New Year E-Mail January 3, 2012

Wow sounds like you all have had quite the week. I felt a little overwhelmed reading about it all and I'm not even there! glad you survived! The kitchen looks completely different, looks so good! I am sure that you are loving it. Looks like a completely different place and its crazy how the memory fades over 2 years on the way things look around there, not even including that people change! haha, crazy!


That's so fun that you were able to spend the new year with Wes and Katie! I am sure the house was bouncing all weekend long! those little stinks sure have changed a lot it seems like. Bailey too. I don't even hardly recognize her in her new pictures! they look great and i will be praying for you during your finals and all that fun stuff at school! glad you all had a good new year! :) Our new year was really exciting!! We taught a lesson at 7p and then talked to some people until 9p. planned for the next day until 9:30 and i went to bed and 10 and when i woke up it was 2012 and i didn't even count down or anything! haha, its weird what holidays are recognized as a missionary! :) it was good though.

so about talking to Aunt Annette, we were at dinner with the Wilson's and they asked where we were from and i said Idaho and they both said that they were raised in Idaho, i asked if they knew the Lyons family there and they about fell off their chairs. Sis. Wilson's stake Primary president when she was a kid was Ruth Lyons! Both of them grew up there, high school sweethearts and they both knew Grandma Curtis and Kent and the whole clan there, so he asked me if i had talked to Annette in the time that i had been down here and i told him no, so he picked up his phone and called her and handed it to me. haha, so that's how it happened! crazy how small the world is!

We had a really busy week, lots of lessons cancelled and lots went through, you cant win them all but it is cool to see how you are put in places and situations for a reason and it leads you to someone else. we are being blessed.

Last night at 8 we contacted a referral of ours. it was for a less active lady who was somewhat interested in coming back. that's all we knew. we knocked on the door and a man answered and said come it before we could even introduce our selves. his name is Thomas and he has had a really ruff life, lots of drugs and alcohol issues but has recently tried to quite and has been clean for 1 month. He told us that right before they heard the knock they were in a big argument and after that is when they both go and use so it was confirmed in their minds that we were there at that moment for a reason and that they needed what we had to share. we had the opportunity to teach the first lesson and Thomas is really open and ready to learn. everything seemed to click with him in his mind and how it all is supposed to be. he said "Two months ago I was the guy that when I saw missionaries walking down the street I would cross to the other side to get away from you I would never hold a book of Mormon is my hands let alone read it because everyone told me that it was evil. thanks for proving them and me wrong and showing me the truth!" it was so cool to see hearts soften and hear how they have been prepared for this in their lives right now. we are being blessed and slowly the work is picking up! :)

We have a busy week planned and we are going to be running like crazy. we have a bunch of meetings this week. we have ZDM, our interview meeting on Friday so that will be awesome! doesn't feel like it has been to long sense we have had it but i guess it has been 3 months. It feels so good to not have to plan it or have to do anything for it except show up and be there! aahaha, I love it. Cant believe that this will be my last interview. I remember elder Stewart doing this 2 years ago and honestly thinking that it wouldn't ever happen to me...well i guess what...haha its happening and it seems like i am have been having lots of these dawning moments in the last month or so. all's good though.

Elder Hyrkas and i are doing well and working hard and getting lots done. he is awesome and i couldn't be more blessed! he hasn't been showing too much apparent home sickness but i am sure it is there. he is great and will go far if he will stay humble! :) we got the package of suckers you made for us on monday and they are really good! enjoyed having those and they make a great study snack! thanks.

Well hope that you all have a good week and keep safe, healthy and warm. dont have too much fun skiing! Ill be emailing you before we know it again. the weeks fly by. Have a great week and we will be in contact soon. thanks for your support!

Love,

Elder Lerwill