Be Obedient, Work Hard, Love Everyone! It's That Simple.

Dear mom,

To answer your questions:

 Write some inspiring words for Sean- you can email them or mail them to me and I will put them on a 3 x 5 card.  

• It's only as tough as you make it. 
• Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance.
• The worst it's ever been is wonderful.
• "I will give place no more for the enemy of my soul." - Nephi, 2 Ne 4:28
• Work hard, be obedient, and love the people.
• "Remember, it's better to look up." - President Monson
• "Great men set goals and read them every day." - Lisa Holm
• Everything we do is centered on the first principles of the gospel: Faith unto Repentance. Teach the Atonement. 
• "The flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing... Not my will, but as thou wilt... It is finished, thy will is done." - Our Master. Don't you dare come home without being able to say to the Master, "It is finished, thy will is done." Don't you quit. Don't you ever, ever selfishly quit. This isn't about you, it isn't about me, it's about our Savior and the people he has trusted us to minister to. Do not waste a minute of this precious time. 
• I love tough things, I am first to do tough things, I do tough things first. I'm a finisher.

Did you get your package yet?

• Nope. I'll probably get it at transfers.

Is there a transfer in your future?

• Yep. I'm getting transferred out of here. I'll be a district leader somewhere in a "struggling district" is what President told me. I'm not super excited to go. I love Florence and I love Elder Memmott, Sister Garlick (who is also being transferred to whitewash train) and Sister Robertson (who already knows her next companion- a struggling sister who needs some help). But it kind of is a compliment to see how President loves our district enough to give us all tough assignments (Except for Elder Memmott, he'll just stay Zone Leader. But that is tough in itself. Ha-ha. Never been so stressed.). Anyways. That's what the future has to hold for us.  

Are you ripping through any more shirts?

• Not yet. Thankfully.

At the Big Lift Fireside- was that a fireside for missionaries and investigators?  Were all the missionaries attending at least one fireside?  Was it in a chapel?  How long did it last?

• It is primarily for new and returning members and investigators. Missionaries are only allowed to go if they have a less-active, recent convert, or investigator attend. They are held in chapels around the mission. Last time 8, this upcoming one 6. They last an hour, with an hour before and an hour after to have the chance to meet President and Sister Holm and local leaders. I'll attach the flyer.

Anyways.

This week was pretty good. We had 3 baptisms in Florence, the M. girls. They are a PM family, the mom is a member. The dad still isn't biting yet, but he's coming along. The Sisters worked with them this transfer, and they just got bapitzed. Pretty sweet! Those sisters do great work. I'll miss being in this district. But the Lord knows better, and not my will, but His be done. 

Anyways. Other than that, we wound down the transfer with 7 baptisms in the zone, putting us at 11 this month, and a goal of 18. It's looking pretty good. Bummer is I won't get to see or partake of the fruits of success if they hit it. But that's not what matters. What matters is that there are 7 more souls Father in Heaven is holding us accountable for this month. And things are looking pretty good to exceed that goal. I love being a missionary! 

I will miss Florence, but the Lord is sending me somewhere to lift. He sent me here to Florence, which in history is the lowest baptizing zone where you just kind of send the disobedient missionaries to float and drift to the end of their missions, and now it's the highest baptizing zone per missionary in the mission. He sent me to Gilbert with Elder Stanley and we baptized more in 6 months than that area had done in 2 years. He sent me to Aiken before that and the same thing. By the way, tangent real quick- Elder Kerr told me he just asked someone serving there about our convert D.. He said, "How is D. doing?" The missionaries said, "D? I don't know a D, sorry.. She must not be coming anymore." Elder Kerr was sad, and surprised, so he said, "D. V.? She's really not there?" and they responded, "Oh, Sister V.! Yeah she's great! I didn't know she was a recent convert! She's Relief Society Secretary right now." That's awesome news to hear about one of your converts- a lasting conversion. Back to my point. And Anderson, historically a "dead area" but we tore it up. I'm starting to realize something. I'm what President Holm would call a "lifter." I say this in all humility, only to prove a point of doctrine. President Holm and the Lord send me places to fix 'em. Huh. And you know what the trick is? Just be obedient, work hard, and love the people. That's all it takes. And that goes for life, too. Be obedient to the commandments, work your heart out in His service (and in everything you endeavor to do), and love everyone, including yourself! Do that, and things work out. Imagine that? It's that simple.

This place has been like the refiner's fire for me. I truly understand the Atonement now. I know what it means to be "covered by the blood of the Lamb," which so many protestants like to justify themselves with. They don't know. I don't condemn them for not knowing, but no man can be saved in ignorance. That's why I walk miles and miles every day, getting blisters on my feet and my knuckle from knocking so many doors, ruin shirt after shirt and pants after pants with sweat, blood, and tears in the pouring rain for 16 hours a day. There is nothing more important than sharing the gospel with all who will listen. In fact, it is a commandment. I will be obedient to the Father unto the end. I will never stop doing His will. There is nothing more important. Share the gospel. Do it for Him. If nothing else, do it for Him. Do it because He asked us to. And do it because it's the only intelligent thing to do. We will be held accountable for everything we do, and for the things we should have done that we didn't do. I can't imagine the fear and pain that must wrack and harrow up a soul of someone who has to stand before Him in that great day and say, "Sorry, Father, but I was too lazy, or too scared, or too selfish to have shared the gospel. Sorry you lost one of your children because of me. And because of that, sorry you lost me, too." 

Ok, enough ranting. But I only rant because I know how important this is! Ok, but enough of that. 

I love you all so much! I pray for you every day. I know you pray for me, too. I have received strength well beyond my own. I know our Father lives, and loves us, too. I bear you that testimony humbly in the name of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Seaver