14 Feb 2011 13 weeks and counting!!

Not much of a letter today due to his companion's computer problems, but, here it is...


So how's the job?  Hopefully it's going great and you're loving it.

So, what HAVE I taught you since I've been on my mission?  I was just thinking the other day,  "I haven't born a lot of testimony or what not on my misson to my family."  We'll see though.

   Well, I'm going to give the rest of my time to Elder Wiles because his computer locked him out, but we set someone for baptism last week and then we had a miracle referral as well.  He's a 17 year old named cristian and he's AWESOME!  He does community service on his own and he asked us to come visit him!  He's legit!

  Anywho, love you alll  and hope you're doing well.

7 Feb 2011

Apparently theres a ton of opposition in our entire mission, but our mission president said that it's also throughout the entire church.  He told one of my district members about a prophecy of Pres. Hinckley about how there would be opposition like we've never before seen, and there would then be no more lukewarm members of the church, and then we'd experience unprecedented growth.  Or something like that.  But it just seems that everyone is getting slammed lately.  The sisters in my district have been sick for a whole week.  They didn't go out once last week.  Poor sisters.  They're way awesome, and they were still trying their hardest to work even though they could barely leave their beds.
  Congrats on the job finally!  I knew it would all work out.  It wasn't when you wanted it, but it came when you needed it!  That's way cool!  I totaly forgot that it was superbowl sunday yesterday.  I had to be reminded like, 7 times.  I guess that's cool the packers won.  Brett Favre is probably crying still.  
   I talked to Pres. about this area, and he was like "Elder, I think this is one of the hardest areas in the entire mission.  But I appreciate your attitude about it."  So we talked about what needed to happen, and I think they might be sending in sisters next transfer.  Which I wouldn't mind at all.  But in good news, we just set up an appt with a less active who is reactivating herself and her 11 year old daughter wants to get baptized.  She only needs like, 2 or 3 lessons and then she's good to get baptized.  ANd her mom wants her to get baptized.  So we're praying that we can make that happen.  And we've got a few investigators who are actually interested.  Things are slowly slowly slowly looking up.  WE've got zone conference in Richmond tomorrow, and today my companion and I are going to the family history center.  He wants to do all his work because his family is converts but they're all less active, so we're going today to see what we can come up with.  The consultant there is opening it up just for us :)  
   Well, I still want to thank you for sending me the quad.  I have only put it down when it is absolutely necessary.  And that BYU shirt is the most comfortable thing I have ever worked out in.  THanks a ton.
    Well, I love you all and I'm grateful for all that you do.  I almost had a mind meltdown yesterday.  I forgot that after February comes march, and so I said to my comp "General conference is next month" and then I started freaking out.  It was horrible.  Everyone keeps reminding me that I've only got 4 months left! 
 HINT: Don't talk to a missionary about how much time he has left when it's under 8 months.  It will just make him sad and upset.  
   Well, have a great week :)
                                                               Elder Campbell
Revelation Chap. 315 I know thy ^aworks, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 16 So then because thou art ^alukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ^bspue thee out of my mouth

31 Jan 2011

Soo.  Testimony on chastity.  Well, I was studying through DC 76 the other day, and it starts talking about those that will get into the celestial kingdom right?  It says that they will be those who entered into and stayed faithful to the new and everlasting covenant (marriage).  And then all of a sudden it popped into my head.  When people don't live the law of chastity, they just end up shacking up with each other and fornicating.  That is a sacred power that is only supposed to be shared between married people.  ANd so by doing that, a lot of people will live together and do that stuff but never get married.  And THAT'S the problem.  THe lack of marriage.  God want's us to be able to return to him, and marriage is a requirement.  But if we're just taking the benefits of marriage without actual marriage, we can't get back to Him.  So by giving us the law of chastity, it's protecting us and helping us return to Him in the celestial kingdom.  Pretty cool, right?
  So yeah, thats my testimony of the law of chastity.  Anywho.
   So I was in Richmond all last week at leadership training.  It blew my MIND!  IT was the coolest 4 days I've ever had on my mission.  I learned SOOOOOO much.  It was so cool to just get personal training by Pres. Perry and be able to practice it all.  We did a lot of roleplays and we had this really cool training on listening by a professional communication expert.  Like, she goes into businesses and trains the employees how to listen and communicate, and then she'll go to the business mergers and help everyone communicate so that they can make a good deal.  It was SICK.  I'm an expert listener now.  I'm so excited on missionary work now.  It's way awesome.  Also, the lady Maria that I was always telling you about when I was in Chesterfield, well we visited her on Thursday and I got to set her for baptism again and she's DETERMINED to get baptized.  And she wants me to come down and do the confirmation.  It was so cool.  I accidentally gave her my personal study book of mormon that was all marked up and had all my notes and stuff in it.  I was way sad.  
  In other news, actually, that's about it.  Not too much to tell you.  Missionary work is great, but Charlottesville is really really really tough.  Like, I think this is the hardest area I've ever worked in my mission.  I need some advice.  If you only had 3 areas that were loaded with hispanics and others were interspersed throughout the city, what would you do to find them but also not get burned out from going to the same 3 places every single day?  I feel like I'm getting sooooo burned out because we don't have many investigators and we have to always go to the exact same places to find people and it's super discouraging.  So what should I do?  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
  So yeah, I'm turning 21 on Wednesday, and Elder Taylor in my district turns 21 tomorrow.   It's pretty cool.  Elder Wiles said he's taking me out to lunch on Wednesday.  Should be pretty fun.  I can't believe I'm actually going to be 21.  I guess it's a good thing that I'm out here as a missionary, otherwise I'd probably do something STUPID on my birthday :)  hahah


  Well, I love you all very much.
      Elder Campbell