"How can I sign up so my name can be on the ward list and get these announcements?"

Dear Family!!!!

Wow what a week this last one was. It felt like a 100 years but went by way fast at the same time. I loved it. First thing was Tuesday morning we woke up at 4:40 in the morning in order to take the dying missionaries to the airport and drop them off with president. It was a weird thing to see. Just dropping them off and watching them carrying their bags to the airport and knowing that they would never come back as a missionary. It made me really think, time really does fly by we need to protect it and make the most of it. It was funny we took 3 to the airport. They didn't say a word the whole way, their faces were just struck with fear and not knowing what was going to happen. They were OK until they saw the first airplane and really felt it come that they were actually going home. I’m truly glad that I still have the opportunity to be out here on my mission and still have a while left to serve the Lord. But I know it's coming, so I just have to use all the time I have and do the smartest work I can to become an even better tool in the hand of the Lord. That same day after waking up at 4:40, that night we didn't get home until midnight. We had to take care of some things in the office and finish the announcements and some other stuff. It has been really interesting. I've already learned a ton of things and just continue to learn, but it's a lot different then have the whole time to think about investigators and always finding people to teach and always teaching. Although we still have the time to do so, it's not like it was before where I could spend all day every day just thinking about our investigators and finding more and more new ones. So it's been a little change, and it made me tired, but I’m just pushing through it loving it. Knowing that the Lord has called me and there are many things that I need to learn from this experience and many things I need to do for this mission, and help President Grimley carry out his revelation for the mission and its direction. I just love this work so much.

This last week we also went on exchanges at a place called zhong he. It was so much fun. We went there expecting to see miracles and man did we see them. We found lots of families and people that are willing to come to church and learn about the gospel. The first day I was on exchanges with Elder Brunson, this is his first transfer as a zone leader. We had a blast together. We saw miracles and talked to everyone. Then the next day I went on an exchange with Elder Li, He is a native missionary, Early in the mission when I served in Xin Zhu he was in my district. Back then he didn't talk to a single person on all 3 exchanges I went on him with. This time he was actually talking to people. The first time I saw him contacting a man I was shocked and couldn't believe my eyes. I was very happy inside to see him doing that!! In all it was an great exchange!!

This week we saw a huge miracle. I was contacting on the street in our area with the little time that we have in our area. I contacted a lady on the street. She was riding a bike. I set up time with here. She came the next day and ended up being Golden. She is a 65 year old woman. She is the cutest little thing. She was just so willing to start reading, praying, coming to church. She came to church and loved it. It was so cool to see her, all dressed up in her outfit and just very happily walking into the church. She really did love it. The ward was talking about the ward activity. She raised her hand and said. "How can I sign up so my name can be on the ward list and get these announcements." It was so cute. She is awesome. So we are working with her and will continue to help her develop her faith in Christ and come closer unto Him.

Another miracle. The first person I contacted in my new area is sister lu. She is awesome. I set her up and she ended up changing times because she couldn't make it the first time. We set her up at 12:45. We met with her and she was awesome. She committed to baptism and start doing the things in order to be baptized. We asked her the first baptismal interview question. She said I really want to be able to say yes. She was like I don't have a specific background in religion, but I want to believe. She ended up staying for the first hour of church with us also, and absolutely loved it. She had a great time, and the spirit was really there. It was great to see her so happy there at church with people she had just barely met an hour before. This was a huge miracle wrought by the hands of the Lord.

Sunday night was the fireside. It was wonderful. The spirit was way strong. I worked all week on the video. I found an Elder Holland Mormon message on the Savior and Easter. I put subtitles on it in Chinese and we showed it in the fireside. The spirit was very powerful. We also had 2 great musical numbers. It was beautiful. The Lord really blessed us and allowed us to have a very successful fireside with the Savior Jesus Christ and his Resurrection as the center of it all! I’m so grateful for the Lord. I love Him so much. I know He lives, He truly is a living being right now, he leads and directs this church at this very moment. I know this is all true, and I’m so blessed and grateful for the opportunity to be here on my mission and the opportunity I have to testify the savior and all the things that He has done for the world. I love this gospel so much.

Well this new calling is very interesting, and I know time is just going to fly by so fast. But I’m making the most of my time and trying to do the best work I can for the Lord. My whole mission has been about Sanctification. So when I got this calling we talked about it with president, of our missionaries just not being completely sanctified in the work, and not truly understanding their Savior Jesus Christ, So He agreed and this month we are focusing on "Sanctification, through applying the doctrine of Christ in our own lives." I’m so excited for this month. I really believe this will pull our missionaries over the edge and allow our mission to explode in the work of the Lord. My companion and I are also working on a video about Sanctification and fire as a missionary. We are really excited about it and know it will help our missionaries have the fire and drive to contact more and be more excited about the work. I love this so much. The movie really is awesome.

This week we also had an amazing opportunity to go to a college and give a presentation on the church. It was powerful. We did a PowerPoint for it. But it didn't end up working. Anyway we just went according to the plan and taught them about our church. They had some good questions and the spirit filled the room. We were able to help them clear up any mis-understanding about our church and help them understand our doctrine. Also after the class we were able to get 3 people that really want to learn more about the church. So it was pretty successful. It was a fun experience. I just love answering questions and being in front of people. Not because I like to have attention or anything, but it's just fun testifying in front of a ton of people. It's an amazing feeling. I can only imagine the apostles, they get to testify to the whole world. I love listening to conference. We will be listening to conference this weekend. I’m so excited; I have a spiritual feast and more whenever there is conference. I just love listening to our Prophet and Apostles. They truly are filled with the spirit, and are called of God.

Well family it was an awesome and tiring week. I’m just getting more and more tired, I just love it. I love it because I can rely on the Lord, if I didn't I know I would fall. But as I trust in the Lord and do all I can the Lord will bless me and help me continue on the right path and bring more of His souls back unto Him.

I know that God Lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is the risen Lord. I know that because I have received specific answers to my specific prayers. I know because the Holy Ghost has manifested it unto me. I love this work. I hope to be a tool in the Lord's hands the rest of my life, and into the eternities.

I love you all so so very very much.

-Elder Rasmussen