Sept. 9, 2013

This week has been a pretty hard week to be honest.  Nobody was home from our investigators.  There were those who told us to call to schedule an appointment but then never kept the appointment.  It doesn't help when you feel like the weight of the whole area rests on your shoulders alone.  I do have a companion of course, but he is new as I said and is still learning exactly what is going on and trying to remember everyone.  I have had some great experiences these past few days though in receiving inspiration on how to better myself in the work and how to work with the members, during Stake Conference!  We also had two miracles happen in receiving two referrals and one of them already wants to come to church!  We have yet to contact the other because we received it late last night.

I'm hanging in there alright, I have been praying and seeking the Lord's comfort a whole lot as a trainer of only 5 months.  This is definitely something new for me and a challenge.  I continually see why we have challenges in our lives.  If nothing was a challenge, we would never learn and grow.  That is part of God's plan!  I'll admit it can be frustrating sometimes, because you really just want to take the easy way out and move on.  With this transfer I'm definitely evaluating myself a lot more and seeing how I can better myself without running faster than I can walk.  I can be hard on myself a lot and that can be good at times, but I think I can let it get too far too.  I definitely hit a breaking down point this past weekend where I just felt it all and was on the verge of tears.  Sunday before Conference though I decided to watch Reflections of Christ.  I realized I had not been remembering my Savior and all that He's done for me through His infinite Atonement.  As soon as I did that and sincerely refocused on Him and prayed to our Father in Heaven, I had the Spirit comfort me as I watched the documentary and slideshow, the DVD contains.  God always is watching out for us and will always comfort and reassure us if we just turn to Him and the Savior.

Elder Bowen is a great guy!  I'll admit he can get on my nerves at times, but I easily put that aside and refocus on the good about him, well, I do my best, ha ha!  We get along though very well and are enjoying our time together.  I just want him to talk more with those we see and meet lol.  He'll get used to it soon.  He's funny and spiritual and serious.  I make him laugh more than he makes me laugh so, I'm glad I can do that for him and make his day, ha ha!!  When we roleplay, I definitely see the spiritual side of him come out and the spirit is there.  I'm having him roleplay a lot because I want to break that social barrier so he's more comfortable talking with others.  It's fun, ha ha!

Pdays, we're usually out of the King George area and hang out with the Elders in Fredericksburg.  We're never in King George on a PDay because there's nothing to do.  We play Gatorball and Bang!We play board games, Yes, mom, I admitted to board games being fun and not boring!  Crazy huh?  We share food and it's working out well so far, ha ha!  Elder Bowen can be kind of picky about what there is to eat and says we need more food but I'm like, we got chicken, rice, stir fry, peas, canned fish, spaghetti, eggs, oatmeal, sandwich stuff, and lots of pasta.  Yeah, so I love not having to buy food if we don't need to.  He still has time to figure that out because if you do that and don't budget your money it goes bye, bye, bye, ha ha!  This is all part of the training right?  Elder Bowen and I tease each other a lot and it's well humored tease always.  Oh, I'm glad you reminded me with what I have been making to eat, I have learned to make some pretty awesome oatmeal!  And most importantly, I have learned or self taught myself how to make a tasty omelet!!!!  I used some of the stir fry too, to add in the omelet!  So, I DO know there is stuff to eat in the house even though it looks like there isn't because you have to prepare it.

So, another care package?  I didn't even think about that!  It would be cool to get some more music.  Any thing that invites the Spirit!  Oh, it would also be cool to get a photo album of some recent family photos of us all over the years and a picture of Kate and Bacon from the fair, well, everyone from the fair!  Also, where does our family name come from? 

Thank you for the weekly quotes and comfort you send me!  They are a great way to start off a new week!!!  I love you all!!!!

Love, Elder Austin Mounts