Hello Champions...

Great as always to skim your letters and see how well you are all doing and

that you are all enjoying the summer. Couldn’t believe that Grandma Clegg

told me that is was 108 in Boise. That is the highest that I have ever

heard in Idaho. But I also saw that it rained as well so that is a great

blessing!!

Grandma Clegg- Thank you so much for your sweet letter. I hope that you

are not all melting up there. It sounds like you and Grandpa are doing

really well. I hope that you are enjoying the summer. I am sure excited

also to hear how the dedication of the Boise Temple goes. Here in Sept,

they will also be reopening the temple in Buenos Aires. The members are

excited because it has been closed for two or three years. Please send my

love to Uncle Alan. I pray for all of you daily and am so grateful for your

legacies.

Well this week was a rollar coaster. I honestly can’t really place every day

in my head. I had a lot of great experiences this week, I am grateful that I

have been able to keep a faithful journal, if not I am afraid I would be

forgetting quite a lot. On Tuesday I was in a city called 3 Arroyos and we

did divisions there. It is a really pretty town with some really pretty old

Catholic Cathedrals. We were able to find some people and I was with

Elder Oldham, for a little while, he is from Rexburg and knows the Hayes family.

On Wednesday we had a good day in our area. We had a great spiritual

experience. We were walking down a street and Elder Connolly and I saw a

house with a new baby and a Mom. Obviously we are going to knock that one.

We knocked and a 16 year kid named Augustin answered the door. I asked if

we could come in and he let us in, there were three people sitting at the

table. I went to introduce us and Augustin walked to the back of the

house so it was just us with the three at the table, kind of funny. But we

started to talk and do the normal start to teach pattern and we could tell

that something was strange. There was a sadness with the Mother of the

baby. They were not opening up much and so we asked if we could say a prayer with them and first

asked  if they would like for us to pray for anything in specific. The

brother looked at his sister, (the mother of the baby) and asked if he could

tell us. Turns out the Father of this baby was shot in the street three

months ago…only a couple of weeks before the baby was born. The gloom

made a lot more sense. Also the brother of the Father who had passed away

was there and got really emotional and put his head down. It is hard

because I know that the best thing in the world for them is what I have,

but you are trying to figure out what is the best way to present it to

them. We taught a lesson about the Atonement using some scriptures but it

was rough. I learned just to be really loving with them and they both ended

up in the back of the house before the lesson was over. They both were

crying, the hurt was still very much there. I asked if I could go to the

back of the house to the room to say goodbye to the two and just tried to

show as much as love as possible. We will be teaching them in the weeks to

come and I will keep you posted.

The next day was the Zone Conference and so he was able to have a interview with President. The

Zone Conference went well and I am grateful for a Wedding Coordinator Mom

who has taught me a lot about set up!! :) I love President and his wife so much.

Friday I was thinking about what all had happened and I made the

connection about how the Gospel can be some a blessing to our lives. Wednesday

I was speaking with a family who’s lives had been shattered because of a

sudden death and three months after the pain was still so real and recent.

Thursday, one of the Elders here had a call from home to the mission president concerning a matter at home…the Elder because of what he knew and what he taught everyday was real, and after a

couple hours of prayer he had a hope and only wanted to give more to Heavenly Father, even though he was thousand of miles away from the person most important in his life. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is why I am here. Friday we fasted for this Elder and his family. Saturday President called us and told us that they had received a call from his home and that everything was going to be okay.

.... Wow.

Sunday I was asked to give a talk about the Book of Mormon and that went

well. I love that book and its power to change lives.

The familia Penialba are doing well. They had some doubts about the word of wisdom, and didnt come to church yesterday. We were really nervous and went to their house yesterday and had a heart to heart and a really good lesson. We were really guided by the spirit and found out that they had stopped drinking (the Dad) and that the Mom , who has got to be about 40 plus is 2

months pregnant. That was a surprise. Please pray for them, they are so great just have a little further to go. The Mom will be baptized, but we want to baptize the whole family. Estefenia is doing well, she came to church and her family is coming again too. Her sister is coming to

church also, and she is doing really well. .... I could say more but I am getting short on time here.

And Mom, yes I will have lots of stories to tell when we are together again. haha

Dad- I hope that your week goes great at Camp Bradley – back and forth at the resort. I imagine that it is really busy at this time. I love you and hope that all is going great.Thank you so much for your example. Go get em.

Mom- What a week with a lot of visitors!!  I hope that it went well. I miss you. Thank you for the copy of your talk and I hope that it went well. I love you so much. I don’t need anything. I would prefer that whatever you are spend to send me just save for something fun that we can do when can get back or use for someone else. I am doing great. I sure love you Mom. Thank you so

much for all you do. You are a true angel. Have a wonderful week.

Mikesell- Your days are numbered up there at Redfish....college is around the corner! I loved your letter. I am glad that you are having fun. I am sure excited for you. Who are you going to be

rooming with ? I love you so much sis. Have a great week.

Brennen- Hey stud. How are those dishes? What peaks did you dominate this week? I sure love you Bro. Thanks for your great example. Have a great week and keep living the dream!

Alex- Hey buddy. I got your tick tac toe paper in the letter. I am thinking this game will end in a "cat" but hey we can start again! I hope that you have fun at scout camp and that you can get a lot of Merit badges and learn a lot and make some fun memores. Scout camp is a good time. I sure love you man. Keep being awesome. Have the best week ever.

HARRISON- What is up little buddy? How is summer time. Did you like the Fire truck that Papa brought up? That is pretty neat huh? I love you buddy. Keep saying your prayers! I love you!

McCall- One tooth less!! Wow, your smile is still as beautiful as ever. I am excited for you. You better stop eating that ice cream your teeth will fall out quicker!

I love you all very much! Give it all you got!

Love,  Elder Austin