May 23 rd Email

Hey Everyone!

The Lord's hand has really been in our work! Bill had to push back his date because he still struggles with smoking. He tried stopping but due to the 50+ years of smoking his body didn't handle it well. He has a doctor's appointment this Thursday and he is going to get something to help him with the cravings. He is still attending addiction recovery class every week and we see him every day and he says that it helps him stay motivated. He says "I just want to be in the darn church!" He is a great guy! Our Ward Mission Leader and his daughter who just recently returned home from the Oklahoma City Mission taught Larry because we had to be in Bradenton for Stake Correlation set a date for this Saturday! He has a little trouble with coffee but he said yesterday he was going to stop. This will be the first baptism in this area in 2011! The ward is excited and really wants to help us bring people to the fold. Sarah is doing great! She came to church yesterday and liked it then came to a Ward Fireside that night! She'll be joining the church soon. So I talked to Elder Cook last night on the phone last night and I'm not sure if y'all remember but we taught these hardcore Catholics after church back in Tampa and it was a 3 hour discussion about some deep doctrine. Well Anthony, one of the ones we taught, was confirmed a member of the Church yesterday up in Tennessee!! He gets the Priesthood next week!! I love this work! Well we went fishing this morning at our Bishop's house and I threw out a casting net and pulled up at Bat Ray!! (I've attached the pics to the email). We caught a lot of Catfish as well. I have learned a lot about setting a pattern here that will bring me peace, happiness and productivity in my education, in my family, in my future career and in my service to my fellow man. I have been taught many times that, “A young man or young woman will seldom, if ever, rise in their lives above the PATTERN they establish for themselves in the mission field.” It reminds me of a quote from Elder Bednar, who reminds us of our capacity as ordinary people. “We should find great comfort in the fact that ordinary people who faithfully, diligently and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results.”

I Love You All So Much,

Elder Salmon