Diligence

Hey guys!!!!

So sorry about not writing a big letter last week, but this week's one will be so good it'll make up for last week:) So it seems like everyone's starting to get sick, and i am definitely not okay with that! You guys gotta get better fast. Also maybe someone did tell me and i completely missed it but i didn't know Dad was teaching the freshman sohphomore class instead of the senior class? But that would mean that next year Grant would be in his class which would be pretty sweet! So new discovery of the week: cockroaches? yep, they can fly. who knew?!? well.. we didn't! And there have been TONS of them in our house lately.. and you guys know how much i love bugs.

Well this week has been very eventful!! Yesterday we had stake conference here and we had 6 investigators in church! Which was way cool! It's the family of a girl we have been teaching, but it's cost us a little bit of work to get all of them interested but now they have 2 times in church while Emma, the girl already has 6. But the only problem right now is that Emma doesn't want to get baptized alone, and we can't baptize her family yet because they have to go atleast 5 times to church, AND the parents aren't legally married... but they don't know that we know that (Their member friends told us). So we have been trying to address that but we haven't been really sure how. But they have progressed a whole lot this week. But right now their biggest setback is they have trouble with the concept of faith, and they want to rely more on scientific facts. But we have made a plan to help them understand better how to have more faith. But they're a really really cool family and have been super awesome to us. This week we also had interviews with President Rodriguez, which is always great to see him. I always leave feeling more motivated and with a better understanding of how to serve more diligently. He gave me some great advice for us for our area and for me personally to be able to be better.

Well, something that I have been studying a lot this week is Diligence, and what Gods expects from us as his children. And there were a lot of cool things i found but what i was able to talk out of it was that God doesn't expect perfection, he knows we all have weaknesses, but what he does expect is Diligence. Or being everything you can be, the very best you can be, no matter what. And serving God, and the people around you, even when you feel like you can't. Something I've really tried to capture and become since i got here is someone who puts himself second. To always serve others and God first, no matter how tired you are. Because as a missionary I think there have been times where i have been more tired than i have ever been in my life... ha but it's been in these times where i've really understood what it means to be a SERVANT of Christ, and to always put His will before yours. And in the scriptures it promises us that we will be blessed for our diligence, but maybe not in the time that WE want, which is the hard part of it all. But i invite you guys to try to take that extra step and do maybe just a little bit more, even when you think you can't. And you'll be surprised at the results it brings:)

Well I  love you guys a lot!!! And i miss you even more! I hope you all have a great  week:)

Con mucho amor,

Elder Bird