E-mail: January 4, 2010

I have written a few times about the work here... but I just wanted to write a little bit of a summary about the whole area here and how things go....

We travel every 3-5 days, from one area to another and try hard to keep up with everyone we teach. It works alright and we love it very much.

We get to see and to know a lot of people and try hard to help them find the truth about the Lords restored gospel on the earth today.

Iron Mountain is definitely the area with the most work right now and we love it there.
People come up to us and just say, that they want to be baptized... how great is THAT!?!?!
Iron Mountain has been prepared for this, for sure! The members really want to do their part and try hard to help us.

In all three areas, we are staying with members.

Marinette – The Scotts
President Scott is the Branch President in Marinette and just in the beginning of this transfer we moved in with them, from an apartment that the church owned before. Sr. Scott is German and it is nice to talk to her in German once in a while J. They have 3 daughters and 2 sons, of which only the sons, Aaron and Daniel still live with them. They are wonderful people and we love being with them.

Escanaba – The Schmidts
Sr. Schmidt is the BEST! she does everything for us. She is sooo very nice. Her Husband is the branch president in Escanaba and her son James (16) still lives there also.
Cool guy, whose best friend lives in Houston and goes to seminary with my cousin Lauren :) :D

Iron Mountain – The Lewis’
Brother and Sister Lewis are my 'Grandparents' :) here and so very nice. They love having the missionaries in their house and try to do anything for us. Br. Lewis is the Branch Mission leader and does a fabulous job at it. He tries to talk with us almost daily and does everything he can to support us with our investigators. It could not be better than that. It is an essential part to the work, that there is such a good relation between the missionaries and their leaders.

So…that is where we are staying…now about some few people we are teaching. I took the names out, but at least you can read a little bit about the things we do here.

In Marinette there is a 25 year old girl. She has come a looooong way already and really tries hard to do what is right. After overcoming a loooot of things…it is only Smoking that is still holding her back. She has come down from a package a day to ONE stinking cigarette a day, but THAT, she just doesn’t finish off. We have been trying so very hard to help her, and will keep doing so as much as we can.

Iron Mountain has a lot of great things happening.
There is a 9 year old boy,Tyler (name ok here), whose father is Inactive. The dad knows the Church is true, but has a long story of different things happening, that prevent him from coming to church. As we worked with Tyler, his dad himself made a lot of progress and started to have the desire to return to the church and support his son. At the baptism service for Tyler, he offered the closing prayer. It was so wonderful to see the progress he has made, just in these last months. He will be a wonderful dad.

Then there is another couple that we are teaching. LONG story. But short: They were contacted at the delivery of a bible, which they had requested over the internet,said, they would like to be taught more. IN that process, a lot happened. One night, (2 days after I came out J ) we helped them move out their stuff, from their apartment. Their landlord wanted to redo the carpeting in there. The next day, when they wanted to see how things are and when they could move their stuff back in, she was told that they are thrown out and the locks have been changed. CRAZY.!!!! … They were devastated and called us. We went there, talked to them and gave them both a blessing. They were comforted and we talked to them a little more about trials and the good they can bring us.
They understood and changed their attitude about it, by wanting to change their lives to the better. It has been marvelous to see the changes they have made.
Now, they both have jobs again and a place to stay. Family Home Evening is being held regularly in their home and if work allows it, they always come to church.
She is just waiting for her divorce papers to come through, so they can get married and baptized. A wonderful day it will be. I look forward to it…

There are more people… but to write about all of them, would take a looong time. To know… the work here is amazing and the people wonderful. I love serving here and wish I could stay the whole 2 years.
But anyways…it’s the Lord’s work. I will do, as he calls! I am very grateful to be here and will do my best at all times to live up to the responsibility.
Thanks to everyone. I miss you all and hope everyone is doing good. Bye