Elder Davis and I had a really good week this week.  Hunter Pentecost got baptized yesterday.  It was an awesome baptism.  We weren't able to get any pictures with my camera, but if I can get the picture we took I will send it off to all yall.  Hunter was baptized by the bishop and it was a really spiritual experience for his dad to be there.  His dad is a member that hasn't stepped inside of a church in years and Hunter taking these steps in his life has brought his father back into it.  It is awesome to see the work of God in the lives of others.  Hunter is a good kid and I hope that as he continues on the path he is on that he can become a great man. 

  This week we got to go to a meeting in Kingwood that happens every month for us called Mission Leader Conference.  We learned how to become better leaders and how to help the mission grow.  President Crawford decided to set a new mission standard for baptisms every month which was at 50 but will now be at 85!  We also changed another standard.  As a mission we were doing what we call the 333.  3 Member Presence (having a member at a lesson), 3 Progressing (Investigators keeping commitments) and 3 New (When we teach someone for the first time).  He has now changed it to 777.  Our mission is reaching higher and as we do miracles like Hunter are happening. 

  The Zone Elder Davis and I are over is the best Zone number wise in the mission at this point.  We are over some awesome missionaries that work hard and know how to work efficiently.  I love being here in Baytown it is so fun! 

  We were able to teach Lambris this week and he is doing good.  He knows the Book of Mormon is true and he has a testimony of what we are teaching.  His parents just wont let him come to church.  We will keep working with him and I know that when the time is right his parents hearts will soften and they will come and listen to our message and come to church as a family. 

  On Wednesday we were able to start teaching a new man his name it Matt Moody.  How we met Matt was we were out tracting looking for people to teach a while ago and he was outside in his garage.  We went up to him and were talking to him.  We talked about our message and how important it was.  He was willing to let us come back.  We set up an appointment on Wednesday of course and when we got there he was all ready for us.  He told us that he had, had encounters with missionaries before and they had really helped his dad out when his dad was going through a hard time.  He also told us that he had friends who were Mormon and they were always known to be good kids.  He said that those were some of the main reasons he let us come back.  As we taught him the message of the Restoration the spirit was really strong.  It was an awesome lesson and he invited us to come back.  We are hoping to get to sit down with his family too next time and share our message. 

  We had an awesome experience with Fast Offerings this week.  Elder Davis and I were reading in the White Handbook and we read under Fast Offerings that we should donate generously.  We both decided to pay a decently big amount.  We had faith that as we did this that the Lord would provide.  We got a call on Tuesday when we didn't have a dinner appointment from a member asking us if we had an appointment and if we would come over.  After that we got a call from another member telling us that she had some food for us and that she would drop it off at the church.  And, to top it off on Friday night as we were coming in from a long day of work there was a cherry pie on our doorstep.  We still don't know who brought it to us, but what I do know is that God will keep his promises.  He does provide when we take little steps of Faith. 

  I just need to talk about a few more people then I will close this Epistle.  On Saturday when I was with the Big Elder Poteki, we were at an apartment complex trying some people who Elder Davis and I had tracted into and we saw this lady with a really big dog.  We decided to go talk to her.  The dog was a really nice dog, but she still put him inside her home and we started talking to her.  Her name is Mariela.  We briefly talked about prophets and how our Heavenly Father has again reached out in love to call another prophet on the earth today and invited her to learn more about it.  She complied and we were able to teach her the Restoration.  It was an awesome lesson.  She went out of town this week though so I will fill yall in on the details about her when we see her next week. 

  The last story, on Saturday again, while Elder Poteki and I were trying people in the apartment complex we got to talk to one of the ladies Elder Davis and I talked to and we were able to set up a time to come back on Sunday.  As we went back on Sunday she was not home.  Later in the day Elder Davis and I decided to go try her again.  This time she was home with her family.  They let us in and we taught them the restoration.  Her name is Maria and her husbands name is Hulio and they have two kids.  One is 5 the other is 3.  They are both boys.  Anyways it was an awesome lesson and we are excited to go back and teach them more.  Love y'all and hope y'all have a fantastic week!

Elder Willden

Splits with Elder Poteki

Elders Poteki and Willden