Elder Justin Thiel

 This is the Ramsey family ( Patrick was the one baptized) he was baptized last Saturday

Sunday, June 29th 
This week we helped our star investigator quite smoking using the 15 step program and he is getting baptized this Saturday!!!  His wife is a member that was baptized in the Philippines, but then went less active.  They have the cutest little 5 year old daughter that is also Filipino.  They came to church this last Sunday and they already look just like the perfect little Mormon family.  They treat us like celebrities at their house.  They always give me some crackers and a glass of orange juice when we come to there house.  In the Philippines apparently they really honor the missionaries for their sacrifice so we get a taste of that at their home.  I love them to death!       

It was super hot here this past week.  It got up to 101 one day and with all the humidity, it just felt like riding a bike in an oven.  We had someone in an ice cream truck call us over to them and when we got to the car, the woman handed us each a water bottle and she said she felt bad for us being out in the heat.  Most the people out here are really kind. 

We found some new investigators this week as well.  It was an over all good week.  I am really glad that I have had the opportunity to be out here and feel the spirit as I have.  I have been so blessed to learn everything that I have and now I know the importance of daily scripture study.  I hope that you are having that as a family everyday.  Not just reading the scriptures together but really studying together as a family with a purpose, looking for the understanding of a principle such as faith or something like that.  It is crazy how the small things make such a difference.  There is a talk by Hartmon Rector Jr. about receiving revelation.  If we want the Lord to speak to us then it has to be on his terms.  We have to keep even the smallest of the commandments.  It can be the difference the influence of the spirit can make in your lives.  I have been studying about meaningful prayer in Preach My Gospel.  I would invite you to as a family to read it together.  It is in chapter 4, then look at the activity on the other page that has a scale to judge how meaningful your prayers are.  Look at it and check yourselves. Then use those tools to make prayer a better experience.  Then see the difference it makes in the spirit that is present during prayer.

I will try to get an appointment with the eye doctor as soon as possible.  I'm glad that you had an good time at girls camp last week.  I miss going to scout camps and things like that.  I hope that you can have a good time with Jacob even though the other kids are busy.  That will probably be hard on him.

I hope that you all have a good week!  I'm sorry that his email is so short.. but I'm out of time for right now.

Love,
Elder Thiel

This is the Cottman family that we baptized on may 31