Hmmm, I guess I'll just have to room with Katelyn then. Then I'll really be able to make sure that she doesn't date anyone. Yes, I think that would be quite nice.
I'm not too worried about it. Everything will work out as it should, it usually always does.
That's exciting that Maleah keeps excelling in music. I think she would really benefit from private lessons. I remember my lessons with Sister Lueck, (I think that's spelled right.) I didn't take as much advantage of them as I could have but I definitely improved a lot. I think there's a lot of opportunities that you guys gave me that I didn't take seriously and I regret. I use to have greater resolve to improve in the future. Just make sure that it's something that Maleah wants to do and will invest herself fully in. That way it's not just putting unnecessary pressure on her and wasting everyone's time and money.
It's still just such an odd feeling that everything will be different when I go home. A missionary from the ward just returned home and yesterday spoke to the young men. It was interesting because there were almost ten boys there and 8 of them were converts within the last year. He had to take a moment to get to know the young men in his own ward! It's amazing what can change in two years. It feels so fast but looking at how much has changed it must have been a while. But there's comfort in knowing that it's all been worthwhile.
Elder Davies, one of the spanish missionaries who live with us, and I were talking this morning about some of the changes that we've made throughout our missions. We reflected on how our concept of the work has changed drastically throughout our mission. At the beginning of our missions we both definitely measured our success by numbers and comparison. We wanted to be the greatest missionaries that ever served here in New Jersey and we knew that by working hard and pushing right we could be better than everyone else and get a lot of baptisms. The more we worked though and the more we got to know the Savior and assimilate the true spirit of the Gospel, we realized what missionary work is all about. It's not about how good we are but how good we're helping others to become. One thing that I've really learned about while I've served and developed charity for those that I serve has been that true love is not about us. We may want it to be about us but laboring with such an intention will never bring us the satisfaction we desire. The more that we've let go of trying to look good to the leaders, the more that we do less to gratify ourselves, the less that we lift up ourselves the more we free ourselves to do what the Savior would have us do. I've found that when my focus is on others I am lifted up farther than I ever would be if I focused on myself. I know that the more concerned with my own well being the lonelier a world I create for myself.
Elder Summerhays and I celebrated the confirmation of 3 new converts to the church. It was a really spiritual meeting and they've truly been like no other converts to the church that I've ever seen. They have true and sincere desires to serve in the church. They know what it's done for them and the second after the priesthood hands were removed from their heads they were telling us about people they wanted us to teach and trying to schedule days when they wanted to come out with us. They're really converted to the gospel and you can see it in their eyes. Their hearts are truly changed.
We've been doing a great deal of finding because we've baptized all the people we were teaching and we're going to be seeing a lot of miracles in the upcoming week. I hope you all have a great week. And remember to read the scriptures!
-Elder Guinto
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