Next to the last letter home.....

I would like to thank all y'all for the religiousness of writing to me on my mission. this will be one of the concluding emails that I send from VA. I will have you know that P-DAY is probably one of the most celebrated holidays in the mission field. It is weekly, short and sweet. I enjoy it quite fully. Today, the whole way to the library, we shouted P-DAY and rejoiced in our release from burdens.
Not that we really have any, the Lord helps us out, but if they did come! we would be released.
Speaking of released, I AM NOT TRUNKY! Let me again define that trunkyness if to be looking forward with great anticipation for your homecoming and the life after the mission. My companion likes to say little things all the time about it, i do not. the members are blown away to think that i leave in 2 weeks! it is pretty amazing to see the sadness in their eyes when they hear that. I have really grown close to this ward, not any family in particular, but the whole ward in general is just incredible. probably one of my all-time favorite areas to serve in! So they are consistently asking me about what i will do and how i am handling it all. I just say, when it comes it comes. so sorry mom and dad and mike and jacque if i am not too happy to see all yall when yall come to get me. that is the reason why.
i am excited to listen to music and hold a girls hand again! luckily music is first because i do not have a girl to hold hands with. if i did though!...music would still be first.
Sis talley is still set for the 10th, but if she does not stop smoking by friday then she cannot be baptized on the 10th. sad day huh? so keep her in your prayers!
Tonya as well needs to quit smoking but she is doing really well! her daughters and her came to all 3 hours of church and loved it tremendously. tonya told us yesterday that she really has seen the blessings among her family growing closer together as they are going to church. so that is really good. the other girls are expressing interest in baptism as well, so who knows what all will come of this great event?
Doris dropped us on thursday night, but then showed up to church with her friend. talk about a shocker. she still does not have a new baptismal date for her, but when she wants it, it will be there for her. I think it surprised her how not different our ward was from her friends ward. even if they are from the east end of Richmond. they are alright.
No other news really, sorry
Elder Malone

P.S.

sorry one last item of ward business to discuss. None of yall know this, but we have been taking the sign language classes and this past week I signed the Sacrament prayer for the water! it was a really amazing thing to be able to do that for our deaf sisters in the ward. I was super nervous but the Lord helped me out a lot, as always and I prevailed! I am still working on the bread which is a tad bit longer and Elder Pierce wants to sign the water within the next two weeks also, so perhaps I can do bread and he can do the water.
love yall

Good News and Bad News..............

Well good news is that we are seeing opposition, so something is going right here in the ward. Bad news is that Miguel and Doris both are stepping off the baptism wagon for a little bit. Miguel basically disappeared and no one knows exactly where he is at. So, when and if he comes back, we shall see how interested he really is. Doris is getting some cold feet, so she decided to not be baptized THIS month. But she says definitely next month. So, we are planning on next month. She did not come to church on Sunday like we had hoped she would. She also committed to come, and her fellowshipper said she would be brought. But apparently she was not feeling very good, so it did not happen.
But as far as we know, Tonya Stith and Sis Talley are still set for what is ahead. As long as they keep their commitments, they will succeed! Just like all of us, God does not ask big things, simply little things that bring big results in our lives. As long as we do what he has asked of us to do, then we will see those BIG results in our lives. So do those small things okay?
We had an experience with a man who for some reason is praying and asking God to show him what he needs to do to change his life. We have knocked on his door twice and he skims through the bible every now and again. So we very boldly told him to repent and listen to the signs and whisperings that the Holy Ghost is giving him. I told him right to his face that his beer and cigarettes are keeping him from God's promptings. Because the Spirit backed it up, he felt the need to change and invited us back anytime. Whether he change that night I am not sure, but he felt something. That is what counts.
There was a really sweet fireside this past weekend with Elder Jay E. Jensen from the Presidency of the Seventy. That was a very powerful meeting and I walked away feeling very uplifted in the Spirit! He had a Q&A for about an hour in the which some really good questions came up that I myself had thought of but did not remember to ask them. Good news is that we took Miguel there and he enjoyed what part he really understood. Mormon language was used a lot there. can be tough for some people.
love
Elder Malone

Where did all this fire come from?

4 PEOPLE SET FOR BAPTISM!
We have been really blessed to have such good investigators who are anxious to receive these blessings. some are more solid than others but all of them are working towards that goal, and if they do not get baptized, then their hearts are still changed for living the Gospel for a time. Here are the people and their dates. I should be able to go to a few of them!
Doris- Sept 26th she has not come to our ward yet because of illnesses but she knows a good handful of people and has been 3 times to other wards were her friends are members so at least she has gone. But she keeps all of her commitments!
Miguel- Oct 3rd in between sessions probably. he keeps disappearing down to NC for sometime. So he has not been to church for a little bit, but he reads and preaches out of the BOM to his friends who are also influenced by family and friends who are members. He has a strong testimony, just needs to prioritize.
Sis Talley!- Oct 10th she has a few kids that are members. She is really awesome, super sweet lady. She has a different Spirit around her from that first time we met her, and she has become converted. She is definitely set for this date. We actually went over on Monday and gave Priesthood blessings to her and her grandchildren for school! that was a really neat experience to have. especially for Sis Talley's blessing.
Tonya Stith!- Oct 11th. her response to the invtiation for baptism was, "do you really think Im ready?" we replied yes! she understood that it was an actual covenant with God, not just a thing to do, to get into the church. she is really awesome, such a blessing to teach her.
thanks for the prayers family and friends!
i love all yall elder malone

Awesome Investigators!

My first item of business is Doris Woodlief. She is a really awesome 61 year old lady. She is set for baptism for the 26th of Sept and totally committed to that date too! She has some really great fellowship with multiple of our members and others in surrounding wards. She is the best friend of a member who lives just across the river and has been going to her ward for a few sundays but is now going to come with us this week! which will be really good for the transition. She believes and has a testimony of all of what we have taught her, so things are really looking up with her.
We had a FHE with Tonya Stith and her girls over at a members house and that went really well also! They have come to church only once but this weekend, Tonya has work off so her whole family will be there for all 3 meetings! That is where the power comes in. She will experience the whole enchilada. They do not have a baptismal date but definitely will soon. The Bishop is very aware of them and dedicated to get them baptized. its amazing how much he wants them to be members. It really motivates me and gets the ward excited also!
We are still working with a few others, nothing really too strong but all part of the separating process! half the work is finding them.
Elder Pierce is my new companion, he is from St. George, UT. But he grew up in Florida and Louisiana so he is redeemed! But we get along really well, especially because he is focused and dedicated to really teaching powerful lessons to everyone he sees, so it has helped me to teach powerfully also. The Lord knew what I needed to end the mish.
thanks for the love and letters and emails and all the support. If yall could help a brother out, here is a simple list of foods I desire.
-Tuna in WATER
- whole-wheat pretzels
-almonds
-protein powder
love to all yall
Elder Malone