Dear Family,
I am glad to hear you had a fun New year with the family. Our New Years was great as well. We went to Liverpool and attended a baptism. We also played basketball and watched the first Narnia is was a great day. It is as big here as it is in the US. Happy Birthday to you Dad! I sent a letter to you as well as in response to Lindsey's so you should be recieving it within a weeks time. It was a normal prostleiting day yesterday so we still worked, but the library was closed because it was a Bank Holiday. I will be making goals for this year. President has each missionary doing it and reporting them to him in our interviews in a couple of weeks.
I am excited to hear about your study as a family that you will be doing. Share insights, thoughts, and feelings that you get from it. I know that it will help you develop a greater love for the scriptures.
Elder Ericksen and I have witnessed miracles here in Southport. Sunday we were out doing finding most of the day. That night, we had about an hour left. We did not have any appointments to account for but we spoke with many wonderful people. I thought about what Elder Jolliffe said to me before on a similar kind of day, "Don't be surprised if all the miracles come at the end." In the last 15 minutes or so before we had to go in, we spoke to a young man and he wanted to know more about how God is there. We shared how he could know through reading and prayer and were able to set up an appointment.
Then continuing up that street, a man on a bike stopped before we reached him and told us that he wanted to improve his life. We shared more with him and were able to set up another appointment. It truly is after the trial of our faith that miracles do happen. I had seen similar things happen before on my mission and it didn't surprise me that it happened again.
I thought about how I could better apply the Spirit in my work this week. My question was answered more simply than I expected. I read in Preach My Gospel on pg. 121 where President Benson mentions that when we work we will get the Spirit. I reflected on that and thought that it all starts with work. People will not know the truth of our message unless we work. Once we have worked, we will be able to teach and testify by the Spirit (D&C 42:14, 50:13-22).
Presdient Bullock sent me this email a couple days ago:
Elder Starr, Happy New Year! I continue to hear good things about you. Now that you are in your third transfer, you are no longer considered a new missionary. While there is still much more for you to learn, you have been out long enough that the Lord can use your talents in many ways and even expects more from you. Do all that you can to support Elder Erickson and help more with the workload.
We are glad to have you in the mission. You are doing well and I am pleased with your progress.
I hope that I can live up to my potential here as a missionary. We are going on exchanges with the Zone Leaders today. I have served with Zone Leaders three times prior but this one is a little different. Usually, you only exchange for a 24 hour period. This is a 48 hour one. I think there are a few reasons for this but I am looking forward to learning more from Elder Darrow here in Southport. I will report on it next week.
The answers to all your questions about Elder Eriksen are yes. We are still getting to know each other and how we work but I feel that we have a lot of potential as a companionship. I do know an Elder Okeson. He is serving in Preston right now teaching all of the Chinese students that go to university there.
The Lord is always with me in this work. Someitmes it is hard to keep that in mind at all times but He really is. I love you all and always look forward to the wonderful letters and mail that you send. Thanks for your prayers for me, my companionship, and the work we do here. Continue to do so. Continue to study your scriptures daily and to always pray often. I love you always!
Love,
Cameron
