Anxiously and happily engaged. . .

Instead of district meeting this last week, we got together as a zone and had a zone meeting on Wednesday. It was a really neat meeting. A little bit before the meeting started the zone leaders sat down with me and the two other district leaders in the zone and we coordinated with one another so that our zone and districts would be more unified in setting goals and effectively working in our areas. It was really cool to counsel just as missionary leaders and to take responsibility for and hold an accounting of what we're doing to help our little flocks of missionaries.

During the meeting we talked about things that will really strengthen our unity with our ward leaders as well. It's neat to see how when things work properly within the church it's like a well-oiled machine. It just works! To me, that also explains how the gospel should work in our lives - if we follow what the Lord gives to us to do, our lives will be filled with joy and happiness. Of course, we will have maintenance to do, but for the most part, we will be blessed with a wonderful life. The church helps us apply the gospel principles into our lives, but it only works if each of the gears (or members) allow it to. Are all of your gears (or daily activities) in your lives cooperating to help you think of and be more like the Savior?

After the meeting the senior couple in our district drove us down to Vernonia, where I met and interviewed one of their investigators for baptism. It's incredible to see the people who are truly prepared by the Lord to enter into the waters of baptism. The Spirit acts as a powerful force in which I am able to tap into a person's life and their desires after just one short meeting with them. I'm grateful I have that opportunity and I cherish the responsibility, hoping I will fulfill it well.

Friday, Elder Wohlleben stayed with another missionary to work in our area, while I joined the zone leaders and another district leader at a training meeting for zone and district leaders. It was a great eye opener on how we should be giving baptismal interviews, what we should be training on in district meetings for the next year, and what we can do to help the ward leaders implement what the local Seventy, Elder Hansen, is going around to introduce to them. Overall it was an enlightening experience, and I also got to meet and become friends with Elder Wohlleben's previous companion, Elder Nickerson. He's an awesome missionary. I've already seen the fruits of his labors in the area in which I'm serving.

Despite Sundays being a day of rest, as missionaries, we are still working full time in the service of others and the ward as we have about 9-10 hours of meetings each week. And I'm not complaining one bit. Maybe it's odd, but for the most part I enjoy being in meetings and discussing the productivity and goals in which we can do better. I love coming to church each week and learning how I can be better the next week. We had 9 new ward missionaries called in one of our wards (8 of them youth), which puts our ward missionary count in just one of the wards to be at about 20 total ward missionaries! That's astounding. We are looking forward to involving the youth who are preparing to serve missions into our teaching appointments this week. They are already a step ahead of us in terms of teaching abilities from what I've seen already, so technically they will be involving us in their teaching appointments. Haha.

Last P-day we had some fun playing Uno speed and phase 10 with the district. Yesterday we just got caught up on some letters and took it easy. I got a hair cut from the relief society president in one of the wards, too. I feel like I'm now unpacked, primed and ready to give it all I've got, so now it's just about maintaining a clean apartment, clean car, updated and accurate area book and my gears will be working very well. I love it that way!

I hope everyone's gears and sprockets are all being adjusted accordingly and that with the new year already taking off at extraordinary speeds, we are implementing our goals and plans to become a better, more Christ-centered people. Therein lies prosperity. I love you all. Make this a great week!