email: August 7, 2012

Sorry this is coming in so late... Monday's are getting super crazy for us and our emailing has taken its toll... I haven't forgotten about y'all! Did y'all get the package I sent home? Also, pass the ties around to the young men in our branch. Those are for everyone and I want those boys to know that I am thinking about them! I saw the pictures from Corina of the MS 150 and it seriously almost brought me to tears! We have the best family ever. How is Dad doing after the ride? Has he recovered yet?

We actually taught a lot this week and hit our quota for OYM's (open your mouth, contacting). We are struggling though to find good, solid investigators to get into the waters of baptism... However, we are not giving up. We taught one lesson on Monday with Victor. He has a buddy that is interested in the Church and wants to learn more. But he isn't looking for a change or wants to convert so we are kind of at a stand still with him. We did though answer a bunch of anti questions that he had. We cleared them up and showed him that we really aren't as crazy or bad as people on the Internet make us look like.

We taught Robert's family on Tuesday which went really well. Robert, Carol (his wife), and his daughter Lauren sat in on the lesson and we had a really good discussion with them. Robert's grandson is the cutest thing ever! They call me Uncle Nini :). When I come home off my mission, he will be able to walk and to talk! It will be super cool to see. We tried to get through the Restoration lesson with them but we kept getting side tracked with other kind of topic related discussion.

Wednesday we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. I got to ride in a truck all day! It was such a good break from the norm but I felt SUPER fat all day because I wasn't out and about riding everywhere. We taught this really cool family in Yucaipa and had a really cool experience there. This is a family that the Zone Leaders have been teaching and working really hard with them. I didn't know them so I didn't exactly know what to say to help them to feel the Spirit testify of truth. However, I felt the Spirit flow in me and I started talking and really felt like I helped to contribute to the lesson. I know it was the Spirit because I cannot remember most of the things I said to the family. Elder Larson (my comp) and Elder Larsen taught three lessons that day AND got 41 OYM's! Overall, it was a really super day and we did a lot of work in our respective areas. The Larson's even taught a potential that might hopefully turn into an investigator.

Thursday was another 3 lesson day. In the morning, we weekly planned for the week. We didn't have very much to plan for but we made plans to help us further the work in our area. After lunch, we rode up to Cherry Valley which is ALL uphill. I am proud to say that it is getting easier to make that ride when before I could barely make it! We were going to our original appointment when I had a prompting to stop and visit a potential that the Spanish Elders found for us. We were having trouble get in contact with him so we decided to stop there since we were in the area already. He is an older man from Nigeria and he was originally open to the Church but then he became a Jehovah's Witness... We did though answer his questions and clear some things up for him. After that, we went and saw our investigator Ben, who we found tracting. We taught him a lesson and invited him to be baptized. He accepted and we are going to get him ready for that. The only problem is that we thing he is mentally slow... So we aren't quite sure how that is going to work. After that lesson, we went to Victor's house for a lesson. He is SUCH a stud, I love him to death. He has become my best friend here in Beaumont

On Friday, we had Zone meeting which took up most of the morning and part of the afternoon. We went out and tracted for a bit then we went and taught Victor again because everything fell through... Saturday was a day of service. All we did in the morning was help this lady with her yard. It was over run with weeds and I had a super bad allergy attack from it. After we gave service, we met up with a guy from the Beaumont Ward for lunch and he answered our doctrinal questions that we had. This man is so full of gospel knowledge that it is ridiculous. We then went and taught the M**** family again. They are such a fun family as well. All of my converts are doing do well in the gospel, I love it!

Sunday was so awesome. Victor blessed the Sacrament for the first time and we got to do it with him! That was the coolest thing ever to see him bless and then get up to bear his testimony about his conversion story. After that, we went and had dinner with a family that invited a bunch of non-member friends over for a board game night. We talked to them and had a good time. Elder Larson actually sat through a camp chair! The bottom broke out from underneath him and he fell pretty hard. It was super funny!

That was my week last week. I turn 6 months this month! Can you believe it?! It has been too fast already... Dad, I think I have hit a 1,000 miles on the saddle already. That is so many miles! Tell the kids that I love them and miss them dearly. Hope y'all have a wonderful week! I love you mom, so much. Have a good one!

Elder Tonini