Your Prayers Actually Worked!!

Dear family,

You would not believe it!!!!!! Your prayers actually worked!!!!!! Hahaha I totally forgot that I asked you guys to pray that me and Elder Hammar would find a few more people to teach... Well IT HAPPENED!!!!!!! We found 6 new investigators this week!!! The past average has probably been 1.5 and those 1.5 have not been that solid anyway, but yesterday we found two ladies who both have lost loved ones recently. They invited us in and we shared the Plan of Salvation with them. WHOOHOO!!!!!!!! They were in tears half of the lesson and we got invited back for another lesson tonight. Also, Dad was right. One of the members of our ward is from Kenya and she brought her friend to church who is divorced and going through a hard time and is looking for truth. She is super out going and even though we already had 8 people in the Gospel Principles class we basically focused it all on her, which she was perfectly fine with. So thank you family…your prayers and many of mine were answered.

Siiiiiggggggggggghhhhhhh.... Sooo I have some news to break. Last Monday I was pretty dang conflicted after I learned that Collin would be leaving January 7th. I kinda started making a list of what I would be missing out on if I didn't make it home in December. 

1. Collin
2. Christmas
3. School
4. Ava's baptism  then a few other things...
I was so conflicted that I asked President Rudd if I could talk to him when we had our mission temple trip which I will let you know more about later. Anyways, I will admit I told him how I felt and that it would be nice to see if going home in December would be an option, and I asked for his opinion on everything. He didn't really give me an opinion.. :I but he told me he would see what he could do. I prayed and asked a lot to know what I should do before and after but it wasn't that clear. It honestly was making me angry that it was weighing so heavily on my mind. Then eventually on Sunday during Priesthood we had a lesson on submitting to the will of Heaven. I honestly couldn't focus on the lesson, and I will admit that I probably didn't hear a single thing that was being said. Then out of nowhere someone said something that reminded me of a scripture I had read earlier that morning. In 2 Nephi 9:39 it talks about being spiritually minded leads to life eternal. Then the Spirit slapped me in the face and said something along the lines of “Elder Ward you need to be a little bit more spiritually minded”. So I quickly texted the mission president and said something along the lines of... "forget everything I talked to you about leaving early. I can't escape the feeling that even though I would miss out on a lot back home, I would miss out on a whole lot more if I finished my mission six weeks early."  President Rudd approved and told me the Lord's choice is always the right choice. So sorry Bro!! Know that I still love you heaps! :)

In other news though remember how I said I got to talk to President??? Well on Monday when we figured out we were going to the temple in Hamilton, we asked president Rudd if we could come and stay at his house the night before ( because we were coming up anyway but would have had to stay in a small missionary flat with no available beds...) So we stayed the night at President’s house. I got to sleep in a room by myself on a well furnished queen-sized mattress. I was so comfortable I didn't sleep well, and even though my companion was in the room across with a bathroom adjoining with the doors open…I felt lonely...haha. I am going to have some serious anxiety when I come home. :) We woke up the next morning and ran around the temple grounds bare foot and in our jammies for our 30 minutes of exercise. THAT WAS FUNNY... Then Sister Rudd made us one of the best breakfast meals I have ever eaten on my mission.

The temple was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait to go as a family (minus Collin) haha…jokes. I’m definitely looking forward to all of us. We will just have to wait until 2016. I had a great experience at the temple and it is still my favorite place to be in the whole world! How’s the Gilbert temple doing??? Any word on completion dates???

Sorry Dad, I don’t remember all your questions and I don’t have heaps of time buts let’s just say that the changes I have made over the past however long I have been serving, I would not trade for anything in the whole world. Even something as simple as 42 days (six weeks) I would sacrifice a lot for because I know that those 42 days will be more beneficial for my life than anything else has to offer.

Anywho… keep being awesome family! Mom, I am sorry if I made you use a couple of extra tissues, but with all these changes I am starting to consider a whole lot more having you guys pick me up. Elder Lamb (former companion) is getting picked up by his parents in a week... So we will see how I feel when it gets closer.

Oh and WAY TO GO COLLIN!!!! Keep it UP!!!...before you become an awkward mess like me!

Love,

Elder Ward #3
Technically if you include Dad
Elder Ward #2 if this is just between the boys