March 7th Email !!!!!!!

Hey Everyone,

We started out the week with getting a phone call from President Summerhays early Tuesday morning telling us that the sister's in our zone called him and told him that something didn't feel right in their apartment and would like us to come and bless their home. So we were able to go over and I was able to give my first blessing on a home and it was a great experience. Afterwards we each gave one of the sister's a comfort blessing and they were extremely grateful. We attended one of our District Meetings and one of our District Leaders challenged each companionship to focus on one specific goal for the next day and write out how we were going to achieve that goal. So Elder Cook and I knelt in prayer asking our Heavenly Father what goal we should set and how we were able to reach that. We both received the same answer. We were going to get 5 new investigators and how we were going to reach that was having 50 OYM's, and OYM stands for Open Your Mouth instead of just talking with someone and handing out a pass along card we have a small gospel discussion with them, the standard for our mission is 75 a week so we really needed to step up. That night during planning we called the assistants to see if they wanted to go out for a big meal because starting at noon the next day the leaders of the mission were going on a 24 hour fast. They also asked if we wanted them to go to campus with us and we thought that'd be a great idea we can split up and achieve our goal. And that is exactly what happened! We were able to get 5 new investigators with 57 OYM's! It's so great to see how if we pay attention to what the Lord wants us to do that he will provide a way. At the end of our 24 hour fast from Thursday to Friday we gathered together as Zone Leaders, Assistants, and President and Sister Summerhays and blessed the mission. It was such a spiritual experience that I can't tell you more than that but it was such an overwhelming feeling. From Saturday to Sunday we had another 24 hour fast to unite the mission and this fast was very special to me. I have never been able to physically fast before. When I started my fast on Saturday I prayed for the strength to be able to fast and show the Lord that I wanted to make that sacrifice and for the first time in my life I was not only able to skip a meal but I was able to go 24 hours without any food. I am so greatful for the Lord's hand in everything I do. I know without Him I am nothing. I know that all I need to do is work diligently and do everything I can on my part, go to Him in humble prayer and He will do the rest.

I Love You All,

Elder Salmon