Hey guys :')

For some reason this week I thought so much about home. It was rough haha, never happened to me my whole mission, but I miss all of you guys so much! Sometimes on a mission it feels like life kinda moves on with out you, so much is happening! Serving out here has made me realize how blessed I've been my entire life, I'm literally surrounded by the most amazing people and examples, I thank all of you for helping make me who I am today, for loving me even when I'm an idiot.

We had Neriah's baptism...it was so good, she's the coolest most mature 11 year old I've ever met. The spirit was so strong, everyone was crying...it's the best feeling ever to help someone find what they've been searching for their whole lives..we also set a date for another 12 year old named Chloe to be baptized on May 16th. God isn't letting us rest yet! We have been so blessed.

This week was just awesome though...I went to the ER...lol. Thought I was gonna die. I went on a 2 day exchange with the Zone Leaders...for "special training" on how to be a Zone Leader..ugh I'm not ready for that. But we will see where the Lord needs me. Anyway so I had this thing going on with my chest..and it hurt, but I'm not one to go to the doctor or ask for help..so I toughed it out. Well six hours later I was in tears during a lesson...not because I was feeling the spirit. I told the Zone Leaders something was wrong we need to go to the hospital right now. By the time we got to the hospital it was 9:30 so my only option was the ER. I really didn't wanna do that because it's so expensive and I'd be in there all night...so I was just praying that something would happen. I asked the Zone Leaders to give me a blessing. There was no where to do this...so we went outside, walked across the street to a bus stop and did it in the booth, homeless people were walking by, cars where driving by, but we did it anyway. By the time the blessing was over, and after I'd talked to the mission doctor, President Passey, I decided I didn't want to get checked out. 20 minutes later there was zero pain. And I've had nothing since. The power of the priesthood is real. And I'm super glad nothing is wrong :)

District meeting was also super awesome this week, I gave a training on "Diligence in Effective Planning" it went really well, definitely the best district meeting I've had. With the new transfer we have new faces in the zone, and I have a new district. My district now consists of Elder Pectol and I, Sister Afemata and Sister Smith (she just got in the field today) and Elder and Sister Miller, who are the military relations missionaries. Also Elder Gudmundson and Elder O'shia are part of my district, but since they are the Zone Leaders they go to different meetings every week.

I did take a lot of pictures this week...but I left my camera at home...we had a super busy morning doing service (which we aren't supposed to do on Pday) but we helped anyway cause they needed it. So I'm super sorry everyone! Next week I'll hook you up <3

I feel so weird, so many of my close friends are going home tomorrow, or in a few weeks and I'm just gonna miss them...I'm now one of the older missionaries out here and I haven't even been out for 9 months haha. It's crazy...we are gonna be getting tons of new missionaries the next few months though because of school getting out. I JUST LOVE YOU ALL AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT ALL OF YOU AND PRAYING FOR YOU ALL. I MISS YOU GUYS. Keep doing what our Heavenly Father would have you do, this world needs good people, and we can make the difference <3 Thanks for all the support y'all have a #blessed week!

LOVE, Elder Mitchell

AND HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY SOPHIE...I mean I'll let you know next week too but I love you :)

One more thing....

I feel that I'm not one of those...sharing my super spiritual experiences on my mission, although I do have them. And I apologize for that, it's just not something I'm always super comfortable with talking about...but I do want to share with you some things that I have learned on my mission, because it HAS changed me and I HAVE learned a lot, and I have a real testimony now. 

If I have learned one thing these past few months it's that God gives us challenges for a reason. We literally are here on Earth to go through hard things. The saying is true, life will be hard, but it will be worth it. And I see that every day out here, there are so many people that just have, honestly, horrible lives..and I ask myself why them? They don't deserve this, they are good people. Why was I born in the church...why has my life been relatively easy? There was a talk...I don't remember who it was by..but the jist of it was that we are all equally challenged in this life, sometimes we just don't recognize it. For some people, being rich will also be their downfall, being attractive might be holding another person back. Sometimes we look at blessings, and don't realize that they could be our biggest challenges. 

One thing I have done every day on my mission is pray for challenges every night before I go to bed. I say something like "I thank you for the hard things you have given me, for the trials you have put in my life. I know I wouldn't be who I am, or know what I know without them. I ask that you would continue to give me trials, so I can continue to grow, to learn, and so you can shape me into what you want me to become..I just ask that I'll have the strength to get through them." 

And I have always gotten through them, I look back on these past 9 months and I think...wow, this has been awesome...and honestly it's been pretty easy..but then I remember I have had a lot of challenges, it hasn't always been easy..but God has always pushed me through it, and he hasn't given me anything I can't handle..it's just grown my testimony and made me a better me. So I challenge anyone who reads this to think about that, and that if we do have challenges it is because God loves us more than we could know. 

Look up the mormon message "Currant Bush"

I love you all! 

-Elder Mitchell