Dear family,
If I walked outside right now, I could see Lake Washington from the church parking lot. Mercer Island is in the middle of it, and you can also see it from here! It's a beautiful view. (I'm still trying to find a way to get the pictures on here). It's close enough that you can still see it on a cloudy day, unless it's foggy too! Mount Rainier of course is only visible on clear days, and its full view is available up on the hills surrounding the city center. The church is above the valley of downtown Renton. It's very hilly here! I'm lucky to have a car. We lost it for a week, as I've said before, and rode bikes, but it's not as bad as biking uphill in Utah.
Yesterday, we attended a missionary devotional in Maple Valley, and "E" and "J" came. They loved it, even though the singing was bad and the first convert took up half the time for his testimony! I also saw Elder Andrew Shreeve! He is serving in the Federal Way stake right now. It was so good to see him. Elder Tibbitts' recent convert said the opening prayer. His name is "D S". He was in Elder Tibbitts' last area. At that time, he had been Christian for several years, and gave up living a gay lifestyle. His parents were antichrists. He has a dark past and very traumatic experiences with the secret combinations and oaths performed by devil worshippers in Omaha, Nebraska. It stands as a testimony that anyone, no matter where they've been, can come to Christ and be fully healed in Him. Elder Tibbitts says Brother "S" is a funny and optimistic guy, despite the horrors he went through. No one can say they can't change. Its a lie. Satan tries to deceive us by making us think we're stuck in a rut, or we're too far gone.
I've learned so much in the past month, and I'm excited to continue to grow my spirituality. I do love the people I'm serving, and I want to help them because I know the message I share is the only way to true happiness. I will be much more bold when teaching. One way I can do that is making sure the people I stop on the street perceive us as servants of God, not salesmen. I will say, "The message we share will change your life for the better. It is the most important and life-changing message you'll ever receive. It is bold and unapologetic, but it is the truth, and it will get you closer to God if you listen with all your heart." Instead of, "would you like to hear a message of how Jesus Christ brought back His true church..." I think that people will be more impressed if they hear the truth without the prerogative of "would you like." That just makes it sound like an advertisement.
I love you with all my heart, and wish you the best.
Much love,
Elder Herbert