FAMILY

Dear Family,

It was awesome talking to you all on Monday. You got me a little baggie, but just for a little while. I don't like this feeling that I have that I am running out of time. I want to do and complete everything the Lord wants me to do, and I feel like I don't have the time to do it. I wish I could extend my mission at least another year. I am so pumped up to be here in this zone here in San Pedro. This last Tuesday we had a Zone Conference and I gave a really powerful talk to all the elders. I could feel the spirit speaking through me. I was so full of energy that I just wanted to go out and work, work, work! I talked about our "mentality of thinking". Missionary Work has a lot to do with our way of thinking. A lot of missionaries don't have success in the mission because they have a negative way of thinking. Some missionaries are beat before they even get to the mission field, because they think where the Lord sent them, they cannot have success. Some missionaries get beat after the first several months of their mission, after not seeing very much success in their first areas. The natural man starts to beat them to the ground, and their negative mindset dominates them. They start to doubt. The Spirit cannot testify through someone if they are doubting! As members of the church I think that is one of the biggest problems in missionary work. We let our negative mindset dominate us. We make excuses for not sharing the Gospel such as, "Oh our neighbors are Catholic" or "He's a smoker or a drinker" or "This man or family would never accept the Gospel". One of the biggest keys to missionary work is rejecting every excuse. We have to train our minds not to doubt, so that the Spirit can work through us 100%. There are missionaries who won't contact a man because he is smoking or because he is around his buddies or because he doesn't look like someone who could progress. But if you think about it, the reason why is because we let our minds make us doubt. We let the natural man dominate the wrestling match. Our mind is one of the greatest gifts our Father in Heaven has given us. If we make the most of it, if we train it, we will be able to be truly guided by the Spirit in everything we do. We will be able to have success and complete whatever goal we have in this life. If you believe everything is possible. I was thinking the other day, there are so many great things I have learned on the mission. I know after the mission I will be a better person, brother, son, husband, athlete, worker etc. If you are really living your life right you can achieve anything you want. I love the mission. Every week feels like a day. I think there are too many P days in two years. It feels like every other day is P day. 

This last week was kind of hard. We talked to tons and tons and tons of people. Nobody let us in their house. But, I know that they will let us in the next time we come around. My area is so small. I know the Lord has families, families, and more families that are prepared to receive the Gospel. We just have to be diligent, obedient, work hard, and sacrifice our butts off. This last weekend we had two baptisms. It was kind of sad because one of the families we were going to baptize, only the wife got baptized because the husband was running from us the whole week. I don't know what his problem is. I think he is trapped in another sin. Awhile back, he had two women... his wife and another woman he would visit once in awhile that has one of his kids. On Wednesday, Eddy, a 20-year-old kid we were teaching and preparing to get baptized, left to live in Guatemala to live with family and find work. He said he is going to look up the Church down there. It was sad to see him leave after seeing how much he was progressing. Another lady we were teaching named Patty that was going to get baptized Saturday has some problems. Thursday, she broke down in tears and told us that she has been dating a man seriously that has a family with another woman, and that they are very near to committing adultery. We told her that Satan is trying to destroy that family, and make her life hard, because she is just going to get pregnant and be a single mom, and life will not be easy. We are going to try and help her repent and tell that man off, so she can get on with her life. Last night we found a really special family. They are called the Familia Ramos. They are a couple with 2 little kids. We have another appointment with them Wednesday. Well anyways, I have to get going. I would send photos, but I don't know why this computer doesn't download my photos. I did not know that you are moving houses. From what mom is saying it sounds like you are moving out of our house. Where are you going to go?  Sounds like a bad plan to me. Please tell me no. And about my tubs that mom was talking about, those are "do not touch". It sounds like everything is going great back home. Good luck Bugs in track. Hope you win State. I wish I was there to see you throw. That is awesome that Chris is helping teach a professional football player. Baptize the whole team Chris! Well, I have to get running. Thanks for everything! Keep up the great work...keep working hard in the work of the Lord. Love you all much. Love, Elder Lee