Wow

Things are really going well here in Gela. I think that one thing I love about life is that if you are motivated and you want something, you can pretty much always get it. For example, we wanted to teach some awesome people, so we've been putting in a lot of effort, and we've really met some great people.

One person we're teaching is Antonio. I told you a little about him last week. Well, it turns out that he was only going to the convent for a few days to check it out, and then he would come back to Gela. He sent us a text yesterday that he would be back on Thursday, and that he missed praying with us and he wants to see us Thursday evening! He's awesome. He's just always happy. He completely understands everything we teach him. We asked him to pray about Joseph Smith. The next time we saw him we asked him how he felt. He told us that he felt happy and peaceful, but also something more that he can't describe.

WOOHOO!!!

We've been really blessed with him.
We also met another guy who's 26 and a total stud. The last time we met with him he told us that his heart is telling him to be baptized, but his mind is telling him to just stay how he is. I think he's going to be baptized within the next month.

I really love missionary work. Basically, it's like this, who doesn't want to feel happy all the time? Obviously missionary work isn't just being happy all the time, but when you're teaching great people, you get to feel the spirit all the time when you teach lessons and it's amazing! One thing I've been noticing lately is the difference between feeling the Spirit, and just feeling happy. I like them both. I feel both when we teach Nicola. We're good friends, so we're happy when we chat and stuff, but then we teach him about the gospel and we feel the spirit together it's a kind of joy that is a lot more peaceful (because the other one is just us joking and laughing about different things).

A funny thing happened the other day:  we asked someone how he feels when we meet with him, and he said that he feels good. He feels calm. He feels peaceful. And sometimes he feels like sleeping.
hahaha. I guess we're just too calming.

I remember when I was in the MTC when me and Anziano Garvin taught together we would actually almost get hyper because we would start getting so excited for the person we were teaching.

I also got to hear from Kevin this week which was great. I haven't gotten very many of the letters that he writes. I was really happy to hear how he was doing. Whenever I read letters from Kevin, Clark, or Spencer it makes me wish that we could serve together because I think all my friends would make the best companions. But I guess they couldn't put all the coolest missionaries in the same place! haha.

I'm so happy to hear that Josh and Nadia are engaged. That reminds me, I think that the mission is designed to get you ready for marriage. You invite people to be baptized, but then you have to set a date! The best baptismal invites are when you have already prayed about a date, and you say it right in the invite! hahaha

If you run into anyone I know in St. George, tell them hi for me!

Love,
Anziano Banks!