Dear Mom,

First of all, sorry for getting back to you on Wednesday. I thought that we were going to have P-Day on Tuesday, but we were informed late last week that we were going to do P-Day on Wednesday. Also, before I forget, next Monday is a holiday, so the libraries will probably be closed. We might be able to find a place to email on Monday, but we're not sure quite yet. Just so you know!

That's cool to hear about 24. I'll be home for that so we can watch that together! Woah, I think that that's the first thing that I've said that I'll be home for when it comes out. I'm coming up on 7 months left. That's not very long at all. Summer has started and then it's the holiday season and I'm home. Crazy..
 
So to start out, the meeting we had with Elder Koelliker was great! I've actually already met him. Last fall, when I was working in Plainfield in the Scotch Plains Stake, he came to talk to the Scotch Plains Stake about family history. So after the Stake Conference, I went up to shake his hand and to talk to him for just a second. I don't think he remembers at all about our encounter a couple months back. Haha! This time, he talked to us missionaries about using the ward more in our missionary work. The wards and branches in which we serve should be a huge part of our work. He also talked about the role of the Stake President. He has the keys and responsibilities for missionary work in his stake, not the Mission President. President Jeppson has the keys to preside over us as missionaries and convert baptisms. That makes sense because the members should be doing plenty of missionary work. He also talked to us about a calling that I've only heard about on my mission. It's the Ward Mission Leader. He's is the assistant to the Bishop on missionary work in the ward. He works closely with the missionaries who are assigned to that ward. In my past areas, the Ward Mission Leader hasn't really helped us out a whole lot. In Union City, the Ward Mission Leader is Antonio. He's great. He helps out a lot. So now all the missionaries know that we need to have a functioning Ward Mission Leader that is willing to help us out. It was a great meeting! We met at the Paterson Chapel for that meeting, then the Paterson members fed us lunch. The next day, I woke up with some stomach and digestional issues. It turns out that pretty much all the missionaries got more or less sick. Some sisters got pretty bad and had to stay home. I just had to make a running trip to the bathroom a few times that night. I'm all better now though. Haha! It was terrible.

On Sunday we had an interesting Stake Conference. They called it a regional conference. We had President Packer and Elder Perry speak to all the stakes in New Jersey and New York from a room in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. We just watched a broadcast just like everyone else in these two states. It was really good and Elder Perry straight up told all the members that they aren't doing enough to help the missionaries and that a prophet of God is telling them to do a lot better and teach with the missionaries and give them people to teach. He also talked about how the members can do that better. He talked a lot about Preach My Gospel. Hopefully the members will step it up. Utah is so different! It just makes me feel so grateful that our neighbors on all sides are endowed, sealed, active families. It's going to be pretty cool to be able to think of how nice my neighborhood is going to be. That's cool. I just don't know how I'm going to continue to do missionary work when I get home...

 
Q of the W:

1. When someone is baptized, do a bunch of missionaries come or just the 2?

Usually all the missionaries that are working in that Ward or Branch come. Sometimes, if a missionary helped that person get baptized and they live close, they'll come too. Our zone leaders come to almost all the baptisms just as support from the zone.

2. Are you ready for the hot and humid weather?

Actually, these last couple days have been very humid. It's not very fun at all. That little weather station thing you sent me for my birthday said that it was about 80% humidity yesterday. I felt like I had just taken a shower and didn't make any attempt to dry myself before putting clothes on. It was a horrible sensation. Next three months, here we go...

3. Did Alan Castro leave on his mission? I saw a picture of Facebook of him with a badge on?

No, and I don't think he'll leave for a while. He just plays around sometimes. He doesn't take much seriously, and he doesn't have a job. He doesn't really want to get a job either. Haha, the Bishop isn't very happy with him right now, because if Alan does leave on a mission soon, the ward is going to be completely supporting him. Alan hasn't saved up any money and any money he does get, he spends super fast. He's a good teacher though. He helps out a lot when he comes out with us.


Love you mom! Talk to you next week!