Hola From the Field!

Hi everyone!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and thoughts, God answers those and I'm so blessed by your faith.

I have my new address, it's:

Elder Damon Janis
1418 Cedar Ave. Apt A4
Grand Junction, CO, 81501

A lot has happened in the last week. I survived the excruciating flight from Salt Lake to Denver, and although it nearly killed me being on a plane that long I made it. :) I got a really bad cold from not having much sleep, so when I arrived in Denver I was exhausted and could barely function. We had a long day with a lot of training from the AP's, President and sister Christison, and the senior couples. We spent the night at the mission home, where I had my first good meal in 9 weeks. :) There were about 15 new missionaries in the group, including other elders and 2 sisters going Spanish. They had all done the 3 week program at the MTC though because they were already fluent, so I had never run into them. We got more personal instruction from President and his wife, and I think I'm really going to like them. They're very spiritual, good people, and they have a lot of experience and practical counsel. The next day I found out where I was going for my first area, and who my trainer would be. Turns out I got to go out west, to a city called Grand Junction, and our area covers pretty much the whole city and a few towns to the west of it. My trainer is Elder Francis, and he's really cool! He's really laid back and easy to get along with, and has about 4 months left in the mission.

This week I've been getting to know the branch, the investigators, other missionaries, and learning the ropes of missionary work. The first few days were really stressful for me because I couldn't understand anything anyone said, but I'm starting to get used to how people say things and I can follow most of what goes on in lessons and gospel conversations. I don't remember the first door that I knocked, but I do remember our first rejection, we knocked on a door and a man came to the peep-hole and said loudly: "GO AWAY! IS THAT CLEAR?" It was kinda funny, I actually didn't really even care about it, I though I would probably have a more difficult time with the slammed doors and such, but so far it hasn't phased me.

So far I've mostly been listening to my companion work, and I haven't been involved in the planning or teaching much. I'm learning Spanish faster now than I was my last couple weeks at the MTC, which is good but I still have a really long way to go. There are still a few members who I can't understand literally one word they say. Those are hard appointments, because my companion enjoys talking to people and so I have to sit there and try to pick out what I can. I'm really learning a lot, and I'm figuring out what my style of missionary work is. Right now I'm just going with whatever my trainer says, but when I get more comfortable and experienced I'd like to do some things a bit differently. I'm loving the experience so far, it's really challenging but it's really good.

I'm so grateful for this church, for this gospel and for this opportunity. It's the greatest thing in the world that all we have to do to know if this church is true is study the Book of Mormon and ask God through prayer. That's our invitation to everyone, and I'm so glad that I've done that and I can bear testimony that I've felt the witness of the Holy Ghost.

I love you all, thanks so much for your prayers!

Elder Damon Janis

P.S. Thank you so much Aunt Becky for the Email! I'd respond but I don't have your address, if you could get that to me it would be awesome!