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Depending on what time of the day you happen to be reading this, good morning/good afternoon/good evening/good night.

This has been a pretty good week.

Much has changed with our large teaching pool. It's still pretty large, except for we've stopped working with a lot of the people the Sisters were working with/trying to work with. We've also been finding a lot of new people as well. There are these two brothers we found. Robby had been taught be missionaries at one point so we tried knocking on his door to talk to him, and his brother Reuben answered. He said he was interested though. So we went back a few days later to try and see Reuben, and Robby answered this time and he is interested as well. It was confusing too because they're identical even though they're 2 years apart in age. 

It's been really busy. Which is really good. Unfortunately many of our scheduled appointments fall through. So that's always really disappointing. I mean I get it, people have lives. They're busy. It's understandable. It just stinks. 

We had a super awesome lesson with a lady named Kathleen this week. She didn't cancel, which was one of the things that made it awesome. But also it was just a great discussion about God's plan of happiness. She had great questions and she has such a strong desire to gain more faith. We invited her to be baptized as well and she said she would, she just didn't want to set a specific date yet. It was cool.

Oh yeah I also wrecked on my bike this week. I sprained my wrist. At least we think it's sprained. I did see a Doctor, luckily there is a member of the Eldorado Ward who is a Doctor. However he's an anesthesiologist and so doesn't really specialize in wrists at all. He did do a pretty good job wrapping the off-brand ace bandage on my wrist though. 

Well, we've got a busy day ahead of us, and we don't want a repeat of 3 weeks ago when I ran out of time to email, or of 2 weeks ago when I also ran out of time to email, so we'd better make like my off-brand ace bandage and wrap things up. 

A scripture I really love in the Book of Mormon is in Alma chapter 36 verses 18-21. This is when a man named Alma is telling his amazing conversion story. And these verses is how he describes his experiencing the Savior's Atonement, His grace and mercy. 

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

One reason why I love this passage is how he talks about light. Jesus Christ really is the Light in our lives. And just as light dispels darkness, Jesus Christ can completely dispel the darkness we have in our lives. And we can have the kind of miraculous joy and peace that Alma experienced. I know this is true. I know that Jesus Christ really is our Savior. That He lives. That He knows the pain and struggles we feel. And He is waiting for us to come unto Him in faith so He can provide the peace and joy He wants to give to us. I love Him and I love His Gospel and I'm so thankful for the blessings I have in my life because of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. 

Well, I'll talk to you next week.

With an appropriate amount of affection,

~Elder Oswald

Heather's baptism