Hi all:

Well, here we go again-- another week to report:

So I am now paired with Elder Romeril, a former Zone Leader from Calgary, Canada. He's a hard worker, and very obedient to mission rules. It's fantastic to see how persistent he is in talking to people. He manages to get a quality gospel conversation with even the most stubborn of contacts, and always seems to have a smile. The only downside to him is that he's a big headache... literally. The poor kid has been suffering with a serious headache he contracted in September of last year, and none of the numerous doctors have been able to pinpoint the cause. So, when it gets really bad, we end up spending a good portion of our time inside with him moaning under a blanket. Sometimes, he forces himself out to work notwithstanding. Please keep him in your prayers.

We're still working with the same investigators that we were working with last week, but some of them are hitting a wall. By far the most necessary and frustrating difficulty as a missionary (and thus envelopes an entire chapter in the Preach My Gospel manual) is getting people to make and keep committments. People usually don't take this message seriously. Many investigators just enjoy hanging out with "those nice Mormon boys," and they listen to the lessons, but they don't ever seriously consider the implications of what we are teaching.

We are sharing the message that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father, who from the beginning of time has shown His love for all people by speaking to men and revealing His plan, His Gospel. He has called Prophets in ancient days-- all pointing towards the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Shortly after Christ's death, the people once again rejected His Gospel, and His Church was lost from the Earth, but God has spoken again through the mouth of a living Prophet, testifying of Jesus Christ. We claim that our Church is the very Church of Jesus Christ restored again to the Earth, and that God speaks to men today through a prophet.

If what we are teaching is true, it is by far the most important message to come to the Earth since Christ declared that He was the Savior of the world. And yet people usually don't get it. Revelation, Priesthood, Restoration, the Church of Jesus Christ again upon the Earth, and all we get is a "Oh, well, isn't that nice?"

I hope that we can help people to see that. Maybe they may not think it's true, but at least we can help them see the importance of such a message.

I, however, know that what we share is true, that God has indeed spoken again, and reached out ot His children in love, and that all will eventually have the opportunity to either accept or reject this glorious message. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
--Elder Watkins
Colorado Denver South Mission