6/2/14

That's super weird that Luke will soon be the oldest one in the house for awhile... I wish I could be there to support Alex but I believe being out here is the best way to help out Alex and everyone.  I'll have to see some pictures of Alex's graduation next time!  How did it go?  Did everyone have an awesome time?

So, my week was pretty sweet!  I would say the funniest thing that happened this week would be... Well, that's a tough one.  One I can remember was yesterday when Brother Berryman, an older member of the branch, said during Linger Longer, "There's watermelons growing up my cucumber vines."  It was pretty funny, ha ha!  Maybe you had to be there but it's a funny branch!  We love it!  Now, the most spiritual thing that happened this week... also a tough one.  I would say that was yesterday.  So, we were going to see one of our investigators and we missed the turn for her street, but we just said, "Hey, we can still get to her place turning on the next street."  So, we did that and we ended up running into her son Alvin!  He's about 16.  We talked with him a bit and he said we could go to his house for a lesson.  It was just him home.  So, we went into the Plan of Salvation and the spirit was very strong as we got into the lesson.  He had a lot of questions for us that we were able to answer.  He also doesn't know a lot about Jesus Christ.  I was able to have the opportunity to testify to him about how much the Savior and our Heavenly Father love him and how the Atonement is the greatest act of love ever performed and how the Atonement works and how we're able to repent of our sins.  In that same lesson we also talked about the Book of Mormon and testified of it's truthfulness and invited Alvin to read 3 Nephi 11.  Promising Alvin that he will be blessed and that he will find out if what we taught him was true by sincere study and prayer is my favorite thing to do with everyone we teach!  After the lesson, Elder Langford and I were just thinking, "We never would have taught Alvin if we missed that first turn."  We were truly guided by the Lord, and it's funny that even we missionaries don't always recognize when that happens!

So, the most inspiring thing that I studies this week would have to be about Nephi, the son of Helaman.  Nephi never wavered to keep the commandments of God.  There is one moment when he is about to return to his home after already fulfilling a commandment God had given him and he is then commanded to go forth and preach the Gospel.  Nephi doesn't even go home to rest after receiving this commandment.  He immediately goes forth and fulfills God's commandment.  That's definitely something I can apply to my life as a missionary and for the rest of my life!  We can always do better.

I will send a picture of me and my companion next week.  I didn't realize I didn't have one.  My address is:
325 2nd St
Apt. 108
Blackstone, VA  23824

I love y'all!!!
-Elder Austin Mounts

"When we strive to do our best, we will always succeed."  I don't know if I quoted that word for word but it's from Elder Ballard.