E-mail Week 15 7/26/2010

Elder Kreyling and Elder Badal: Transfers Wednesday make this there last few days together. Elder Badal has been great and we appreciate all he has done to "train" Barry and get him off to a good start on his mission.

Hello Familia!!!!!!!!!!

It sounds like things are going well back home. Hmmm, Elder Badal only has one brother so if I told you he was entering the MTC that was a mistake. Oooops. I've been trying lately to write more in my journal. But, after a full day of working, usually almost non-stop, it's pretty much the last thing I want to do haha. But, I am trying. I did get the package, letters, and memory card. Thank you!!! The chigger bites and dermatits are both almost cleared up. Transfers are on Wednesday this week. We got a call on Saturday and I am... staying in Loudon. We will find out on Wednesday where Elder Badal is being transferred to.
I can't remember if I told you but we tracted into the Hermans. They are a family of like ten. Seriously. Two best friends married two brothers and they have siblings and kids living with them. Anyways, we talked with them about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. They seemed pretty interested and invited us back. We went back with two copies of the Book of Mormon. We finished teaching them the Restoration and left the Books of Mormon with chapters to read. We went back this last Thursday and as we pulled around the corner they went inside their home. We knocked on the door and one of the husbands came out and told us we caught them at a bad time. He was giving us excuse after excuse. So, we left and are going back to see what is up.

So, Janet's mother, Melissa, and her brother, Norman, were baptized by Sisters living from a different area even though they all live in our area. We call this poaching. Melissa had been seeing the Sisters for six months. The Sisters should have turned it over to the Elders who were in Loudon at that time but for some reason it didn't happen. Anyways, Melissa and her kids were fellowshipped in Rockwood. She wanted to be baptized but she also wanted to attend the Rockwood Branch. She was told she needed to attend the Loudon Branch. She was very upset at that idea and delayed her and her son's date. She eventually agreed to go half and half with Rockwood and Loudon and she and Norman were baptized by the sisters. It seems like she doesn't really like us or the Loudon Branch at times. At other times she does seem to like us. It's kinda crazy and frustrating. Once we actually knew about this family the sisters referred us to Janet so we could start teaching her. She didn't really seem interested in being baptized. We taught her the word of wisdom and extended an invitation to be baptized this last Saturday. This happened a couple weeks ago BTW. Anyways, Melissa was pretty upset that we threw a date out there. She said it was Janet's decision. We tried explaining to her why we give investigators dates to work toward but she was set in what she said. Anyways, they went up to Rockwood for church yesterday. We called the Sisters because they have an investigator who can't read and we have a member who has The Book of Mormon on cassette tapes. Our member never uses it though so she said we could give it to them. So, we called the sisters and told them we had those tapes for them. They then told us that Janet said she wanted to work towards being baptized on the 21st of August!!! They said she is going to tell us at church so we need to act surprised. So, please continue to pray for Janet. The main obstacle for her is her sweet tea. If we can get her mother to help her she will do it.

I feel impressed to end with my testimony. I KNOW this church is true. It is Christ's true church restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith sealed his testimony of it with his death. I know that this missionary work is what the Lord has asked me to do. I know that these things are true. I leave this simple testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,

Elder Kreyling