Onward, Ever Onward

Hello everyone!

We've started to settle into a groove in our companionship. This week was the same as most other weeks, spending an equal amout of time teaching and finding. We had a baptism this Saturday and plan on having one in each of the upcoming 4 weeks. If I ever were to get discouraged, (which I'm not!), the joy of seeing a baptism is always something that lifts my spirits.

We held a Youth Fireside for one of our stakes on inviting friends to Church and to meet with missionaries. It was a huge success. One thing I learned was that there is definitely a lot more planning that goes into a single Church meeting than I ever imagined. There are certainly many things I learned and many ways I'll change it to be more effective in the future...but nonetheless, it was a great chance to energize the youth.

We've also had some great luck turning to former investigators and inviting them to resume learning about the Church. If somebody wasn't ready to accept the gospel a year ago that does not keep them from being open as life progresses now or in the future. It was great to have some success off of that.

In preparation for General Conference, I've been re-reading some talks. One of those was "Continue in Patience" by President Uchtdoft. As a missionary, this talk rings true. Cooincidentally enough, it's always been one of my favorites! One quote in particular rings true, "Patience is a process of perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls." How true is that? As I reflect on that message and apply it to my life as a missionary, I look forward to more and more opportunities to grow in patience.

Thanks again to everybody who is keeping in touch. I really enjoy the updates from home. On a personal note, I would like to point out that JMU is 3-1, the Redskins are 2-0, and Mitt Romney is in a good position. I knew serving a mission would bring blessings!

Elder Bolling