This week I worked really hard.  I talked to more people this week than I think I've talked to in my whole mission. Almost everybody that God put in my path was a hearer of the good word of God.  But the majority of the people didn't want anything to do with it.  So I guess that only leaves us with one choice.  Change that "almost everybody" to "every single person"  Honestly talking with so many people made me really really really tired every single day.  You get really tired looking for people to teach and the mental force required to talk to them and to try to help them feel the spirit.  But it is a great feeling to get home at night and to know that I did better today than yesterday.  It's a lot of work.

We, on Friday, had a mission wide conference call with all of the zone leaders. We talked about some of the goals of the mission and how we are going to do it.  Really the goal right now is baptize 125 people in February.  To do it we have the goal of talking to everybody, being obedient to all of the rules, and having the faith necessary to harvest.  I am working on all of those.  I'm not too bad in any of them, but there is a lot of room to improve. ALWAYS!  

 You'd think that you can just change in one day.  And sometimes you do.  But what I've learned with myself, as a leader, and more than anything with the investigators that I teach is that change takes time, and a lot of it.  We have to constantly be improving in everything that we do so that we can be more like God.  I've had to learn a lot of patience.

The bad news this week is that the Elder that had a appendix, but now he doesn't, has decided to go home. Even with all of our efforts he is just determined to go home, and we can't do anything now but wait for him to be physically recovered enough.  Today they tell us when he goes.  I feel really bad for him and hope that he can get everything worked out fast.

We also had a very sad Wednesday this week.  First we heard that President Monson had passed away.  It was a very sad bit of news.  I think we all saw it coming, but he was a great man and a mighty prophet.  I know he is still working hard in the other side of the veil.  He was undoubtedly one of the Lord's elect servants in these latter days.  He left a great legacy of service for all of us to follow.  May we always follow his example and believe his testimony in the days to come.

We also received news that day that one of the recent converts in the ward had passed away.  He has also been sick since his baptism 4 months ago, and hasn't been able to go to church for that.  It was a great to know that he has been baptized and had taken the name of Christ upon him.  I think that he went to the Spirit world with good company, and maybe he and President Monson were able to exchange a few words as they entered into their rest in paradise.

It is a great comfort for all of us to have the great plan of Salvation.  We no longer have the doubt of where we go after we part this mortal life.  We know where we go, and we know how to get the best reward when we get there.  God loves us so much and his marvelous plan has everything we need to be able to receive eternal happiness in the family.  I know that families can be forever and we will have one of those eternal families.  I love you each so much and hope that you can have a very happy year.  I pray for you, and hope you continue to pray for me.  Never forget who you are.  you are each Children of God and have HIS potential for good inside of you.

I love you

Elder Brady Allred