Dearest Family and Friends,
It is yet another beautiful day here in the Ohio. This has been such a fun week and I am excited to fill you in on the major details. After finsihing office work last monday Elder Hicks and I got to finally get a break from the work and we went and played beach volleyball off of Lake Erie it was so much fun. We were playing with the entire Kirtland Zone and we arrived about 45 minutes earlier than all of the Elders and Sisters so after a little wating we decided we would go and contact on the beach until everyone arrived. It was a little different proselyting in gym shorts but I got a breif glimpse of what it will feel like when I share the gospel back home. After little success we decided to go and talk to one more family and we ended up having a great lesson about the Book of Mormon right there on the beach with them. They were really touched and seemed pretty interested; they are not in our area however so we will have to see what happens with them. The whole zone showed up and saw us teaching this family on the lake shore in basketball shorts on P-Day and must have thought they had the most dilligent Assistants ever; aww good times :)
This week Elder Hicks, President and myself all got together to decide upon transfers for the upcoming week. Every time transfers are decided upon we have a meeting in which we all fast and decide upon the changes; typically this last for about 8 hours. President invited us to come in with a spirit of fasting. He asked us if we had ever seen the sunrise on LakeErie before and then asked us if we would like to have a devotional early in the morning out on the Pier and catch the sunrise together. We both got up early and met at 5:50 AM on Tuesday morning. It was a memory I will never forget. The whole sky was orange and pink and when the sun first peeked on the horizon it was a burning red. We all read the Lyrics to the primary hymn 'He Sent His Son' and broke it down line by line. President then said soemthing I thought was very profound, speaking of Jesus he said "We try to become like Him in all that we do and our prupose is to invie others to come unto Him, but with that focus, let us not neglect the Father". So for the next half hour we read from the scriptures about the Father's love. It registered more clearly with me than ever before how abundant the Father's love truly is. After reading the Hymn line for line and discussing it's meaning, reading the scriptures and expounding, we all bore testimony to each other and finished with a closing prayer; only if every morning could start like that. The whole experience really let me view Preisdent Sorensen in a new light. I saw him as just equal with myself, just another child of our Heavenly Father. He was in basketball shorts and a jacket which was a definite first :) I was particularly moved when he got down on the cold concrete of the Pier and prayed on his knees with us, I couldn't help but onder how many hours those knees had spent bowed to the Master. Deciding upon transfers was such a spirtual experience as we all recieved revelation as to the needs of the mission; all in all it only took about 5 hours. There is a lot of transfers this coming week and a lot of new leadership in the mission, I can't wait to start with all these up and coming leaders. Elder Hicks and I also conducted trainers meeting this week for all the missionaries who will be trainign new missionaries this coming transfer.
Speaking of new leadership! I am so thrilled to report that I will be training the new Assistant; my good, dear, and beloved MTC companion, Elder Metcalf! I was so excited to get this news. I love this Elder so much. I always told him when we left the MTC that he better work until we are companions again! Elder Metcalf truly is one of my bestfriends out here in the mission. He is one of the hardest workers and pure disciples of Jesus Christ I have ever met; they type of person that is so pure you feel a little unworthy to be around them. He is picking up things so fast; we are very excited to work together in the coming months, we want to further change cultue in this mission. Yesterday was our first day together and it was one of the very best of my mission. We started the day off by meeting up woth to of Bro. Scott's former institute students that are out here doing summer sales for an alarm company. It was great to see both of them as I had heard so much about them both. We all went to church together and then out to some teaching appointments afterwards. Garret was one of the young men; he is preparing to serve a mission in the fall so it was fun to go on slpits with him to a few appointments, the spirit was strong in both and we wereable to give a blessing to a little daughter of one of ourward members who is about to have reconstructive surgery on her face due to scarring from a dog bite. After some lessons we took Garret and Dane with us up to Kirltand Hitrocical sites to tag along on a tour we were taking David and Danielle on. It was so fun to go through historic Kirtland with everyone and learn about all the revelatuions that took place there. Followning the tour we all went to a recent convert fireside being held at the Visitors center. It was one of the very most if not thee very most powerful meeting I have ever attended. The music was so indredible and all ofthe testimonies of the recent converts were so spirit filled, humble and pure; the Lord truly is preparing the hearts of the elect. One of the recent converst who spoke was Lily, my very first baptism! She did such a wondeful job. Getting to see her againwas like reuniting with family I missed her so dang much. She gave me a nice letter with her testimony in it and made my whole night; I love Lily. After the fireside I got to miblge with so many friends from my old areas it was alot of fun. As sson as we left the visitors center we took David and Danielle up the temple grounds and took pictures. It truly was one of the best nights of my life. I was so full of thanks and love that even after we returned from doing numbers work at abot 2:30 AM this morning I could hardly sleep.
This coming transfer is going to be one of the best times in my life. I am sad to say goodbye to my brother Elder Hicks; he and I have gotten along so well I hate tyo see him leave, that and he taught me everything I know about how to be an Asistant. Some great new challneges lay inhead but I know the Lord will see me through each one. I can't tell even the least bit how much I love my mission. I don't ever want to go home. Well my friends, I love you all so much. I can only give you what is most valuable to me. I know that the Father loves us. He is the great Artist of the Universe, the one who beckons us tobecome soemthing more. I know that if we rely upon Him, we will overcome the natural man who feels comfotabel in fear and failure; we will be full of the Holy Ghost and only be comfortable with faith and success. Anything is possbile with the Lord. I love the Father, I love the Son and it is to them I will give every last ounce of my devotion. Love, Elder Prince
PS: Attatched are some photos of us last night! Love you all
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