Week 29- Gilbert

 Hello Mother! and family! again! ummm i'm not sure if anyone used to call me partner. maybe dad? i don't know. yes i am happy! not super healthy though. i've been a little under the weather. it takes a long time to recover from an illness on your mission because you are always doing something! never resting. So i've been sick for about a week. yes i always go into gospel principles class. never go to gospel doctrine. but gospel principles is way better anyway. no way emily is going on a mission! that is awesome! tell her hi for me too. I saw her at byu i think a few times. She will do awesome. Marcus is still growing? he better not pass me up! how tall is he? yeah keep encouraging him to play basketball, that way i challenge him when i get home. that's cool that the sister missionaries taught your class this week. how'd they do? were they/are they get teachers? yes everyone in Gilbert knows everyone in Gilbert. it's really weird.
 
has anything happened with my converts and the temple? not sealed of course. They have to wait a year. But yes Martin Rocabado and his daughter Ashley, and Brent Gray, and Alle Welker all did baptisms for the dead last week. We don't get to go to those though. We only get to go to an endowment or sealing. And We went through the gilbert temple open house with alle welker and her nonmember parents. they loved it and were asking us questions the whole time. We also went through the open house with the slaughter family. The Slaughter family was also baptized on Saturday! it was an awesome program. The spirit of course was very strong and many tears were shed. Mostly by the bishopric. Bishop Turley is a stud. In order to have success in a ward, you have to have a dedicated Bishop. All work in the ward goes through him. The night of the baptism, they invited us over for some tacos. we shared a message with them about the gift of the holy ghost and then alexia (who is 10) said she wanted to share with us her journal entry (from her newly received journal from her baptism). So she read aloud the three page synopsis of her baptism and the months leading up to the event. I've never heard so much faith from anyone let alone a ten year old girl. i wished i could've recorded everything she said. I recall a few things like, "I know God loves me, and that I am a child of God" "I know all of this is true" "when i went to church, it was the first time I felt the Holy Ghost" It was beautiful! The spirit was there. and I was even tearing up! She then told us that she wanted to share it in sacrament meeting. So we quickly got a hold of bishop and made it happen. she brought the whole congregation to tears. That whole family is incredible! Dakota (14) is the smartest person you've ever met. he picks apar the scriptures like it's nothing. Bug (17) is way funny, yet quiet too, and loves his family. Chantell (mother) is full of faith and is so sensitive to the spirit. Blake (father) loves his family. They all love each other so much and the Gospel will bring them even closer together.  I've been so humbled to be able to witness the conversion of this family. The Lord loves the Slaughter Family. And the Rocabado family (other recent converts). and the welker family (other recent converts). and the gray family (other recent converts).
 
Anyway... the mission is the best. except for coughing all over the computer screen. that isn't the best. oh! i wrote in my journal for the first time sincenovember 3! i'm really bad at that. So i guess these emails will have to suffice.
 
advice of the day: obey the spirit
 
Love, Elder Bronson

slaughter family at the temple friday and baptism on saturday.