It sounds really exciting at home.  The great pumpkin is manifesting itself once more this year.  People are getting into the spirit of Halloween.  Over here, not that many houses are decorated.  If anything they are getting excited for the football game to happen this saturday, which is a homegame playing Mississippi state.  Both Alabama and Mississippi state are undefeated, so us missionaries are pretty scared to see what will happen this saturday.  Here they have parades and other things for the occasion.

  As far as Halloween goes, I'm pretty excited.  The Tuscaloosa ward will have a trunk or treat on oct 30th.  I don't think we will be tracting.

  Jeremy's letter reminded me of what happened this week.  So we were looking through the area book to find people to teach.  There are very few, and its kind of hard to contact them.  So we were looking through the "former investigators" to find out why the missionaries decided to drop these people.  Most of the reasons were contacting problems: couldn't get a hold of them, address doesn't exist, not progressing, etc.  But then there was a reason that said: "received a call from him and he said 'leave me alone!'"  And I was like dang, what did missionaries do to scare them away like that haha.  Then there was one that said: "I have received an answer to my prayers, and it is not to get baptized."  ...So we don't have many people from the area book to teach.  But mainly because the previous missionaries don't know how to put down the correct address.  We put in one of the investigator's address in the gps, and it lead us to the middle of nowhere lol.  We thought, she doesn't live in a tent does she?

  So, for most of our time we have been tracting.  Believe it or not, we have been really successful.  Last week we almost taught 40 lessons.  Most of them may not be that effective but at least we planted a lot of seeds, and help them develop their faith somewhat.  Probably only 3 of that 40 are new investigators.  I've been told that a lesson is just teaching at least one doctrine and sending an invitation.

  This place is strange.  Half of it is high-class student housing, but right next to them are the projects.  Just across the street from us is this beat up brickhouse apartments.  We tracted them one night and found out it is filled with "sorcerers, murderers, whoremongers, etc" lol  We actually found one that straight told us he is involved in a gang and that he worships Satan.  We asked him why and he said "just cuz" lol he was so high.  Among all these people, most of them said we're not interested, occasionally we would run into a baptist and talking to them would get nowhere.  But we did knock into a door.  A boy answered.  I asked is your mom or dad home?  He said yea hold on.  He was watching adventure time btw.  A lady named Lora came up and invited us in.  Our conversation with her was very interesting, we knew this experience was going to be different cuz she let us in.  We found out her Grandfather, uncle, and nephew recently passed away before we taught her anything.  We taught her the plan of salvation which explains to us where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.  We could tell this message brought so much comfort to her life.  We gave her a book of mormon.  She seems like someone who would want to know more.

  So if I could give any advice for someone who would want to go on a mission. (sam lol)  I would say do it. Don't expect it to be this exciting experience where everybody is happy and what not.  It's only like that in the mtc lol.  Serving a mission is hard. It is very humbling.  I realized really quickly how much I do not know.  Especially when teaching.  One time it got to the point where I cried because I thought I was so inadequate in teaching.  Now I don't even know why I cried.  That's a silly reason to cry.  God knows we are not perfect.  He is just happy to see how far we came.  It took another missionary to tell me that.  So if you want to go on a mission, do it.  You will grow so much even if you think you didn't help anybody else grow.  I also hear that it blesses our families.  Elder Osiemo, he is from Kenya, said ever since he has been on a mission 4 people from his family got baptized, which was a surprise to him because last time he saw them they were crazy haha.  Elder Osiemo reminds me of jt sometimes.

  Its great to see this family grow together so much, especially this time of the year.  Happiness is all that matters.

Congratulations Melissa

Elder Jacob Miklich

(I got more time to email this time yes!)