This week was pretty rough...

Hello family!! (And yes, you're all family)

Alright...first things first. Thank you so much for my package!!!!!
Haha it was great!! :) :) just a tip, though, so you don't have to
send massive packages like that every time: don't worry about sending
me a lot of junk food. Trust me...I get SO much. I actually finally
finished off your Easter package a few weeks ago. I'm just not much of
a candy person at all...and so it just sits there and gets old. I will
accept moms baked goods, however...those I will never get tired of ;)

But anyways...so this week was pretty rough a lot of the time. Not
that the work isn't slowly getting better, and the ward isn't still
great...just having some personal issues with not feeling good enough.
It's hard for me to feel like I'm a better person than I was when I
woke up sometimes. I guess I'm just frustrated with how slow it is,
and how much work it takes for someone (including myself) to become
better. The Atonement is very real, and very eternal...it's just up to
us to access it. And that's the hardest part!
I guess that's probably good, though. It means I actually care about
wanting to repent...and that's the first step.

So this week was kind of a bugger just because Joel cancelled. He got
off work late and he said he'd rather do it another day. We told him
to text us a better day, but he never responded. He might just be
really busy. He's pretty good about answering when we call so well
probably call and try and set up something for Saturday.

Something really good did happen, though! We went back to look up
someone that we found tracting a couple weeks before, and as we walked
down the driveway, this man was walking out of his garage. He was
holding a big plate of uncooked hamburgers that he was about to put on
the grill, so he was a little busy, but he said we could come back
this Saturday. As we were walking away, he was like, "oh are you the
guys that gave us that little booklet (the Restoration pamphlet)?" And
we were like, "uh...yeah!" And he said, "yeah, we've been reading
it...it's very interesting!" ........................our mouths just
dropped. NO ONE reads the pamphlet!! That's a miracle!! :D

Me and Elder Prestwich are doing good. He's an awesome guy. He's
really started to come out of his mega thick, shy shell, and he's
funny!! I think he still thinks I, Elder Fuller, and Elder Sprunt are
crazy, though. We're pretty ridiculous still...like always. Oh
boy....you guys better be ready. I'm pretty sure that I've just gotten
weirder on the mission :)

Well, that was my week! Not super exciting. The best part is today!! I
just got out of the temple!!! It was incredible. I love the temple. I
think one of the best parts about going home, though, is that I can go
to the temple whenever. It's SUCH a hassle to go here in New York. So
many approvals, and so much time and money...and driving! Ugh I hate
driving. Our area is impossible to not drive in, so I always feel
trapped in the car. I just want to get out and feel like a missionary!

I love you all so much! You're all the best! Have an awesome week!! :)

-Elder Stafford :)