Yeah it was super crazy this General Conference! We made food every session and then right before priesthood three wards combined together to provide a dinner. Of course pretty much all of it was meat. We had a lot of fun as a district. Elder Long really likes to cook and we have four hermanas in our district so during every break we were cooking something. We made cinnamon rolls and pizza and this stuff which is kind of like sushi but with spam. One of the hermanas in our district is from Samoa and she showed us how. I ate a ton and was super stuffed for the rest of the day.
It was really cool too because I got to talk with Elder Ek and his companion Elder Johnson. I came out of the MTC with Elder Johnson but haven't seen him very much because he's been in West Lake Houston for a long time. It was really great.
I remember that talk by Elder Oaks. It makes me a little frustrated that people don't really understand why woman don't have the priesthood. They really just have a different calling in life. It also makes me frustrated that people don't really understand the will of God. You know how it says "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts" People just need to accept that.
Yeah it's been pretty crazy here but we've had a lot of fun. The sad thing is that we didn't have any investigators show up but the good news is that we have this one family who has a baptism date for the 20th. I'm pretty sure that they'll make it but pray for them!
Yeah Elder Long is a really nice guy. We've had a lot of fun so far. It's a lot different from what I'm used to because I've always had at least two other Elders with us really close by. Now it's pretty much just me and him. A little bit different but it is still really cool.
I heard that Jacob was helping train another Polish Elder! That's so crazy! It's every missionaries' dream to death train! It's kind of helping your legacy carry on. Are you guys excited for him to come home? I bet it's pretty crazy. He's only got a couple of weeks left. Mom you are probably freaking out with excitement. I would be too :)
Preach My Gospel is a really great tool. I never really understood all of it before I became a missionary. I always saw it as something that I would probably look into while on a mission but it really is a huge help to all that we do here. Super important stuff. I liked what you said about learning from the spirit and not necessarily the speakers during conference. During President Monson's talk I learned a ton and then the last line that he said really had a huge impact on me and I felt the spirit SUPER strong. It's cool how God works like that.
Yep the mosquitoes are definitely coming out. For some reason I haven't had too many problems so far but everyone else has. I've heard that in the summer you pretty much wear mosquito repellant. I'll be okay though. I'm not too worried.
I'm doing great here! Safe? Yeah we're fine. It's a scary area but I'm not worried at all. I know that we'll be all right.
Hey sometimes it is good to feel lazy right! General Conference was awesome but I felt really lazy too. Imagine 12 hours sitting at the chapel. I was going crazy!
Really I think that it depends on the people you are teaching. What really matters is to teach to their needs while covering all of the points of the lesson. A lot of times we just want to listen to their problems and help them but what will really help them is receiving the restored gospel.
I'm doing great! Really I've learned to come to rely on God. In D&C 6 it says "look unto me in every thought. Doubt not, fear not." I'm really learning to do that.
That dog Lola is super mean! That's why I gave her that name! There are a lot of mean dogs here too. I almost got eaten by a pit bull my first day here. It was pretty crazy. There was another time that a German Shepherd was barking at us through a fence and Elder Long stuck out his Book of Mormon and the dog bit it! They're crazy! But after a while you know what to do.
Yeah I really have been blessed with great companions and people around me. Elder Ek is pretty much my role model in the mission and each companion I have I learn something new that will help me in life and in the mission. Elder Jensen really taught me how to get along with companions and we had a whole lot of fun together. Elder Long has taught me about having faith and expecting the Lord to bless us if we are faithful.
I am sort of keeping a journal. It's really tough to write in it every day. I try to write in it at least a couple times a week but even that is hard. If I have something really cool happen then I make sure to write but it can be a struggle. I am determined to do better though.
Anyways I hope yall know that I love you so much. I hope that everything is going well!
Love
Elder Ressler
