A Short Hello From Minnesota!

Hi Everyone!

So the library was closed again on our P-day so I don't have much time to email today unfortunately. A storm hit us on Friday and lasted until yesterday, it seems to be cleared up now. We got a good amount of snow and it blew around a lot so travel wasn't advised...but that didn't stop us! However, it did slow the work down a lot, and church was even cancelled, which was lame. The biggest problem was most of the side roads weren't plowed, but we could get around town just fine. Since the library was closed yesterday and the town was shut down, we went to the Valdez's and played with the kids in the snow. They were working on an igloo and it was a lot of fun. I got some good pictures.

We did have a pretty good week, well interesting would be a better word. Lots of good things happened. And yes, I'm staying warm. Luckily when I got to DL some missionaries had left a nice pair of warm boots and some good gloves, so I've been blessed. I'd like to tell more about the family with 4 kids but we weren't able to get in with them last week unfortunately. Hopefully we can this week. The Perez's are doing well but Sister Perez got bronchitis...I think, so we haven't seen them for a few weeks. Keith kind of same story, haven't got to get in with him because of weather and work. But we're trying! We did get to meet with some less-actives though and a couple that I have been working with since I got here finally committed to come to church at least twice a month. So hopefully they'll be able to follow through.

We had zone conference this week and it was awesome. We had a lot of good trainings, rebukings and lovings, so it was great. President Layton gave a really awesome training on the importance of the phrase "will you" and how to use it effectively. Basically...thats all you do, haha. President Layton showed us a video of a talk that was given by V. Dallas Merrell (I think his name was) about "will you" and it was really powerful. He told about experiences where he used that phrase with people he didn't know and many baptisms, reactivations, priesthood ordinations and temple recommends resulted. It was awesome. We were also challenged by our zone leaders to commit everyone we teach for baptism, at the first lesson.

Mom, I liked the story about the baby horse you related from your Stake RS Enrichment meeting. Our Father in Heaven truly looks out for us. I heard a similar story on the Joseph Smith lectures CD by Truman Madsen. He's telling a story about when the Prophet and others were meeting in the 'School of the Prophets." Well they were all going around and giving their dissertations and knowledge on faith. The last person to get up and speak his mind was Heber C. Kimball. He said how he couldn't add anymore scriptures or insight to what had already been said, so instead he told a story. It was about his little daughter who was told by her mother to not touch the china plates on the table. Her mother told her if she broke the plates she'd whip her. Her mother left for a little while and the little girl didn't obey her mother. She played with the plates and broke them. She was scared and sad and ran outside and prayed to Heavenly Father. When her mom got back, she was furious. She grabbed the girl and got her into position to give her a whipping and then she broke down and started crying. The daughter took her mother by the face and looked into her eyes and said, "Oh, Mommy, I prayed to the Lord that you wouldn't whip me, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I broke the dishes!" My typing doesn't do the story justice, but after Heber C. Kimball told that story he sat down and Joseph Smith stood up and told the brethren that was the kind of faith THEY needed to have. It was a powerful story.

BTW, President told me in our interview that I'm most likely leaving next transfer- a week from today, unless the Lord says otherwise. So all you that are planning on sending me packages or letters this week (haha) do so through the mission office address:

2525 W Main #311
Rapid City, SD 57702

Well, thats about all I have time for today, I hope you all are well! The Church is true!
Love,
Elder Fitt
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(From Gina's letter to Elder Fitt) The highlight of my week was Saturday. There was a Stake RS Enrichment meeting for all the women with keynote speakers and breakout sessions followed by lunch. It was awesome! There were a couple of things that really touched me. One old gal spoke. She's single and has never been married. She was a professor at BYU and executive assistant to the president for over 25 years and she is quite the scriptorian- well she got paid by BYU to be one for 25 years! Anyway, she talked about when she was 9 years old growing up on a horse ranch in AZ. One of the mares was pregnant. The foal was going to be her very own horse. A month before the foal's birth the mare was struck in the eye by a rope on a gate and blinded. The day the foal was born, the girl's father called her home from school to be present at the birth. After the foal was born, the father left the barn to get some hot water leaving the girl alone with the mare and foal. The mare rolled over to try to stand up, but because she couldn't see, she rolled on top of the baby horse and crushed it. When the father came back, he helped the mare off the baby. But it was dead. Father left the little girl alone with the foal's body to mourn. The gal said "I picked up that little warm wet body in my arms and cried my eyes out. I prayed with ALL my heart that Heavenly Father would bless that little foal to return to life. In a few minutes it started moving in my arms. The foal lived. My father said there is nothing as powerful as the prayers of the faithful." That experience really touched my heart because it helped me to realize that Heavenly Father really does know each one of us and He does love us and longs to bless us. It helped me to understand the importance of caring deeply enough to pray with complete earnestness and sincerety. The deepest heartfelt longings of our souls are the prayers which reach the highest towards Heaven. God truly blesses us as we diligently seek Him.