The Middle

So another transfer has come to a close and that means that I'm officially entering the "Middle" transfer of my mission. You go through 17 transfers in your mission, so the 9th one is right smack dab in the middle and that's what I'm about to head in to. It's insane how fast time is starting to go by (or "bye".) ;) Within the next couple weeks I'll have less time left on my mission than I've been out here, which means: it's time to get to work!

With this transfer I will be staying here in Bonanza East as a Zone Leader. Guess who will be my next companion? Elder Walker! Again! He's coming over to be with me again and we will be the ZL's together here which I'm super excited for because he is probably the hardest working missionary I know. He's probably coming over here so he can whip me back in to shape, but it's all good cuz he's a stud and we're practically twins. 

That's also kind of the funny thing about it because Elder Martinez and I slowly came to find out that we are basically yin and yang compared to each other. We had a fun time together and I love him to death, but it'll be interesting to see how it goes when I go from a comp who is my polar opposite to a companion who is basically the same person as me. Should be a fun time together!

Things here in Vegas are getting HOT!!! It's going to be a hard summer, because the weather is already starting to wear me out...and it's only getting to get hotter...and the sun will only start beating down harder, but the mantra here is: the hotter the weather, the hotter the future wife! So let's go! Haha

I would like to end with a spiritual conversation that we had with some less actives. The single hardest thing in missionary work here in Vegas, is that so few people come to church that we invite to come, be it less actives or investigators. So we were talking with this mom and she was telling us about how she is super worried for her kids and she wants the best for them but she doesn't feel like she can provide it for them. 

As we were talking with her I remembered something I had heard from the Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland in a DVD we watched called "For Times of Trouble." In the video he is basically doing a Q&A with people and a concerned mother expressed the same thing. How could she take care of her kids in a world that is degenerating? His response was based off of this beautiful aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ that I hadn't noted before. The principle is that of "Vicarious Blessings." Basically, those we love can be blessed and protected through our personal righteousness and obedience to our covenants. So he told that concerned Mom that if SHE would live the gospel, if SHE would obey the commandments, then God would bless her children. So I shared that with her, and it helped a lot. 

I also want to express how grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father who allows such things to be. I know that because I am serving a mission, my family is being blessed and protected while I'm away. And I know that if all of us will choose to live the Gospel, that our loved ones can receive blessings through our obedience. I love this gospel and this church so much! 

¡Les amo mucho tambien! 

Hope you all have an awesome week!

-Elder Alley