Time For Some Change

Dear Mom, 

The Mondays are counting down and things are getting pretty crazy. Miracles are happening and the work has just blown up. We are teaching a ton and it's awesome! This past week we had the opportunity to teach a investigator that had set up the appointment a month before. The lesson we have with her is incredible. She expresses her beliefs and bears testimony of the truth that she does know and it is almost from where she left off with the previous missionaries 15 years ago. She expresses that she wants to be baptized but isn't sure on a date just yet. The lesson was so spiritual and we feel that Betty is so close to making this covenant. It seems like a reoccurring thing within our area. We have multiple people who are just waiting to be invited to baptism but something just has to click first and we are just waiting.

This is George Bradley. We bucked hay with him early in the morning. Such an awesome man! He let us pick huge bags of cherries as well. 

Today was also awesome. We planned a hike up to dog mountain. A huge hike! For missionaries at least. It took us a few hours to get to the top but it was worth it as you can see. On the way up I was able to help a missionary out from the beginning. He is a little bigger and hasn't worked out as much as he would have liked. But toward the beginning of the hike he said that he couldn't do it. His companion encouraged him as we continued on because he didn't want us to wait and that was the case for a little while up but I ended up relieving my companion and this other missionaries companion and then it was just him and I taking on this huge mountain. Slowly but surely we got to the top. He was terrified, tired, exhausted, thirsty, and afraid of heights but as we talked about the phrase "mountains to climb" we related this mountain to our missionary work and our life. We are going to be faced with something that we think we can never do or that just is inconceivable because we've never been able to do it before. This missionary had never really worked out before and was really struggling. We stopped for a second and we offered a prayer for strength and for an opportunity to see gods creations and to learn something valuable from this hike. I feel that we did. As this missionary and I walked and walked he gained confidence in reaching the top as he had recognized how far he had come. His persona, strength, and will power increased and his distance traveled did. As we talked to try and get his mind off of the cliffs surrounding us his words slowly changed from "I can't do this" to "I'm getting to the top." I know that that was only possible as he got up off of the ground where he was sitting and MOVED his feet. He excercised his faith and challenged his fears and The result was incredible. Not only did he make it to the top but now he can say that "I can do hard things."

Dog mountain was a blast. Elder Peterson and I.

This valuable lesson learned today will hopefully help him but I know it will help me. I know as I move my feet and challenge my fears I will come to know that any mountain is climbable with faith in Jesus Christ. 

Today I received and interesting phone call from President Taylor. He called and asked if We were sitting down and this made us go, "yea yea, just a second." We were preparing ourselves for something bad but he began to tell us this story. He had gotten ahold of the Kennewick mission president and had a good conversation with him. They talked about the mission splitting and what he was doing with his assistants. He expressed his decision was hazy and not really what he thought needed to happen this coming week and president had a similar concern with me. Didn't know where to put me, and this was his answer. President Taylor called me to be and assistant in the Kennewick mission to receive training on everything so that we can be prepared for the new mission president coming in July. So I will be serving in Kennewick this coming Saturday and leaving behind the Dalles so soon. I am excited to accept the call and serve closely with the mission president. This will be a mountain to climb for me that's for sure. Lots of the unknown in front of me but that's what a mission is all about. So I'm getting a little used to it. I want to thank all my brothers for their great examples. Also for my mom and dad. They did so much for me to get me where I am now. I hope to go and serve and BECOME something great. This new chapter of the mission and it's going to be great! We will see everyone in about 6 months!
Dog mountain was a blast. Elder Peterson and I.

Love, 

Elder Archibald