November 1, 2016

Hello, 

It's wonderful to write to you all on this Tuesday morning, hope you're all doing well. My week has been great. It's weird because it seems like yesterday I was writing my last letter, and now here I am again, and a ton has happened. My Arabic is progressing, I can see some improvement, and yesterday, it was so weird, because I could follow along ok, when we were teaching this Iraqi referral we had gotten. It was amazing, I only picked out words, but I was able to understand and follow. I have definitely seen the Lord helping me to learn it. Whenever I had attempted to learn Arabic in the past, one of the biggest problems, was the fact that I would try to think of an Arabic word, and Spanish would pop into my head.  I took Spanish for two years and I got it pretty well, so Spanish would just be there instead of Arabic.  But ever since I started studying it on my mission, I have never had the slightest problem. He's also making things stick much better, which is really nice. So that's good.

We had two baptisms on Saturday, and two confirmations on Sunday, these two guys are so solid. Adam and Azel, both from Iraq, they're really good friends, and they were both searching for Christian churches for a while, but none of them felt right, eventually through God, they found us, and loved it. They are literally the miracle converts you read stories about.  Their whole story is amazing, and inspiring, but I don't have time to write the whole thing out.  Suffice it to say, they were prepared and God showed them the Church.   I have a feeling that they are going to do a lot in the Church and help many other Iraqis come to Christ. The baptisms was so full of the Spirit, and it was great. We're going to start teaching Adams family this Wednesday, and I'm super excited for that! They're so solid. We are working with some other members, and finding people, it's been great, the work is amazing. I love the Arabic people, and it's such a blessing to help them learn of Christ, and learn how to become more like Him. On Sunday morning, we had Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy talk to us, it was so good.  The Spirit was strong; it just makes you want to be a better missionary, and person. The Spirit that you gain as a missionary is unlike any other.  The joy that the Lord gives to those who share is amazing. And we need not only feel it on missions, but sharing with our friends, and even sharing, again with our families. My Mother taught me, over and over again, and because of that, I'm here.  Harold B Lee taught “The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes.”. That joy is found in losing yourself in selfless service to those whom the Lord has chosen for you to labor, wherever that may be. That is how we have peace, and the fullness of joy. 

Elder Rosenbalm

Here are some fun adventures this week which include:

 us with Mohammed (or Adam, he's getting his
named changed) and Azel, and one of Adams kids. That was a great day,
but the plug in the baptismal font is really weird, so it got stuck, and we could not

unscrew it. One of my zone leaders found a suit, got in and tried but
he couldn't get it, so in desperation he started dumping the water
down the whole of the plug (it is hollow to prevent flooding) using a
trash can, lol, we eventually got it unplugged so that was an
adventure. We also have some pictures I took at the San Diego Temple
at night, we taught some investigator there. Oh, and the last ones
really great, remember how we Skype some Elders in Sweden, well, one
of the guys got baptized this Saturday, and they took those, lol. And
lastly, all the Arabic Elders were together for the baptism, so we got
some pics, and I'm killing my trainer because he's dying (going home)
after he trains me. 

Elder Rosenbalm