Logan!!!

Hey,

Yeah, hills are intense. But I have noticed that it gets easier and easier for me to go up them. Especially whin I try to sprint up them as fast as I can (trying to stay in good shape)! It's always fun to stop and talk to people on the middle of a hill climb - super out of breath and trying to talk normal. It's hard stuff, but my legs are huge! So it's all good.

Time is flyin by for me, in 9 weeks I will have been out 6 months. That is a whole quarter of my mission! Geez! Still only have that 1 baptism (Susanne). We had our quarterly interview with Pres. thi week. He told me that he will let me go through the temple with Susanne next May!!! I'm really excited for that.

Logan, man that was awesome. We had dinner at his house friday night! Is was just SO wierd because we are really good friends but I'm a missionary. I got a few pictures from it. I'll send the memory card home at some point...I want to develop the pictures first for my album. There are a ton of wierd, wild animals in Fairfield too. Up by where Logan lives there are a bunch of wild peacocks! Isn't that nuts? They have the wierdest calls too. Then down in the town there are a bunch of wild turkeys. I got a picture of a pack of em. I bet Max would love to chase them around. He would probably like to herd them.

I hope you have a great week. Enjoy it. AND GO TO THE TEMPLE! We get to go to the temple on Wednesday so I'm pumped! I LOVE the temple.

The past few weeks I've been in Gospel Doctrine because we haven't had any investigators at church., except 1 who went with the youth (he is 16) so I'm up to date with what's happening. I love the parable about the prodigal son. The thing that I loved most about it wa that the father ran out to see his son BEFORE his son even said anything to him. It shows unconditional love. Not only should we be like that within our families but that is how the Savior is with us. He is just waiting for us to walk up to him and he will embrace us with open arms if we go back to him with humility. I love that story.

So the work here in Fairfield. I'm gonna be honest, this week I have been very discouraged. It's hard, as you know, to be out as long as I have and not been able to SEE any success. Yeah, Susanne was baptized, but I wasn't there for it - I just prepared her. Here in Fairfield, this is a really tough place. The missionaries that were here before Elder Carter and I didn't keep good records and whatnot so it's been a really hard transfer and it's catching up to me. As for our investigators, we've picked up 10 so far this transfer which is a lot! But we can't ever get a hold of them.

I hope you have a great week! I look forward to hearing from you, as always.

Love, Elder Edwards

First Week in Fairfield

Dear Fam,

It was so good to hear from you (first P-Day after our big tornadoes in St. Louis)!!! Man, I wish I could have seen Max (cowering under the desk during storms)! Over here, it has been nothing but clear skies, sun and about 80 degrees! Sounds nice, huh? Not when you're on a bike all day riding up huge hills...but it is very very windy here too so that cools you off a bit.

So when I heard that I got transferred I was pretty discouraged because I was going to miss my FIRST baptism with Susanne. I'm still counting her as mine...She is so awesome! But Fairfield is great. The people here are so nice, unlike Napa. Right now we are teaching 2 kids, one is about 20 and the other is like 18. Other than those two, the previous 2 missionaries didn't leave us much to work with. This first week we have only taught 9 lessons, 3 of which came from just teaching people on the street. We might potentially have a family to teach! We will see tonight.

Yes, I have met Logan's family already. We stopped by there my 2nd day here. It's so wierd that I'm in his home ward. I feel like he should be here. One of Logan's best friends I already know too because he came to visit Logan at school for a weekend and he stayed in our dorm. Logan comes home for a weekend on the 12th, so I'm very excited about that!

Let me tell you something, I have NEVER worked so hard in my life than I have this past week. Coming in to a new area that has next to nothing going in it, with a companion also not knowing anyone...it is extremely hard. I have never been so emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausted in my life. No one said missionary work was easy. But just so you know, I'm working very hard and I'm putting my trust in the Lord. He'll help us out here, I know that.

Love,

Elder Edwards