Week 87

To the Recipients of this email,

      I would like to start this email by addressing the boring manner in which I have described my mission these past few weeks. My "funny bone" has been deteriorating from lack of exercise here on the mission. I will try my best to ensure this email promotes a smile or a chuckle of some sort. If it doesn't, read it again.

Sincerely,

     Elder Cole LaTour

This week was a really interesting week! We first off started by buying 3 honeydews and a cantaloupe, so you know that it was going to be good. We were able to meet with some of our progressing friends which is always a hoot. Sometimes I wonder if we get too close with them because they confide in us a little too much. I never expected to hear so many love-stories, medical histories, or crazy theories from people I met 30 seconds ago. Do we shine a light because we are missionaries or does my cologne smell really good? I am going to go with the good smelling cologne. Our friend Rachel is on date for baptism for May 20th and she is trying right now to stop smoking. Everyday we call her and hype her up to help her get some motivation to stop smoking, which I hope helps her. Who knows, two 20 year old kids who have never touched a cigarette in their lives can provide some help.

We have some creative people in our area. We met a woman just this morning who let us stop by and talk to her and share a message. She is an artist and absolutely loves to draw. I am the type of guy who appreciates some good art here and there. Take me to a museum, an art gallery, man even on instagram I will look at some nice art. She comes over and shows us her art and all I see is this beautifully drawn and very detailed naked woman sitting on top of the world. Nothing better to see while being on your mission. Lock your heart guys. Oh yeah, we also shared a really heartfelt message with her about how prayer helps us in the difficult times and the power we receive in our lives. Almost forgot to add that in there!

I went on exchanges with a good buddy of mine from back when I was in Elko. He is the funniest Elder ever. He kind of looks like Spongebob in the one episode where he becomes "normal." I would say half way through our exchange, we ended up talking to someone who recently had a family member pass away. He shares such an articulate and thoughtful message which invited the Spirit so strongly. I walked away feeling so uplifted and also convinced that he was way better than I was at this whole missionary thing. We walk down the street and he says, "My Autism doesn't win today!" What? You. Have. Autism? I couldn't believe it. He is so humble and works so hard and I never would have thought. How cool is it that God works with us and makes us better? I am taking notes from my good friend here.

Man, this whole funny thing is tiring me out in this email. Doing this every week is going to take a lot out of me. We have this part of our area that we call "The Vortex" because everytime we go there we can't seem to leave. We will talk with someone, they will set up an appointment with us, we go back and boom they dont answer. But hey wait! There is someone smoking outside their apartment... we got to go talk to them! Then it repeats itself over and over. We get to meet all walks of life the second we step onto the grounds of this apartment complex. A good smelling cologne isn't the key to getting people to talk to you here, you just need to be somewhat normal. God is so good, I love bringing everyone to the gospel. The people there deserve everything the gospel has in store for them.

Also, the temple was hype.

Hopefully that was funny enough. I really tried. I could not be more grateful for my time as a missionary and I am sad it is coming to an end soon. I am going to be sprinting to that finish line and then have someone life-lite me out of here. I have learned so much and I am grateful. We have so many cool friends and people we are helping. My companion is great and we get along well. It is getting warmer too which makes me so happy because I cannot wait to get home with the best collared tan line. God is good everyone. Have a great week! Be safe!

Romans 8:16-17:

      The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  

      And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.