Hello Everybody,

Well this week has been a great week, just a side note i am getting tired of those little red squiggly lines that are in word, when youve spelled a word wrong, appearing in all of my words that are in english. But i will Live!

Grandma and Grandpa, thank you very much for that email. I love hearing about how you guys have just made it last straight into eternity, I really have gained a testimony in the past 13 months of how a marriage needs to be for eternity, and to be for eternity it needs to have the spirit. So thank you grandparents, you are a great example to me! it sounds like island park is finally getting the yearly snow, its unbelievable to me that i was there a year ago, and there was snow, because here its just hot hot hot. happy anniversary! also thank you for the references in doctrine and covenants, doctrine and covenants has lots of motivational scriptures for missionaries, or even just the members in general.

Mom, im all better now, so dont worry. But i never want to be sick away from home (or america) again. Nephi was truly a great prophet, i think when Mormon was abridging the book of mormon, he didnt have a problem finding the best parts from the time of Nephi. Im sorry that its been hard preparing for seminary. Just know that you are fulfilling your calling, and will recieve blessings. Our ward here in marilia has alot of people in very imortant callings who do not want to do anything, and it is making it very hard for the ward to grow. So know that you are doing your part! Elder Bednar said that the promptings of the holy ghost and the workings of him in our life are rarely seen, or noticed, only the rare, large promptings we actually recognize. Its important to remember that if you cant see it all the time, the spirit will work through your service to whom it is necessary. im sorry to hear about seeing a new doctor, back to the blessings i remember in Mosiah that it says we recieve blessings both spiritually and physically, so just remember that righteousness will bring health as well. Also, abby, 11 vials of blood sounds terrible, but its over now!

Dad, although im sure it was a terrible experience, it is nice to hear that you also went through being sick, it feels less like something awful and more just like something that will happen on the mission. Im interested to hear about this joe paterno thing, but i will save it for later then. That stinks that you have to travel, but at least its much less frequent! I got your package this week!! it was amazing, thank you very much for the pants, the journal, and most especially the binder full of talks! ive already read the first 3 on the atonement, one of Neal A Maxwell, and they are really very good. After time, it would be sweet to get more (once ive read all of these) like you said, because talks i cannot get on my own, and are one of my favorite sources of learning things spiritually. That is sweet that you are going to the basketball games, are they any good now? and is the girls team still winning every single game?

ok so onto the family letter!

Well the first news is that i am not going anywhere for transfers. Or my companion, we are just staying completely normal, it will be the first time on my mission that this is the case! So i am excited, i have grown to like him alot, and we work really well together to be honest. So that is the good news, i wanted to not move because i wanted a normal p-day today. Did you know that before it was called p-day, or preparation day, is was called diversion day? because its a day that you ´ need to not think about missionary work ´´ (quote from the brazil area doctor). Just a fun fact, i enjoy spending my time just writing michelle :)

Second thing, that is way fun that the whole family is going to island park!! and even more great that you guys will get to see michelle! wow, i am just so happy for this to happen, its great because you guys already know eachother, and everything! ahh get used to it mom and dad, because one day you guys will fly out to island park and meet up with me and michelle, married for eternity, and will just be great! I hope it all works out, i know michelle is very busy, but i am excited for you guys! also jealous haha, but thats ok because....

this friday was my half a year!! officially one fourth of the way doen with my mission, areyou kidding me? already? i only have a year and a half (already less than that) before my mission is over. It is unbelieveable how the time has gone by, and everyone keeps telling me that the first 6 months are the hardest, and after the first 6 months it really starts to go fast. so we´ll just keep going! i definitely feel satisfied with my mission up to now, i dont have any regrets, feelings of ´oh, i wasted that time´ and i just hope that i can say the same thing after 2 years. we´ll see!

just so you know, i have been really tempted to listen to normal music, right now, as im on the computer and the internet. you all know how much i like music, and it has been almost killing me this week! but i will resist, i just thought you´d like to know that i am still normal zach.

so this week we have been working with this woman named nirce (near-see). She lives with her daughter who is 20, she is like 45, and she just showed up to church on sunday. we had never talked to her before, and she said that a friend of hers (in another marilia ward) kept inviting her to go to church, and she kept on saying, when i have time sunday mornings, i will go, over and over and over. well she just woke up early 2 sundays ago, thought to herself ´i have time today´ and just went to church! so we passed by her house on tuesday to teach her, and it was once again one of the most spiritual lessons ive ever taught. we taught her about the restoration, and we had 2 members with us, one was livia ( the young woman we baptized who is awesome, and just wants to be a missionary with us) and another member named bruno, and they bore their testimonies, and we invited her to be baptized, and she accepted, it was just perfect! she drank coffee, but stopped before we even taught her, and is on her way to being a very strong member. its just a very good story for her! she is amazing, and i thought youd appreciate a happy story

so i was thinking during a moment this week about my testimony, about our testimonies. i was thinking about how we dont gain a testimony in a commandment until we live it, or we dont gain a testimony in something unless we exercise faith in that thing and develop our belief. Well i came to the conclusion that before my mission i didnt ahve a testimony in missionary work (or at least a strong one) specifically, because simply said i never did missionary type things before it. now, i definitely have it, but for michelle who is considering a mission, or anyone, i think it would really help to do missionary type things, even just talking with nonmembers aboutthe gospel, and thus gain a testimony of missionary work through seeing the benifits, before the mission, or just in general. just a thought.

well ihave to go now, but just know that everything is ok! i love hearing that everything is going well, that everyone is getting along in life, i am too, six months into the mission and we are all just doing great! i love you guys, and i will talk to you next week!

also, on a side note, the picture i sent is one of me and my old district leader. his 2 years are up tomorrow, and will fly home, and actually go to byui. michelle, aif you see him around maybe talk to him! because i got to know him real well, and he´d probably be able to tell you more things about me, our district, who knows, but that photo is me and him!

i love you guys, have a fantastic week, and i will talk to you again soon!!

ps: i dont know why, but this transfer is only 5 weeks, not 6. and i will get an email for letters or packages soon for you guys, although i dont need anything, but just to know :)