May 7, 2012

Letters From:

Stephanie Bingham- Thanks so much for your letter. Sounds like you are doing really great and that picture in Egypt was awesome. How fun! I hope that things at school are going well and that your family is doing well. Have a great week. You are awesome.

I officially have one shoe, I got the package last Tuesday. I don´t know how it got here so fast but it did. I hope the other one will be here tomorrow. I loved the pictures. Thank you so much for the thoughtfulness. You all are the best!

I also received emails from Grandma and Grandpa Daw, Aunt Julie, and (Elder) Skyler Ochsenbein. Thank you each so much. It is so good to hear from you all. I love you and pray for you often. I will look forward to reading them tonight and I so appreciate you taking the time to write to me.  Have a great week.

-And thanks so much Mom, Dad, and Mikesell for each of your letters.

So on Sunday at 2 o clock is the time that we all have worked out to call on Mother’s Day and Moms Birthday!  I will try the house phone first. I am so very excited to talk to you all. Where is time going!!!?

What a great week you all had. Sounds like the journey of the “journeys” has begun and that this week will be the last one in the Jerome ward. That is always a bitter sweet time. I hope that you are all doing well and excited to get up the fish. Enjoy your last several weeks in the great Jerome. We live in two awesome places!!!

Well, I had a really good week. I am glad to see that you also noticed the full moon. That was beautiful!  I cannot believe that 10 months has passed. Wow. Well the highlights of the week were splits with Elder Scoma my Zone Leader, which was really awesome.  We had 7 people in church yesterday and the ward attendance went up from 45 to about 60. That was wonderful. Lots of members stood up and said how grateful they were for the Four Elders here now. It is nice to see the change in their trust in the missionaries after some not so great experiences with others. It was humbling. The Famila Garcia has all the papers that they need to get married now and they should get a date this week.  Also on the 19th a single mom and her two girls have dates and are progessing well. (Maria, Llumina and Maria)  Prayers in their behalves would be great. 

To answer some of your questions: Yes we all sleep on the same room. I have slept on the floor on a foam mattress for over 5 months now. So sleeping at normal bed level will be a change whenever that comes…. but it is great sleeping. There has not been much talk about Brother Mitt here as of yet. It will come.  It was actually really warm again this week. However we do jackets even. So I am not sure what the weather is going to do.  So far I have loved Argentina in the Fall. Just really pretty. The trees are changing now.  The district is doing well and we all get along really well. Tomorrow is Elder Knuteson and Elder Hansens birthday! Crazy huh! 

Grandma Crouch! Happy Birthday!! I hope that you have a truly wonderful day. I hope that you get my letter before your birthday. Thank you for being the amazing Grandma, and person that you are. I will be praying extra hard for you on the 11th. I love you.

Also please tell Clarissa and Drew Happy Birthday and that I love them also!!

Dad- Sure am excited for you to be up at the fish. I hope that your health can get better with your ankle and all. How are you sleeping?  I am sure excited to talk to you. Thank you for your prayers and the great leader and person that you are. You are an inspiration. Have a great week and I will TALK to you on Sunday. I love you Dad, with all my heart. Keep being great!!

Mom- Thank you so much for your package. The one shoe fits great and they are really nice.  That should last me for the long haul now. I don’t know why the shoes I have know didn’t make it for longer but thank you so much. Sounds like time is just flying. I am always amazed at how you can still do the most important things when it gets so busy. I love you so much Mom. I want you to know that I love our Savior and I am so happy to be doing this. It would be my dream job if I could just come home at the end of the day to you all every night.

Mikesell-  Here it comes you big Senior! I will fast and pray for you this week. I hope that all goes well. Regardless of what happens look at the GOODNESS. What a blessing would be to be able to run. I hope that you can heal quickly this week. If you do or don’t run in districts…it will all be okay. I love you so much Mikesell. I am so excited for the things that await you. I think of you often and pray for you hard. Enjoy this time and stay close to Heavenly Father. I sure miss you. Listen to some Strawberry Swing for me. Your’e the girl!

Brennen.- How is life behind the wheels my brother? How is your scripture reading coming? I am so excited to hear that you are getting your Patriarchal Blessing the 27th., I actually was reading mine today and was thinking about you and how close you were getting. I sure love you Brennen. You are affecting hundreds of lives. Keep being a warrior and doing all those good things. I hope that tennis is going well. I love you buddy.

Alex- Hey my little man. I am pumped to talk to you. I hope that you have a great week and that all the sports life is going well. More than that I hope that you are doing well and that you and Brennen are able to help Mom a lot. I sure love you bro. You are such a stud and keep being awesome. Finish Strong in school!!

Harrioson!!! I am so excited to talk to you!  I bet you are going to sound so grown up. Are you excited to go to Redfish in a little while? Are you going to miss your friends…? You will love having Cass as the Nanny that is wonderful. I love you buddy!!!

McCall!-  Hey sweetie- I am so excited to hear your voice. I miss you so much. How is your room. Is my room still clean?  What are you doing to do for Mom for her Birthday?

Well this week I had some great studies in the morning. I read through 1 Nephi 16: 28 - 29 and I realized that the best way to follow the spirit is to have good Faith (attitude) and to be diligent and use our own thoughts to make decisions. That is how heaven uses personal revelation. I also read in 2 Peter 1: 3-8 that talks about Christ-like attributes and how they are related. I still want to think more about that scripture.

I want you all to know how much I love you. I am doing well here. I miss you all like crazy but am so grateful for my time here. I am grateful that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and will shape us if we let him. I will talk to you all on Sunday so be ready. I am so happy.

I love you all and may you be safe both spiritually and physically. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Love ,

Elder Austin