Dearest Fam-bam,
This week has been a lot of fun. Elder Dickson and I are getting along really well, and so that makes everything just a little bit better. We have been seeing a good amount of success together too, so I'm excited about that.
The biggest news from this week is that we have set a baptismal date with Radu! He is planning on being baptized in May, the last Sunday before I leave. We're still a little bit unsure where he stands with smoking, but we're going to try to be a little bit more forthright with him about that so that we can make him feel accountable. That is still the only thing standing between him and being baptized. He even came to the baptismal service of an boy who turned eight this week. We're really excited about the progression we see happening there.
We actually got a call from Elizabeth last night. She is definitely going to come back, and should be here in the middle of March, so around a week and a half or two weeks. I'm still unsure if she was baptized there or not. I asked her, but she just chastised me for being so curious, and told me that I would find out when she gets back... so yeah. If she isn't baptized when she gets back she will hopefully be baptized during the summer, we'll see what happens though. From what she said she has been going to church there as well, which is definitely a positive thing.
Frau Lahoda, one of our investigators, finally came to Church yesterday!! But we're still dropping her... I had received the feeling twice in the last few weeks that we need to be ready to drop her, and in the lesson this week it became clear to me that she is not ready to be baptized right now. She believes in the Book of Mormon, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and all that, but she doesn't believe that our exclusive attitude in relation to the truth is right. We are going to be trying to start a bible course next week, and we think we will substitute taking time to meet with her with inviting her to this course and then letting her build up her connection with the ward through that. It will be nice for future missionaries, because if she comes consistently then they can keep a feel on her level of readiness to keep commandments. I think within a couple of years she could be ready to be baptized, but we'll see. It really hurt me to drop her though, because she reall s a sweet lady.
The lesson with Zsuzsanna went pretty well. We didn't get as many concrete things taught like we had wanted too, but we should be meeting again on Saturday, and I hope that things will start developing there. We also plan to talk to her about her husband, because she is married with four kids, and teaching the whole family would be great for the ward here.
All the other investigators are doing fine too. I don't have a lot of time to write today, and there was no monumental progress made with any of the other investigators, so I am not going to take the time to comment on them all, alright?
My acne has made a pretty significant improvement in the last few days. I have noticed it clearing up, and I have had no crazy emotions recently, and so I don't think it is messing me up. For this medication I need to have my blood drawn once a month, and then go to the doctor's and talk to him about it, so I have another appointment in about a week and a half.
The ward is doing great, they are super supportive. I think the key to working with the members is to really just help them do things. Everyone knows someone with whom they could potentially be working. The missionaries should just help you to figure out ideas of how to get them into contact with the church, Family nights, different activities, maybe inviting them to dinner, things like that. That's how we have started to try working here, and it is a lot more successful. A lot of the investigators we have have come through members, which is obviously ideal.
I love you! (sorry this email was a little short. I'm starting to get a little lazy/my time is up)
Elder Merkley
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