Striving for perfection

Dear Mom and Dad,

Wow- another week has blown by and a lot of interesting things happened! Last P-day we had a missionary in our district pack up his bags while his companion was in the shower and take off. He is in the Mudgerabba Ward which borders our ward. So the news is that I cover that area now. Elder Richins is in my intake and I love the kid. He was training a missionary from Melbourne who was also in the running for the best dancer in Australia, specializing in ballet. So the last few days, Elder Tauiliili and I have had Elder Richins with us. He is such a good missionary and I have learned heaps from him already. But sadly this week he will be transferred up to Brisbane, Kangaroo Point Ward for 4 weeks until the end of transfers so that he can have a companion.

The work is going great. We have about 10 investigators in our teaching pool which has been a lot of work but so much fun. I have been getting used to teaching a lot again and it feels GOOD! I have really felt the spirit guide my efforts this week. I had a feeling to tract a street for a week now but didn't get around to it until Saturday. I was on trade-offs with our Zone Leader and we tracted into our progressing investigator, Shanti. We have taught her every Thursday night since we were in the area and she is ready to be baptized- just needs to get married or move out of the house of her partner. Her partner, Josh, is on a surf trip in Bali. He is a pure champion. Lessons with Shanti are a little different because she has been to church a lot and knows a lot of the lessons already. She expressed how she wants to know more about Joseph Smith and the Plan of Salvation so we watched the Restoration DVD and talked about what was restored. We briefly taught the Plan of Salvation and transferred perfectly into Eternal Marriage. It was very much guided by the spirit and it went very well. Our Ward Mission Leader is the fellowship and he is excellent. His name is Brother Hall. For work he owns a lot of tourist shops.

Brother Hall needed us to teach Gospel Principles yesterday and I am so glad we did. Teaching lessons in the chapel is so great. We taught a lesson from the manuel on Prophets. We talked about all the challenges the prophets have given about reading the Book of Mormon. OBVIOUSLY it is important. It fills us with faith which will cast out all fear. I was excited to share that whenever we are taking a step in life- going on a mission- new calling in ward- getting baptized- we will often think we are not ready= fear. We know who gives us fear and we know what will cast out all fear. I shared in the lesson how I was really nervous whether I knew enough to be a good missionary- if i was good enough. I shared what was said when Dad set me apart- he said that "although you don't feel perfect, none of us are." My testimony grew this week that none of us are perfect, but eventually we will be. We should not let imperfection give us fear.
This is the Lord's Kingdom. The Book of Mormon is not a lie. It fills us with faith. We have it because God Loves Us.

I love you mom and dad.
God Speed
-Elder Hales