this was the first week of 2013.  It is cold, but I am sure it is not as cold as it is back home.  Today is actually kind of nice, a sunny day where in the shadows it is really cold and in the sun it kind of warms up.

  I have the very thought that Jerr has about how this work is like being in the army.  The organization is similar as well.  As you may have noticed in the book of Mormon, whenever a war was going on, each side some form of leadership such as chief captain, captain, etc.  Not only with protecting their people, they also used a leadership for protecting their moral lifestyle:  chief judge, High priest, priest, members of the church of God.  Everyone has a specific task to work to better together and work as a single unit.  In the mission, you have the mission president, assistants, zone leaders, district leaders, trainers, missionaries, and also senior missionaries.  Every now and then when we have a district meeting, we do feel a sense that we are serving in an army and have a vital role in saving souls by helping them follow Christ more.

  Elder Peters and I don't really have that many exciting people to see at the moment.  Many people just got back from their vacation.

On a sidenote, I have just noticed today that even though I am not really exercising that much, we are biking alot and now I am going up hills like nothing.

On the book of Mormon assignment, today I read pages 13 to 18 in the English version. Which is 1 Nephi 7 through most of chapter 10.  I find that the vision of the tree of life that Lehi sees in chapter 8 is a good story when talking about missionary work to recent converts, simply because the fruit that Lehi partakes of is fruit that desires to make you happy, and then Lehi desires others to eat this as well.  The fruit is like the gospel, it makes us live more happily.

  I heard a great quote from the sunday school teacher Bro. Morrow:  "If you keep doing what you are doing, you're going to keep getting what you're getting.  If you don't like what you are getting, you better change what you are doing."

  I have been working on reading Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage, it is still enladen with intricate words and engraved with bold language.  I tried to sound like him for a second.  You really have to have a dicionary handy.  It kind of gets frustrating always looking though the dictionary for a word in each sentence.  Makes me feel dumb lol.  But I am learning a lot more words. I wonder how it was when translating the ancient record of the book of Mormon.

  Well Tuscaloosa is still booming.

As President Holzapfel would say, may the Lord bless you and have a safe week.

Elder Jacob Miklich