What a week! I have never been so tired in my whole life, not physically like as in running a marathon but mentally, spiritually, and sleepy wise. I can't imagine how tired Joseph Smith would have been when he saw angels, its spiritually draining! This week also has seemed like a blur, I don't know why time has been flying by so fast recently. I've been a little stressed this whole week with all that I have to do but it is a growing experience that I need. On Monday we did a regular p-day stuff and helped the zone leaders get transfers figured all out.

 On Tuesday we had our last district meeting where we all bore our testimonies and it was a really spiritual experience, it was sad to see the two elders go but we will see them tomorrow at half mission conference so it'll be fine! Wednesday we had to let the zone leaders use our van for transfers so we took there car and one other elder that was waiting for his companion and he spent the day with us. We wanted to do some service in the area so we went and got signed up with the Red Cross and hopefully that'll lead to some good things. Once all of the other missionaries got here we took the other elder back and I got to meet the new elders in the district and one of them is blind! It is actually super cool, he isn't 100% blind but he still needs a walking stick, I get to go on a tradeoff with him next month. On Friday we got a new investigator named Joey. He's been an investigator before and has been taught all of the lesson but he has a Catholic family he is scared of offending. The way he came back in contact with us is he had just recently gotten surgery and was in a lot of pain and his brother in law gave him a blessing which he said helped out so much so he is ready to take the next step...again.  He also said he would get baptized if Auburn won so it's meant to be! Patrick had the same problem with the family so we will bring him over to our lessons to see if that could solve some problems for Joey. Speaking of Patrick...he is so solid! He is more devoted than most members I know, I love it. Rick came to church yesterday which was nice but it seems like he doesn't have the desire yet, his wife is just pushing him into it. It'll come. This week I got a random text from my mission mom (President Smith's wife) and she asked me if I could sing at the half mission conference so that is another thing that will be fun but definitely adds to the stress level, I'm singing Josephs lullaby by Mercy Me.

     I honestly have no idea about what I want to talk about for a spiritual message at the end but ill just see what comes out! The enabling power of the atonement has really helped me not only recently but a lot in my whole life. I've thought back a lot on my permission status and realize more and more each day not how well I prepared myself for my mission but how well the Lord prepared me for my mission. He needed to suffer so he could succor. I believe that it has been a big problem in the world today that don't know about this enabling power. That's why in general conference it talked a lot about people having a hard time and people with depression. Use that power. Love and miss y'all! all is well

 Elder Welch

 Well all of y'all know of the news coming up, me calling home, 6 months, and district leader. Its an exciting part of the year for missionary families. In YM yesterday they were talking about their quorum unity and a question got brought up that asked when they felt that their families have felt unified. The first thing that popped into my head was not what i was expecting but it was when I was leaving and getting dropped off at the MTC. I would say even though our family is spread across the country we are unified in the things that we are doing, just a cool interesting thought.

   These weeks just seem like they have gotten faster and faster, especially the past three! On Monday we didn't do much except played basketball for like four hours straight, I was so exhausted by the end of it! We had district meeting on Tuesday and had our tradeoff with the district leader and his companion. Elder Clayton stayed in Mobile with the district leader, Elder Buhler. I went over to Lucedale, Mississippi to go with Elder Ogilvie! I have now been to 3 of the 4 states in the mission, Only Georgia is left. We didn't do anything too exciting, went and saw some less actives, knocked some doors, and that's about it. I loved talking to him though, he is a super good and cool missionary, he is from St. George and only has 5 months to go! For dinner over in Lucedale we went to a members house. She was pretty old and losing her hair and Elder Ogilvie warned me of it. i was actually pretty scared to eat there but as I ate I didn't find one hair in my food so i came out good....or I never saw them.

   Wednesday and Thursday Elder clayton and I had to bike a little bit because we munched a ton of our miles with tradeoffs and we have to go to Pensacola next week for our half mission conference. Biking is not my favorite thing but I gotta  do what I gotta do! We were biking and needed a break so we stopped at a members house to talk with them for a little bit and I found out the best news I've heard in a long time...WE HAVE A PAPA MURPHYS in Mobile! I knew that this was the promised land in the mission. Friday we have set up basketball every week and a lot of less actives and nonmembers come and it has been an awesome way to share the gospel in a non threatening way. The sisters got their investigator to come and after that night he had a BCD, we also gave a Book of Mormon to a non member so it was a total success!

   As far as investigators go we have seen a lot of success in the past few weeks! Patrick has been having a problem with Joseph Smith and his family as we have talked about in recent emails. he came to church this Sunday and just handed me a piece of paper with writing on it and said to read about it in my studies so i was freaking out the whole time at church! Once we got home I opened the piece of paper to see questions he had about what he read, i was so relieved and am so proud of him, he works so hard! He then texted us at the devotional and said all of his questions had been answered in church plus his testimony of the prophet joseph. I love inspiration. Then his next text to us was he was trying to get his mom to come to his baptism which told us he is still working on his mom and that he is set for his baptism on the 28th! I love how the Lord helps us out in the work...he makes it so much easier!  We also taught Rick Wells(sis wells husband) the restoration of the gospel. It was one of the hardest lessons I've ever had to teach and is the lesson that I have felt most inspired in and led by the spirit in, i gave promised blessings that I never have before..im praying the Lord is on my side in the one! He is having a hard time grasping organized religion but he will come eventually if he starts to read and pray.

    This week has been such a blessing to me and I really have seen how i have grown. i have been called as a district leader over 3 ward/12 missionaries in Mobile and pray that the inspiration i felt in Rick's lesson will be with me in my district meetings and when giving counsel to my district. This week I want to talk about obedience and repentance. If we look at the gospel of Jesus Christ we know that those two things are key but they mean nothing without diligence in those things. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an on going cycle just like repentance is. If we are obedient without being diligently obedient are we doing anything for ourselves and are we even really being obedient? That's why Christlike attributes are so important! They have there reasons behind it rather than just being like Christ. have an awesome week and know I love y'all! all is well.

Elder Welch

    What an awesome week to reflect on the things we are grateful for and really just take a self evaluation of your life. There is no better time to turn your thoughts and actions towards Christ. On Tuesday we had our zone training and it was such a good meeting! Elder Butterfield and Hadden are our zone leaders and they taught about what they learned from the general authority that came to Tallee and it was just inspiring. The best part of that meeting was when the stake president came in and talked to us a little bit and gave us motivation. After the meeting we went to go to one of our investigators homes to teach him but he had to reschedule for another time, we brought Brother Booth over our high priest group leader and while we were talking to Jermaine (the investigator) he said he didn't have money to buy a thanksgiving dinner so we then went with brother booth and he bought Jermaine a full thanksgiving dinner! It was amazing. If that man does not make it to the celestial kingdom than neither will I, I love him. On thanksgiving day we got up at normal time and went to the college fields to play in our wards turkey bowl. For some reason it was really cold that morning...like 26 when we got up but 30-35 by the time we were playing, it was a lot of fun, i was captain for my team and we kicked butt! We then went over to our investigator, Scott's, house to eat our first thanksgiving dinner. It was so good and I love southern food! I ate the first collard greens that i actually liked, I even went back for seconds. We then went to our second dinners home who was a member and her husband turned into an investigator by the end of dinner. We ate so much there, she had more dessert for us that she did dinner. All in all it was a very successful thanksgiving!

    As far as our investigators go...Scott, the one we had dinner with isn'tnt progressing and I don't think he even really gets it. He was rolling his own cigarettes the whole time we were teaching him but we will have a "DTR" with him...basically tell him our purpose why we are there. Patrick is doing awesome! He just got through the Isaiah chapters in 2 Nephi. He said he really felt the spirit this Sunday during the testimony meeting and then in gospel principles we talked about baptism. He is gaining a testimony and is recognizing it. He told his catholic mom and she said she was ashamed of him so that was really hard but he is handling it better than i would. he will be baptized in January. At church elder clayton and I had six of our less active families come which was just a good testimony builder. Also...Auburn beat Alabama!!! The whole state was shut down that day and then the city was going crazy that night!

   This week I wanted to talk a little bit about what i said in the beginning of the letter...taking that self evaluation. I did it this week and it was humbling and really hard, I didn't feel I was doing my best, I've since then changed my attitude and I've seen the progress in the work and myself. For those that have gone on missions, are about to go on a mission, or are thinking about going on missions I have a quote for you. "A person rises to the stature he sets out for himself in the mission field"  Reflect on that and get back to that level you once were or think of what you want to become. Mission life doesn't mean we don't have the normal temptations of life because we do, we just have the spirit more to have a little more motivation to get back up. I like to think of it as a movie. When there is a huge battle scene and the hero keeps getting knocked down I am usually on the edge of my seat saying "get up, you're the only one that can win the battle" and somehow someway that hero always finds the strength to get back up. I then sit back into my seat think "that's my boy". When we have given into a little temptation and have fallen we are the hero in the story and are the only ones to save yourself from the battle we have been fighting since the beginning and when we finally find that strength to get back up Heavenly Father sits back and says "that's my boy, I knew he could do it. Be the "master of your fate"

Elder Welch

 This week has flown by so fast! November as a month has just gone by super fast. Monday we taught one of our Muslim investigators the plan of salvation and he doesn't think we can put Jesus Christ and heavenly father in the same category of god head and refused to pray so we had to drop him...no prayer=no conversion. One of our "golden" investigators; Pat, invited us over to teach him. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and about the Word or wisdom. The lesson went really well and he has been really prepared. He accepted a baptismal date from 12/28 and said he'd keep the word of wisdom. We saw him yesterday at church and he hadn't broken the word of wisdom yet either, he is so solid! All he needs now is to have a testimony. He is scared to leave the church he grew up in too so we will see where it goes from there!

   Some fun stories....On Friday we were going to see a less active and it took forever for us to find the place. We knock of the door and Elder Clayton is still talking to me while we wait for the door to open and then this 25 year old girl opens the door in her bra and underwear...WHO DOES THAT?! Elder Clayton literally gasped when he saw it and it was really hard to talk to her. The funny part was how Elder Clayton lost all self control and gasped right in her face! We also have this one house we go to where there is a gay guy that lives there. Super nice guy and loves to talk...just not about church. Elder Clayton said the guy has a crush on me cause he shakes my hand with 2 hands and only shakes elder Claytons with one...super awkward. We have a less active we go and see a lot named Brother Rosales. He's Mexican and from New York. he reminds me exactly of George Lopez...a more vulgar George Lopez...he is so funny. He had a friend over at his house yesterday and we went and talk to her a little bit and i came to find out that she was from Vegas and had been to Elko before...she's in Nevada for "the business" but was a super nice lady that we got to give a blessing to, it was nice to talk about Elko for a little bit too.

    Elder Clayton and I have had a very humbling and fun week, a huge growing experience for both of us. We had to tract basically all day Friday because we had no appointments and it was really hard! I have never had to much rejection in my life than i did the half hour right before dinner...it was sad. Super humbling though! Elder Clayton and I work well together and try to always do our best.

    This week I wanted to talk about the Book of Mormon and its pivotal roll in our lives. I finished the Book for Mormon this week and If i only knew what effect that Book would have on my life i would have read it so much more at home. It is not only the keystone to our religion but needs to be the keystone of our testimony. Its the rock we need to build on(Hel 5 12) Make a new years resolution to read it either as a married couple, family, individual, I don't really care. Just read the Book from cover to cover! It will bless your life more than anything else in 2014, I promise! Just remember A successful person applies what they teach and reads! I'm thankful for this season and for the gospel, for my family, for my parents who raised me in righteousness, for friends that kept me on the straight path, and for all of the Leaders in the church, I love the savior and the atonement he gives to all. have a happy holiday. Love from Alabama. All is well.

Elder Welch

This week has been a long one and a humbling one! We had a lot of appointments set up throughout the week...8 to be exact and all fell through so obtaining our goals for the week was like pulling teeth, but we did the best we could and that is all the Lord asks of us! Not a whole lot to say this week, but I do have an amazing story! This week I have seen the Lord answer my prayers and I know that He puts us in the paths of others. Elder Clayton and I were on our way to a returning member’s home but the GPS messed up somehow and we found out we were heading to a potential’s house. We knew that the Lord had a reason for us to be in that area at that time. We got out and started tracting a few houses and there weren’t even doors opening up to us. A little discouraged we head back to the car and see this younger lady walking with her kids and we know this is why we came here. I opened my mouth and she not only took one Book of Mormon but TWO, so she could give one to her friend. As we said our goodbyes, Elder Clayton and I realized we never got any of her information. That whole day we felt terrible and had a prayer in our hearts that we would be able to get back in contact with this sister. A few days go by and we decide to try back around that same area to find this girl. As we walk we see this car drive by with a kid hanging out the window that looked like the one that the girl was walking. Elder Clayton and I look at each other and we followed that car! We knock on the door of the house that the car was at and it wasn’t the people we were looking for, BUT they knew who we were talking about and looking for and gave us the directions to the girl’s home. The Lord sent us there, gave us another opportunity, put the car in our path to find the general area where we needed to be, and then let us knock on a woman’s door who knew the young girl. We got her address down and gave the referral to Theodor since she was just babysitting at that house. The Lord does answer our prayers, we may have to work for it a bit but He did answer! It is His work! 

  We have 2 Muslim investigators now. They are super hard to teach and not really looking to convert...yet! We teach one of them the plan of salvation today so y'all will hear how that goes next week! We taught Pat Baldwin this week as well and he was looking more for knowledge but after we taught him the plan of salvation his mind set changed, he was asking some crazy deep questions for being an investigator though, like temple stuff.  We eventually had to just promise blessings for his concerns and stop his questions, ha-ha. He has a Catholic mom who he needs permission from so we will see how that goes! We got a baptismal date this week with one of our investigators too, Scott Anderson. He doesn’t understand authority but he definitely felt the Spirit in the restoration so he is searching it out for himself.

So I went to get my haircut this morning and this lady decides to shave my neck. I will send pictures and name the things that she did wrong! And just FYI, I’m totally fine, just a good story to tell.

1) She dry shaved me

2) She didn’t try to go around my mole, now I don’t need to worry about a mole

3) She put this antiseptic on it that burned really bad

4 and probably worst of all) she put after shave on an open flesh wound! I thought I would cry, but I didn’t

Once again I am fine, it’s funny to me!

  This week I wanted to talk about the Prophet Joseph Smith and his long suffering. It has helped me a lot this week, and we watched the prophet of the restoration DVD this week too. He had 5 kids’ die on earth...what a trial here, but he had 5 kids waiting for him after he died. He was beaten and you could say he was thrown into the deepest part of the refiner’s fire! He was faithful and is exalted on high. Think of your trials, think of how they will benefit you in the next life and then move on with them, you will be able to endure them better.

All is well.

Love and Miss ya’ll!

Elder Welch

 What an amazing week! It was also one of the hardest, most draining weeks physically/spiritually/emotionally I've ever gone through! Starting on Tuesday...We went to district meeting where i was able to meet all the other missionaries in the surrounding area and that was cool. There are 12 of us in all and that is over half of the zone so that's huge! Elder Buhler, our district leader is a really good teacher and a really good missionary so I am happy I get to serve with him these next few months! After district meeting we had to go get our car fixed because the windows rolled down every time we unlocked the car. It was in the shop for 2 days! They didn't even figure out what was wrong with it either. 

   Anyway...Since we had no car Wednesday we had to walk all day, 20 miles in total and 2 pounds lost baby! Not many people answered the door but the ones that did were golden, the Lord blessed us with a new investigator! We give a little, He gives a lot! We taught a guy that requested us from mormon.org. We taught the restoration and it went alright, nothing too big, we have a return appointment with him this week! We were walking home that night and it was 8:30 so it was dark. We see this big suburban pull in by the park and he parks his car. Elder Clayton just taps my leg and I said see it and just kept walking. We then see a guy walk around the corner and I was about ready to either beat a man or run like a girl! His first words out of his mouth was, "Hey Elders" so we knew that he knew us and we calmed down..it was the branch president in a neighboring area. Super cool guy, just scared us a bit, he worked for the FBI too! Thursday we had interviews with president and it  was a really spiritual uplifting experience for me and much needed. I love that guy and know that he is inspired! We also weekly planned and set goals and Elder Clayton and I set a pretty high goal of 8 LA lessons for the week in this area and didn't know why...the Lord did!  

   Friday we had our car back and went out proselyting and no one was answering there doors. We went home and had dinner and then went back out to work and this is where the Lords hand comes into the work...We got 5 less active lessons in 3 hours! it was amazing and unheard of here! The Lord knew our potential but needed to wait until the very last second to see if we would endure through the day. we see that in the First Vision too...Joseph Smith was about to give up and then exerted all of His efforts and then God stepped in and saved him from the adversary! For those of you that don't know much about this are i have a funny thing that I found out about this area this week. If any of y'all have seen the YouTube video where the guy says "hide yah kids hide yah wife" and the lady says "ain't nobody got time for dat" yup, that was here! haha Those are the ones I teach and I love them to death!

    For my message this week I wanted to talk about callings since we just got a new stake President and it is your job to make sure his job runs smoothly, not his! We get called to things that we think are too hard for ourselves or we get called to things we think are too easy for us. The thing of the matter is it doesnt matter if its easy or hard, the Lord has something to teach you in that calling at that time. Always remember, It's not where you get called to serve but it is how you serve in that calling. Try your best and the Lord will do the rest! This is my testimony. Love and miss yall!

Elder Welch

 As many of you already know I heard the news Monday that I was being transferred to the Mobile (mo-beel), Alabama Ward. I was ready for the change but the people in Fox Run have been and will continue to be missed so much. They raised me in being a missionary, my first 3 baptisms were there, and it was just an awesome ward! Monday and Tuesday I said my goodbyes to the people there and the hardest one by far being the Porter family. I had grown so close to them since they lived around the corner from us and since we taught Cody over there. I love that family! I packed throughout those 3 days and the amazing thing was I got those airtight bags to pack with and I was able to pack everything into one suitcase.  I would recommend those to anyone! I was impressed with myself. Wednesday came around and it was a really really hard day for me. I hadn't felt that way since I left home 4.5 months ago. I may or may not have cried when I said my goodbyes to Elder Nelson and then off I went.

I love Mobile! It is what I pictured when I thought of the south. Pensacola seemed more like it was westernized but I have finally made it to the south so that is nice! I drove into Mobile and met my companion Elder Clayton who I am training. That is a hard task already on my hands other than having to learn a new area. I absolutely love that kid though! He is just like me. He loves sports, music, and his Great Great Great Grandfather actually wrote "Come Come Ye Saints".  I live in a two story apartment which is awesome and we drive a minivan. It is an all driving area which is awesome especially with winter coming up!

We have one investigator whose name is Angie who is pretty solid. She has gotten her answer but every time she gets it she seeks to find something wrong about the church. What is really frustrating is that she has a returned missionary husband who is trying to talk her out of it because he is less active and does not want to change. We don't meet with her for another week and a half and are really trying to feel out the Spirit on how to solve her problem. So prayers would be awesome!  Two fun stories for this week actually both happened yesterday. All of our plans fell through around 7:00 and it was really dark, so we went and saw some potentials. We had plans to go contact this referral we had so we went and no one was home so we walked away and then all of the sudden he comes out and calls to us. Elder Clayton shoots up the stairs to go talk to him but I knew a little better than to run at someone haha. I see him hiding a gun under his shirt and he pulled it out and just left it by his side so we knew it was there. Then when he knew who we were he calmed down and put it away...super scary though! We knocked on a few doors and then were walking to the next place and I felt that we needed to be done.  I figured that the house we were going to would be the last...we walked about 200 more yards and we hear barks and these 2 massive pitbulls come out and start chasing us. Elder Clayton and I were both just laughing so hard and they only chased us for about 200 feet. I don't believe that was the prompting I felt.  I believe that that was another prompting to go in for the night, so we did.

  This week with transfers has been the most physically, mentally, and spiritually tiring thing I have done in about 4 months. Not to add that I am now training but I have grown so much and have had fun the whole week while doing the hard things. I’m just going to testify of missionary work this week. We all know the plan of salvation and the big things we have to do. God knows what is going to happen even though we might not. With that being said EVERYONE in their life whether they be your friends, coworkers, or family will be prepared to receive the gospel sometime in their life. Be bold and obedient and share the gospel! Angels will be there to bear you up and help you share the message we have to share. I know the gospel is true! I love and miss y’all and hope all is well back home. God has a plan for all of us! Even plan B's if the first time didn’t work.

All is well

Elder Welch

  Well my time here in Fox Run has been a blessing, it has been well spent, it has been fun, and it has been where I was raised in my mission by my trainers, the members, and all other I come in contact with. It is really hard to have to let it go but I know the Lord has many more things in store for me in the MOBILE SOUTH area! Do I know where that is?? Not a clue haha but I will get the address out to my mom asap! This week has just flown by! On Monday we played some basketball with the district and that was a lot of fun, I have gotten even better on my mission I believe. We also saw TJ this week since he had surgery last week. One of his legs are longer than the other and he was getting it lengthened, he has like a cage on his leg with a bunch of screws connecting to his leg...super nasty!  He is doing awesome though! We went over to his house yesterday and he blessed the sacrament for himself and his nonmember mom, it was super awesome! The rest of the week not much happened, I hung out with the district a lot since everyone kind of knew I was leaving. We had a trunk or treat on Friday and a chili cookoff and I now understand what hot chili is...the southerners love their food (kind of like that story of the chili cookoff, the funny one(mom/dad)) After that I had my last tradeoff with my boy Elder Lane over in pine forest and we had to bike so much! We also forgot the phone over at Fox Run's apartment so we had to bike over at 7 when it was 48 degrees! (that may seem like beach weather to you but I wanted to cry it was so cold, my hands were frozen) The last this that happened this week is Tracy, our investigator who is going to get baptized on Nov. 10 came to church and she is super solid! In gospel principles this lady who got converted 20 years ago but still has a Baptist mentality argued about God creating the world even though it was Christ and just wouldn't budge no matter what scriptures we threw at her! It was so funny though because she was standing up preaching and whenever she felt the spirit she would say "oooh glory to god, hallelujah!" Elder Nelson and I were busting a gut.

    I wanted to talk about faith today. I felt like i was lacking faith this week and it was really hindering my progression and the work's progression. In church we learned a lot about aligning our will with the Lord's and that only happens through having faith in him and knowing that he is the master carver here. I have had a rough few transfers and was doubting whether or not I was meant to be in this area with this companion at this time. The lord knows what he is doing. Ether 12:6 says its not until after the trial of our faith that we gain knowledge, experience, and growth. nothing easy has ever made someone grow. I love and miss y'all and next week I will be writing you from Mobile, Alabama! All is well!

Elder Welch

 This week has FLOWN by! On Monday my favorite members in the ward and my recent convert Porters/Cody Cousin took Elder Nelson and I to the beach down here. It is called Pensacola Beach and it was by far the prettiest beach I have ever seen. I will definitely be coming back here for a beach vacation, so pretty! That night we also got to do family home evening with the same family and we carved pumpkins! I never really did much carving when I was back home. It was really fun to do it here, the only problem was that pumpkins only last like 2 days here and then the humidity molds them all up...nasty!  On Tuesday Elder Nelson and I had tradeoffs with the zone leaders, I stayed in Fox Run with Elder Wilkey. We had an awesome district meeting and then went and talked to TJ about getting his patriarchal blessing.  We also gave him a blessing because he was going to get surgery on his leg on the 18th. We then got pizza for dinner and finished the night off with some volleyball up at the church with some nonmembers and some less actives. On Wednesday we helped Cody move and that was about it. This whole week we really were focusing on trying to find people to teach because Elder Nelson and I baptized all of our investigators that we had so we didn’t have much to do. We found two women that a member referred us to.  We taught them the first half of the restoration, she bawled like a baby which was awesome that she felt the Spirit so strongly. However, they both fell off of the face of the earth. I will give more updates on them next week. Friday of course was my birthday! 19 years old already! I had a birthday party over at the Porters where I opened presents, had PAPA MURPHYS J and watched a video where my family was wishing me a happy birthday! I cried like a little baby ha-ha. Thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday this week as well! On Saturday I had a tradeoff with Elder Spencer, a new missionary. We stayed in Fox Run as well, not much happened that day.  I did buy a pair of clippers and now cut my own hair! My mom and sister probably think I’m crazy with how picky I use to be when they would cut my hair. I find myself doing a good job too! Cosmetology is in my blood!

This week I wanted to share something that I have come to love...obedience. I strive for it! I have unfortunately seen the effects of having an obedient companion and disobedient companion. If ya’ll remember me saying at the beginning of my mission, 'obedience brings blessings, perfect obedience brings miracles'...it’s true but I have a new saying that I like better.  "Obedience brings happiness".  It may be hard and at times not very desirable, but it is the most enjoyable thing that I have found on my mission. Second, only to seeing someone walk into the waters of baptism. Remember a few of the Lord's commissions. "Be of good cheer", the Lord wants us happy and it’s a commandment. Then in Matthew 5 and in 3 Nephi 12 the Lord says, "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in Heaven ("and I" in 3 Nephi) is perfect." Take both of those commandments and munch them together! Eternal happiness! I love and miss ya’ll and again I thank you for the birthday wishes!

All is well!

Elder Welch