hey there loved ones! i happy to hear from you guys again and get to picture all the great things you're all doing. this week was a good experience as we got to hear from Elder Dickson, who's the 2nd counselor from the west africa area presidency. he kinda jumped around to many different topics and didn't quite talk on one subject, but it was still good to get some notes. sad thing is that i left those notes back at the apt. so next week i'll be sure to include those in my email. that same day, me and my companion had the chance to go and give one of our investigators a blessing. it was a new experience seeing that i haven't been able to give a blessing since back home. i just haven't been given the opportunity to do it, but it went well. my companion anointed and i sealed the anointing and pronounced the blessing. the thing is, is that my companion couldn't do it in english, so i had him just do it in french. God understands french, right, so nothing to worry about. i was very happy to have the opportunity to help our investigator Gloria. i guess she had gotten sick that day and so she called us to come over. the next day she was doing fine, so i'm happy that God would allow that to happen.
we have interviews this week with our mission president and then transfers will be coming again soon... it's just going by too fast. sometimes it's a good feeling to see how fast the time is going, but seriously it's scary to realize it as well. it definitely helps us, here, see how valuable the time is that we have. the time that the Lord has set apart for us to go out and work hard. this past week we also had the wonderful chance to meet with one of my recent converts who had some questions about certain things pertaining to the church. she had also commented on some of the persecution she's experienced with some people she's been around. they were saying some things about the church that wasn't true, so she had to stand up to the man. i was glad to hear that she has a strong enough testimony to stand up to the man and let him know that what he was saying, wasn't true.
the branch that i'm still serving in has its difficulties and struggles... that's for sure, but it's still good to see them progress slowly towards becoming, if not a ward yet, at least a stronger branch. they have trouble with their relationships between different members, but i know that they can improve and get to doing their home teaching and visiting teaching. they just don't realize right now how important it is to have that included in a branch or ward. so i hope and pray that they'll do better with that.
thanks mom for sending the package and i can't wait to get it. those three items are for 2 elders that asked me to buy those things for them. it's just way too expensive to purchase those kinds of things here in the smaller cities or villages. we'd have to travel out of our mission boundaries to go and purchase those things near the same price, in some bigger city. so thanks again so much and i love ya!
congrats again with the temple work dad and keep up the sellings with your book. best of luck with that. nick, keep working hard in school and whatever other activities you're doing. work hard with scouts and other outdoor adventures. love the mountains while you still can, cause you might go to your mission in some country like this where you don't see mountains, just little hills.
i love you guys so much and i'll be sure to write a longer email next week. thanks for the continued support, love and prayers. i've been so blessed with health and strength to keep going in the work. God's truly been gracious to me while i've been here and i'm eternally indebted to Him. i'm reading the Book of Mormon again and i'm in Alma 35 about. i love reading about Alma, Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni. what great examples of missionaries for me to look up to and follow. what happened with them and the Lamanites being converted is truly amazing and it's exciting to think about. the Book of Mormon seriously is true and the teachings in it can help us so much in our lives. share your testimony with everyone you can. i'm not saying just go up to some random person in Walmart and start bearing your testimony, but share it whenever possible. the more you bear your testimony to others, the more it will grow and become stronger. we can learn as members of the true church, that if we're persecuted, it's only because satan knows we're part of God's church. he's jealous of us and we need to make it a point to never let him over come us. he only has power over us if we allow him to. if we pray always and be believing, all things are possible and God will help us in tough situations. when we put ourselves in good environments, the Spirit can lead us and guide us. when we will do what is right, the Lord will bless us, and that's His promise to us. i'm so grateful to be here and thankful to be a part of this family in the gospel. i love you all so much and i owe my life to you. thanks for being such great examples.
- elder newbold
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