MY FAMILY THAT OF WHOM I LOVE SO MUCH!!

There is always a plethora of things to talk about.  It is incredible how much can happen in just a week's time.  As you are all aware...Transfers are here!  It's always an exciting time of anxiety for no one can know what will happen.

Here is the breaking news for transfers!

1) Elder T is flying home tomorrow!  I am SO happy for him...But SO sad for me.  He has become one of my greatest and bestest friends and I am going to miss him.

2) I AM STAYING IN THE ALIANTE/WATERFALL AREA! :)

3) I do not yet know who my new companion is.  All I know is that he will be coming to me straight from the MTC!  AHHHH!!  Yes, President B called me this last Thursday and asked me to be a trainer.  I haven't even been in Vegas for 3 full months and I am training just after being trained.  At a meeting on Friday, President B said that I am the first and only in the mission to train just after being trained.  Scary!  Hopefully I will be a good trainer.  I know that probably everything about me training has to do with the fact that I had an incredible trainer.  But yeah...Wow, that was unexpected.

This has been such an exciting week.  I will hold off on the Food Report and Small World Stories to give you an accounting of my week.  My last e-mail came on Tuesday, so you already know what happened on Monday and Tuesday.  I will start with...

Wednesday: We went back to S's in the morning to finish teaching her Lesson 1.  She is INCREDIBLE.  I love her so much.  The lesson went extremely well, and just before we ended the lesson, I extended the invitation to her to be baptized.  She smiled, looked at me in the eyes, and said, "YES!"  Ahhh!!  I am so excited for her.  She couldn't come to church yesterday, but she should be able to come this Sunday.  We are working towards her baptism date of November 19th (Just after Mom's birthday).  We also taught R and showed him the "Finding Faith In Christ" DVD.  It was a very spiritual lesson, and tears started strolling down my face as I testified of Jesus Christ as our Savior.  I can feel my testimony grow stronger every day.

Thursday: I took my "Driving Test" and passed!  Haha.  Good thing.  On my way back from the Mission Office is when I received the call to train.  In the evening, Elder T went to his last temple trip and I went on splits with Elder C (who is our new District Leader) and Elder W.

Friday: Friday morning was the Train the Trainers Meeting.  This is where we got our booklets and materials on how to train the new missionaries.  President B and the APs asked me all these questions about my MTC experience since I was so new.  Elder T had his Exit Interview.

Saturday: We spent most of the day visiting members that Elder T wanted to say "Good Bye" to and get pictures with.  The N Family (who I LOVE) fed us Breakfast.  We played a dancing game with them.  It was so fun.  Their youngest daugher, A, is like 8 years old and she came out in this Winnie The Pooh costume and started dancing.  It was the FUNNIEST thing ever!  We had dinner with the E Family (who I LOVE).  Sister E is an incredible cook, and I really get along with her 17 year old daugher that goes to LVA.  We have a great time.  So much fun!

Sunday:  Yesterday we taught Gospel Principles in the Waterfall Ward.  We talked about Obedience.  I shared an experience that I had with Dad a couple years ago.  I remember Dad writing on a piece of paper the following words: Good, Happy, Successful.  He asked me, "Sean, what of these things do you think I want you to be?"  I said, "Happy."  Dad said, "No.  I want you to be good."  He said that being "Good" (implying that being obedient and keeping the commandments) would prove to be a recipe for happiness and success in all that I do.  And I testify to you that is true.

Food Report! (You already got Monday's in the last e-mail)

Tuesday: Lunch - Salmon Salad, Dinner - Pizza

Wednesday: Mozzerella Filled Meatballs

Thursday: Pulled Pork Tortillas

Friday: Lunch - Avacado Grilled Onion and Pepper Chicken Sandwhich, Dinner - Sweet Pulled Pork Burrito

Saturday: Breakfast - French Toast, Eggs, Bacon, and Sausage, Lunch - Pizza, Dinner - Balsamic Blackened Chicken Alfredo Linguine

Sunday: Creamy Spinach Tortillini with Sweet Potatoes

Small World:

-At the E's (We baptized M. E. recently) house on Saturday, they invited some other members to eat with us, the O’s.  Sister O and I were talking about how her daughter goes to Somerset (a charter school).  Her daughter turned to me and said, "Yeah, we have some other members that go there.  Do you know T?"  OF COURSE I KNOW T!  Then I said, "Christy C. goes there, too."  Sister E chimed in and said, "NO WAY!  YOU KNOW THE C’S!?"  I explained that I was related, etc. etc. and it turns out that Sister E sold them some of their Golden Retreiver Puppies like 30-something years ago.  And, Sister E taught Caleb in school, and I even saw their Christmas card from last year hanging up on the wall.  SMALL WORLD!

Spiritual Thought: 2 Nephi 4 is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon.  In this chapter, we see that Nephi is just like the rest of us.  He says, "...my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities," and that his "temptations...do...easily beset [him]," (2 Nephi 4:17-18).  Yet, we know that Nephi was an incredible man that walked in the ways of the Lord, was obedient, and followed everything that he was commanded to do.  How can we be like Nephi?  A few verses later we read the things that he reminds himself of that keep him going.  He says, "God hath been my support," "He hath filled me with his love," "He hath confounded mine enemies," "...he hath heard my cry," and "...he hath given me knowledge," (2 Nephi 4: 20-23).  Nephi says, "...I know in whom I have trusted," (2 Nephi 4:19).  I promise that if we remind ourselves of the blessings that come from following the Lord and knowing in who we trust, we will be happy, continually blessed, and we will stay on the strait and narrow path that leads back to our Father in Heaven.

Well...I will end my e-mail here.  Thank you all so much for all your love, support, letters, and encouragement.  Tell friends and family the same.  Tell friends and family that I love them.  And guess what...I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Sean Edwards