Jail time...

What’s up family?  Well this week has been a fun one. With the transfer I’m now with Elder S*. He is really cool. He is from Arizona and is awesome. He has like 3 more transfers left and we are working really hard and he is really good at Spanish. I feel like I will progress way faster now then before just because I can pick up more of the things that he says. We are working really hard and yes J* has a new date. It’s for the 13^th of October. We will pray very hard for the things that need to happen to make that possible.

We had a really cool thing happen this week. We went to the county jail and were visiting a members brother when he told us about another person who wanted to see us so we called him out and talked with him as well as our members brother. Then the next time they both came up and talked with us (like a week later). They told us about another guy that wants to talk with us. So we called him out and talked with him for a little while. Then at church we got a call from the jail that there is another person who wants to talk with us. Yeah for finding in jail!! It’s been really funny. Grandma and Granddad must be doing kinda the same thing. It’s kinda fun to teach people who have nothing better to do then read the things we tell them. Too bad they are in jail and we have to talk to them through the little phone and the window. So much fun!! It’s like a prison movie. Yep, we are just that cool.

I translated at church again this week and it was really fun. I think I’m starting to do a little better at what I’m telling people. It’s always intense when the President tells stories from his past and I have to try and translate the stories to his wife. (She could call me out if I start to make stuff up.) I always hope that the people I talk to through the headset can feel the Spirit of the speaker. It’s hard for me to decide if I want to talk as the person or as a person who is explaining it. It’s always good though and it will keep coming with practice.

So this week we got to go to dinner with some really cool families. One of them is an investigator family and the man made us ribs and man they were so good. It was really nice and we had a good lesson with some of the girls there. People keep thinking that I’m like 21 or 22 and it shocks them when I’m 19 but it’s not even a big gap. It’s kinda funny though.

We keep trying to tell people why it is that we are out here and I always find it easier to explain if I’m holding the Book of Mormon. That is why we are here to explain to people that there is more, that God loves all his children and that He has given us something that will make everything more clear. I love the scriptures. They answer my questions. They help me see what I need to do to receive the promised blessings of the Lord as well and they are always there for me. I realize now that I always had my scriptures when I was home and I really didn’t do my part. I didn’t read like I should have. I didn’t do the things that would really help me and the people that its hurt is my investigators and me. Now is a time in my life where I always want to read more and I feel like I never have time. I hope all of you are taking the time to try and read every day, even just a little will make such a big difference in your day. I know that as we try, as we show the Lord that we are willing to listen to the things that he has asked us to do, he will bless us. Alma 32 is a great chapter about this. As we work to know if it’s true, God will tell us. I challenge all of you to read that chapter in the next week. Let the seed grow! Take care of it and you will be able to feel the blessings that come, the blessing that is so sweet and so delicious that Lehi wished his whole family would partake. Read and you will know for yourself that this is true. This church is true. I know it and that’s why I’m here.

I love you all and hope all is well.

Love,

Elder Birks