Wow that first transfer went fast. Thanks so much for the letters and for the Idaho Potatoes, Grandma! I'll cook these tomorrow probably for lunch and compare them against Oregon's. I've only ate potatoes twice since I've been here, eating at least 5 times each week strangely enough.

Who did BYU play and what was the final score?

It's sad to see Elder Dearborn go now to Meridian West because we really became friends in that last week. I'm with Elder Sumrall now and am looking forward to the next 6 weeks, I'm coming to love these people more and more.

Recently I've been studying Ukrainian, and only after 4 half hour study sessions I can read a surprising amount from the Book of Mormon. It's just relearning Russian. I can get a surprising amount of words from context/my knowledge of Russian. It was really cool, because a member approached me last night after the Stake Missionary Fireside and told me that she'd love to have me teach some Ukrainian immigrants. By the way you should ship me the Ukrainian MTC manual that I gave dad, it's on his bookshelf, it should have the Message of the Restoration as well as anything else I'll ever ever need.

I forgot to mention that I got to speak with a Bulgarian woman a few weeks ago in Russian for over an hour. It was pretty cool. It was difficult because she is a philologist and studied ancient texts, in particular the Bible and analyzes translations and compares them to the original languages. Not being able to see the original texts is something she can't get past. However we talked about many other things as well, and it was good to know that my Russian is staying.

Let me say a few words about this. The Book of Mormon alone and other scriptures are incredibly profound and make up incredible evidence in themselves. There really is no other explanation than the one Joseph Smith gave. There's twelve witnesses that personally saw the plates, the three, eight and Joseph Smith each gave testimonies in the front of the Book of Mormon and stayed true to the end to their testimonies to the end of their lives. It only takes 2 or 3 witnesses to convict a man in absence of sure evidence. There's twelve. However convincing that is, more so is the witness of the Holy Ghost. From D&C, "what greater witness can you have than from God?" The gift of the Holy Ghost is real whose presence I can almost always feel while on my mission. It's pretty cool. It's incredible how much evidence we have to present to the world so that they will accept the message of the Restoration and enter into the Church.

We hardly got anything done last week, since Elder Dearborn got a concussion on Monday. We've stayed in since Wednesday, when he got elbowed twice and hit with a basketball. Brutal. However the work goes on. It's incredible though to see the sheer determination and grit that Elder Dearborn has had though. He has definitely endured it well.

We're continuing to work with Willie, the quadriplegic who plays wheel chair rugby without being able to use his hands and triceps. He's incredible. I was able to ride in his friend's rugby chair, it was way fun. We're trying to find a time to teach him in a member's home right now.

The work is hastening and I'm feeling a great urgency to give my all to this mission. I've received greater and greater blessings through obedience than ever before. However missionary work is, "not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world." D&C 84:48. I absolutely love the Book of Mormon and it's contents. Out of time, but I love you all and pray for you every day.

Love,
Elder Szendre

P.S. Anyone else reading this, My email is joseph.szendre@myldsmail.net, and dearelder.com (free) also works well.