Another Week in Fox Run

 This week was hard but I grew and learned a lot in it. We taught Eileen (British) about the gospel of Jesus Christ (3rd lesson) Monday and it was only my second time ever teaching that lesson. I didn’t know it well enough and I could tell. Eileen is still golden and is planning on getting baptized next Saturday (10th) still, I’m so excited! Back to me not knowing that lesson well enough. I promised myself and Heavenly Father that the Lessons were all I was going to study until I feel comfortable with them. My study sessions are amazing, they are always my favorite part of my day and I have gotten those lessons under control. That hour of study I have is so precious and I always want to make it as productive as possible. I am now studying the Christlike attributes in chapter six and I know those attributes will bring myself closer to Christ and will make me love my mission even more. It was the one thing that I was missing in my service/work. I wasn’t enjoying it that much and I realized that I didn’t have that attribute of charity, I pray all who read this will pick up a preach my gospel and read chapter six and become more like Christ. 

 Yesterday I gave my first talk in church and it was on how I prepared for my mission, I broke it up into 4 categories. 1) Prayer 2) scripture/preach my gospel study 3) seminary and 4) family/friends. I know if y’all strengthen those four topics of your life you will have a happier life, come closer to Christ, and your problems will be made easier. I will send the talk home to you in a letter and you can show others who want to see more specifics. So I’ve quickly realized that this mission is one of the hardest in the nation and I’m in the hardest zone in the mission, so it’s hard out here, the black people in poverty stricken areas are always the nicest though, always. I didn’t get mail this week until Thursday and it was a rough first part of the week but then I got 5 on Thursday! It made my day a lot better, thank you to all who have sent me letters, they help me out, give me motivation, and it’s nice to hear from people in the middle of the week, not just on Mondays. I went on a tradeoff with Elder Lane this Thursday and he is from Page, Arizona and has been out for 18 months. He is a great missionary and reminds me a lot of Uncle Jason, the way he acts and looks. He is Indian and gave me an Indian name, leaping frog. I don’t even know what that means but I’ll keep it! I have a tradeoff tomorrow with the zone leaders in Navarre and can’t wait!

This week I wanted to share Heavenly Father’s and Christ’s love for us. I find myself always kneeling when I have free time here on my mission because those two are the only ones that will be with me 24/7 for the next two years. Companions change, wards change, family is back home, and the mission president is probably going to be in a different city. I can always feel when I kneel down Christ’s arms wrapped around my shoulder comforting me. I love that I know my Savior personally now. I pray that all of you learn to pray sincerely like he was the only one there. He loves you, He knows you, and He will always answer you. I know this church is true and that Christ is at the head of it. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and Thomas S. Monson is today. Missions are awesome. I love y'all

Elder Welch