Hello to all!
Well, my old companion left last week home. I got a new companion, his name is Elder Andreasen. He is 6 weeks younger that me, and so we became one of, if not the youngest Zone Leader companionship in the mission. We immediately are clicking well and getting along great. We have been working hard and well together, and I am really excited for this opportunity to be companions! Also, Elder Wheatley, my mission "child", is in our zone! I was so excited when we got the call from the Assistants for changes, and they said his name. We played soccer today with him, it was great to catch up on everything.
We are obviously both new in the area, and are doing purely finding. Our area is super "chuchi" (fancy/rich/luxurious), so it has been hard trying to get into houses and be able to teach, but we are staying positive. We have been searching a lot, and have found some potential new people to teach, but all in all our pool of investigators is unfortunately low. We are working to turn that around, and find those many people who the Lord has prepared for us to teach!
Last Monday (it seems like all the great things happen on Monday directly after I write you guys), I got a phone call from a convert from my first area. He calls to tell me that he GOT HIS MISSION CALL! I just about died on the phone. I only knew that he was preparing, but had no idea he had turned in his papers yet! Well, he called to say he was about to open in that night, so he called again later to announce where he is going. We were all so excited. I am so proud of him and all the big steps he has made. He is such a great example to me, pure faith. No one in his family is a member (yet), he is living with his best friends family (his friend is on a mission now), and is just a stud. Since I am in his area again, we got to see each other and talk today in person. It was great to see him and talk. He is going to be a great missionary. I felt so honored to be able to have found him and taught him. He was so prepared by the Lord. I know that there are people like him not only in the current area, but all over the world. He is awesome.
Our other investigators are having a tough time going to church, so we are working on that. With all the heart breaks we continue having within our own area, due to multitudes of members moving, investigators not progressing, baptisms not coming, I have been thinking a lot about faith. It is so easy to get down as a missionary. When everything falls, it takes all of my being to not just get down. I decided to read Ether 12 this morning, which has always been a favorite chapter. I love how it shares example after example of Book of Mormon prophets who were able to perform miracles because of their great faith. Faith is such a deep, profound doctrine that gets overlooked so easily. It has become one of my favorite topics of teaching and of studying. Faith is great.
Yesterday was Stake Conference. Elder Foster (70), Elder Di Giovanni (Area 70), and President Madariaga were all there. What stood out most was that Elder Foster was talking about families and the influence of parents. When he was a Stake President, he was interviewing a young man for his mission. The young man new all the answers perfectly, a little "too" perfectly. So he re asked him the questions, and once again, knew everything. He asked the young man one more time about all the interview questions, and once again responded flawlessly. He asked the young man, "How did you learn all of this, who taught you?" He simply responded, "my dad". The Spirit hit me like a brick. I am so thankful for my dad and his great example. I am thankful to have grew up in a house where the Priesthood was found. I am thankful for the deep friendship we have. I am who I am today, simply because my dad taught me everything. I love you dad.
Until next week! Keep us in your prayers.
Elder Babcock
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