Bonjou neg yo li!

Dear family, friends, and creatures,

Lets get down to business.

This week, has gone by significantly better then the last... however long I've been here. I'm finally not feeling so sick, and I'd like to apologize for my very un missionary like letter last week.

It was really rough last week being on what felt like the verge of death.

Wee.

So!

I'm almost recovered fully from my sickness. I still have issues breathing at times, and I'm fairly fatigued (But who's to say thats not just from working my butt off?)

They got me on an inhaler. My Conpanion has respitory problems, and his dad is a respitory doctor, so I was lucky on that one, I figured out how to use it and all that jazz.

I lost 10 lbs... I basically wasnt able to eat for a week, or excersize. So I'm stickly. Its gross. (dont feel like you need to send more junk food. I've survived off cookies the last 2 weeks.. It's all I could stomach...)

But, I'm feeling better, and my attitute is coming back full swing. I'll be 110% fairly soon.

Forgive me for being a bum last week.

Thanks so much for the letters of encouragement people!

It really helped.

Bishop and Sister Nyman, thank you especially for the cookies, and story!

And, as always, Mom, Kari, Kate, Granny Robin, and Steph! You give me more love then I can handle.

Thanks so much!

I really do love you all.

Mwen renmen ou tout tan!

Tracy! Im so glad to hear all is going well! Thank you for the words of encouragement. It means a lot to me :)

I'm SO EXCITED for Shane! after I got your letter, I went and bragged to everybody in our district that my Uncle is going to do a Solo for a song Pres. Packer requested!

Im SO EXCITED for conference now! (Not like I wasnt before, but now im super excited!)

Zoe, thanks so much for relating Seth leaving to the Sons of Mosiah when they split... It really came at the right time. And gave me great confidence, in the work we are all setting out to do. Elder Turek, Elder Hellbush, Elder Wright, Elder Cutler, Elder Turek, and Seur Johnson. Sons of Mosiah, Missionaries of the Lord. (Plus 1 girl.)

Donk!

(so!)

I'm getting significantly better at Creole. It's been a lot easier since I'm not on my death bed. So it comes a lot better.

I'm still basically incompetent. But it's coming a lot easier to me now. Especially when we teach. It's like a switch goes on in my head, and Creole starts flowing like a river in my head.

It's a lot easier to talk in Creole, when I'm completely submersed in it. When were outside of class, or were in class, its difficult, to turn the Haitian side of my brain on, and flow as well. But when we teach, and I'm forced to only use, think, and speak in Creole, it's amazing how much I can do, and say. 5 weeks ago, I had no idea how to say anything. And now, I can communicate fairly welll. (Mainly about the Gospel though, small talk is still forein to me...)

Yesterday, as we taught our investigator "Robert" I felt impressed to ask him: "Eske ou gen lafwa nan JeziKri?" (Do you have faith in Christ?)  Robert: "uhhh... wi." Me: "Eske w'ap batize?" (Will you be baptized?) Robert: "ummm...? wi."

It was crazy!

I asked my first role-play investigator to be baptized. It was really special. The spirit was really strong, and I was super excited. I felt like a real, full blooded missionary, out in the field, converting the hearts of many in that moment. What made it even better, is before I asked him to be baptized, I completely forgot how to think. I stumbled on my words so bad. But I got the message across. It was really something special.

I might be 19, not know a lot, and not be able to speak the language... But thats okay. The Lord wont let me fail. The spirit will accompany me, and it has accompanied me, each and every day. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to do almost anything here. I'm able to read the Book of Mormon in Creole, and slowly Translate things over! Reading Preach my Gospel is a lot easier though...

I've thought a lot about Elder Hollands "Missions are Forever" MTC talk I watched an eternity ago, and I felt impressed to share this with you all.

In his talk, he declared: "This is your chance, probably, your only chance in life, to be Truly Apostalic. And thats "Apostalic" with a lower case "a." Dont miss it."

I've thought long and hard about that.

This is my chance, and with the time remaining, I'd like to bear my testimony, and be absolutely clear, why it is I am serving a mission.

I am serving, because there has been too much in my life, to discredit how the hands of the Lord, have blessed me.

I know, with all the power and surety that I have in my body, that this Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, is the True Church of Christ here on the Earth. I know, with all the power my heart and soul can muster, that Jesus the Christ, lived, and died for not only myself, but the whole world. And that living His commandments, we can be truly happy in this life, and be happy in the life to come. I know that the Atonement works. I have witnessed first hand, the mercy, the comfort, and the reality of the great work the Lord suffered for me. I have gone through Gethsemane for my sins, and my pains, and called hopelessly on the saving grace of the Lord, and in my darkest hour, he forgot me not. 

I have felt what it's like, to receive forgiveness. I have felt the comfort of the great comforter, and I know, that we can be forgiven, and live again, with God.

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that He has a plan, not only for me. But for all His children here on the Earth. I know that he loves us beyond comprehention. Every one. And wants all of us. To be happy. After all, That is his great work, and glory. "To bring to pass the imortality and eternal life of man."

Moses 1:39

I also know without a shadow of a doubt. That the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. And that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, called of God. I know this because I have prayed for myself. And worked hard, for myself. And tried, having great faith in the Lord, and relying upon him for an answer. I prayed countless times to know. And It didnt come all at once. But, It did come. I had my answer. This work is true.

I know It with all my heart.

And because I know, how can I not sacrifice all my time, my might, and my life, to share the great Truth of it?

I know this is true.

And you can know for yourself.

Pray to know.

Pray with sincerity.

God will give you the answers.

Nan nou, JeziKri, amen.

Mwen renmen nou.

Bonswa!