First off, thanks for the Sweaters and for the pictures and stuff!! They came right when you said they would!! Its getting colder here (snow on the adjacent mountains now) and I am very grateful for them. :D So about me, this week. We have sat in class most of the time learning, studying, and practicing. Sometimes for 9 hours a day. But I am handling it and we get breaks occasionally. But I am enjoying it a lot. I am already noticing a difference in myself and I am enjoying having the Spirit with me all of the time. We have a fake investigator that we are teaching. Me and my companion are improving with every lesson and we teach our final one tonight. Pray for us! He seems like he has been responsive and we have got him to read the Book of Mormon which is good too. We invited him to be baptized last night and he said no. We weren't sad because we were expecting it. He said that he needed more knowledge first and we said that it is a HUGE step of faith to be baptized and that we would help him to be ready. So that is about him. Otherwise, the other Elder in our room SNORES LIKE ANNE HATHAWAY IN THE INTERN!! The earplugs are a huge help though!
We went to the temple this morning and I had a really cool and sacred experience. I was sitting in the Celestial room and I was praying for comfort because I am nervous about leaving and getting to the field and I suddenly had a comforting feeling. Of course I starting crying but not a sad cry. You know the type. I just thought that I was really cool. Like I can't explain how dear I am holding this experience to me. :) :)
So that has obviously been the highlight of my week. It rained on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday which I loved. I can really see a difference in myself from when I got dropped off. I am learning new things all of the time and I have no desire to go home. I still miss you guys though, but it isn't affecting me like it is others. We leave early Tuesday morning and have a layover in Atlanta, Georgia for three hours before we fly to Norfolk. I am also going to get a new hairstyle tomorrow. I am going to have the Barbershop work some magic. Pray for me, you guys know how hard my hair is!! It will definitely be shorter on top and lower maintenance though. :)
I don't really know what else to say. I will definitely have more to write about when I am in the field, and I am probably going to write actually letters in my spare time too. Those might take weeks to write though so don't expect one anytime soon. But I don't want you guys to worry about me. I am doing my best to stay focused and to try and become the missionary the Lord and my Patriarchal Blessing says I am. I know that I will be blessed for it. I am still a long way from getting to that point, but I am working on it and I know that makes Heavenly Father happy. My favorite scripture this week is John Chapter 14 because it is a source of motivation and strength for me. I'm not saying to go and read it, just that I enjoyed it.
So y'all are probably wondering how I am doing with the lack of media. I am doing pretty well. Fergie has been stuck in my head (of all things) off and on for this week. And once I could have really gone for a novel. And me and my companion have been quoting Disney this week. But other than that I haven't really been missing it. :)
And again, if y'all have any questions please ask. It makes it easier to write these! And I probably won't be able to write you for more than a week because I think that we will miss P-day in the field for next week.
But until then,
I love and miss you guys,
Elder Noah Ciminski
