June 14, 2006

Hello everyone!

I really enjoy writing these emails- they help me get all my thoughts out. I guess the best thing about writing them is getting to use a computer. I've had a really hard time having to hand write everything I do, as opposed to typing it. I'm a lot faster at typing than writing so I usually get bored halfway through writing about stuff in my journal and end writing mid-sentence. Anyway, it's good to be here…at this computer.

We've had another really good week—achieved our daily goals pretty much every day. (I think there was one or two in there…but close still). That's the fuel that keeps us running, and it's working wonders. We have a fireball district. Everyone is doing really well. There's 8 of us and only 2 have been out more than six months. Guess we still have the greenie fire… Last week we blew the numbers from the past out of the water. It's all because of Daily Goals. There's power in working to achieve those. I'm working on really focusing on Weekly Goals still. That's a concept I can't seem to progress towards on a daily basis… They say our district is one of the hardest in the mission and Elder Steel (our district leader) says no one's really expecting us to succeed. Now we just have to keep them up so they don't assume we're calculating wrong. We're raising the bar on doorstep lessons too-now we have to give them a solid commitment and feel like they'll actually do it. Numbers don't go down, our teaching just improves.

We had a really cool experience with Barb. (The lady we met last week) We were having dinner at a member's that lived by hers so we stopped by to see if our appointment was still on for the next day. She answered (I think she was napping) and said she couldn't talk much, but she said she's been reading and reading over the Book of Mormon. She loves it! She said she's been going to the Index and looking up subjects to learn about. Hahah. I love that. She's really excited about everything, but we have yet to teach her a sitdown lesson…  Her roommate/housemate was in the hospital and coming home that day and she didn't want to overdo it for a few days. We gave her the Joseph Smith Pamphlet and taught a little about that and will hopefully meet tomorrow. She's an amazing woman, and completely ready for this. I hope all goes well…

Something cool (I'm trying not to use cool…but what's another equivalent word? I guess fun works..) Well, something fun we've been doing tracting is presenting the Book of Mormon differently. I want every home to have a copy of the Book of Mormon, but everyone here is really religious and "has their own church" and won't listen much further. I've heard before that the Book of Mormon isn't just for Mormons, which I think is true. Obviously ideally, people would be baptized and receive the blessings of membership in the church, but regardless, EVERYone would benefit from reading it. We're now starting by presenting that we're sharing a record of Christ ministering to the Ancient America's. We explain why that would make sense and then ask if they think that would be true, or if they've heard that message before. We then explain how the Book of Mormon is the record of the people living here at that time, how they were taught about Christ and how Christ actually came. Most people are intrigued by that, and then we can go from there- how we now have this record, prophets, Joseph Smith... It's working pretty well, and it helps people understand that the Book of Mormon is SCRIPTURE. Something that not a lot of people understand.

I usually like to talk more about the Restoration right off, because that's our central message, but I think this might be better for this area. I guess if I don't get much else in, the Book of Mormon in and of itself has an amazing converting power. Last week someone read me a quote saying, "If the Book of Mormon had legs, we'd have no need for missionaries." Kindof humbling, but we are here to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon. It can do more than my words can.

It's an amazing calling to be a missionary. It really makes you realize what you've had your entire life. Yesterday within a few hours we met two people that lost family members recently and had no concept of the plan of salvation-something I've known forever. I love being able to stand in front of them and tell that there's more to life than just Earth, that they'll be able to see these people again. It's not over! Everyone should know that. I guess that's why we're out here..

Anyway, that about wraps it up for today. We're going with the other sisters to Olmstead Falls-waterfalls not from here. We were supposed to go last transfer but we got stood up. It'll be fun stuff. Thanks for listening.

Love you all,
Sister Ruthanne Salisbury