[SENT JANUARY 7, 2017]

Elder Dryden's visit!!

Familia!

Happy January. Strange that it's the new year. 

Miscellaneous

Elder Burgess and I went to Costco for groceries last week! We got a bunch or eggs, some nice powder peanut butter, oats, and some apples. Another fun fact, we always have tuna and rice for lunch. Yum yum. We like the bens microwaveable rice because it's super easy. I never thought I'd eat so much rice or tuna and enjoy it, but here we are.  

The work

On Wednesday Elder Dryden of the seventy joined us at MLC. He is a powerful man, with great teaching abilities. I took TONS of notes in my fancy Joseph Smith study journal (courtesy of Father Christmas).  

We taught an investigator earlier his week and he had doubts about coming to church every week because of a sports club that happens on some Sundays. We had a very bold, yet loving lesson with him, about the importance of decisions and following God. Looking back 10 years from now will he wish he played sport on Sunday or followed God's commandments? I shared my experience of not playing b ball on the Sunday of a basketball tournament at OU, and ultimately we invited him to 1. Pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and 2. To know if he should attend church every Sunday. The next lesson we had, we followed up with him. He had a wonderful spiritual experience in answer to his prayer; he felt peace confirming the truth of the Book of Mormon and this led him to feel that he should attend church every Sunday. Amazing!  

Alec, Elder Burgess, Elder Kalabanko and President Stevens
Elder Kalabanko recovering from ACL surgery

Spiritual experiences

Elder Kalabanko (if you remember he was one of my companions in my first area; we were in a trio for 2 weeks) recently had an ACL surgery before he returns home from his mission. So he's recovering from his surgery in president's flat. He came with us to Zone Meeting yesterday and bore a departing testimony. I'm so grateful for his example. He bore a simple, humble testimony of how he knows how to pray and receive answers, study the scriptures, and of the value of our time on a mission and on earth in general.  

Alec and Elder Kalabanko

Transfers weekend

We're working on transfers with president this weekend! Good stuff. As per tradition, President made us a green smoothie this morning :) 

Thanks for your thoughts, letters, and prayers.  

Love,

Elder Withers