January 21 2014

Dear family,

(Insert the same paragraph about how shocked I am about how the world continues to progress while I'm gone.)

How is grandpa doing? I was thinking about him the other day, I hope everything is well with our family. I was kind of worried about rachel too, haha she took pretty much the same suicide schedule that I did. 

So basically the house I live in is amazing. I live with my companion, who's been one of my best friends since the beginning of my mission, Elder Ellett, who is super cool, and I've known him since the beginning of his mission, a huge baseball player with 16 inch biceps, and Elder Schill, who is the goofiest fellow I've ever met, along with one of the most diligent missionaries ever. Elder Schill has reminded me of almost all of the silly songs with larry. It's been quite entertaining, and we have a lot of fun. A good obedient house makes all the difference. 

IN OTHER NEWS. President newsome is going home. Mission presidents are dropping like flies. His company back home is getting sued or something, so he's gotta go. I'm gonna have 3 mission presidents. But, something special is happening in the mission, and it's really cool to be in a leadership position, because it makes me a part of it. Part of our mission's history has always been the monthly zone goals for baptisms. When I first got into the mission I remember the goals were always ridiculously high. We had 27, 25, 35 one time, and our zone would baptize like 3, 4, 7 people. It was nuts. But lately, the goals have dropped, and in result, baptisms have gone up. We in florida are going to achieve our goal of 8 unless something crazy happens. It's kind of exciting to be on the zone leader end of things, because we made the goal, made plans to motivate the missionaries to get it, and it all came together. WE have 10 baptisms planned in our zone this saturday, and it's a small zone. Only 8 companionships. It's gonna be spectacular. So that makes me feel good. I have felt a lot more lately that I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do.

I also did 2 fasts last week, one was personal and the other was a mission fast that I didn't know was gonna happen, but wow. Out here I have learned a lot about fasting. It made me really spiritually sensitive. I loved it. I might start fasting every day, cause it honestly helps a lot. 

Love you guys a ton, do work. Heed the counsel of the prophets to do home teaching and missionary work! It's not an option!

Love, 

Andy