Joliet...The Promised Land

Friends and Family,

I love this place so much!!! There are rivers, draw-bridges, barges, and most importantly...HISPANICS!!! We were able to find 5 new people this week and they are all so awesome!

One of them is Maria Luna and she is so funny. We were just riding past on our bicycles when we saw her trimming her hedges--well, we almost ran over her on our bikes...but anyway--she was trimming her hedges and so I pulled my bike over and whipped out my trusty pocket knife (thanks again Swink family!) and started cutting little branches one at a time. She was laughing at that and telling me to stop, that it would take me two years to do (I told her that was fine;) and then we asked if we could share something with her. She said that she was really busy and that she had to clean and then she was going to get tacos. Well we offered to help and she declined and so after a few minutes of negotiation, we decided that we would go get tacos and then we could talk while she ate. Just as we started off on our bikes again though, she called after us and said that she was coming with us. So we had a nice lesson in the little taco shop, Los Comales.

In my studies this week, I have been reading a lot about charity and kindness. As we sat in our stake conference session this last week, I was kind of getting lost in my own thoughts, until the spirit hit me like a brick and taught me this eternal truth: Our eternal progression depends on how we help, serve, lift, and support others on THEIR journey of eternal progression. Charity and kindness are the characteristics of eternal progression. We cannot succeed without them.
I love President Monson's talk in the Priesthood session this last general conference because it outlines exactly that. Even our Heavenly Father's work and glory is to help us along the path to eternal life--His kindness and charity is what helps us progress to become more like him and so the more we develop those attributes here, the better we will be in the life to come.

I love this Gospel with all of my heart and I know that this is the true church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that because I have studied and I have prayed and I testify that I recieved a witness from the Spirit that it is true.

Thank you for your love and support. I love you all and I hope that you can all find ways to love and serve your fellow man. And I want you to know that you have each already served me in helping me be where I am today.

Love you!

Elder Arkoudas

A member gave us "mochilas" from Guatemala!

 My new comp. Elder Wightman.



The BARGE...