"The mission is the hardest thing I have ever done."

June 6, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

Things are going a little bit better. Elder Furner and I had a long talk, and we realized that there were a lot of assumptions going on about how each other was feeling and the reason why him or I said something. We are starting to understand each other a lot better.

We have been learning to become more unified as a companionship. Elder Furner is a nice missionary, but he has a very different personality and way of acting that I haven't come across before, so it has been a little hard. He is a very good companion and he is actually a lot like I am.

Rodeline has been progressing a lot. We have taught her five times, and she came to church with two of her children who are of baptismal age. She said that she is trying to find a church where she feels at home and she says that she knows that our message is true. We have taught Her, her husband Viniel, and her son Prince. We challenged them to be baptized on the 26th and they said they would pray about it, but they thought it was a little soon. They are coming to church again next week and She was invited to a relief society activity and she accepted. Prince said he would go to the Wednesday night activity. They are reading in the Book of Mormon a lot and are praying about it.

June 1st was the beginning of Hurricane season, so during our zone council, they did a hurricane preparedness training with all of the procedures we are supposed to follow. It is overdue for a hurricane now. If there is one, we will become service missionaries and we will help at red cross shelters. They have a packet about everything and we are supposed to read it. I have already started to look at it. We are also supposed to restock and replenish our 72-hour kits.

We have gotten a ton of new investigators this week. We had 10 of them. They were all pretty interested too.

We also are teaching a man named Georges, who is also from Haiti. He told us that he has seen changes in his life since he has started meeting with us and he says that he knows that the message is true. He will be baptized on June 19th. He has made friends with a few of the Haitian men in the ward. We tried to teach his brother who we figured out was a Jehovah's Witness, but he was trying to argue, so we are giving him the Book of Mormon and we told him to read and pray about it.

The mission is the hardest thing I have ever done. You get to know who your savior is so well. There have been several times that I have wondered if there wasn't an easier way to do this. I have had some low moments the last two weeks. President Hale at the training this week shared what Elder Holland said. He said that we are not the first ones to wonder that same thing. The greatest of them all also had that question. But there wasn't an easier way for Christ, and there won't be an easier way for us. But it will be the way that leads to the most joy.

Elder Furner and I have had a few rocky moments together. I do recognize why I needed to be with him and no one else. I know a lot better how to deal with a wife. That couldn't be much harder than this anyway. We haven't been getting in that many arguments or anything. It is just we both have things that bug us that the other person does. It has been getting a lot better though. He isn't a nightmare companion or anything. I don't want him made out to be that. He is very obedient, he follows preach my gospel, he tries his best, and he has a desire to help other people come unto Christ and have the direction of the Spirit with him.

Sister Mary Grove, Elder Giorgino and Elder Jensen's investigator was baptized. It was a great event. Sister Grove was in a drug rehabilitation center and overcame drug addictions. She also stopped smoking a week ago. It was great! Rodeline and her two oldest kids attended the baptism. The statistic is that 80% of people who see a baptism end up experiencing their own. Sister Grove has a very strong testimony of the Gospel and is very prepared. She is so awesome! We are very happy for her and the other Elders.

Today was crazy, because the power was out it a few places in the city. The Walmart we normally went to was closed because of it. The computers in the church Family History Center wasn't getting an internet connection, and the library we would have gone to was out of power as well, so we had to find another one. So many interesting things happen to us as missionaries.

Elder Furner and I have been working on teaching with unity, which has been a big struggle, so hopefully we can get that worked out. I have just been stressed out the last few weeks because the work has been harder.

I love Miami and I love the people here. I am doing pretty well! I love you all! I have to go now!

Love,

Elder Seamons