preparation, faith, results

Dear Family,

How is everybody? Wednesday mornings are always a treat. Receiving email from home is a great experience for me. This week was great. The way we work has changed a little, but the spirit has not changed a bit. It is wonderful visiting with the members, as we build relationships with them there always seem to be referrals that follow.

This week we met with a new brother named Atun, he is the cousin-brother of an investigator the sister missionaries are teaching. Their family comes from northern India somewhere, but I'm not exactly sure which place. Anyway, he is a very interesting guy. As soon as we sat down to meet with him he started asking questions. His main concern was how we can gain salvation. We were pretty stoked to hear that. We taught him a little and gave him Alma 42 to study. We went back a few days later and he had created an entire page of notes and more questions to ask. That morning I had been studying 3 Nephi 27. During the course of our discussion a question of his came up, he basically asked, how do we clean our soul? Automatically I flipped open to that chapter and gave him verses 19 and 20. They tell us how to wash our garments through the blood of christ. Anyway, this brother does not have the best english but he definitely understood that verse. He was so happy to have his questions answered. I feel good about him.

Last night we met with a sister in our branch. Her name is Sister Sirisha, she is 1st counselor in the relief society. She served a mission and is one of the greatest strengths in the branch. She has had a difficult life and a very bad relationship with her father who left the family a few years back. She was having a lot of trouble. She claimed that God didn’t love her. She thought that according to her patriarchal blessing she had already fulfilled her purpose on the earth by serving a mission. We urged her not to think like that. But last night I really experienced the spirit of discernment. For some reason we had made a lesson plan that morning for another brother, it was on Hope. We didn’t end up meeting with that brother, but the lesson didn’t go to waste. Both Elder DJ and I felt prompted to teach Sirisha the doctrine of hope. She heard exactly what she needed to. It was obvious to see that the message we shared comforted and inspired her.

I see the Lord's hand in the work consistently. There is no such thing as chance out here. I have learned the value of patience and keeping an optimistic attitude. The gospel provides us a way to be happy in any circumstance. All we have to do is look for the blessings we've been given.

Love you guys,
Elder Tuscano

(below are excerpts from letters to individual family members)

General conference this next week... I am so excited for it, but we don’t get to watch until the next week. I have never been more amped for a conference before. I remember when you guys had so much trouble keeping me awake for the full two hours... man, I was a chump.

The weather is getting pretty hot. My branch is about 200 people big. But only 100 come to church on sundays. We are about to have a few baptisms planned near the end of this month. We have some cool people we are teaching right now. Serving the Lord is not easy all the time, but it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Bringing people into the church is the best man, I cant wait till you get a chance to do the same. I hope you are getting ready for it.