emails of January 12, 2009

It is still summer vacation here, and therefore many people are on vacation and don't want to talk. I don't know how many doors we knocked last week but the last two days we knocked 104 doors, talked with maybe 50 people (including people in the street), and set up two appointments. Many of the people we contact say 'no' immediately. Others listen and give us a time when they are not home or a wrong adress. Every now and then we actually get someone that wants to listen.

However on Saturday we were walking to lunch and someone stopped us and wanted us to come and teach her and her son, I believe, I'm not sure of their relation. He will only be baptised by immersion and so the Church of Jesus Christ is the only church plausible. This was truly a manifestation of the love of the Savior for everyone and that He will place the ones that are prepared in the way of those that work hard and show their desire to serve the Lord. With all the hard work without reward we are greatly blessed in other areas.

We do have 6 people we are teaching right now, at least two I am sure will be baptised. There are also another two people we are working with in getting them on the path. Most of them we may never see baptised but at least we have planted the seeds. It appears that there was a harvest in this are just before I got here, and so I am now planting seeds for the harvest later.

I am truly enjoying the work and have learned a lot. My language has come along very quickly and I really only have trouble when I don't have faith that I can communicate effectively. Faith truly is a principle of power, and the more faith and more constant faith you have the more you can overcome through Jesus Christ. My testimony has grown an hundred-fold already, and I am looking forward to learning more.

The weeks go by fast. I blink and the week is already over. Time is practically non-existent in the field. There is always sufficient time to do the work you need to, no more and no less.

I remembered before and after that Nathaniel and Janai had their birthdays, but not during. It is easy to lose yourself in the work. So I will say Happy Birthday now to both of them, their birthdays will pass again before they know it, their last ones on my mission :).

Two years will go by so fast. It has been hard work but fun. I am always learning and can feeling the Spirit strongly every day. It is hot though. Every day the Sun is strong without a cloud in the sky with dry air and around 34 to 36 degrees celsius every day, when we are knocking on doors. 27 degrees celsius is about 85 degrees F. It is tiring, but I'm doing well. They still feed me more than enough. Well we are continuing the work and are doing all we can.

I am sure you all are doing well and I hope you are enjoying life. It is very short. I love all of you and pray for you still.

Elder Skiles