"If you want a letter you will have to send me a letter"

Well it’s already Monday Again. Time is funny. Well dad to answer your question, I don’t know why they let me go. Usually it goes to the senior elders and then down the line. I’m glad I went but not sure why. Probably so I could watch Elder Kulu haha. Yes mom my trainer is doing a good job. He always tells me when I mess up. He is really good about doing that. We also role play a lot and that really helps. It’s just nice to get some practice in teaching before I go do it. Definitely recommend perspective missionaries to role play. Meaning practice teaching certain lessons or just paragraph in preach my gospel. That’s basically all you teach anyways. Kearns is Kearns. They call it dirty Kearns for a reason. Small homes, small lots, haha they call it the ghetto part of Utah and ya there are a few gangs here that fight every once in a while I’m told. Mostly Mexican gangs. The sudanios and I can’t remember the other name. There symbols are all over. 4x and 3X. They mark their territory and their houses which I thought would be stupid.

And do we memorize stuff? Kinda. We have certain things that we need to say by memorization like some scriptures are powerful when memorized. The Joseph smith story should basically be memorized and the vision needs to be memorized. Our purpose is memorized and we are to think about it a lot during the day. But other than that we should just know the doctrine so we can say it in our own words to help their needs. The teaching is starting to pick up the first week we only had like 4 lessons. Now we are up to about 12. But compared to other places that’s low. Our goal is 20 a week. And we have been working hard to try and reach that.

We had one day when it was cold and rainy. I wore the trench coat and I was fine. I’m buying an umbrella today and a hat today that way I don’t really need the trench coat. I get too warm with my suit coat on and we have to wear those now. Mission rule. I bought sweats also for exercising and I think I’ll be fine. I will have enough layers. I might get under armor pants to keep my legs warm under my suit pants but I’m not too worried yet.

Well your trip sounds like fun. Wish I could go back to Canada. I found some relatives here. This lady is named Wilma Kraft and she had a family history book. I was looking for some names and I found that one of her relatives married a Salmon. (She’s from Cardston area) I don’t remember the names though. But I did find Barry Paxman and Darrel Paxman named in the book and it said they moved to Issaquah and stuff. So that was cool. 

So this past week was good. We are really starting to hit the ward members. The leaders need to be doing more. Its kinda weird but as a missionary at 19 I am giving advice to bishops, stake presidents, high priest group leaders ect. And kinda chastising them. I use the scriptures and do it in the most loving and kinda way possible. But some of the scriptures are very direct. We use Moroni 6:9, D&C 38:40-41, 1timothy 4:12, and I haven’t used it yet but if members really don’t want to do anything ill use 2 Nephi 28:24-25. We got a list of everyone in the stake and going to different leaders finding out which ones are active and less active and then asking them to start extending invitations and say that the stake president told us to do this so they understand that they NEED to. Then  we follow up and make sure they did. One family is doing it and we have FHE with them and another family next Monday. 

Floyd is still smoking. He says he know the church is true. He just needs to kick it. We don’t know how to get him to be motivated enough to do it. Vincent and victor are two brothers we picked up. They are on date for November 9th. And the teachings are good. They don’t know any religion so they are accepting everything. It’s great. Except Vincent stole money from his mom and bought weed and smoked it and got caught. And his mom turned him in. so he’s on probation and we don’t know if we can baptize him. haha I just thought it was funny his mom called police on him and is pressing charges. But his mom really loves him and just wants him to stop. she is less active herself and we are trying to get her active.

Oh jade got Baptized!!!! that was Sooooo good. loved it. we had a bunch of missionaries come because they all taught her. I’m just thankful I got to see her get baptized. it was a very sweet moment. Floyd was there to watch and he really liked  the whole experience. I want more of those so we got to work hard to do it. 

Oh one day Elder Kulu and I were having problems. We talked about it that night and kinda resolved it. we went to bed and I had a feeling I should thank him for not punching me. A weird thought but I couldn’t shake it. so I did and we talking for almost 2 hours. he basically gave me his whole life story and it was a tough one. He basically was starving his whole life. he would get 6 crackers for lunch and his brothers often stole his food. and beat him up for it. I can see the scars that it left on him. that’s why he’s angry and fights. cause his brothers were so mean to him growing up. and even now for lunch he only eats 6 crackers with butter on them. Fasting is also no problem for him. I just don’t want him to go back home and back into the same life he had before his mission.

So fast Sunday yesterday is really hard when it’s hot out and you walk everywhere and sweat all the time. we are constantly going back and forth to the two buildings that we cover and the 5 wards. we get about all the class in little segments. we will get the sacrament here and bare our testimony in another place, go to class with an investigator in this ward and Sundays are always busy. so by the end of the day we are so tired and beat. dinner was soooooooooo good that night! 

Well that’s life here in Kearns. I’ve finished my 4th week here in the field. transfers are on Halloween. but I doubt I’ll leave. Kulu will probably finish training me and then we will get maybe one more transfer together then I’ll take over this area as senior comp or trainer!!! kinda nervous. with the change in year for missionaries all of us who just came in will probably train super young. and I’m nervous for that. 

Well thanks for all your prayers, love, and support. Its great hearing from everyone who emails and writes me. If you want a letter you will have to send me a letter. Mondays are also pretty busy but I’ll make time to write some people each week. 

With Love Elder Salmon