Hard Week

This is my cake a few days late!

Hey Momma!

I'm sorry my e-maiI's are kind of lacking in certain areas right now. I know how much you like to hear about the people I'm teaching and baptisms, and a little bit about their stories, but the truth is that I haven't written much about any of that stuff lately because nothing is happening. No matter how hard I work or how obedient I am, I haven't really seen any success or people progressing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ...I wish it were otherwise, and I wish I had cool stories to tell - but most of the day is spent sweating in the hot sun, knocking on doors, which get slammed in our faces a few seconds later. I had never had a door slammed in my face in the whole year I have been in the DR. That is the reason for not talking about people too recently. Alvin, the one I was talking about before, just kind of disappeared off the face of the earth, and we haven't been able to establish any kind of contact with him.
  
All of this stuff may seem kind of bad to you - but if anything, it has helped me a ton personally. When I am having a ton of success baptizing a person a week, I don't really have to concentrate on what I am doing wrong - because everything seems to be going great! Out here, I have had to question myself a million times wondering if I am the kind of missionary that I am supposed to be, and put myself through the refiner's fire to make sure that I am. I haven't seen much success lately, but I am comforted in knowing that I am doing all that I know how to do. I have learned to rely more on the Lord our here in Bávaro and serve with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. I don't need to see cool miracles or have 100 baptisms to feel good, because I know that you guys and my Savior are proud of me if I am giving all that I am.
  
When the president called me a few weeks ago, he told me to work just in the area right around the church - to support the decision of the stake president in putting the branch here. So, I haven't been able to get to know the members as well as I would have like to. We have one member in our neighborhood, and the next closest is about a 30 minute bus ride away...One of the members in the new branch presidency is doing really well, and has come to church both times that we have had it. The other two haven't really been coming, but all we really need is one, right? there is one cool family, headed by an RM, who has come to church two weeks in a row! He was a branch president in the Capitol, and then fell away our here. We will try our best to get him reactivated again because he knows a ton about the scriptures and stuff, which is something that we really need out here.
  
So I opened the 1 year mark package a day earlier than I was supposed to because I found an ant trail leading into it, so I cleaned it out and taped it back up and . . . waited! Everything seems to be find though - thank you for everything! I also just got a package from Emiy today filled with goodies and a yoga book - which I am way pumped for! Still waiting on the Chelsea package ...
  
Well, I need to e-mail the boys back and finish up, but I hope you all enjoy general conference this weekend!

Love, Elder McBride