July 13, 2009 Hello From MN

Hello everyone!
We had a pretty good week this week. I'm starting to learn the area pretty well and meet most of the people that we associate with. We have a pretty small teaching pool here, but we're trying to build it up. But the only way we can really do that is from tracting...and tracting is pretty unproductive in a town that is mostly old people, most of which are staunch lutherans or catholics. But we still try nonetheless. Something President Cannon told us is that "tracting is a sign of obedience, its there to call down the blessings of heaven." So as we tract and show the Lord we're willing to work and find people on our own, he'll bless us either in our tracting efforts or in other areas of the work.
We have a pretty neat investigator here, her name is Bonita and she's an older native lady. She has been taught for quite a while now, off and on, by the elders. She has a testimony of the church and really wants to get baptized...but its difficult for her to make it to church because of work. She has 2-3 jobs and is really busy, so its even hard for us to get in to visit with her. But all she needs to do is come to church and she can get baptized. She's determined to make it this sunday though and said she won't let anything get in her way. So that's pretty exciting...and hoepfully nothing does.
The other people we're working with aren't really progressing too much at the moment, but we're trying to help them keep commitments and gain a testimony for themselves. Its amazing how flaky people are sometimes, but its not in our control so it really shouldn't make us mad since it isn't our fault. So lesson to be learned...don't be a flake, haha.
Yesterday was quite an amazing day though. It had been a pretty spiritually draining week this past week and I was getting pretty low. So I decided to read my patriarchal blessing for personal study. I am so grateful for the power and strength it brings to me through the Spirit. I hope all of you regularly read your patriarchal blessing(which I'm sure you do), it is a tremendous sign of our Father in Heaven's love for us.
Church was amazing too. In Sacrament meeting we had some of the best talks I have ever heard. One was on the importance of the temples and how they are a light to our lives. The second was about how we all need to treat each other better. The overarching theme I found in the talk is that we need to truly learn how when we run into someone...that we treat them exactly the way the Savior would. It is a hard task, but as we are able to develope that kind of charity in our lives, we will find an immense increase of joy in our lives.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission for the Lord. I know he leads and guides this work and that as we follow the promptings of the Spirit we can help bring others to the knowledge of the truth!
Love,
Elder Fitt