I Am Not Ready to Tap Out

Hey everyone!

I know you're probably all sick of reading these stinking emails and asking yourselves, "man, doesn't this kid get it already?" But today is Wednesday! Which means you'll have to put up with yet another email from Siberia! muahaha but look at it this way you only have 20 more letters from me...

This week has been quite eventful! We had a zone conference in Barnaul after the major flop that was ZLC. It's funny how the Lord works though, I guess it's like we read in Ether 12.27, he'll show us our weaknesses for us to humble ourselves and then he'll make weak things become strong unto us. I'd been trying really hard to figure out what we needed to do in order to try and help our mission and I think that that ZLC was just what we needed. We (my companion, Pres, and I) were able to follow up with all the ZL's to see how they were handling the whole thing and what they were doing to “raise the bar” in their cities. After some arousing of the troops, I think we were able to help them all see what we need to do, all of us are making personal changes we need in order to do all that the Lord expects of us. But yeah, we got to go to Barnaul and see the missionaries there and spend some time with them and have a zone conference and training with them. I got to see my old comp Elder Hansen who served with me in Tomck (over a year ago) He's a ZL there now and doing great. He's also from Joplin Missouri and his stake center was destroyed in the tornadoes. Sad.

I had an interesting experience being on splits with the elders there. I was with two younger missionaries who have both been out under a year and got to go on a meeting with them. We met with a lady and her daughter who were very nice, but they seemed very aggressive towards one of the elders. They started to verbally attack him как бы. The elders were talking about trusting God and how when we keep the commandments we will always be better off, and these ladies went straight for the throat asking all of these really prying questions that made this young elder look down and feel kind of bad. So, I jumped in. Kind of refocused their questions on me and gave these young elders some time to regroup. I was very grateful that I've had the examples of my parents in my life that I could use (you would have been proud).

After I'd shared my testimony in that way, they stopped their attempts to make the elders look bad and listened to the message that they had to share. It was an interesting experience for me for sure. When we got back from Barnaul I had a letter was on my desk, from Belgium! :) Elder Mueller's not dead yet! It was way funny, he sent me what is called the "Shaffer Pass". In High School our group of friends would pass it back and forth when one of us would do something that was completely awesome. I looked at the pass and smiled then turned it around and read that almost all of us have signed it and sent it to one another. It's been from Minnesota to St Louis to Brussels and now to Novosibirsk! Kind of a cool little thing :) I'm thinking it'll be going back to South America before it gets back to home ha. Danny also wrote a letter with it and made me think about the next few months of my life.

Here is what I am thinking---I have like 6 months left. That's like one toothbrush. (I brought a 4 pack of toothbrushes on my mission and I've got one left..) And I've been thinking a lot about what I've done on my mission and what I've still got a head. I kind of liken it to a wrestling match (like grandpa did) and the first 3 rounds are over. We're going into what really takes all that you've got "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." It'd be easy to give in now and just coast out the rest of my mission saying, "I've done my dues, I've help and baptized people and had a lot of good experiences I can just coast for 6 months and come home and see my family, friends, and Amber and all will be well." But I'm not ready to tap out. "Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." I'm going to do all I can.

Like Dean Karnazes says, "I'm going to come sliding in broadside, bruised, bleeding, and broken exclaiming what a ride" Sorry that's what's on my mind..

We also had a cool meeting with a street contact we had. Her name's Anastasia, she's golden! There really are people here who are ready for our message, you've just got open your mouth and be ready to talk to someone about the gospel. So we're even finding time to do some real missionary work and not just the administrating side of things.

I'd better get going, youre probably sick of reading and I've got go get some medicine, we've figured out that I have a sinus infection who'd of known that 8 months of having congestion problems could be cured! Gotta love modern medicine! I love you guys! Thanks for all you do for me :) I couldn't do it without you!


жив СИЛЬНО
Старейшина Иборн!

папа и мама - Thanks for helping me get where I am. I've learned a lot and been able to help other people thanks to your example and the way you teach/taught us.

Таннер - поздравяаю! молодец такой. я рад что ты мой брат. я горжусь тобой!
тебя люблю!