Letter 7-10-08

Dearest Family,

We took our P-Day Thursday this week due to meeting the new Mission President, that's why I'm writing right now. President Robison is awesome by the way. He was exactly what I thought he would be. He met eand exceeded expectations. Its going to be a great 19 months with him as head.

Sounds like everyone is having a great time. Well, let me rephrase that. It sounds like the Bountifulites are having a great time. Bruce and Joe are enjoying themselves via Smallville, a new Kitty that is like a twin of like 2 or 3 other kitties we’ve had and takes me down a trip to memory lane when I see the picture Joe sent to me, and yardwork.

Oh, by the Way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! 55 years old and a senior citizen discount at Arctic Cirlce, who would’ve thunk it. Time goes by fast, doesn’t it?

So there was a question about that phone call you received on the fourth of July. Tracy Manning was calling from Midland, Texas. The Mannings are the coolest family in the ward. They are recent coverts of about 10 or so years and love the missionaries. The message was specifically for Mom. She has kept in contact with the moms of all the other missionaries that have served here in Midland 1st ward for the last few months. She was just calling to say how I was doing, give you an update, things like that. She had asked me what I wanted you guys to send me; that was the other part. Nothing huge. I was wanting some casual P-Day shoes that weren’t dress shoes or basketball shoes so I thought of either buying a pair or having you guys send my casual brown slip on shoes that I always wore back home. Those are in my box downstairs. I was also noticing the ties of the other missionaries here and I was told that it didn’t really matter what color tie you had as long as it wasn’t a ugly tie so I started wishing that I would’ve brought the 2 wedding ties that I left home, you know the nice yellow one from Greg’s wedding and the peachish one from Annie’s. When sister Manning asked what I wanted sent to me those are the 3 things that I thought of. Send those if you feel like being nice, but no rush. It’s not like they are too terribly necessary. Also mom, she said you could call her whenever you felt like talking or if you need anything. I realized after she hung up that she assumed that you had caller ID and failed to leave her number. I mentioned to her that you don’t have caller ID so she said she’d try back. In case she has forgotten, I don’t know her cell phone, but their house is xxx. Brother Chester Manning’s cell phone is xxx.

Congratulations to Dad for winning the scripture challenge. That story in judges is a weird one that I read while hammering through the old testament. It comprises of 2 or 3 chapters I believe and the one in Corinthians was quite funny, but don’t be too stressed, there was a JST in it that corrected it to say women aren’t supposed to rule in church, not speak. As tradition, here’s the next one:“If thou are merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and Thanksgiving.”There you go. You all obeying that commandment? We’re told we must sing and dance while listening to music whenever we are happy.

So onto me and my missionary experiences over the last week. First off, lets discuss one of the fellows that I believe that I mentioned last week. Milan Eoff. As a reminder, he has been jumping from religion to religion all his life and never felt like he came across the truth so he kinda gave up on organized religion. However, in the last few years he had seen the missionaries from our church pass by his house and he kinda wanted to talk to them, he didn’t know why, but they never did. Well, then we knocked on his door and he let us in. He almost didn’t, but then he decided he needed to. Well, it was all downhill from there. He knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and he feels like he has finally found the manifestation of the truth that he had been looking for all his life. Do you know why? Well here’s why. We’ve always been taught a small formula growing up that we have taken for granted sometimes. The classic Sunday school answers. Read the Book of Mormon. Pray. Go to Church. Guess What? IT WORKS!!! Milan started reading the Book of Mormon and has found that he loves it. Said he, “The Book of Mormon teaches so much about Jesus Christ that it’s not even funny.” He’s a way cool, way funny guy by the way. We’ve knocked on his door just under a month ago and he’s already halfway through 3rd Nephi. Holy Cow! I wish I could read that fast. He just can’t put it down. He prays every night and he also started coming to church regularly and BOOM! He believes. I wish everyone would do that down here, but they don’t. Most don’t. Bishop Heller told us the other day that if everyone in the ward would pray twice a day and study the scriptures daily that the ward would be translated. The problem is that that will never happen. We as members need to repent! Read the Book of Mormon daily and pray twice a day. It will help. It really will.

By the way, Fascimile number 2 in Abraham is really awesome. Study especially figure 6 and you’ll find out why.

Does everyone remember that we almost got a baptism in May but it fell through? Well, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll tell you why Monday. Stay Tuned. I’m out of time.Peace Out All!!!

Elder Adam R Droge Alienator345