Elder Almquist Letter #20

Hello Family

If my companion buys one more thing of vegetables that he won't eat, I might start my own grocery store.  Yes that is right, four heads of red cabbage.   I hate cabbage especially when it is boiled.  We still have 5 more avocados and still have 4 of the 7 cucumbers.   Yes, I am running an am/pm from my fridge.  This week was great.  The book you sent mom was the best gift you have ever given me.   Truly it has helped so much.  I am so tired--sometimes I feel like I get abandoned, but it truly lifted my soul this week.  It helped me out so so so sososososososososossosososososso much.  I can't believe that Madi is already one.  It seems like yesterday that Ceri was pregnant. 

The area is doing well.   We are doing a lot better-- had many miracles through part- member families.  I am still trying to gain a testimony of tracking and so is President Palmer, but we had amazing success.  Last night we met with the Smarts, and they have a RM son who has kinda fallen off a bit.  He is a stud, knows its true and it was amazing to help him receive the healing from the Atonement.  Josh way to go to get Lexy out of El Paso.   She needed the vacation.  Spanish is doing well, my companion is from Guatemala, and his family is living in Philly.  His parents are both doctors there.  He is a halo freak, was top ten nationally ranked for three straight years, doesn't like sports but has a solid testimony.  We found a young lady this week whose name is Gaby.  She is amazing.  We invited her to be baptized on the first lesson, and she has a date to be baptized on August 20^th but since she is under 31, she will go to the YSA ward and the sister missionaries.  That now makes 7 investigators I have found for them.  Hey it’s work.  We went on splits, and I was with Elder Metcalf from Draper, UT.  His cousin is Scott Murdock.   He is a great elder.  I loved serving with him.  He is a brand new missionary, and it was just a blast.   That is the day we found Gaby and this other family the Caytons. They are a part member family and they are solid. The only problem is that they are always traveling, but I sure hope the Lord can truly soften their hearts to come to know these things are true.  The daughter I must say is absolutely golden.

Do you ever talk to the Glanzers much?  They are such a cool family.  I really miss them, but maybe one day I will get to go back to Tonasket.  It was such a great place to start my mission. 

I will tell you a little about the Farris family.  They are doing so well.  We had planned to teach a lesson to them, and it was just crazy, I literally couldn’t speak, and I usually do all the talking because Elder Juarez hates to talk, but I physically couldn't talk and same with EJ. Somehow Mr. Farris committed to coming to church and then quit drinking. I know the Lord is preparing him.  I can't tell you how much I love that family.

Mom and Dad thanks so much for that book.  Jeffrey Holland is my favorite apostle of all time, except maybe Moroni, but he is definitely one of the top five.  It is such a boost to me to read what he knows about the Savior.  I mean if people just listen to the Savior and what He is really talking about, they will understand Him so much better, pues necesitio salir y gracias por todo de mis bendiciones.  Vaya con dios; les amo. 

 Elder Almquist