Season 7:Glacier Park/Lake Wilderness. Episode 6:Change is Good.

This is the district I was I was over. From the Left was Elder Holtry and Willardsen (Zone Leaders), Elder Asper and I, and Hermana Peacock and Jorgensen.

Elder Green in his Fancy new suit that he got on Monday the local
 thrift store for $15! Its pretty good.

Elder Warner and I. Elder Warner just finished his mission yesterday! He is a fantastic missionary with a very very big heart! He serves so much! 

One of Lake Lucernes Investigators named Douglas. We went on a church tour with him and he is awesome! It goes Douglas, Elder Covington, Elder Lowry, and then me.

The pizza I got on Monday at Mods :D

I got spinach, onions, jalapenos, green bell peppers, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, spicy meatballs, grilled chicken, and a mixture of BBQ and white sauce. It was good :D

There have been a lot of changes throughout the past week and more to come.

As you know Elder Asper has been having some very bad back pain and its been tough on him. This past week it got a lot worse and on Wednesday it was agonizing. Our President Eaton and Sister Eaton came by that night and had an interview and determined it was best for him to head home and heal. So on Thursday Elder Asper left for home.

I really do love him so much and I am grateful I had the opportunity to learn so much from him! Now you may think of the question of "was Elder Asper still a successful missionary even though he went home?"

Preach My Gospel says "Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presenceof the Holy Ghost. (Page 10)"

I will tell you that Elder Aspers commitment to do those things was incredible! There is no doubt at all in my mind, absolutely none, that Elder Asper was a successful missionary. He was so committed and he desired to baptize all of the people he could in The Lords way and he worked for it. If you look on pages 10-11 and look at some of the characteristics of a successful missionary, he filled every single one of those traits.

Success isn't measured by baptisms or how long a missionary stays out. Elders who serve for 24 months are no more successful or less successful than Sisters who serve for 18 months. They are both equal and the Lord accepts each of them.

Since then I have been with Elder Warner and Elder Lowry in a trio. Then I am now currently in a trio with Elder Lowry and Elder Covington. Elder Lowry and Elder Covington companions both finished their missions so we are together until today actually. Today is transfer days and I am going to be training another new missionary. Its going to be wonderful and I know I am going to grow so much again. These past two transfers for me have been fantastic in helping me grow and become more Christ-like.

On Saturday we went to a baptism with Douglas a Lake Lucerne Investigator and that was so great. We were late to the baptism in Enumclaw, but we had a really great church tour afterwards. When we were teaching (it was really the spirit that did the teaching) and talking in the chapel the spirit was so strong! I love the chapel so much! The spirit was wonderful. He is really commited and seriously desires to be baptized which is wonderful.

We also had a lesson with a very very strange man named Steve. We had it at the church with a young man. While I was beginning the lesson before the prayer he started going off on a lot of crazy things. He wasn't yelling at us or anything, he was actually very serious and quite. He was basically talking about a whole bunch of conspiracy theories. And it was about 20 minutes of this before we were able to get things under control. Here are just two of the things he talked to us about.

• Moses didn't actually part the Red Sea. What actually happened was the mother ship (which is the moon) lost the back part of it and it felt to the earth and caused an opening for them to walk through.
• Down in Arizona the church is building a super computer. And that employees are disappearing from Boeing and their mind is being downloaded into that computer.

Remember, that was only a little of what he talked to us about.

On Sunday Tatiana came to church again! This is the 3rd Sunday in a row that she has come. We haven't even taught her (yet ;D) and she still comes to church. She has been coming to a lot of church activities and other things like that. She is really becoming involved. She even said herself that she is getting "rooted" or putting down her roots. Right now her perspective is to come church for the social aspect, but the lesson in Gospel Principles class about Heavenly Father was very powerful and she definitely felt the spirit there and other times.

Yesterday we went to a Family Home Evening with her at the Relief Society Presidents home and that was great as well. They talked about Modern Prophets and general conference and she said she should be watching it. Wonderful things are happening with her.

 It has been a very different week and it will be different continuing on. I am excited though for that opportunity to train again. Training really is a sacred trust from the Mission President and The Lord. Have a fantastic week and stay strong! I feel prompted to share with you the Hymn "Does the Journey Seem Long?" Listen to it and read the lyrics. Its a wonderful Hymn.

1. Does the journey seem long,

The path rugged and steep?

Are there briars and thorns on the way?

Do sharp stones cut your feet

As you struggle to rise

To the heights thru the heat of the day?

2. Is your heart faint and sad,

Your soul weary within,

As you toil 'neath your burden of care?

Does the load heavy seem

You are forced now to lift?

Is there no one your burden to share?

3. Let your heart be not faint

Now the journey's begun;

There is One who still beckons to you.

So look upward in joy

And take hold of his hand;

He will lead you to heights that are new--

4. A land holy and pure,

Where all trouble doth end,

And your life shall be free from all sin,

Where no tears shall be shed,

For no sorrows remain.

Take his hand and with him enter in.

Love,

Elder Sumsion