Letter to President Gustafson

Dear Mom, 

I am sorry that I haven't been sending enough detail. I am not good with that sort of thing.
Here is this weeks letter to President Gustafson. I don't know whether or not you would want to share this, but at least maybe you would like to read it. 

"Kaicho,

The first things that I am to report to you on are: my responsibilities to represent the Lord in our area, and to obtain His direction in carrying out my assignments and blessing the people here.
"This week I was able to baptize Egawa Etsuko Shimai. It was a great experience. I really had so many people to help me. It was really rough to get this all together, but it is finally started and I feel like I can say that we have done the right thing. I really do love Egawa Shimai and hope that she will stay true for a long time, so that we can meet again in the faith after I have left here. I am so blessed to have been here to help her! I think I will always remember the words I said as I baptized her. What a great blessing!
"The next things to report are the status of the work and my personal progress.
"I have gained a greater testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we struggled to know what was right and wrong, and as we worked to find out the will of the Lord, I was really stressed. It was hard for me to have the opposition that we had, but the Savior knows us, and knows how to succor us. In this time of great stress and trial, the Savior gave me support by good friends who care for me, good branch leaders, and even by friends and family back home. I did not know what power and what meaning could come from the loving hands and words of the people around us. Thank you for your support too Kaicho. Most of all, to feel the Savior's approval and love by them and through the spirit, was a blessing without measure. Partaking of the sacrament was so much needed.
"The work will continue here. I have a hope that it will speed up from here on out. I really have felt directed by the Spirit and am excited to know where we will be led.
Thank you for all you do.
Working hard and keeping the rules, love,
Elder Bevan"

Besides those things, I would like to ask if you might be able to send me a filled out "My Family" booklet, for showing investigators about fam. history.. That would be great.
Anyways, love you Mom. 

May 18, 2014

This week was pretty rough on me, but this Sunday I went to church, just trying to do my best, and what a wonderful relief that was! what a blessing! I do not know that I even had the faith to do anything more than that, but I took the Sacrament and thought of Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us. I thought of the Savior in Gethsemane, and on the cross, and the burden that He bore for us, and from that point on my burdens were lifted. I felt at peace, I felt happiness. I don't really understand it, but The Lord in His infinite grace lifted from my shoulders that which weighed me down, and gave me the chance to look around me with new eyes, and a new heart. How can we ever express the gratitude and the love that so great a work deserves! I suppose we never will be able to. 

I am glad to be on His errand and about His work. My Grandma wrote this to me, and I think that it catches pretty well the new Spirit I have felt this week: "Pray, listen, work, love, take time for kindness, forgive others, forgive yourself, and depend on Heavenly Father to make your work right. His time, His way."

 I am truly more aware of my weaknesses now more than ever, and I suppose that only leaves me enough room to turn to our God for His divine Help. I can look back now and see that I needed that rough week, and even those mistakes. I am grateful that the Lord gave me those trials to have, I cannot know His mind and His will always, but I guess that I do not. I pray that He will continue to guide me as He has until now. No one knows better than He that I need it. 

My love to all!

Elder Bevan