3.4.2012

Good afternoon!

I'm glad that it's almost Spring. It'll be nice to get to the point where we don't have to wear our heavy coats every day. The weather in Syracuse just keeps switching back and forth. One day, it'll be 45, then the next it's 20 and snowing. It's a miracle I haven't been sick! Hopefully it stays that way. 

 

We desperately need more people to teach. We're not really sure what happened, but we had 6 of our investigators drop us last week, and numbers were already low.. We're down to 4 investigators, and we don't even get to meet with those 4 consistently every week. We went from always having too much work to do and not enough time to do it, to having nothing to do and a lot of time. But, it's alright. We're going to get a lot of time to go and find new people who want to learn about the Gospel. Things will work out great in the long run!

I'll tell you about 2 of the people we're teaching. They are two really cute kids who are related to one of the baptisms early in February. They LOVE church and want to get baptized. They understand the stuff we teach them very well and understand a lot of things that really have surprised me. They are SO cute and fun when we get to teach them. We're trying to teach their Mom as well so that we can have the entire family involved, so hopefully that will happen sometime soon.
 

We were taken to a Chinese Buffet last weekend by some new members and we all ate weird things like Frog Legs!... It was really great.  Also, the young woman we taught who was recently baptized is also doing really good! She's starting to make some good friends in the Ward and things are working out great.
 

Being a Zone Leader is really great. I'm not sure how long I'll be here as a Zone Leader (President Wirthlin keeps talking about how he wants me to go and train a new missionary), but it really is good. Our Zone is pretty obedient, preparing trainings is fun, and it's really great to get to know all of the missionaries. Plus, I really enjoy being around President Wirthlin, so that helps out. I definitely have learned a lot about patience, but most of it really applies with being patient with myself. It's pretty different to have so many different eyes on me this early in the mission. A lot of people look up to Zone Leaders as example and for guidance, and sometimes I don't feel qualified to be in this position. But, the Lord qualifies who he calls, so I guess it all works out.
 

We get asked to dinner often. With 3 sets of missionaries in one Ward, it's a little different than Owego, but we're taken care of. We cover Syracuse by area, so we all cover both the Ward and the Branch, just depending on what side of town people live. The Members are great! One family that is really great is the Sampson family, as well as Brother Johnson, the Elders Quorum President. Those are just two of them, but there are a ton of great members here.

Speaking of family History, what is Grandma Rogers maiden name? I still can't see where that side of the family comes from. I know Dad's side is mostly from England and Ireland, but I don't know anything besides that.
 

New York is definitely an adventure. The entire mission is actually.. It's filled with ups and downs, but it's really helping me build my faith in the fact that things just have a way of working out. We're put in difficult or awkward situations at times, but if we just have faith in The Lord, ask him for guidance, then follow it exactly, we'll be right where we need to be.... eventually. Like one of the old Assistants use to say- "There's no growth in the comfort zone, and there's no comfort in the growth zone." I'm definitely learning that lesson... a lot. But it's great! My mission is changing who I am, and who I will be throughout eternity.

Love you all!
 

-Elder Hussey