Excellent Week!

9/2/12

This week was another great one!

We traveled all over the place including a 7 hour drive to and from Roanoke, thru Huntington and all the up to Ohio. I don't know how anyone could spend this much time in the car and get along any better than Elder Dallin Klain and I. (That's my companion) He is from Cardston, Alberta. We put together a Zone Leader Council this week and had all the Zone Leaders in and we were able to have a good feel for where the mission is at. These are kind of the conclusions we have come to:

- We have a very obedient mission, there is no outrageous behavior or contraband

 - Everyone has a deep love of the scriptures (whether you want to or not, this is the Bible Belt)

  -Everyone loves and respects President Pitt

 - For the most part we are good at the mechanics of finding and teaching

 - There is more faith than there has ever been

We discussed what it is going to take to have success. We are kind of breaking new ground because everyone feels they have potential to be incredible, and the task of the Zone Leader is to direct them and help them achieve it. I know these next few months witll be historic in the WVCM. Our discussion consisted much of forget the past and be your best self. Already there has been excitement brewing in the districts. President really wants us to be a top notch proselyting area, on top of our responsibilities, and so Elder Klain and I prayerfully set a goal to reach the Standard of Excellence Every week. I have only done it once on my mission. So this morning we had done all but two of the key indicators for it. We needed two people at church and 2 baptismal dates. We asked the Lord to grant us this blessing, because we know we had worked hard and been obedient. The two people we hoped would be there didn't show, but two others we had worked with previously came. We reached that goal. Tonight we had a wonderful lesson with a members cousin, who is looking forward to baptism as well. While walking back to our car tonight there was a young mother sitting on her front steps. We went and talked with her and she met with missionaries a bunch in the past and wondered why they stopped coming by. She wants to be baptized in October.  In the final hours the Lord provided two elect people in our path. I talk about this not as numbers thing by any means, but I have really come to enjoy the ability to choose. We really set out minds to this goal. We set in hope and worked according to faith. We are so much in control of our attitude, way more than we realize.

There were so many miracles of members bringing friends to dinner and so many other great things. I have such a love for this work. I had to put service clothes on this week and I couldn't stand it. First off I looked like a goofball without a white shirt on and it was a realization that I wont be doing this forever. Maybe I will just dwell among the people until I die here.

Thank you for you love and support

Love Elder Dumke