What Lack I Yet?

HELLO!!!

hey sorry i didn't get to write Monday it wasn't preparation day! We had it today for Temple preparation day! every other transfer we get the awesome opportunity to go to the temple. the transfers that we don't we have interviews with President Ware. but it was such an awesome thing to be back in the temple. President Ware wants us studying a talk called the concentrated missionary. its an awesome talk that teaches you how to be the greatest instrument in the lords hands as you can be. I have been reading this talk like every week. One thing it talks about is to ask God, what lack i yet? like the talk from general conference that i have been studying also, i decided for that to be my purpose for the temple today. i was praying to find something that i needed to be doing to be the best missionary i can. I received some awesome answers. Some of it was to set a vision of my area and of me for the future. As i was thinking about my area i wasn't able to think about too many things. One thing that came to mind was what we have been doing the last week and a half. Its knocking on every door in our area. we have had some good progress, lots of referrals for the English elders. We found some awesome people for us as well. Some thing that came to my mind for me was to be exactly obedient like it talks about in the consecrated missionary talk. It has been something that i have seen so many blessings through. The temple was just an awesome time today.

This week we have been meeting Y-- D-- L-- F--, the less active we have been working with. She and her family are doing great and now we are working on getting her daughter, K-- baptized. She is the one we fasted with a little bit ago. We also found her sister and family. They are awesome as well. The husband, L-- really wants to know. L-- the wife has an awesome testimony and has seen some amazing blessings. what has been working for us is to help them remember those good times and resolve their doubts and help them grow their faith. Sadly we had to give H-- and J-- to the ward missionaries. Its good they have a way to keep them involved but because they weren't progressing anymore, we had to do that. That was really hard because we have been working a lot with them and i love both of them. I don't know if i wrote about J-- last week, i cant remember when we found him. But he was awesome and wanted to learn more. He was saying that he feels like there is more to what faith he already has.  we kinda just said you are right! then taught about the Book of Mormon with more parts of the restoration. he said he was going to read and He accepted baptism as well!!  i am excited for him. We have seen so many blessings from our hard work.

One cool thing is we were tracting and there was a older guy raking his leaves. He is the first person that actually let us help and serve him!! we raked leaves for like 45 minutes. i felt bad because elder Laffiteau was actually working hard but i was more following him around talking to him. He was doing the rake work, i was doing the missionary work. that is how i justified it. it was awesome. to bad he was white! i didn't think i would ever need to say that but its true. now we don't get to work with him. But its awesome his 18 year old son is a recent convert and is planning on a mission. he has gone to church for a few years but still, its so awesome he has the faith to just go on a mission even though he doesn't know that much. it gives me a lot of hope for me being out here.

This week has been just awesome. i love being out here in the mission. everything about it is the best. i am learning so much. To answer your question yes he is an awesome mission president! i love him. He lives in draper, so pretty close. Also i probably will want my coat here soon. so that would be nice. maybe about a sweater also. It would also be nice for some days.

Thanks for all the love and support. Sorry mom to have to make you worry you didn't get a letter. but love you all!!

Love, Josh

Elder Laffiteau and Elder Mortensen at the Kennewick Washington Temple