Week 22

The picture is of Brandy, Garth, and Devon (the kid) Shilling

January 20, 2009

Hey!

Sorry it is a day late. You were probably freaking out. Well it was MLK day! Libraries and Family History Centers were closed and we cannot use members computers. That is why.

The Urgent message was recieved. I could not cash the check because there are no RBC banks out here. So I had to sign the check over to Sis. Telford so she could go cash it. In the end, all is well. The check should be cashed soon. I have the money.

By the way, I have been transferred! Riverton! Currently the highest baptizing zone in the mission. I am with Elders Baker and Thomas, the Zone Leaders here. We are a threesome. I have been promoted their Secretary of State. Both of them are Albertans. Canadians. They like to sleep with the window open. Well...poor little me gets to sleep on an air mattress, where all the cold air gets sent. Not a pleasing experience. At least they are fun to hang out with.

I did get the mail, physical and electronic, from everyone. It has helped a lot. To name those I remember off the top of my head, Katie Baldwin, Bro. Hanna, Gran, Aunt Sheryl, you.....uhhhhhh Shanna. Who is this boyfriend? Is he a member? Do I need to interview him? I know how! Honestly dad, your quick witted humor has transferred over to your son out here. It is very useful. By the way, the Baldwins said that if we ever wanted to go to Hawaii in the next two years they would be willing to let us use their guest room. Will it happen? No clue. Don't really want to think about it right now. I keep trying to remember to get Gran a card, but I keep forgetting. Please tell her that I thank her, but don't tell her that I will still get her a card!

So, Riverton. Yeah, I am in one of the largest zones of the mission. Also, I am with the Zone Leaders. This means we have the responsibility of covering what goes on in the entire zone. So....it is huge. We have almost every single store you can think of here.

Neat experience had out here. We had to give two talks on Sunday. Everyone came up to me and thanked me for my testimony and talk that I shared. It didn't really hit me till yesterday when my companions talked about it while coming to our apartment. They said that I must know a lot about the gospel. Why? They noticed that I went to the pulpit armed only with scriptures and a testimony. They also noticed that the congregation went completely silent when I talked. It made me feel better knowing that I have a strength to talk like that. An investigator, Carrie, said that she liked it when I talked because my voice was just a complete comfort to her. She wondered if it was baritone. I just smiled. I'm learning a lot more here in Riverton than I did back in Cottonwood. Our area alone covers 24 wards. Yeah. It is really hard trying to keep up with the names of the leaders.

Thanks for the picture everyone. It is good to see the majority of the family smiling there. It helps me get through the day when I come to the apartment after a entire day of proselyting. Just builds me right back up. I have two scriptures for you. Helaman 5:12 and Alma 48:17. Those are my two favorites. My story about Raven, suprisingly has a lot more to compare with my mission than I had previously thought. If only I knew to look at every single detail, large and small. Everything in a story will make a difference, even the smallest of details could make a story or a movie worthwhile. As long as we focus on those small details, all the big ones will come clear. Small changes make the biggest of differences.

With love,

Elder Austin Waller

(The picture is of Brandy, Garth, and Devon (the kid) Shilling. They are by far my favorite family out here. I need to write them.)