Letter # 15 (Shreveport, LA)

I love the digital era!  Since Boo has "lost" his camera and may I add broken his brand new bike all in his first 2 months in the mission field, I am grateful for those who have been so kind as to send me photos of him from time to time.  As well as feed him!  Tracy Barlow has been amazing!!!  Last month she made him a true Louisiana style dinner.  They had shrimp gumbo, red beans and rice, cheese and sausage grits, french bread and salad.  This picture was taken this week after she fed the missionaries once again!  Rumor has it that he did help with the clean up, yeah Boo!  Steven's cousin Sam just entered the MTC today too!  That is three of the four cousins.  Next week his cousin Zack will enter the MTC too!  Now a word from my missionary...
          ~Lisa

Hey world!
So this week was a hot one! Just look up at a bank marquee on my way over to the library and saw the number 108! As in degrees, plus humidity! Not fun when it comes to riding the bikes! But hey, we only have one more month of the heat right! So this next week is going to be weird, as Elder Spangler gets ready to head home, thus putting me in charge of the area. It is weird to think of the changes that have occurred over the coarse of the last three months. So much growth has occurred, I couldn't begin to list the changes. I feel so inadequate to put on the name tag everyday, and be a representative of Jesus Christ. But time and time again the Lord has blessed me to know how to get people to listen, or He leads us to the people who want to hear our message. It is truly amazing. One of the other blessing that I have noticed recently is that people change. Some of the people who we have been working with have changed so much, and that is because we as missionaries were able to help facilitate an endowment that the spirit can do work in! And it is so cool to help be a part of that. I got to see my first baptism since being out on the mission! Sierra Dean was baptised with the help of Elder Westbrook and Elder Reil, who are the other Shreveport elders! It was absolutely amazing to see, and the spirit just reaffirmed to me that what I am doing is what I am supposed to be doing.
So news has reached me that I have more cousins fixin to enter the MTC this week! Congrats Sammie boy! Get ready for the craziest time of your life! The next week will be the most crazy of your life. Your about to embark on the biggest rollar coaster of your life filled with more ups and down's than you knew were possible! Enjoy the MTC, it is a good break. But stear clear of the Choclate milk. It will mess you up! Take care in there! And write your big cousin boo boo if you have any questions!
              ~Elder Maddox!

Elder Maddox (front) with his trainer Elder Spangler during their last week together!