1/12 of the way through

Can you believe that I’m 1/12 done with my mission!? That’s scary. I think me and my companion are getting along a little better so I’m happy about that too.

This week we taught an investigator but he was single so we had to refer him to the singles ward sisters. Did I tell you that I’m in a district with all sisters except me and Elder Doney? We’re the only ones on bikes too so it’s difficult. The mission president was at our district meeting this week and Elder Doney and him talked about that so we might get a car just to run around in. I think we'll still mainly use our bikes throughout the week unless we have to go to the super hilly places or on Pdays where we have to do laundry and shopping and stuff, because right now we’re borrowing the sisters’ car, while they email, to do our shopping and laundry. Our mission used to have the most cars out of any mission in the world but now we have the second most cars in any mission. That's what they said the first day I got here anyway and we’re getting 8 new cars this week.

Anyway, I had an exchange Tuesday with the zone leaders, but they are Spanish speaking elders so I got there and they had the day full of investigator lessons and all of the lessons fell through. I’m starting to think I’m a curse with investigators. But it ended up all right. We taught a member and the Elder I was with translated English to Spanish and it was great.

Friday I had a really great experience. I was talking to my companion when I mentioned I knew of an elder who brought a phone out with him on his mission and he could call home as long as he had wifi and he had music on his phone he could use. I forgot about this after I left the MTC but something brought it to my mind and I told my companion. Then he told me to call the mission president right away and he will take care of it because obedience is important. I really didn’t want to because this elder was great and I trusted he wouldn't use it and frankly I didn't want to rat him out or talk to the president about it, but after I talked to president about it my chest felt lighter and I felt like I did the right thing, but I still felt bad that I told on him. I think it’s the Lord seeing if he could trust me because if I didn’t tell president about that I don’t know what would have happened with the other guy but I did anyway. Elder Doney thinks that it’s the Lord preparing me to be a leader seeing if I could be trusted, and it shows the mission president that he can trust me as well.  I see this elder on Wednesday so I hope everything goes ok. He might know it was me but oh well I did it out of love to try and help him.

Anyway, since our district was having a hard time teaching people, we decided to fast yesterday for missionary work and things like that. And yesterday we found a perfect member who can help the sister missionaries with an investigator they have. And we got a call saying a 9 year old who is in our ward wants to be baptized so we can start teaching him this Tuesday.  I think he will be my only baptism in this area but I think it’s still exciting and shows me that fasting really does bring miracles!

I hope the test goes well and you can find out how to get better. Excited to hear where Kevin will be going that's awesome!  Oh and I got a letter from someone, I can’t remember who but that really made my day when I got that :) Stay safe and I’ll keep on praying for all of you!

   Love,

     Elder Ranquist

       Ofa Atu

Email to Dad: 

 Wow, I really like the poem. I read it out loud and we were kind of laughing beacuse it related to us really well, going up hill, funds are low, things like that. Wish I could print some of these things off but the printer here doesn't work. I'm liking it out here and hope the best for you. And if in the next package sometime can I get BYU vocal point? I really like their songs. Anyway, I'm excited to see where Kevin might be going that's awesome! I hope Jessica and Tyler are doing great. And also Drake and Emily. I'm having a lot of growing experiences out here. It's amazing. Anyway, good luck in your doctor appointment. I'll pray for you.
    Love,
       Elder Ranquist