We started a new transfer this last week and I get to be with Hermana Johnson for at least six more weeks. I´m glad because I still have so much I want to learn from her and we have so much we want to become and accomplish together. We´ve really been struggling with completing all of our responsibilities. We feel like each week we get better at one, but then leave all the rest to the side and can´t figure out how to combine everything we´ve learned and apply it. We want to feel like we have more control over what we do and not just let the mission happen to us. We want to find the balance between being well prepared and following the Spirit step by step as we´re teaching and contacting. We want to really be able to discern the needs of those we teach and help them apply the restored gospel to have a lasting conversion. We feel like we´re slightly missing the mark with a lot of things and don´t know how to get on the right track. Any ideas? It´s getting hotter here every day. I can´t imagine what it will be like in January if it´s already this hot. I´m trying to drink a lot of water, but it´s a pain to have to carry around our water bottles with the filter in them (since we can´t drink the water here). I figure health should probably take precedence over convenience or comfort. I´ve already gotten sunburned a couple times so I´m already using sunscreen every day. I´ve started developing some pretty awesome missionary "tan lines" on my feet. My feet and my neck seem to be the only things gaining any color. Haha. This week I want to just go for it. I´m realizing more and more that I won´t be happy or successful as a missionary if I only give what I think I can or what I feel like giving. I promised to give my all when I sent in my papers and I do the same every day when I put on my nametag. We never get used to the water one toe at a time and never learn to swim if we keep our heads above the water. Something Hermana Johnson is teaching me is how to turn our moments of discouragement or fear into springboards into success. This week it´s my goal to make every temptation to not work hard or be bold as a springboard. Every time I feel fear to talk to the people, I´ll contact someone, and if there isn´t anyone outside I´ll knock on a door. Every time I feel discouraged or like I can´t do what I´ve been called to do, I´ll think of a hymn or scripture I have memorized. Every time I feel afraid to invite someone to be baptized because I´m afraid of them saying no or I don´t know what to say, I´ll just do it. I will not "voluntarily bind my tongue" anymore. I want to be the type of person who acts, who faces her fears, and changes weaknesses into strengths through faith in Jesus Christ. My mission is the time to become what I want to be in the future and I will become that as I learn to consistently be it every day. I´m loving my reading in the Book of Mormon. I´ve been reading about the missions of Alma and the sons of Mosiah. I don´t think I´ve ever enjoyed reading Alma so much. I´m learning so much about being a missionary and teaching from them and their experiences. There´s definitely a reason why they had so much success as missionaries. I hope to be a little more like them and develop the type of faith they had. I love you all! Love, Erin