October 3, 2011

Hello Family,
 
I got the package.  Thanks for the jerky!!  I also enjoyed the picture you enclosed from my Eagle Scout project.  I think, just recently, I've started to look older than I did in that picture with Ms. Sturgess at the Nature Center (Mike was 13 years old in the photo). 

This past week has been a lot of work.  We're having success, but I feel like I am doing almost everything.  It's been a huge change to switch from having an outgoing companion like Elder Hernandez to Elder Mills, who doesn't talk much.  He's been out for a year and is still struggling with his Spanish too.  We get along fine, but I teach more of the lessons than I did even with Elder Faldmo (who was an awesome companion and tried really hard even though he didn't have the language down).  I think this helps me try even harder to find members to come with us to lessons, but that is a struggle too.  I will be going on splits with one of the members in the Branch Presidency this Thursday for the night.

Leon Teran got burned pretty badly at work two days after we started teaching him.  We gave him a blessing and taught him a little lesson about faith and how it relates to miracles.  It made me wonder if I could just stand up and command that his arm be healed in the name of Christ, or does Leon need to have faith for that miracle to happen?  I remember reading in the Doctrine and Covenants awhile ago about how there are people who are righteous that will be saved regardless of their lack of faith to be healed.  I guess I just need to focus on the faith I have and listen to the Spirit to know what to do in those situations.

We also found another man by the name of Benito Alvarez who used to go to the church in Mexico, but ever since he came to the United States he'd lost contact.  He and his family seem to have a lot of potential.  Our branch is really in need of some strong families so hopefully we can get them excited and ready for baptism.

Elder Palmer is doing well.  I kind of have a hard time figuring out how to involve him in the lessons given his language is supposed to be Portuguese.  I'm sure it's hard for him to pay attention with all of us speaking Spanish.  One thing we're trying to do more in our companionship study is to practice.  That's not something I've focused on too much so far, but I think it will help us coordinate our lessons better, and I won't be the only one teaching.  This week we plan to focus on the baptismal commitment so all of our investigators know that that should be their goal.  I would really like to set some more dates.

My favorite talk from General Conference yesterday was probably Elder Holland's from the Priesthood Session.  I also like the missionary-minded talks from Elder Ballard and Elder Calsiter from the Seventy.  

Anyway, that's what's up with me.  I hope everything is going well with you guys at home and that you're enjoying fall in CT.  It's still over 100 degrees in Phoenix some days.
 
Love,
 
Elder Kinney