There are a lot of missionaries here....

 Hola,

First of all, we're heading into the last week of this transfer which means by next P-day I will know transfer details. I will most likely stay with Elder Wheeler in the Cheyenne Ward. However, I've seen some crazy wack stuff go down. Anything could happen, but also most likely I'll just be here for another transfer which means I'll have been here for 4 transfers. I mean don't get me wrong I love this place, but 6 months in the same ward gets a little old. My mission president says the spirit of speculation is bad but I mean it can be kinda fun sometimes haha just kidding. Sort of...

Anyways this transfer really has been awesome. I've loved the Elders I've lived with, Elder Boyce and Stutz. They're hilarious and super hardworking so it provided a good example for Elder Wheeler. Elder Wheeler and I are very different people but I feel we get along well. I've noticed I've become a more patient person since my time on the mission. It's cliché to say but I've grown a lot. I really wished I could've had a baptism this transfer but Elder Wheeler and I grinded so I feel satisfied. We did everything we could. The zone has been really good too, and I love my district and my zone leaders. They're hilarious. Just a decent transfer. For a time this transfer, Elder Phalyn was in a trio with Elder Stutz and Boyce so that was cool. 5 man apartment was fun. But then he got booted out so now there is just 4. 

Elders Stutz, Boyce and Phalyn

So these past few transfers we have gotten so many new missionaries. Seriously for the past 3 transfers and now this next one we have gotten over 30 new missionaries all in the west side of Las Vegas. Now there's like 250 something. I don't know but it's wild. So since more than half the mission is under 6 months they've done a reset button on the whole mission and now we're going back to basics. This next zone and district council they've asked certain individuals to give really basic trainings on certain things (like a mini zone conference) and what's cool is they've asked me to talk about something. Elder Jessop called me and told me to talk about how I work the ward council best. I've seen a lot of success with the ward councils and I've been picked to do that training. I've been in a slump lately and hearing that made me feel a lot better about myself so that was neat. 

Speaking of wack things in the mission. Our mission president was doing some studying and found out that social media work really isn't doing anything. We've only had 4 baptisms through social media and like a bunch more labeled 'other'. President just assumed that this other meant Facebook and that the huge number in the other finding baptism category is for social media. Yeah so he came out and was like Okay everyone stop using Facebook, we need to re-adjust. So then we decide to do a social media fast as a mission and not use social at all for October. So that way people can focus more time on useful stuff. Apparently social media has been a huge waste of time and my whole life has been a lie. haha. I was trying to convince Elder Wheeler that Facebook work was useful and then president came out and shot it down. So now we are resetting as a mission and trying to fix our time priorities. So yeah I haven't touched social media in a hot minute and I wonder if we'll use it as heavily after October. 

So this past week was probably the best stake conference that I have ever been to. Wow this conference was amazing and I'm so upset that no one I'm teaching showed up (except my returning member homie Berkman). Yeah but it was such a powerful stake conference and the spirit was so strong. I was feeling kind of down lately and just sitting there in church and seeing such a powerful Sunday was so cool. Some recent converts gave talks and then our mission president and his wife spoke. Then straight up the stake president spoke. The spirit was thick. I didn't realize my mission president was here until I accidently bumped into him in the hallway. I was all surprised and flustered and everything and then he was like "what's up Elder Pack." Their talks were so good. I wish every stake conference was as powerful as this one. 

I'm still going to the Las Vegas Temple this Wednesday which is exciting. Our mission president selected some of us to go with him so that's super cool. I feel like so many people have been to the temple except for me. I've been kinda upset about it but hey now it's all good. Sometimes I get impatient with silly things like that but now things are happening so that's what I like to see. 

Okay so here is a wack miracle that happened. So after Elder Wheeler and I's companion study we walked around for a little bit in the park to go talk to people. As we're walking around I notice this guy really far away sitting on a bench. I said out loud, "we need to talk to that guy." And instantly we book it to this guys and slide in. We're like, "hey you got a minute?" And he's like uhh sure. So we end up teaching him and talking with him and all that jazz. He basically believes there is no purpose in life, there is no God, there is afterlife, and we can't find real happiness. So we have this AMAZING discussion with him and he's actually changing. He wants to learn more and we schedule a time to come back and teach him. We offer him a free copy of the book only Mormon and says he already has one. So were like uhhh okay whatever and we didn't end up giving him one. So before we leave, he says, "are you guys always in the park? I see people like you a lot here..." we laughed and all that stuff. But the story doesn't end there.

So this guy, Sal, is his name, is super awesome and we end up telling some other elders about him in the park. Apparently, they talked to him too and taught him a completely different lesson then what we taught him! They tried to give him a book of Mormon but he said some other missionaries gave him one the night before. So were like what the heck?!? So then we talked with the sister missionaries in our ward a couple hours later and they said they taught Sal too in the park right after us. He came up to them and asked how to pray! They taught him another different lesson as well. So now we've learned that 3 different sets of missionaries have taught Sal and apparently a fourth set taught him and gave him a Book of Mormon as well all in the span of at least 24 hours. By now this guy is getting a little weirded out. So then later that night, Elder Black and Hammond call us and tell us they ran into Sal at the park. Apparently they were the ones that gave him the Book of Mormon and happened to run into him a second time after the sisters taught him. At first, Sal was not really interested but now he is so intrigued in learning more. 

All the pass along cards Sal got

The Elders and Sal

What's wild is that Sal was not at all impressed by the first missionaries, but decided to read the Book of Mormon anyways. HE READ THE WHOLE BOOK IN ONE NIGHT! He couldn't set it down and ended up staying in the park til morning when we found him. Sal made it all the way to the book of Ether in one night. So then the missionaries that first found him met up with him again and then referred him to us and now we get to teach him. It's pretty awesome!

Pretty bomb week with some pretty bomb experiences. Writing out a miracle like that doesn't do it justice but really it was so cool. I love my mission and I love serving here. It is so fun and Las Vegas really is an awesome place. I love you all and hope you have an awesome week.

Sincerely, 

Elder Pack