Here it feels like September! The grass is still green and the leaves are just starting to fall off. Yeah, it really did fly by this week. We had a great week though and had a lot of success. Starting up a new area is hard, but when we first got to the area me and Elder Ek told each other that we want to get at least 20 lessons by the end of my training. The first week we got 4 and it was pretty rough for a while. Somehow this week we were able to find 13 new investigators and taught 20 lessons! The ZLs called us this morning to congratulate us. We feel like we have gotten the area started up and it has truly been a miracle that we have been able to do what we have so far.
This week was also interesting because we ran into a Bible basher. We were knocking some streets on Friday and this guy asked us which church we were from and we said LDS or Mormons. He then pulled out a whole bunch of points that he could only have gotten from anti-Mormon literature and threw it at us. He brought up some things about Joseph Smith and faith. We tried to reason with him but no matter what we said he wouldn't listen. My companion was doing most of the talking and was trying to get it so that we could leave, but the guy just kept on going. Finally, I got super fed up with him and interrupted him. I bore my testimony to him and Elder Ek said it was pretty powerful. I was just so fed up with him that I didn't want to listen anymore. Then, me and Elder Ek took turns answering his questions. We didn't attack him we just defended the things that we know to be true. We figure that they just do it to get us upset and get a thrill out of it.
For Thanksgiving we had a traditional meal which was really good! We went over to two families and had two meals right on top of the other. I ate three pieces of pie. My companion told me that I was crazy for eating that much but I just told him that my dad always makes a ton. We had some discussions about dessert and he claims that pie is not the greatest dessert in the world but I told him that there are only a few things that I like more than pie. Missed the homemade this year, but at least I got some.
Our investigators are doing great! We have one person getting baptized in two weeks and we just challenged this really nice lady to get baptized at the end of the month. The Lord has truly blessed this area.
I am so excited to hear from you guys on Christmas! We have been listening to non-stop Christmas music and I really can't wait; kind of interesting how it brings everyone one together. I was talking to an older missionary and he says that at Christmas everyone wants to hear a message about Christ so you get a lot of people to teach. I'm excited for that. This week was absolutely amazing and we were super blessed.
I absolutely love being out here on my mission. This is pretty much the greatest thing that I have done my whole life. I wouldn't be anywhere else right now. I miss ya'll but I know that I will see you guys again. This is where I belong.
Love,
Elder Ressler
