Catching up on Thomas news

I know last time I wrote I had some hard days, but last week was definitely the hardest week I had ever had.

Our lesson total was 2 for the whole week. All 5 of our previous investigators dropped us, including those with baptismal dates. That hurt a lot. And for a long time it was looking like we were going nowhere. Then on Monday we were blessed by one of the most powerfully faithful young men I had ever met. His name is Dimitri, and he is now an investigator with us. We gave him the first lesson, and he ate it up. The questions he asked I had never heard an investigator ask before: How do you become a member of this church? How could he become a missionary? He showed such sincere interest. I have great hopes for him.

Don't worry if I occasionally sound unhappy in my emails. It's not so much unhappiness as it is a lack of understanding. I'm not miserable so much as stressed, and all in all unlearned in the ways of our Father. In the last couple of weeks I failed to comprehend the Lord's hand in this work. As long as we do the Lord's will he never forgets us (as I was guilty of having thought) he only refines us. If we were continuing to teach these people, who were clearly not taking the gospel seriously, we might have overlooked or ignored those who were actually ready. I've been looking at those photo's from the baptism.

Tell Alec that if he doesn't get his hair cut soon the labourers will be using him to sweep the floors. Yeah, I know, hypocrite. If you look at my hair lately, look long enough and I think you'll see my skull. And when did Peet get so big? He's almost as tall as Mum. Thankfully Max, Louisa and Jesse still LOOK pretty much the same way I left them. Keep it up.

Well, this may be my last week in Daugavpils. Transfer calls are happening this Sunday, so next week I could be writing you from another city (first time in half a year, how about that?). I keep having these weird dreams about going to Narva (all-Russian city in Estonia). If I end up going there, I'm gonna be a little weirded out. There are baptisms happening in this mission, quite a few have happened in Daugavpils. I've just been stressing out because I haven't been bringing as many to baptism as I had wanted to, or a frequently.

As for the car, I don't really know. I'll make that decision later.

The cameras here have ranged depending on the quality. For a canon-brand (which I think would be ideal, since I still have the battery charger for it) the cost is between 130 and 180 lats I think that translates into 260-360 American dollars. Couldn't tell you what it is in Australian. I would advise not buying one there, though at least until the end of the week, and we know whether I am staying in Latvia or not.

Yeah, I think I still want to teach English and Media. I really feel like I want to do something that will change peoples lives. One of the reasons I'm on a mission actually. And one of the reasons I got stressed out. Well, that's all from me this week. I'll let you know how things work out. I love you all.


This week there was one girl baptised that I had been teaching in English for several months. Her name is Vika. My companion baptised her and my district leader and I were witnesses. It was wonderful to be a part of that experience.

She was a little apprehensive about going into the water (she said it was cold-it wasn't). But she felt great afterwards and sent us the following text message (in her hilarious broken English): "Dear Bear and dear Fama (Elder Berryhill and Elder Fulcher) ;) Inexpressible I'm happy that baptize me. Thanks you:-] Brilliant feeling... Thanks you for everything :-]"

She's a very good "churchy" girl now. I just thought that text was worth sharing.