Things are going Great!

HI BABY REESE!!!! they called me from the office on the day she was born around 5pm! I was at my favorite members house (they are the ones that feed us!) They are really cool. They are the Halls. They are an English speaking family that is way cool and funny... it was awesome to hear the news soo quick!

Things are going great! Stake conference was this last weekend and it was good. M. Russell Ballard hurt his knee so could not make it but Jose A. Teixiera of the 70 came and was awesome! He was an amazing speaker. He went up with no notes and paper and said that the brethren are asking that 70's speak with the spirit. It was incredible..
I of course, went and introduced myself and Michael Rueter (the kid who got baptized like 6 weeks ago) to him. And we shook hands.

Crystal has a Wild kid that I was playing distraction duty with for most of the Sunday session... The kid is hilarious. We played cars to keep him busy and quiet and I caught Elder Teixiera kinda crackin’ up about us playing cars. But hey, it made it so Crystal could listen. Crystal lives with her boyfriend Leonardo. We talked to her about baptism and she said she wanted to be baptized... She has had a tough life but every time we come to the door she gets this great big smile on her face. Her boyfriend Leonardo told us that they would get married and he would be baptized too.... It was so cool. They are a good family. Both have had their struggles but she really, really wants to be a good mom and make a change!!! She said she has felt way more at peace and loving since she has started reading and praying. We found her because we were teaching other people that live in the same house and she wanted to listen... She speaks pigeon Spanish and good English. After our first lesson with her she said "you guys are here for a reason. God wanted to tell me something through you guys,” I just about fell out of my seat!!! Crystal is excited about cooking for the Labor Day party for the stake cook off. Leonardo is very cool. We have taught him before and was fairly receptive but kind of fell off the map! soo overall that is awesome!!!

We are working in a ghetto neighborhood called Price Hill! It’s sweet!!! It is like crazy ghetto but everyone there loves us! If you smile at people and say hi they will love you no matter what! They all know we are harmless white kids!!! But you do meet lots of people who are from different walks of life!!! AND I LOVE it!

We had interviews this week with President Robbins and he said that he has heard that I am really doing well and said that I can learn lots of cultural things from my companion. He was very nice and I really like him, he is a very nice man.
Thanks for the photo album funny I just asked for it and then I received it the next day!!! It looks like everyone was having a great time at the wedding and everyone looks great!!! DAD YOU’RE SKINNY!? good for you!!! MAN, Delaney was busy being the queen of the show huh?! She is so so cute!!!!!

You asked how we found the people we are teaching or have taught. We found Jeannie because they were teaching her little sister before I got here but they had not talked to her in like 8 weeks and so we knocked on her door and she said her little sister wasn’t there. So I said can we teach you?! The rest was history!!!!! Jeannie is way happy and even wearing the little young women’s medallion necklace that they give you when you join young women’s!
Michael came to the church through his friend the girl who is in the pictures! They are just friends but he played basketball for like 4 years before she asked him if he wanted to talk to the missionaries... Basketball does miracles! Michael is now looking at a mission and is an absolute stud!! I love that kid!

Life is Good! my companion and I are getting along better and starting to get more on the same page! That is the thing about missions... It is not supposed to be all rosy!!! You have to live with people you wouldn’t choose to live with, eat things you wouldn’t choose to eat and talk to people who you would not normally associate with. BUT that is what makes a mission a mission, that is what makes you grow and be humbled as a person, that is what makes you appreciate home cooking, and that is what makes you gain a love and respect for all people! So EVERYONE I am exactly where I want to be doing what I want to be doing and learning and growing more than is imaginable! So don’t worry about me, just pray for me!

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Love Elder Stiles