I missed my family this week

Not that I didn't miss you guys before. But when you're focused on helping strangers receive the best happiness they could ever have in their whole lives...if you're always thinking about home, you're doing it wrong.

I missed you guys more intensely because of my birthday and because I got to see you yesterday on Skype. Lots of feelings. Oh yeah, I guess that means I'm 20 now. "Stricken in years" as the scriptures call it. You guys sent wonderful birthday packages, but for my next birthday you might just have to buy me a walker or something.

Not much to report this week...many of our usual amis weren't able to meet with us this week, and most weren't able to make it to church either. Thursday was actually my first day in the mission (except P-days) where I didn't have a single RDV planned. Straight-up contacting and porting. It sucked because the people I contacted were especially closed that day and would cut me off before I even got the chance to testify. Testifying to someone makes me feel better in any situation, but they didn't even let me do that. Through all the adversity we did find one awesome guy though, who contacted us on the train. Let me just emphasize how big that is. HE struck up a conversation, HE asked to come to church and learn more. Just think...if we hadn't been out working and getting rejected, we would never have found him. He lives in the zone leaders' area so we passed him off, but still a miracle find.

Just a couple of exciting things happened: Sr Belair came to church again :D and this time she actually started to make friends. And Lony, being the stud that he is, found us someone else to teach who's going through the same stuff that he himself went through. Together we're going to show him how to change his life and help him stop smoking and drinking. His name is Roshan and he's incredibly humble and it's awesome.

Love you all! Be good.

Elder Stanford