September 24th email

This week is transfer week so i don’t have much time to be on the computer before i am kicked off, so this will be quick. It was a great week. I was able to create my own little lesson about putting away the distractions of the world. I use a normal pen to draw a guy, and use an erasable pen to draw distractions of the world all around him. Then we go over things that can help us feel closer to God like praying, scriptures, etc. As we do that, we light a lighter behind the piece of paper and it erases all the erasable pen like it is clearing up the distractions of the world. It has been great :)

We were on exchanges and i was biking with another missionary that has been having problems with obedience. He has really been working on being more obedient, and as we were biking around we had a guy stop us and ask for a Book of Mormon because he had been looking for one. We gave him one and taught him more about it and about our faith. God put him in our path.. Literally. haha and i made sure that the missionary i was with knew that God was blessing him for his obedience. That was a really cool experience.

We had a stake MTC day where all the priests and laurels of the stake got together and went on splits with all of us missionaries. It was cool for both the kids, and for us missionaries being able to show them what we do every day. I think it was a great experience for everyone involved.
We had a chance to give a blessing to a friend of one of our members that has been in lots of pain. We gave him a blessing and came over the next day to help him move boxes and he was doing great! he was up and helping. That was definitely a miracle from God, and we are hoping to use that as a way in to teach them about what we have to teach :)

I gave a little lesson during our district meeting about being humble. I told everyone to slap their companion, and kept a super straight face as i told everyone to do that. They eventually did it, and i told them that is was they are doing to God when they aren’t being humble.. haha everyone got a good kick out of that. Then i went on to teach them more about being humble and giving all the credit and glory to God. :)

It was a great week spiritually, but we had lots of fun too. We helped a member frame and put up a few walls in his neighbors house. It was cool learning how to build walls. We also went out to lunch with one of the members of the Tongan ward. He is an NFL player and played at USC. This dude was massive and only 24. He just got cut from the bears so we are trying to convince him to go on a mission. Haha but It was a very fun week! I am doing great out here in Wilton. elder larsen and I will be staying here for at least one more transfer which i am excited about!

I am doing great! I am starting to have more energy again which is good. But i still get super tired right as we are getting ready for bed which is good. I fall right to sleepJ I am feeling nice and healthy right now. The weather has cooled off a little bit. it is usually in the high 70's which feels perfect. Sounds like it is really cooling off there! How is all the flooding and stuff? It is crazy that Mia is already getting baptized! Her answer was so perfect when she said she wants to do it because Christ did. Every time we commit someone to baptism we say "will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by the proper authority of God?" so she already has it down!

We passed the cleaning check just fine. I guess i am just a pro cleaner. :) Senior missionaries are the ones that go around and do the checks.

Thanks for everything! I love being out here and i couldn’t do it without all the support i get from home! I miss you all lots and lots, but i will be home before you know it!

Love you more than Utah loves destroying BYU every year! haha

Elder Gage Black :)