Langley June 13, 2016

Friends and family,

How is everyone doing this lovely week?! I'm doing pretty good here in
northern Virginia! The weeks always go by so dang fast it's almost
like a blur. The Langley Ward had been progressing since last week.
Today we had almost 100 people at Church! Monday of last week we just
played some basketball. It's always fun to do! I've played so much
ball lately..after pday we had an appointment with Youssef and he
flaked on us. So we spent the rest of the night tracting into mean
Muslim people. It wasn't too much fun. But we got two potentials from
it. Then a security gaurd chased us out of the complex Ha. Tuesday we
helped Bentley plan and prepare a lesson on how to help people find
the gospel on face book. He presented on Thursday at mission
leadership council. He was pretty nervous but he always pulls through!
On Wednesday we checked up on several of the prospective elders in the
ward. They are mostly if not all less active and inactive members of
the church. It's pretty sad. There is so much potential in them. I
hope that they will choose to live the gospel one day. Our elders
quorum president is pretty worried as well so we have been teaming up
with him to find these people. Some weird Asian lady came over and
took some blood for elder McCray cause he changed his life insurance
ha if was weird having this Asian lady in our apartment. On Thursday
we had Mlc and Bentley presented. Everyone loved it. Everyone loves
Bentley. He is a stud. He works so hard. President talked about how we
need to be in tune with the spirit in order to do anything for our
Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter how much
talent we have or what we've done in life. If we don't have the spirit
we are nothing... That hits me hard. Nothing...we must repent and
change in order to have the spirit with us. I'm still trying to figure
this out in my life. It will take a whole lifetime! After Mlc I drove
my son elder snow back to his apartment and played a prank on the
elders that live there. I hid all there Pokemon cards hahahahahaha so
funny. I went on exchanges with elder medina that night and we had so
much fun. We taught s member lesson and we're finding. He is from
Mexico and is so dang funny. We also had a metro contacting activity.
Because it was so hot out on Thursday we got together as a zone and
passed out water bottles at the metro ha people always think we are
weird giving away free water but they appreciated it! Nothing much
happened on Friday. It was the slow day of the week. We do go an serve
at a local food bank every Friday morning and it's always so much fun
and so rewarding to help out those who are hungry and don't have much.
We love going. Saturday it was hot! 100 degrees hot. And HUMID. BLAH.
we helped out a member in the McLean Ward cut up these huge trees! It
was awesome we were all dirty and sweaty! Chainsaws are fun. We taught
a less active gabe about the importance of walking with the savior. I
invite you all to read the conference talk "ponder the path of thy
feet" it is excellent! Sunday was great we had church as set up many
member lessons and had stake priesthood meeting. It was very
spiritual! Today we helped a member move out of the Ward and are
hiking great falls park! It's going to be sick! This week was
challenging cause not much happened. I'm still seeking to learn all
that Heavenly Father wants me to learn in this area. He has helped me
become a better man. He loves me. He also loves you. I'm grateful for
his plan and for his gospel and my best friend Jesus Christ. Thank you
all for your love and support! I miss Colorado and Utah so much. But I
know that I'm supposed to be here. Have a great week! Love you!
Love
Elder Routsong