Roswell-Week 11

We got our weekly email from Justin on Monday and he is doing great.  He says they have been busy and the work is progressing.  Transfers are on Wednesday (September 28) and Justin will be staying in Roswell for at least another six weeks.  He is getting a new companion.  His current companion, Elder Hughes is leaving the area.  He is excited about the change.  I asked him in my email how his bike was holding up and he said great but he also shared that he had a crash on his bike.  He said it was wicked.  Not really something a Mom wants to hear about but I am glad he is okay and the bike is too.  He says he loves the gospel and he is still trying to learn how to teach it. 

One thing about Justin, is he is really good about answering any questions that I ask him in my email.   The weather is good, he got my package...the lemon bars survived the mail, he gets the Ensign every month and he doesn't need anything at the moment.  We look forward to hearing from him every week and knowing that he is doing awesome.

Roswell-Week 10

Okay, so I realized yesterday (Saturday) that I have not updated Justin's blog this week.  I am not sure where my mind was this week.  He is still serving in Roswell and he says the weather is changing now.  It has been cold and wet....not a good combo he says.

So Justin was very excited to hear from us this week that his beloved Utes beat BYU!!  We sent him a picture of Oliver dressed in this BYU outfit.  He looked so cute!  He is excited for General Conference and he says the work is moving forward in his area.  He shared with us that on Sunday he fell back into his old ways and  had one of his famous bad mood Sunday.  He said his whole day was off until Sunday evening after dinner they went and visited a less-active member who needed a blessing.  Justin was the one to give the blessing.  He says as he gave the blessing the spirit just overwhelmed him and he realized that the Lord really is in the work that he has been called to do.  Justin says that even when he is in a bad mood the Lord manages to calm him down and brings his spirit back into his life.  He counts this as one of the small miracles and blessings this week.

It is so exciting to see the changes in Justin as he continues to grow in the gospel and learn to recognize the spirit in his life.

Roswell-Week 9

Justin has been out almost three months now and has been serving in the Roswell, Georgia area for the last nine weeks.  In his email this week he said that he thought he would be staying there until the end of the year.  His companion will be leaving in November to return home and he didn't think the mission president would split them up and leave the area empty.  His small miracle for the week was this...."we met this former investigator who was really cool but the missionaries dropped him because they couldn't get a hold of him, he lost one of his kids a couple of years ago, I'm not sure how they died but he went to temple square and was impressed by what he saw.  Anyway we stopped by and he was willing to meet with us.  I feel like he is one of the elect people we are searching for."

We also got a letter from Justin this week in it he said that he loves missionary work, it makes him happy when he is able to help others in the gospel or just by service.  He knows that he is not baptizing as much as he thought he would but he is helping others to come closer to Christ .  He also said that Mormon.org is going up in Atlanta in October and that he believes that will change missionary work in that area.  In closing this week he bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

It sounds like he is doing good and adjusting to missionary life. From his letter I got the impression that he and his companion didn't get along at the beginning but  now they are doing good.  It is so exciting to see the change and growth in Justin through his emails and letters.

Roswell-Week 8

Touch screen Coke Machine

We do service here

Took a picture of myself, while riding my bike in service clothes

Porteguese Elders made my bed for me and left a mint on my pillow

Elders Hughes fixing his bike at the bike shop

Me not fixing my bike at the bike shop

Me sitting on our dryer that burns our clothes, while showing off too much of my legs

It was good to hear from Justin this week and it sounds like he is doing great.  He says he is learning to be a better teacher.  Last week they did exchanges and he was able to work with a different missionary.  He knows that there are people there in his area searching for the gospel and he says he is there to find them and help them come to Christ.  He didn't have a lot to say this week but he did send some pictures.

Roswell-Week 7

I am a little slow getting Justin's blog updated this week but he will be late this week writing due to the holiday so I won't be behind.  He is still in Roswell, Georgia and doing great.  He answers my questions and then fills us in on his week.  He has been trying to share with us a small miracle that he has every week.  So this week this is what he had to say.....I am starting to find my voice here in Georgia.  This week our small miracle was we had an investigator drop us two weeks ago and I had the impression that we needed to visit her on Saturday and we did and she was so grateful that we came back.  The Lord speaks to us, we just need to take the time to listen to him.  I know he is in this work and that he loves each and everyone of us.  In closing, I just want to let you all know that I know that Joseph Smith really saw God the Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove and that event changed the world and that we need to share that message with everyone we meet because missionary work is being done on both sides of the veil.

I am so glad Justin is finding his voice.  It is one thing that he and I talked about a lot before he left on his mission.