29 May 2012

hey everyone! hope you had a wonderful memorial day! i sure did :) we went on a hike yesterday, probably 3 miles. but most of it was climbing around/over trees and rocks. it was awesome to get outside (not in a shirt and tie), in nature and sweat a little bit! felt so good!

and on saturday we had an awesome time! im not sure if i told yall about helen. she is from Queensland Australia and was visiting her friend here. she ended up being here for about 2 weeks and we pretty much met with her everyday she was here! last week when i emailed, i was pretty sure she was going to have to wait until she went back home to be baptized. that was what our mission president told us to do and that made the most sense, so that she could be baptized where she would actually be attending church and with the people there to fellowship her. but she really wanted to be baptized here. she had a lot of things she is dealing with at home. thats the reason she came on vacation, to get away from the home issue. well, she came here, found the church, and wanted to be baptized asap so that she could have those blessing with her when she returned home. we ended up bring president black with us for a lesson and he gave us special permission to do the baptism here! it was awesome! i was able to be the one in the water with her doing the baptism and that was an awesome experience! i didnt even mess up the words and she went all the way under the water! it was a really really great experience and i hope and pray she settles in quickly to her new branch!

on a sadder note. none of the people that promised me they would come to church actually came :( everyone here, who actually has a job (lots of people dont), works A LOT, and so they are either working during church, or sunday is their only day off and they want their rest.  i want to rest on Sunday too, but i still go to church! sheesh.

uuuuummmmmmm. i guess thats my life right now. transfers are in a month, im ready for a change i think. my little brother turned 18 this past week, thats crazy! i must be getting old. and i wish i got to call my family about every month instead of twice a year!

i hope you have a wonderful week! start your summer off with a bang! im gonna keep praying i have a car in my next area :)

love
elder donovan