Letter #40 (August 24, 2009)

Because of a decrease in the number of missionaries in the mission, We are covering 2 wards. The 2 wards are Chapel Hill 2nd and Chapel Hill 1st. Amazing! I'm so excited to work with Chapel Hill 1st again after a 6-week vacation. I love the Chapel Hill 1st ward member. I hope they like me:) I also love already so many of the Chapel Hill 2nd ward members. I can't believe that I'm going to be serving in Chapel Hill for so long. I love it!

I have some unfinished business here. God wants me here to do a great and marvelous work. I don't need to baptize Chapel Hill, but I will lift those around me here in Chapel Hill. I will smile and they will smile. I'll bring them joy and they'll receive joy. I'll plant seeds of the gospel in their hearts, and when the time is right, they'll receive the gospel if they choose to. I'm going about doing much good here in North Carolina. How could I not be happy when I'm a part of something so great. This is a great and marvelous work.

Remember Iantha, the 81 year old. She went out of town for the summer before I left the Chapel Hill 1st ward. She's my favorite person I've taught here. She's so sharp and smart. She could never make that ultimate step towards baptism. She felt the timing wasn't right or that something was holding her back. Well last night (Sunday), Elder Birrell told me that he really feels like we should stop by Iantha right now. I agreed and we went to see her. She was home! She said that she had just arrived the night before after the whole summer away. She was shocked to see me because she thought that I would get transferred. I did! But just to the Chapel Hill 2nd ward. And now that I'm covering both areas, I get to teach her again. She said that she thought of me often and said to herself that when she gets back to Chapel Hill, she was going to ask someone where they sent me. I'm grateful that I'm going to teach her again. God is a God of miracles!

I love this work. Joseph Smith was a prophet! He was chosen by God to restore His gospel. This is the Lord's Church. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen