Yeah Momma, you're telling me, time is flying like crazy. The days here seem like I blink and it's over. This week has been very good. Very hot. Lots of contacting in the streets.  Lots of spiritual experiences.
 
It's really fun for me to hear about all the fun Utah trips that are already taking place with the Midway house. I'm gonna be so stoked to see that when I get back. I hope Alyssa's dance camp is off the chain. One of these trips when you're up there, you should call up my boy Elder (well not anymore) Jared Rindlisbacher. He's up in Logan but if you can get him down to Midway, it would be worth it, the dude is straight off the chain and he will have some really good mission stories from our time together in Madero.
 
This week here in Victoria was really good. This week we didn't have a ton of lessons, but the ones we did have were really good. We have been working with a part member less active family named the Familia Villanueva and they have come to church the last two weeks. They are really cool and have a son named Jeiro who is a really good kid. He's 17 and we've been talking with him about a mission in the coming years. We also had a really good lesson with Jessica this last Friday with our Ward Mission Leader Hno Giovanny who is straight sick too. But Jessica is doing awesome, she has now attended church 4 straight weeks, she loves it and she has read almost all of the Book of Mormon. She is for sure a golden investigator, the only problem is finding times to teach her because she works out of town. But she will be baptized during this transfer either August 4th or 11th. She said something in the lesson that really made me think and is a lot of what you said to me too Mom. She said something like, I haven't had some angelic witness that the Book of Mormon is true, but as I've read and learned from it, I've seen changes for the better in my life.
 
This is exactly how I would describe my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I was blessed to grow up hearing the stories and reading from it almost everyday of my life (which is a crazy huge blessing and I've come to learn that in my time in the mish), but I don't think I started to have a really strong personal testimony until I started reading it everyday personally in March 2011. I started reading because I was having trials and I was looking for some direction or support, mostly I had a lot of questions, but what I found was the best answer I could have ever asked for. I have learned that the Book of Mormon is true because it teaches one of our central messages as missionaries, the gospel of Jesus Christ, better than any other book that has ever been written. The gospel of Jesus Christ is our road map, it's the thing here in this life that God has given us in order to obtain peace and happiness. As we strive to have faith in Jesus Christ, and then we repent, we are more happy and our view of others and of life changes. That's what I've learned from the Book of Mormon: faith, repentance, and living the commandments brings joy; it is the only source of happiness that doesn't wither away in this life. As I read the Book of Mormon, my view of the world changed, my view of others changed, my view of what is important in this life changed. I felt closer to the Savior Jesus Christ than ever before in my life. I found verses of scripture that I was sure were written just for me. The Holy Ghost testified, and continues to testify that that book is true because every time I read it, I feel an undeniable burning in my chest that makes me happy, that brings me peace. I continue to find answers and direction within every page of that book. I was so happy to hear Jessica say that she had seen some of the same things that I had seen as results of that incredible book. When she said that I smiled slightly and just said, 'Oh, you have no idea.'
 
We had one other cool experience yesterday in Barrio Victoria after Sacrament meeting. A menos activo that we had visited showed up in Barrio Victoria yesterday along with a nonmember friend who we had never seen before. After Sacrament we introduced ourselves to them and the nonmember introduced himself, told us he had been attending in another ward and that he wanted to know what he had to do to be baptized. I'll tell you what, that is the greatest question in the world to hear haha. It really taught me to trust in the promise in Preach My Gospel that when we do all we can to find and teach prepared people, the Lord will put prepared people in our path. We hadn't had a lot of success in finding people throughout the week from contacting, but when we obey, work as hard as we can, and have faith, the Lord will always order and provide.
 
I've also been doing my best How to Win Friends and Influence People swagg that I can. haha.  People LIVE for compliments, remember that. haha.
 
I love you so much fam and friends. Read the Book of Mormon, invite people to hear the gospel. If you love them, baptize them.
 
#143 #DYT #JakeHeaps,
Elder Stockard