Can't Write Even A Hundreth Part

Hi Everyone!

We had another great week, full of teaching opportunities and service! On Saturday we went over to help out the 1st counselor in the branch presidency tear out the roof from the inside of his trailer and put up new sheetrock for the ceiling and walls, and it was an awesome experience! We got menudo for breakfast (It was actually pretty good, I think I'm developing a taste for it) and then we worked hard most of the day with the counselor and branch president. I felt really good about it, I realized that my work ethic has improved a lot on my mission because usually after a few hours of hard manual labor I get tired and poop out, but this time I felt like I was able to push through and get the work done and finish the day strong! It's one of the blessings the Lord has given me, being able to work and work and discipline myself even though I've had to try really hard to get to that point!

I gave a talk yesterday in sacrament meeting about sacrifice, which went well and for the first time ever, I didn't have enough time to share all the material I wanted to and actually had to shorten my talk a little bit! I shared the story of my great great great grandfather Stucki, when he was crossing the plains and was so hungry that he couldn't resist slicing of a piece or two of meat every day, and how he'd chew it so long that it got tasteless. It was a topic I think that the branch needed to hear, I didn't know this but the branch president told me afterwards that the branch council had been talking about it just that morning before church, how the members needed to be more willing to sacrifice their time for church callings, make the sacrifice to pay tithing, and really give their lives to God. I felt inspired with the topic and I felt the spirit testify of what I said in the talk, and I felt like an unusual number of people were actually paying attention to me as I spoke. It was a really neat experience for me, I hope I can do as well when I give a talk in a couple of weeks in Katy!

We almost put one of our investigators with a baptismal date on Sunday, after a good lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Confirmation, Endure to the End), but he wants to wait just a little longer before committing. He's told us that he's pretty sure this is what he wants to do, but he just wants to know a little bit more. I think a good dose of the Book of Mormon and a little prayer might just do the trick, it has a way of helping people change their lives! I love the Gospel and I love what it can do for us if we let it! There is so much power in what we teach and in the saving ordinances we perform. We're actually baptizing 2 youth on Friday, which technically counts for the Sisters missionaries in the branch but neither would be getting baptized without our going over and just talking to them about it and inviting them! I won't count them as my baptisms but I'm really excited for them and their future in the church!

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all and I can't wait to tell you all about my experiences in person, I feel like Nephi or Moroni saying that they can't write even the hundredth part of everything that went on, but I have definitely been touched and changed by my many experiences here and the miracles I've seen!

Love,
Elder Damon Janis