8 April 2009

Thanks so much for your letters! This letter is for all of you... Mom Dad Cathy Eliza John Christy everyone... I appreciate all the letters, but I only really have time to write one to all of y'all. So Elder Mayes and I are staying in Highlands Ranch for at least six more weeks. Exciting too, we are having people show up out of nowhere to teach again. There is this lady I tracted into on exchanges with another elder and we went back to visit. We really haven't talked much with her in return visits, but we have spoken a lot with her husband. He loves our visits! He told us we're always welcome at his home and whenever we're in the neighborhood at all, we're expected to drop by. He started reading the Book of Mormon and he loves it. He reads a bit from it every night before he prays and goes to sleep. We have had some great spiritual disscussions with him, and we are going to start teaching his family. We dropped by and they weren't home a couple days back and the son answered and he's about 12. I told him "god bless you" or "god be with you" or something like that as we were leaving and he just was so touched. He talked to his dad and he told him it was the most awesome thing ever. He said to his dad they said this and they really meant it. His dad told his son yes we did, and he recognizes us as ministers of Jesus Christ, so that is awesome with the respect he talks to us with when we visit.
We have also been teaching a young man who is planning on starting his schooling in fall in Texas to become a baptist minister, and he is starting to question and to accept some of the truths of the restored gospel.
There is also a family that is absolutely amazing in one of our wards, they do like everything and really live the religion, and one of their daughter's friends has basically become a part of the family and is there everytime we eat with them,and this last week she asked us to teach her about our church, so we're teaching her at their house tommorrow night, and aside from being told daily we're going to hell and all that quite entertaining stuff, we are actually finding some people to teach. its a wonderful blessing. And the members out here are amazing! they are so willing to help with absolutely anything. The church is way strong out here. (An interesting fact: Douglas County is the 5th richest county in the USA according to Forbes).
By the way, the snow ain't all that bad, it melts completely a day or two after, even if its cold, because there is a ton of sunshine here! Well it kind of stinks while its snowing, because as I have learned the wind is never ceasing here, and so the snow doesn't pick a direction to come down, but the wind here is nowhere near as bad as the Santa Anas. I love you guys so much, and thanks so much for the postcard dad, even though it looks as though our lovely postal service ran over it and taped it back together, but it was still exciting to get. My address will remain the same:
Elder Thomas Stevenson
C/O Drake Family
9345 Princeton Cir
Highlands Ranch, CO 80130

Yes conference was amazing and I just finished the Gospel of Matthew the day of E. Holland's talk, so it was awesome to get his reinforcement of my reading, and I've almost finished the Book of Mormon for the first time on my mission, I'm in the end of Ether. Well I love you guys! Take care and have an awesome Easter!

Love ya all,
Tom