaningful prayer. I am studying the PMG lessons again, and adding more scriptures to my study to help amplify my teaching.
• We found such a golden investigator on Sunday! He was a media referral. Man, those media referrals are golden! Whenever I hear one from the phone I get so excited because I know we just found somone new! I haven't had one not workout yet! He has grown up in the church but because his parents were not active he was never baptized. In the past year he has started going to church on his own and wants us to teach him! I am so excited to get back into that house.
• The work is good.  We're getting some member firesides going in the north stake.  The stake president  is very missionary minded, and things should be going well.  He's been showing the Finding Through members' sections in the preach my gospel dvds at each ward's ward conference.  Things will be picking up in that stake soon.
• We had an awesome experience yesterday in which I realized that missionaries are nothing when it comes to teaching! We were teaching one of our new investigators and we were just crashing and burning it seemed like. I remember praying over and over and just pleading with the Lord to just let the holy ghost take over! Our prayer was definitely answered! The spirit took over and we were able to extend her commitments in which she happily accepted. That experience just showed me that it doesn't matter what you know and how long you have been or anything like that, but its the spirit that has to direct the lessons. We have been role-playing alot in companionship study and it has been great practice to try and speak from the heart and let the spirit guide.
• I hope you are having a wonderful day! I loved having you and Sister Laney come to "our home." I am very thankful for the family that we live with, they are so nice to us and I feel like they are my family. This week was really great. I told my companion that our last week together had to be the best so we set high goals and worked super hard. We tought 46 lessons and the Baptisms fell through because the Bishop in that ward for some reason keeps changing the date we give our investigators, there is lack of communication between us but we  will let him do what he thinks it's best.
• This week was wonderful! We started teaching this one family. They have not been to church in a very long time and have one unbaptized son. I learned a really good lesson when we started teaching them though. I started trying to break the ice by talking about the things they enjoyed, and it worked a little. But it was still a little awkward and they were still a little quiet, but when we had a prayer and began teaching, the whole family opened up a ton. The spirit was really strong and I know that it was the spirit that caused the family to be more open. I really want to get that whole family active again so they can be sealed in the temple they live 1 minute away from. Also, we should be picking up the 4 new investigators this week that we thought we could last week, which is why we set our goals so high. Things are going really good. Take care!
• Yesterday the Stake President asked me if I would speak at his stake conference. That is my last Sunday in the mission. It will be neat to leave the mission addressing an entire stake. The President asked me so speak about the most important things I would want the members to know. I'm excited for this opportunity. I know that these last 6 weeks will be some of the most important weeks of my mission. I am going to work as hard as I can to finish in the right way.
• This week was great with a baptism of a great boy named Jonathan! I have a greater testimony that if we are doing what we are suppose to be doing that the investigators will find US!! Because that is exactly what happened with Jonathan. We were walking down the road and decided to take a different path than we had planned on taking..  Later we hear footsteps coming up behind us and it was Jonathan! He had been taught in Murray , but moved about 2 months ago. He said he had been looking for missionaries to walk down the road so he could continue the lessons! We had been praying for a golden investigator!   Our recent converts are doing great because they are still ACTIVE which is wonderful of course. We have other great investigators we are working with !
• Take the good, leave the bad. Just like Elder Bednar said "Discernment is seeing good in others and helping them to see it too" okay so not an exact quote but something to that effect.
• This past week, I have focused a lot on faith and have come to understand that in order to have any kind of success with the people, I first have to believe that they will accept, that they will be baptized and that they will get sealed in the temple. I must SEE that in my mind and then act in a way that is in accordance with it, speaking with the langauge of faith and being a challenging and testifying type of missionary. I also have worked very hard at talking to everyone. It is hard for me, but when I think about the joy of the message that I have and that the worst that someone can say is "NO, IM not interested," I have been able to open my mouth. I am just so thankful for this opportunity that I have to share the gospel with others and see it grow within me as well.
• Im working in do what this last meeting you said, and as preach my gospel says one of the more important things in teaching is listening, Im grateful for your talk this wednesday because It just came in this exact moment that I needed the most.
• I have been studying ch. 10 from PMG. It's been really  helpful for me to improve in my teaching skills. I'm studying a lot to learn how to discover the people's needs, so  i can teach them more effective. Being in a proselyting area is a challenge to me,  but i know as i effort to work hard and to do what the Lord wants me to do i will receive His help in everything i do.
• "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
• My companion is teaching me a lot about taking care of the small things that would stop companionship's from finding or being obedient. Such as making sure they are in proselyting clothes while they study and making sure they are getting up at 6:30 and and not 7:20 or something like that. I am excited to help missionaries with the small and simple things. We have great district leaders that are showing great potential at the moment and we are really going to stress with them leading by example! For the district leaders to lead by example and for us as zone leaders as well, to lead by example. For me I think there is no better way to lead than by example, and doing it with your zone. I don't want to have people follow me if I am not doing what I tell them! That doesn't make sense. We have a great zone and I am excited to work with the missionaries in our zone! It is going to be an awesome transfer!
• This week i read the Divine companionship . It was excellent . I felt the holy ghost teach me several thing i need to start improving on with my teaching. For one, i am going to pray more for the spirit of discernment. that is so important . I want to "astonish" my investigators i want them to feel the spirit so strongly that they feel and know that the Lord is speaking to them through us. I want to live in a way so i can be close to the spirit at all times in all places .

• The weekly planning session we had during district meeting was incredibly helpful.  We specifically planned what days we would teach our investigators, and it contributed greatly to our success this week.  Weekly planning is vital for the key indicators, as well as knowing what to focus on for our daily planning.
• On Sunday our recent Convert Antonio bore his testimony of the church and testified how he knew the BofM was true and that he only had two chapters left to finish it. He testified that he knew the President Monson was a propthet of God. He has been a member for 4 months and this are the moments that truly make me rejoice and make all the challenges and difficulties worth being on the mission. I can't wait til next December when he will go to the temple to be endowed. I truly love this work.
• But General Conference was AMAZING. I felt a common thread through most of the talks was all about families and how important they are and how to strengthen relationships. It really made me look back and really see how much the gospel and Church of Jesus Christ is meant to help families and how much it has helped me in my own family back home. I used to just skim over the principle of the gospel blesses families before. Now, I'm sure it will be a major focus because that is really what the gospel is all about.
• Personal study. I like the following quote, which, if i remember correctly, is the first published paper after the press was destroyed: "if you do your duty, it's just as well with you, as though all men embraced the gospel". yup, i like that one
• I learned a lot from general conference one of my bigger questions had to do with finishing my mission strong so I got a bunch of anwsers reminding me it's not about me or anything of that sort, It's about the people, heavenly fathers children. a quick quote of the day: A missionary = someone who leaves their family for two years so others may be with their families for eternity.
• Conference this weekend was amazing! Every single talk, whether given by one of the apostles or someone I didn't recognize, was inspired. I felt the spirit strongly with each speaker, and especially at the conference center when the Prophet walked in to the room. That experience has made me more enthused to share the gospel with others so that they too can hear our Prophet speak, and enjoy conference. On our way out of temple square after the morning session of conference we saw one of our investigators heading in.
• Zone Conference was great.  I loved the doctrine of power and authority.  One thing I haven't really thought to much on is the difference between the two.  Understanding that has helped me understand my role a little more.  We have the power to receive revelation for that which we have stewartship over (investigators and finding activities) and the authority to implament that revelation.  We need work in harmony with the keys of the bishops and stake presidents as well.  We can be guided to those seeking the gospel as we call upon the powers of heaven to guide us.  I've seen that this week even.  We'll probably be working on doing FHE's with the members of Midvale North.  I know that their are many in our area ready and waiting to hear the gospel.
• So this week was great we finally hit 30 leassons with a member present for the first time which has been our goal for months its amazing. we have been planning really well this week and last week. saying alot of prayers and running all over the place to try to get in doors. we picked up 5 new investigators this week and are doing well. we have been planning so much better and talking about our investigators a lot. we are seeing what they need and getting more personal with them i am loving this work so much. so cant wait to hit 30 again this week i hope we can do it again. the lord is really blessing us.
• This week was so much better than the last one. We taught one less lesson than last week, but we were able to find some new people to be in the teaching pool as well as give baptismal dates in two of the first lessons that we taught this week. It's not perfect, but it is an improvement. We are going to continue thanking the Lord for the success we had this week and trust that we will have more in the coming week. I really have learned a lesson, if we aren't happy and positive, the Lord wont bless us. So now im just going to decide to be happy even if things dont work out perfect. I loved Zone conference because the principle of being happy and not thinking about yourself was what I really needed and what the Spirit took to my heart.
• Thank you for the wonderful Zone Conference! i learned so much and was touched and inspired by the Spirit. You are a great example for us and i am trying harder to know the scriptures like you. i loved the different classes we had at zone conference and i learned that we need to tell the investigators how important it is to God for them to keep commitments. that was a question we had as a companionship- how to be disappointed when they do not keep commitments and it was the perfect answer. i also loved the stone cutter movie. i decided to give my all to God and be the best missionary i can be.
• Zone Conference was good.  Chapter 1 has been my favorite chapter my entire mission.  The biggest thing that I took out of it was what you said at the end, "When times get tough, it's your purpose that keeps you going."  I  believe that.  I understand what I am supposed to be doing here, and I want to fulfill that purpose.  This past week was a good example of that.  I am lucky that we had this zone conference to help me stay focused on my purpose, especially when it seems like nobody wants to get baptized.  The Lord never lets me feel comfortable.  I think that will be a pattern for life, never feeling comfortable.  Oh well.  It makes things more exciting.
• so, how are things? things are going very well here. we're having a lot of success and also a lot of fun. we're trying to do everything we can to be exactly obedient and hit our goals. we've also, with the new meal policey, stopped dinners with a family in our area who had us over every sunday for a long long time. it was tough. we really love that family and for me it was a good model for how to run a good family, but i know it's much more important to be obedient. we're feeling the blessings already.
• I really learned this week about the spirit. It is the spirit that lets people know/feel something is true. I learned that sometimes you are prompted to say things to people and you don't even know it. I learned that it doesn't take forever to be prepared to be baptized, it only takes the witness of the Holy Ghost. I know that the gospel is true. I know that it can change lives. I know the Holy Spirit is the true teacher and witnesses of truth.
• From Zone Conference I really was impacted by the pictures of the people going to the temple. Those people have worked hard to get there, and it really was a change for them. While I was at zone conference I had thought "I wish we could have focused on this at the beginning of my mission" and then I looked back through my notes and my second or third zone conference was all about helping people get to the temple. I guess I should have taken it to heart the first time.
• Zone Conference was an amazing learning experience (as usual). I always love getting the chance to be taught by you and Sister Laney, and the trainings from the Assistants and Elder Toleman were great as well. What I learned at that conference can be summarized by quoting something you said. "You have the power to do this." I'm sure there were many things to be taken from the Conference, but for myself, I learned that we as missionaries truly  do have the power to do this. Living our lives day  by day, we tend to slip in to routine and forget just how sacred this calling is.  I felt God's trust in me. I felt my time become more precious, and my responsibility more sacred. How I plan to implement the things I learned is by continuing to do the things we've always been taught to do. Use the Golden Hour effectively! Treasure up the words of life. Keep a continuous prayer in my heart for the welfare of those I teach and  for the benefit of my own soul. I feel that as I do these things, my power and authority will be manifest by the fruits that are produced.
• I read in the mission letter our mission motto.  The part that said, obedience is the price, hit me.  It made me realize that none of us ever want to pay for anything whether it be money or whatever.  However, if we do we will get the rewards.  Just something that I had studied this week and liked.
• So I was looking in The Topical Guide for the Mission of Jesus Christ and I refferenced it to Isaiah 61: 1-3. After reading those scriptures I saw that his mission was basically the same as mine. To preach to the meek, comfort all that mourn and to show people the beauty of life and life eternal. I have grown more with a desire to share that message to more and more people over this last week. Understanding the mission and atonement of Christ, it is a constant reminder for me to work harder to share our message! I LOVE THE MORNING HOURS!
• Also in Zone conference I learned that as we are obedient, everything we do has a purpose. We all should trust the Lord and be confident because we have the AUTHORITY. We were set a part before we came to mission. To know that I have the authority to teach, I feel better and don't feel less confident or hard on myself. I want to be more perfectly obedient and follow the spirit. I want to love the people and do my best every minutes. The time is Lord's time and I want to be a trusted servant from the Lord and people that we serve. I am going to push more and more as I do missionary work.
• Zone Conference:
    -I observed that our purpose is to emulate the Savior.
    -I learned that a simple testimony backed by the spirit is far more powerful than an intellectual explanation.
    -I am going to fulfill my purpose until the day I am released from this mantle. And I will continue to serve after.
• I always remember a quote I heard from one of the general authorities in the MTC: "Pray as if it all depends on the Lord, and work as if it all depends on you." "This work is NOT YOUR WORK, but has EVERYTHING to do with you." So I have been doing my best to live up to that. Daily planning at night is always a good time to reflect on the day, and to prepare for the next. We take full advantage of that time and most of the times end up going over half an hour.
• We have been very blessed. We were able to teach a woman who just moved-in from St. Louis, Missouri. She is living with an older man who claims to be a former member of the Church, and who was at first pretty cold towards us. After we taught the Restoration to Keena at the door, the man living with her, came up to us, apologized to us, and asked us if it would be alright if he sat in with us when we teach her today. He then told us that he hadn't been to church for forty years and that we were the first missionaries he's talked to that asked him why he hasn't gone, and what we could do to help him. I was so thankful for the Holy Ghost being present for those twenty minutes we were at the door, because He softened the heart of a man that has been embittered towards the gospel for a long time. We gave a prayer of thanks to the Lord after this experience, and I was thankful for the feeling of true gratitude that I felt as we prayed.
• I attended Zone Conference, and heard others speak who have been through more than I can imagine, are far more obedient and devoted missionaries than I am, and who I have never heard complain once. Then you said something that made me realize how ungrateful, prideful, and selfish I have been for the past eight months. You said, "If you think you have it hard, study the Atonement." I have begun studying it, and I'm planning to continue to study it for the remainder of my mission, because I've realized that I really don't have it hard at all. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of this past week, I have continued to hear stories from people that we've met, describing the terrible things that they've gone through. I have never felt more humbled unworthy in my life. I realize that I haven't served the Lord with all my heart, and I realize that He is helping me understand that in one of the only ways I can.
• I have learned that I needed to forget myself because I was focusing on me rather than my purpose.
• Zone Conference was so inspiring! even though im going home soon i still have all the desires of my heart here in the mission, there really isn't anything better i could be doing right now than teaching the Gospel, we've been baptizing weekly this transfer and its amazing! we don't have anyone on date as of right now but if there's something i've learned on the mission is to trust the Lord, as long as i am being obedient and doing what i need to do i know the Lord will provide the way for us to find and baptize.
• This past week we have been working with a less active family. They have never gone back to church after they were baptized about seven years ago. The father came to church the week before conference and now the two teenage children are wanting to return as well. One of them was not baptized with the rest of the family. We didn't know that until about three times visiting them. It just goes to show that working with less-actives is not a waste of time.
• We are very excited about the coming weeks here in our area. We've taken to heart the emphasis on finding, and are starting to implement some new ideas into our stake. We feel completely optimistic about them, and are confident that the Lord will bless our efforts. Our investigators are also doing well. Our greatest excitement is with the Martinez Family, who will be baptized on the 24th. The Lord has allowed that family to experience a complete conversion, something that I havn't seen all the time during my time here. It is such a wonderful feeling to see a family, together learning about the Gospel, sharing in the excitement of coming unto Christ.
• I was invited to come back for the baptism of Rosa. It truly has been a miracle. Someone once said that we elders "have been called to see and perform miracles"  I don't have a doubt of that.
• Elder Uchdorfs talk on patience stood out to me the most. I need to be able to put my thoughts and desires on hold for a time. Patience is not just enduring, but enduring well. Impatience is a trait of the self-absorbed (that hit me hard). I have been trying my best to pray for and cultivate patience. Patience wins mastery.
• The thing that I loved the most is that we taught 44 lessons!!!
• This past week we had the ample oppurtunity to be with two tongan mini missionaries and enjoy their great spirit and fire, it was wonderful to see how excited they were for every aspect of missionary work. we worked well and talked with everyone in our path and I remembered what it felt like to be a new missionary again.
• We had a wonder experience last night... We have been teaching this family for about 12 weeks now( since I have been here) and we started out with the kids and slowly the parents became interested... Even though the parents would not let the kids be baptized, we kept visiting them and sharing messages. The Father had a eyeopening experience Saturday night as well. The first thing he told us when we went for the lesson yesterday was that he needed to come closer to the savior and that he and the whole family would be attending church with us this coming Sunday!
• I really enjoyed having the Tongan stake work with us.  I enjoyed the awakening to finding and the boost of faith those brothers gave us.  We will not rest until we have found at least one person to hear the message of the restoration.
• Gospel study has been alright this week. I've taken the counsel of Elder Scott at General Conference to read more on the Atonement. So I decided to study Isaiah 53 more in-depth. It is amazing the amount of suffering Jesus Christ went through. With words like grief, pain, sorrow, and bruised; one can only grasp a small portion of that pain and suffering. Just as with anyone who tries to describe the Atonement, words can never express what Christ went through. This chapter brought a whole new meaning to the Atonement for me.

• General conference was amazing.  I loved that it was about family, because my family has made so many improvements and changes since I've been gone. The first talk really got to me because it was about allowing and asking fathers to give us blessings.  My dad did not help set me apart as a missionary and I asked my grandpa to give me a blessing before I went out, but not my dad.  I see the error of my ways, and I felt strongly that I need to ask my dad for a blessing as soon as I can. General conference was amazazing!
• I was so thankful for the opportunity to hear General Conference this past weekend, especially the Priesthood Session. I felt many of the same feelings there, that I had felt during our revelatory experience with Elder Bednar. Many of the questions I had had during the past few weeks were answered during Conference, and I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to be receptive enough to understand how he wants me to act.
• General Conference however was amazing! Like always. I always look forwards to hearing from specific individals, but I noticed this time nearly all of them I feel were really great talks. Normally I tend to zone in and out if a talk isn't too appealing to me, but this time I was there the whole time. I agree to Presidnet Monson when he kept saying that this was one of the best conferences he's ever attended. Things are going good. We're still finding every week and should be picking up a family a five with two non-members and three less-actives. I'm really excited for them because we've been working about 6 months to be able to teach them.
• I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to go to General Conference, I enjoyed every single moment of it =) Usually at home I only woke up for confernece with my family to watch the opening prayer and eat breakfast then lay down and take a nap, but I have payed attention this time!! =)  When President Eyring spoke, it reminded me of my family and my older brother who needs to be rescued, then to my mission and that I also need to be a rescuer to those who don't know about the gospel.
• General conference was an amazing experience. I learned a lot and specially from the priesthood meeting session. I guess what hit me was the importance of being patient and Pres. Uchdorf spoke really good about the subject. I also liked the talk by elder Oaks that made me realise the importance of the actual anointing and sealing part of the blessing. Sometimes I get too worried about what to say during the blessing, but elder Oaks made clear that the most important thing is the anointing and sealing and specially the faith of that who receive it. I really enjoyed being able to go to the saturday afternoon session and sostain the proohet. Something I have learned from my mission is that sustaining the prephet is more than just raising our hands is also obedience and prayer in his behalf.
• I was EXTREMELY grateful for the opportunity I had to go to conference! THANK YOU! I have always seen it on T.V. and such but to actually be that close to the brethren you can definitely feel the spirit. Elder Dallin H. Oaks came over to the missionaries in the Saturday morning session! Just even being able to shake an apostle's hand was a wonderful experience! and to just be able to see president Monson was great itself! I have always wanted to see the prophet in person ever since I was a child just because growing up you hear that they are the prophet and sometimes you just want to see! So confernce was an amazing experience which taught me to always be prepared and I received great information that will benefit me on the mission and especially after my mission and when I am 60 years old! I already can't wait to go to the next conference!
• As I went through General Conference notes today, I looked at all the invitations that I received from apostles and prophets, and thought, "Oh my, I have lots to work on!"  So now I need to set goals with the Lord to accomplish them.  My favourite talk was from Elder Oaks in Priesthood session, because I had been wondering about a lot of the things he talked about.  He answered some questions I didn't even know I had.
• General Conference was great!  I honestly loved nearly all of it, and learned quite a bit.  I was suprised of how much emphasis was put on the family, but all of it was very good.  I've come to appreciate the conferences more and more as I have aged in the mission.  They leave me with a renewed faith and conviction. The most important thing that I learned would probably be the importance of having the spirit with us all of the time, and how being obedient affects that.  I loved the talk about justifying not obeying commandments and definately saw that in myself.  So I'll stop justifying and be more obedient.
• Im still figuring out what else im supposed to learn but conference helped alot. I realized I really need to spend some time studying compassion and charity. So im going to devote some study time to that. The past few weeks I have really gained a testimony of the golden hours. The study habits I have developed on my mission I really am going to work to take home with me. I love the scriptures. I love learning about them and about our Savior. I just started reading Jesus the Christ. Im one chapter in but I can just tell that its going to be an amazing experience studying that book. I feel that there is never enough time to study and prepare. I guess thats just another reason why we need to rely on the Spirit and on prayers of faith. No matter what numbers say, I know Im constantly working to improve and work harder. Im going to continue to do that and to exercise faith. I know the promises in the scriptures are true and that this area is going to pick up as we do our very best.
• In conference I particularly enjoyed the talk by Dallin H. Oaks about giving priesthood blessings. It's something that I wondered about for a while. Now I won't feel so uncomfortable about giving blessings in Spanish. Our goal for this new week is to get the people we're teaching to church and on date.
• I loved Conference this week. I've personally been struggling with my confidence in accomplishing what the Lord has given me to do, and I went in to conference with a speficic prayer that the Lord would not only strenthen me, but teach me what I could do to strengthen my confidence. He did that very thing in the first session. Watching it, I was amazed that so many individuals spoke on exactly what I needed. The Lord reaffirmed the knowledge I already had; specifically that if I act, then the Lord will be able to change my heart and give me power to accomplish all things.
• It was a terrific week.  General Conference is the highlight of the week.  Thansk also for the privilege of letting me go to the Priesthood Session of the General Conference. We are still working with 10 investigators they don't have a date yet but I am confident that they will accept one pretty soon.
• Thank-you so much for the opportunity to listen to the living Prophet, Apostles and other General Authorities. I had a truly wonderful experience listening and being edified by there talks and the music that was shared throughout the entire conference. I very much enjoyed the Priesthood Session as well as the Sunday Afternoon Session. I especially enjoyed President Dieter F. Uchtdorf talk labeled, "His Hands" where we are His hands, the hands of Jesus Christ. We, being missionaries, are literally our Lord and Savior's tools and His hands. The whole experience and his talk was very profound. There were many surreal moments during the conference. Additional, another talk that had an intense or at least an immense impact on me was during the Priesthood Session. The topic was on the Priesthood and Priesthood Blessings. There were many points that were very direct and straight forward. But probably the most surrealistic point in the conference, to me, was when ever the brethren were speaking about the latter-days and how there are earthquakes in diverse places: Haiti, Chile, Pacific Islands and according to our Land Lord this morning, Mexico.
• Conference was wonderful.  Enjoyed the talk given by Elder Carlson of the Seventy in the Saturday Afternoon session.  I loved his analogy with the airplane, as will as the common excuses for disobedience.  Its a good reflection to see if any of those thoughts enter my mind as I do the work.  There are no shortcuts.
• I really enjoy it conference it was great i notice how we are always suppost to work in the service of the lord and how much heavenly father really is loking out for our wellbeing.i learn that the scriptures can show us very clearly what is the right path to fallow they declare the true.and somany other things that i will not write just because i know you will get very long letters.no concerns.
• Priesthood Session, the talk by President Uchtdorf, Eyring and by our beloved prophet President Thomas S. Monson.  Those were the talks that really stuck out to me.  President Uchtdorf on patience.  President Eyring on dilligence, and President Monson talking about the eternal importance of being close to God.  They were all inspired of God.
• So this past conference was really neat.  Thank you for letting us attend a session of Conference.  It was a great blessing to hear the talks in person.  Its funny cause a few of the talks seemed to talk to me and answered some questions that I had and also made me think in new ways.  It was really special to be taught by the Spirit as Elder Bednar taught us when he came here.  Well, we will keep working hard and doing our best.
• General Conference was great. They had a lot of good messages and it seemed like they talked a lot about Families and the Resurrection. But it was all good. Of course it is hard to improve family relationships when on a mission but we can use these messages with the people we are teaching. Helping them realize how important the family is. Also in the Sunday Morning Session of Conference I could really feel the spirit from the speakers in that session. It could just feel it a little more that session as it concentrated on the Savior. It was a really good experience. Also one of my favorite talks was by President Uchtdorf in the Priesthood session. Patience is something everyone can need. It was really cool learning about that.
• The most exciting thing this week was with the Martinez Family. They are a family of six that the Lord led us to while we were simply walking down the road, and they have all been truely converted to the Gospel. They all watched conference yesterday, and we followed up on what they learned last night. All of them remembered and saw how they could apply the lessons in Conference. They are all now looking forward to their baptism on the 24th of April.
• I received a lot of impressions during the Sessions.   One of those impressions was about the role of parents teaching their children the ways of the Lord.  We are going to use some of those talks for some of our investigators.   Another one was of not judging inmediatly, I loved the example of Martha who asked the Savior to let her sister Maria help her with chores at home compare to when she told the Savior that whatsover he asked the Father, the Father will grant him, even to raise her brother from the death.  I personally will apply that in my life, I trust that the Lord will bless me for that. I am grateful for my gospel studies that are helping in every aspect of missionary work.  The Spirit and Revelation have been in my mind a lot.
• Work is going well, lots to do and improve. We are going to work extra hard this week and put people back on date. We had two baptisms this week, miracles baptisms becuase we had been waiting for a long time. I am grateful for the insights I got to hear from speakers at Conference. A lot I heard were things I was seeking for. Hope you have a good week.
• I loved Conference. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve so close to be able to attend a session. I felt like they spoke a lot about working to make the Savior the center of our lives. As I saught guidance about finishing up... what I can do better, how I can manage not being a missionary anymore, etc., I felt the Holy Ghost tell me that, yes, I am starting a new chapter in my life like I have many other times, but now I am girdled with the power that comes only through prayer, the strength that comes only through service, the testimony that comes only through trial, and the love that comes only through leading others to Christ. I am grateful for modern revelation and the Spirit that permiates those who spoke to us. I know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. We are looking really hard to find more people to teach. There are always so many people waiting. When we rely on the Holy Ghost and not our own selves to find these people we will be led to them to them to us.
• The conference was really good, Elder Anderson's talk touched me a lot, I have been inspired to study the Savior until the end of my mission, just focus on his life to make that the majority of my study.  Our investigators are progressing really well, we are continuing the search for new investigators.  Thanks President, have a good week!
• I learnd that the time in the morning is so important. i need to use it wisely to study and gain the knowledge that i need to help and invite others to come on to christ. the work is going good im just trying to do my best to better my self daily. to grow little by little. im just trying to study to best of my ability. i try to stay humble and be open to all things.
• I love the area, but i guess sometimes it get to me how people say its a bad area or everyone is shady or how we are wasting our time doing this or that. But yea, "not compare yourselfs to others". Its ok though, theres been good moments (Talked to the mom of one of the youth from another area, he's going on his mission, and i guess i played a role in that (i did just about nothing to, just told him to go, and one day he agreed).   Also a member told me that i was the first "Elder elder" he has had. I asked what he meant, and he just said the first one that didn't walk around all stressed out looking (though i really am a lot, but not in despair), but always looked like i was enjoying my time).So all in all, ups and downs. I'm sure later on the downs will be ups.
• We are also teaching a twenty year-old who has been investigating for seven years and he says his hold-up is the blacks and the priesthood issue. He has developed a friendship with the ward mission leader who taught him that he won't feel right about it unless he is coming to church and living the gospel. Our investigator is now coming and meeting with us each week, and is looking to be baptized before his birthday at the end of May. We are praying so hard for him!
• I have been reading the book of John at Elder Andersen's request and learning a lot more detail and "morals" from the stories of Christ. I taught about the Pool of Bethesda to my mini missionary since she hadn't heard it before and we spotted the painting of the story in every chapel we were in on Sunday.
• Dear President Laney, things are going well.  I can honestly say that I have never had this many baptisms in a single transfer before, no not since my very first transfer on my mission.  This has been a great confidence booster in both me and my companion, we have a stronger mindset that we can baptize.  We are also starting to find again.  This week should be an even better week for finding new investigators, we have some extremely promising refferals. Date    April 12 2010
• This Sunday we had a correlation with our stake president and he gave us very good advices of how we  can help some of the investigators that we have, its pretty impresing how the Holy Ghost help the stake president to say the right comments about the investigators, he knows some of them, but  his stewarship in this area is totallly revealtory. I was pretty happy after that, because he gave us very good ideas that we are going to apply this next week.
• The Tongan Mini Mission was wonderful. Feeling of their Spirit and working along side them reminds me of how it was when you first come out and you don't really know anything and all you do is rely on the Lord and His Spirit.
• This week was great. Thank you for coming to Josephs Baptism. We were really blessed to find 4 new investigators this week and that is why we were able to surpass our goal. Next week we are planning on trying to get even more. We have been working with some who have fallen away and it is pretty crazy to hear some of the reasons why they stopped comming to church. It is really sad but reminds me that a testimony has a short shelf life. We are working to get many to have that desire to learn and have that motivation to act.
• Something really neat happened this weekend. There is a family named the Christiansens, who we went over to meet for the first time a week and a half ago. They have three girls, ages 5, 8, & 10, and the husband in currently in Afghanistan until October. Both parents are members, but have not gone to church since before they were married eleven years ago. The elders taught the 10-year-old last year, but the parents decided they want her to know enough and be old enough before she is allowed to make a decision about being baptized. (We seem to come across that way too often). Because the parents never go to church, of course their daughters are never going to learn anything to be ready to make that decision. Well, we went over, got to know the mom and the girls a little bit, and asked them if they would come to church the next Sunday. She said they would. That in and of itself was unexpected. Saturday, we went back over to make sure they were still planning on coming. We had to speak in a different ward the same time as theirs, and she really didn't want to do all of this by herself. It's a really big step to come back to church with your three girls when you haven't been for that long. That takes a lot of courage. Well, the only person Sister Christiansen feels comfortable with in the ward is her visiting teacher, who has faithfully fulfilled her calling for the last six years. So, we immediately went to see her (Sister Salazar) and told her that Sis. Christiansen would be coming to church and made sure she would call her that day and let her know they could sit with her, etc. When we told Sister Salazar all of this, she started crying and told us that the Christiansens have been part of the "21 day promise" that they'd been doing this last month. It truly is a miracle that Sister Christiansen agreed to come and bring her three girls, all because the Lord has been preparing her and all we had to do was ask. With enough faith and prayers, amazing things happen. They came to church all three hours. They invited us to have dinner with them, as well. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks. I am excited to see their progress. She told us they will definitely be there in two weeks (next week they have a family conflict). The work continues to go well. Thanks for all you do, President. Date    April 12, 2010
• This week was probably our best week of the transfer. We have really tried to be humble and patient during the last couple of weeks (about 6 for me) and it seems as if the Lord has accepted our offering and is now blessing us with more success. I know that as we continue to keep focused and work hard every minute of every day, we will see more success. I am very thankful for the change that this area has made in my outlook on missionary work. Its not about us, just about others. That's really the key that I have learned and am still learning the hard way.
• Miracles keep happening in our area. I know the Lord is blessing us and D&C 103:36 explains why. President, it's like you say. There's so such thing as a dead area, only dead missionaries.
• As a district we found 12 total! It was incredible! We also had a goal of 32 lessons with a member present and we ended the week with exactly 32! Things all turned around Tuesday after that companionship inventory. I know that studies are important and that it makes the difference.
• My companion said that in the last two weeks or so, a light just came on with the mother and she had made a lot of progress. He didn't know why, but he said that she just decided one day to start reading the Book of Mormon and praying, and that has made all the difference. I love the rescue! I've really tried to catch hold of the vision of reactivating the parents of the kids that we teach, and it's so rewarding!
• Zone Conference: It was a great experience to see the movie, "Only a Stonecutter", because I could relate to him personally, I felt as if I did loose one of my legs when I left my comfort zone in the Spanish assignment and now its my choice to act upon what im going to do about it. So, like I said, Im going to build-me a wooden leg so I can walk again, spiritually.
• I enjoyed zone conference, as always.  My companion and I are using the finding packets to try and find new ways to find people.  I've noticed a trend since I have been in this new area.  The investigators we have have concerns I haven't dealt with my whole mission, and the ways I have found in my past areas haven't been very effective.  We need to teach different and find different and always remember to study hard so that we will be inspired to do what we need to do and when. In general, I need to stop doing things I know how to do and start doing things I don't.  That forces me to rely on someone that does, the Lord.
• I've been studying diligence and initiative this past week. I have learned so much!! I will always take initiative during my life. I dont want to go through my life with no initiative. Zone conference really emphasied that for me. Thank you.
• Also in Zone conference I learned that as we are obedient, everything we do has a purpose. We all should trust the Lord and be confident because we have the AUTHORITY. We were set a part before we came to mission. To know that I have the authority to teach, I feel better and don't feel less confident or hard on myself. I want to be more perfectly obedient and follow the spirit. I want to love the people and do my best every minutes. The time is Lord's time and I want to be a trusted servant from the Lord and people that we serve. I am going to push more and more as I do missionary work.
• Zone Conference:
   -I observed that our purpose is to emulate the Savior.
   -I learned that a simple testimony backed by the spirit is far more powerful than an intellectual explanation.
   -I am going to fulfill my purpose until the day I am released from this mantle. And I will continue to serve after.
• I always remember a quote I heard from one of the general authorities in the MTC: "Pray as if it all depends on the Lord, and work as if it all depends on you." "This work is NOT YOUR WORK, but has EVERYTHING to do with you." So I have been doing my best to live up to that. Daily planning at night is always a good time to reflect on the day, and to prepare for the next. We take full advantage of that time and most of the times end up going over half an hour.
• Wetaught the Restoration to Keena at the door, the man living with her, came up to us, apologized to us, and asked us if it would be alright if he sat in with us when we teach her today. He then told us that he hadn't been to church for forty years and that we were the first missionaries he's talked to that asked him why he hasn't gone, and what we could do to help him. I was so thankful for the Holy Ghost being present for those twenty minutes we were at the door, because He softened the heart of a man that has been embittered towards the gospel for a long time. We gave a prayer of thanks to the Lord after this experience, and I was thankful for the feeling of true gratitude that I felt as we prayed.
• At Zone Conference I loved the movie about John Rowe Moyle.  I was impressed by his dedication and it inspired me.  I learned that much of our purpose has to do with who we become and it just reaffirmed that for me and helped me realize that although we have alot of success in this mission it isn't about that.  I feel like it has been a process for me to learn that even if we had no sucess numbers-wise that it would still all be worth it.
I Love this mission and this work.
• I loved zone conference and loved talking about our true purpose and power as missionaries I plan on using it to better help my investigators feel and recognize the spirit. I also have continued marking the preach my gospel scriptures and have been working on tring to memeroize them. Thank you president for all you do