The real question is...

Hello Again,

It really seems like it has been forever since I last wrote you a letter. A lot has happened this week to keep us fairly busy. We had some spiritual highlights and some other things that weren’t so high. Mom, when you asked the questions: "What was the highlight of your week and the surprise of the week?" and it couldn’t have fit any better for this week, we really had some good and some bad happen this week. It was good to hear that all doing well and that you are healthy, (well, except mom). It seems that the cold is going around. Elder Degering got it this week as well. It is really nice that some of the members here are doctors and totally love to hook up the missionaries….we are always taken care of…so, very nice.

"What was your most spiritual moment this week?"
Well, hands down would have to be getting to listen to Elder Kikuchi of the seventy. It was really a wonderful event. He talked about a number of different things. He spent the morning part of the conference talking about how we need to be more obedient so that we can better receive the blessings of heaven and he said something that really stuck in my head. He said “Your mission will reflect the rest of your life, if you give 80 percent out here, you will give 80 percent in the rest of your life.” That really hit me - that we need to being giving 100 percent...and that really does set the tone for the rest of my life and that I need to make sure that I am giving all I have all the time. I really have made sure this week to work as hard as I can and every night I seem to be more and more tired….but it isn’t going to get much easier from here….real life is plenty hard as well….we just have to buck up and do it. Then in the afternoon we talked a lot about teaching….the how to’s and stuff like that. It was really good and really needed. We have a lot of new missionaries in the mission and they need to know how to be effective teachers and so do us old guys too! We can always improve what we do each day. They changed our morning program around a little as well. One new thing they added is what they liked to call, "A Sacred Grove of Our Own" where we take time to pray and seek for answers in the morning and to have a really meaningful prayer….and just a chance to communicate to our Heavenly Father. Overall the day was really awesome….I loved the whole thing.

"What was the most surprising moment of the week?"
Well, by far had to be when we went to visit our investigator family this week. We went on the wife’s birthday and took her some brownies we baked for her and to see how they were doing. Well, she answered the door….looking less then happy. After talking for a minute we found out that her husband was in jail….which was weird because we had seen him just the night before and had had a great lesson with the family. Long story short: he got picked up the next morning and was in jail. He has a court date for today and hopefully he will be out and have no more problems. He was put it jail stemming from a May domestic violence charge….this was all before the missionaries started meeting with the family. He missed his court date….because they gave him the wrong one…and so they came and got him and has been in jail since last Wednesday. So to say the least that was the biggest surprise.

Then lets see what happened? I went on splits with our district leader's companion this week. That was pretty fun. We were in their area and I must say it is a lot more ghetto then our area is. Still, the work is the same everywhere. Then on Saturday we helped Brother Stringer get the house all fixed up and ready for their anniversary. It was their 30th yesterday…so we helped him fix things up and be an extra set of hands and stuff like that. He bought her a baby grand piano…and let me tell you she was totally surprised and it was quite the big deal. It really was fun to be kind of handymen for the day. I really liked it actually…I felt very productive….funny side note….Brother Stringers first name is Jeff, and their oldest son is Jeff Jr. so around here they are always saying “Oh, Jeff” or “Oh, Jeffery.” I must say it is really weird hearing my name all the time. Just thought it was a funny side note.

Well I hope that all of you have a great week and that Mom you can get healthy. This week really had been a great one for me….I have really had a chance to reflect on a lot of different things and can’t wait to get this week started and have things get going….although I love p-day….this week is going to be great. I hope you all have a great one and know I love you all so much.

Love,
Elder Geoff Taylor