July 15th...

Howdy Fam and Friends!

it has been such a solid week. sure lovin' this mish of mine. i've neglected to mention it before but thanks to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Monte for sending me stamps! :) also, that packet that came with it is awesome and enlightening. thank you! on to the questions y'all!

WHO DID YOU ENJOY TEACHING THIS WEEK?

The Ward Family. they are very devout christian people. i think i've mentioned them before but i don't remember. we have taught them a few times and they kinda think they are teaching us.. hahah. they have been throwing a lot of anti material at us and we just bear testimony through it. anyway, last lesson we had with them, Elder shaw felt impressed to leave a copy of preach my gospel with them. they are very smart people, Brother Ward is actually a pastor for a christian church in town.. so they know their stuff. anyway, after we left the pmg with them we got a text from Claire-Marie (she's 21 and in college, just home for the summer) saying that she and her younger sister would like to buy a copy of the book of mormon from us. hahaha! i told her i was feeling generous so i would actually give each of them a brand new copy. ;) we are going to see them tonight and give them their boms! :) we've got high hopes for them. 

WHAT SCRIPTURE(S) JUMPED OUT AT YOU? WHY?
I've been studying in the new testament and finding all the verses talking about the gospel as we know it.. Faith, repentence, baptism, the holy ghost, endure to the end. i came across a scripture in matthew that i love! chapter 23 verse 12. jus check it out and you'll know why!

WHEN CAN YOU GO TO THE TEMPLE NEXT?

as soon as i serve in reno or sparks again! they are the only ones that get to go to the temple every quarter. i miss it so much! i can only hope i even get to go once on my mission. 

WHO SENT YOU LETTERS/packages THIS WEEK?

Steph P sent me a letter and grandma sue and grandpa monte and my grandparents sykes! thanks as always! :) 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY FOR P-DAY?

there's a navy base in fallon that most of the district is going to with some crazy investigator but i'm not going! i'm going to play ball. :) 

ARE THE YOUTH IN YOUR WARD/STAKE INVOLVED IN MISSIONARY WORK? some are and most aren't! the ones that are involved are powerful forces for good! youth age people are so impressionable and if they see that someone they care about cherishes the gospel they will want to learn about it! my first baptism on my mission was a youth aged kid and his friends did more of the teaching than the missionaries!

WHAT HAS SPIRIT TESTIFIED TO YOU THIS WEEK?

welp, that the book of mormon is true! i find myself praying to confirm the truth quite often. not something i'm even ashamed of. Elder Holland said in a talk at a mission presidents conference that salvation is not a cheap experience so faithfulness in the church is not easy, being baptized isn't easy, studying isn't always easy, prayer isn't always easy. i continually pray to strengthen my testimony and after hearing some of the anti material i had to search out the answers! all of which i found answers too. the church is true! my testimony was strengthened by studying in the new testament recently.. the spirit continually bore witness that the bible once contained the fullness of the gospel as does the book of mormon in these the latter days! 

WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK?

Definitely having claire-marie ask me for a book of mormon. she has been so against reading it from the beginning of the time that we started talking with her. I'm grateful elder Shaw followed the prompting the spirit gave him to leave PMG at their house. they looked it over and i'm sure they want to reference the verses they found in there.. also in PMG chapter 3 section one it talks about praying to find the truth for yourself. We are hoping and praying that they read that and the spirit is working on them! :) they are such a rad family.. i'll keep you updated on what goes on!

okay so another great week has come and gone. just pluggin right along in this great work! it's crazy the dynamic of time.. days go by slow but weeks just melt by. at the end of next transfer, that begins next week, i'll be 1/4 of the way through with my mission. that's bizzare! life is good out here. thanks for the continued support and love. :) hope you all have a super swell week! talk to you soon.

-Elder Sykes (stooooz)