Hey Mom! How´s life. I´m glad everything´s going well with at home. I couldn´t help but smile as I read about Jen and Emery´s new house. I´m glad they´re happy! Everything is going well here! It´s not hot, really. During the day if there´s no wind, it´s kinda hot, but it´s actually really nice! I like the weather here. There are always really nice sunsets here against the mountains!
That´s cool that you spent some time with Ashlee. Elder Workman does remember her. Yeah they were in the same ward! That is so awesome she´s going to China! Yeah I´ve thought about the sacrament a lot lately and how really sacred of an ordinance that it is. It´s really a time when you can just think, and be instructed and fed by the Spirit of the Lord. Sometimes it´s hard to imagine that every single person in the world can experience the same peaceful and joyful feeling that comes from feeling the comforter, or Holy Ghost. But when you think that God created the worlds and the plants and the animals, that a sparrow doesn´t fall without God knowing about it, and that the hairs of our head are numbered, it´s not that hard to imagine. No matter where you are in the world, the Savior can reach you and give you comfort and peace. The way I understand the Spirit is that it´s role is to testify of what is true, but also to fill our spiritual needs. We all have needs that can only be filled by the Spirit of God. I have been happy , I´ve had confidence and all that but when you have the spirit with you, you feel completely at peace with yourself and your situation. You just feel good, and loving others comes much more naturally. When I feel the Spirit talking with mine, I recognize that every good memory, every intense and wonderful feeling I´ve ever had have come from the Spirit of the Lord. I´m just so dang weak I let myself think too deeply, and I search for things that I can´t understand sometimes. I look beyond the mark.
I have thought before that the Spirit is only a confidence that comes from trusting God, but it goes much deeper than that. Jesus said in the bible to fear not. It´s hard to have the Spirit with us when we¨let our hearts be troubled¨ and doubt.
Thanks for being so awesome mom. I´m excited for you and Dad to come down so you can try the food and meet the people. The ice cream here is surprisingly REALLY good. Oh man it´s the best.
The language is good. I can carry on a conversation pretty well and I can get around. There are still sometimes when I just get lost and I don´t know what´s going on. Sometimes it´s kind of frustrating not being able to communicate yourself in the way you want to! I love you Mom. I am glad I was sent to the family I was sent to. I have had so many good memories and good experiences at home. Sometimes I really miss you all, A LOT! It´s natural I guess! I hope you´re doing well. How are you doing with your goals? Are you goin´to the Y? And the other one was that you wanted to help someone receive the gospel right? How´s that comin´? Thanks for everything Mom, I love you Russell
Elder West
