Hammattan in Full Force.

Hey guys!

This week was much better! But I still lost a lot of proselyting time due to sickness and going to do baptismal interviews for the sisters.

Before I forget, please tell Uncle Scott that I got his e-mail on Christmas and I will reply to it if I have time. It was a very nice e-mail and it was so true. Missionary work is seemingly getting increasingly harder, but I enjoy how difficult it gets, because it forces me to keep trying harder. I love trials these days haha. I mean, they aren't nice while you're in them. But after learning and gaining a testimony of how trials are necessary to develop faith, it makes you look at them in a totally different way!

Yes I got all 7 packages, and one from the Blanchards, and no garlic salt.

I do get all of the pictures you send and I love them! I take pictures of the pictures with my camera so I can always look at them.

One of the biggest testimonies I've gained here is about Journals. There's just some kind of feeling I get every day as I write that someday it will be important and be used for some special purpose. But I don't know what, so I try to include details about everything! Statistics, events, feelings I have throughout the day, etc...

The Hobbit really does sound sooooo awesome. Can't wait to see part 2 and 3 when I come back. The first LotR movie didn't have a major epic battle but did have a big one at the end, and from what I had read of the Hobbit I couldn't think of any battle as big as that except one. But I'm sure Peter Jackson worked his magic and made even the smaller fights super exciting and WICKED SWEET.

It's true section 1 of the Doctrine & Covenants is direct from the Lord! Many of the other sections are also the same thing! But section 1 is a little more like an address to the world unlike many other sections which are for specific people or for the Prophet Joseph himself. And again some other sections are not revelations from God but instructions given by Joseph and various times. Church History is one of my favorite things to study now! There's so many example of the early saints that you can use in strengthening members.

Items from my week:

-My companion and I got severe colds on tuesday and wednesday due to the Hammattan weather that is in full force. Such nice temperatures outside, but so much dust and wind that it makes you sick. Especially sore throats. So I'm half enjoying the season and half hating haha.

-I did 4 more baptismal interviews this week. They all passed and were baptized yesterday! (in the sisters' area)

-We had a zone conference on friday where President Holmes gave a very very inspired instruction on the Atonement. I took A LOT of notes and can't talk about everything he said, but I'll give you some of the notes I took that really made me think A LOT:

-When He was on the cross, a GOD died!

-The sacrifice of a God, is what provides the power for us to become gods ourselves!

-The Atonement not only is a redeeming power, that redeems us from the fall, but also has the power to exalt us higher than perfection.

-The closer to godliness we get, the more power we get.

-"The Savior gave and gave until there was nothing left to give."

-Godly sorrow is the transforming power.

That's all guys! I didn't go to town this week so I'm on one of those crappy computers again so I can't send pictures. Sorry! Next week I will.

Love,
Elder Gagne