November 26, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for the letters and notes I received this week. I needed them. This week was the hardest week of my mission.

My companion is no longer with me. Tuesday we got a phone call from President Craven. My companion was to go home. He was just having a hard time on the mission and wasn't really enjoying it. We went to the airport and I gave him a hug goodbye. President Craven came up to me and thanked me for helping him. I had worked him hard; he told president he had never been so tired or obedient. So, Tuesday I had no companion. I was in a state of awful confusion and worry, having the load of the whole area on my shoulders. I spent the day with the Zone Leaders and that was fun. Wednesday I got a new missionary companion from a neighboring area, Elder Scott. We were already good friends and so we are having a lot of fun together! It’s great; he has been helping me when I get to the breaking point.

The second part of my hard week is that one of our investigator we have been teaching for a while, is back in jail. It was a hard blow and he and his girlfriend are no longer progressing with our lessons so I had to make the decision to pull back. It is hard for some investigators to make eternal life changing decisions. Many times I have had to let Heavenly Father take over because it is just too much..... But, the Lord calls us in our weakness to help great things come to pass.

Vincent, who we have been working with for a long time, will be baptized on the 15th!!!!!! Vincent is 20 years old and he and I are best buds!!! Please keep him in your prayers. He has such a strong testimony and is doing everything in his power to keep God’s commandments.

The work is going well!!!! I am grateful for all the prayers and letters that got me through this week.

Thanksgiving was great!!! We didn't have much to do because everyone didn't want to be interrupted. So we went to our dinner and that was fun!!!  After dinner Elder Scott and I went back to the apartment feeling full of the Christmas Spirit.  We both love Christmas so we decorated the apartment.  I made the cutouts and Elder Scott made the paper chain (all 125 ft). Yeah, it’s long! Later that evening we went out and tried to work but Black Friday had started and the roads and stores were crazy. We walked into Wal-Mart not knowing what was going on. People looked like they were going to kill each other over vacuums and pillows!!!!!! We got out of there as fast as we could!!!! Since when does BLACK FRIDAY start on THURSDAY?!?!

Thanks for the warm wishes Gommstrumballs. I sure miss ya’ll! Love ya’ll!!!

Love,

Elder Gomm