New Companion, Elder Terry

Hello everybody. This is Elder Record, and we were very busy, we helped a lot of people, and it was very fun. One thing that was really cool was Sacrament meeting. Everybody was bearing their testimonies. I really felt the Spirit, and I just wanted to jump up... I just felt energized. Everybody's testimonies just strengthened my desire to act and to do things. I think that is what the gospel does to us; it motivates us to act. Faith is a principle of action.

I was studying the word reverence. Reverence is an attitude we need to have in order to more readily receive revelation from Heavenly Father. In church they started talking about the word revere. Just thinking about that definition is more towards love and respect. It comes from a Latin root that means to stand in awe of or to fear.

Oh my goodness, I get so spastic on P-days. I just let out all my extra energy from the week, and all my mental excess energy and the stress and what not. Which is really good, I mean I think I've found out how to utilize exercise as a tool to relieve stress. However, while it's happening, I have like no focus (haha). I sort of do, but like mental focus... nah, it's not there. I have to get to basketball and play.

I hope I never leave Anchorage, because I really love it here. But of course, I will go where ever the Lord wants me to go. I found out that next transfer I will still be a zone leader in South Anchorage Zone. I will be with Elder Terry. I'm really excited because I love Elder Terry, because he is a great missionary – not that all my other companions have not been great missionaries. I really admire him because he, from what I've seen of him, he really has his purpose in focus. He is quick to stand for what he believes in. I really admire a lot of things about Elder Terry, and he's a hard worker, and I'm excited to be with him. He will be a new zone leader. I have served around him quite a bit in different areas in my mission. He was trained by one of the current assistants to the president, Elder Durffey; who just got done being with the missionary I trained in the Kodiak, Elder Conlin.

Another highlight that was pretty neat, the ward council is really starting to work in the way that it's been designed to. There is a lot of cool things happening that will be really cool. Our ward mission leader, ward missionaries and us are really forming into a close group. We are functioning in a very organized way that is starting to really develop. It's neat, because with that happening, a lot more missionary work will be happening. They are more familiar with the area, and they know the people. So with the Lord hastening His work, it will be done a lot easier through the members of the ward and of the church everywhere. I feel like I'm really learning how a ward council should council, and how it should run and be organized. The same thing happens with other callings in the church. It's really exciting, and I love learning about it ...but I have to wait until after my mission to really read through the handbook because it's not my main focus right now. I need to focus on Preach My Gospel and the scriptures so I can help the people and teach them the gospel and focus on the things they need.

It has been fun and I have really enjoyed the past two transfers here in Sand Lake. We have done a lot of good work. It is neat to see how well a lot of other missionaries are doing. The zone seems to be doing really well. It is fun to learn as much as I am learning, especially the different aspects. The way the mission works is you get a wide variety of experiences, or at least the way it should (haha). It will be exciting when I get back to see the different skills I've learned and to apply them and see the difference.

I will talk to you all next week. I love you all. Have fun! Be happy! Go look at the temple for me, because I want to see it being built, but I don't have time to look at any pictures or anything (haha).

Love, Elder Record