Hey Family and friends!
Another tough week at the work of the Lord, and we finally have a spark of hope for this month of august. After many months of talking wih the father of a young woman, he has finally allowed her to be baptized this month! For about 6-7 months, the missionaries have been fighting to get her baptized, and we were finally able to do it! Her baptism is for the 22nd, so we hope all goes well, and they dont get stage fright at the end.
Other than her, there hasnt been much success. This week we had the chance to go to the temple and to a conference. The Temple was awesome and it gave me a lot of strength to keep pressing on in this work and area. We also have been praying for one of our Zone Leaders that has a hernia and could probably ending his mission early. The Zone has taken a hit from his absence and we all have been trying to stay positive for him. We also had problems with our room and have been asked to leave as well. So we are going to move in with the Zone Leaders.
Things have been quite the challenge for us, but we have been having a little success. We are becoming more dedicated to the rules and keeping every one of them and we have seen the results from that. We have found new investigators this week and they look to be promising. We can only hope that the work continues as it is and that we can find more people to teach.
One great thing has happened this week. About two weeks ago, we came across a woman named Edith. She was quite the case for us. As we started to teach her, she opened up her soul to us and told us about her life. She had once tried to commit suicide, she hates her husband, doesnt even want her children and tried to abandon them once, and she doesnt believe in God whatsoever. This last saturday, we went to visit her once again. In the previous visit we asked her to pray twice a day to know if God exists. As we visited her we asked her how her prayers were and she told us that she had prayed everyday, at least twice a day. We told her to keep doing that and then we started to teach about faith. At one point we asked her if she had any questions and she asked us two amazing questions. The first being that she believed that God had put us into her path and that he lead us to her. I told her that it was true, in our planning that we do every night, i had the impression to visit this area where she lived and to knock doors. We were personally lead by the Lord to her house and specifically to her. She then asked us why she felt so different around us and at church, she said that it was if she was walking on clouds. I explained to her that it was the spirit that we bring and how we are the only church that brings that spirit with us. I then told her that she could feel that way everyday if she would be baptized. She said that she would like that.
Through this experience i have come to realize two grand things. The first being that our Heavenly Father is always aware of our situations and is always ready to bless us. He desires to speak to us at night and we must be willing to do so, so that he can help us. I have also come to learn of the great calling that it is to be a missionary and to be a member of this church. We have something special that no one else has, but that everyone desires. The truth and the guidance of the Lord. I know that this church is true, and that all of our experiences are for a reason. She is the reason for why i am here, and now i dont have the desire to leave, but i hope to be able to stay until she becomes baptized.
I love my mission, all the great and hard times are well worth it.

Elder Washburn