Hello Family! I have been in my area for one transfer already. Time is going by pretty fast! I'm assuming that by Iowa City you are meaning Iowa Falls? Things are going great there and thanks to the work we started, that area is now getting full time missionaries as of tomorrow so we will have two sets in our branch. And I am staying in Story City for this next transfer with Elder Nielsen so i can finish being trained. I'm not entirely sure how long i will be here though. Iowa is indeed moving into the fall weather. It's been pretty windy and suit jacket weather pretty much this whole last week. Speaking of suit coats, I found a sweet lighter blue suede suit jacket for only 5 dollars in a second hand store so i bought it and i'll probably send a pic of it. The colors aren't starting to change really here yet, other than the corn getting all brown because it's been a dry season here. A lot of the fields are already harvested though which just makes it look even flatter out here. Well the big Iowa State and University of Iowa football game was last week and Iowa State won in triple overtime which was a big shocker. That night we were told just to stay inside because we live in Iowa State territory so the whole town was pretty much just getting drunk to party. I bet Pres McGinn was sad to hear that as well since his favorite time is U of I.
We did hear that Sister Jergensen's mom died. And yes she did go out to the funeral in Utah and is expected to be back sometime this week. That is cool that you are still going around and teaching about senior missionary work. I don't really know the senior missionaries here that well, but we aren't stationed close to them either. Most of them are in the office, but they do have some proselyting couples. The newest ones were put in Manchester and i don't know where the other ones are. I'm sure that the missionaries that are actually in their areas know them a lot better though. Or the AP's probably know the office ones really well. That is super crazy that Tanner is leaving already, and that Chandler is coming home. Time is really flying and due dates and other things are closer than they appear. You will have to let me know how those talks go (or at least Chandlers).
I'm glad that Russian is coming along well for both of you. That would be very difficult to learn. This week i've weirdly enough been learning about Rocket Science. The elder's quorom president is an aeronautic engineer or something to that effect and got offered a position at the company that is buying out NASA pretty much and we had dinner with him the other night. I've also learned that their are 7 times more pigs than people in the state of Iowa. Needless to say, we eat a lot of bacon.
This past week we have been doing a lot of tracting since we were pretty much opening a new area. My people skills have been improving a lot and i've been able to give out some books of mormon. The people are nice, but pretty devoted to their own religions. Usually just because that's what they grew up with, not because they actually know what they believe in. Family is a big deal to the people out here. We have been trying to teach them to start praying with their families. Christ teaches us this as well in 3 Nephi 18:21 "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." I have definitely been blessed from the prayers that I am receiving and thank you very much for praying for me. I have been developing as a person and missionary much faster than would be able to without the help of your prayers.
Also with some people they try and "bash" with us to disuade us from doing the work. But i just think back to how even though these people obviously don't have a love for me and i never leave with a feeling of love, nothing can seperate me from God's love. In Romans 8:35-39 It says
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate uf from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
My advice and testimony to you today would to just do everything we can in order to keep growing closer to our Savior. He really does love us and if we don't feel of that love, it is because we are turning away from Him, not the other way around. I love this gospel and i am seeing first hand that happiness it brings to other people and the holes it fills for them. I love you all!
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