December 12, 2011

Hey everybody,

This week has been great! We had a few rough days where we got a little down on ourselves, but in the end it was a really great week. We taught this incredible lesson to a man named Wallace Berry. He has had a really rough life, and has turned to drinking to find peace of mind. It was really wonderful to see him light up when we shared with him about the Book of Mormon and about the plan of salvation. We told him that as representatives of Jesus Christ we were going to ask him to do a few things, but it was completely up to him if he was going to do what we asked. We promised him though that if he read, prayed, and came to church that he would find lasting happiness and he wouldn't have to go to a bottle to find it. He told us he was willing to do anything. He said a prayer before we left, he took the Book of Mormon and said he would read from it right when we left and he would come to church next Sunday. That was one of those experiences on the mission when you feel the spirit so strongly and you know that he has been prepared to receive the gospel.

We got some news from our mission president this last week that I thought I would share with everyone. BYU is going to be playing in a bowl game in Dallas in about 3 weeks, and President Durrant invited all the missionaries that live within an hour to go. The place where the game will be is in our stake, so I guess we are going. That was a very big shock, but something we are definitely excited for. I guess President Durrant sees this as a great opportunity for missionaries and the church to build up a good reputation.

Christmas is coming soon, and I have really enjoyed the time to ponder on the coming of our savior and the things he has done for us. His life, every minute of it was incredible. I am so grateful for his life and everything he has done and will ever do for us. He is truly the light and the life of the world and this is a wonderful time of year to be a missionary
Love,
Elder Layton