Excerpt from Josh's email January 7, 2013
Everything here has been going alright. We are trying to get on a more regular schedule now that the holidays are over. it's been working pretty well. I am learning a lot from my own personal study and experiences. I feel like normal life will be so much easier now haha. The Mission is hard at times, It challenges me with many different things. We have been doing a lot of tracting lately since we don't have a very large teaching pool. We use the prayer approach a lot and pray with a lot of different people. We invite the spirit and bless the home and the family and afterwards we talk a little bit more and ask if we can come back and share a message about Jesus Christ and about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. It works really well. People out here are super interested to let us come in and offer a pray with them. It amazes me sometimes home many people have faith that there is a god and that Jesus Christ is the Savior. It almost makes our job easier since they already believe. That hard part is helping them know that the gospel that we offer is true. We do that by inviting them to pray and read the Book of Mormon. It's simple. In the Introduction of the Book of Mormon it talks about that if they come to know that the Book of Mormon is true then that means Joseph Smith is a prophet, that the priesthood was restored to the earth, that Jesus Christ is our savior and that the church of Jesus Christ is his true church. You can read it it's really cool. We also show them the scripture in Moroni, Moroni 10:3-5. Basically if we have faith in Christ, if we have a sincere heart, and have real intent to know then we can know by the power of the Holy Ghost. I think that is the most powerful thing. I've been reading my patriachal blessing a lot and every time i read it i find more things about it that make sense or that i learn from it. One thing I know though is that these are the last days. I know that the world is going to get worse and worse and i know everyone says that but i just feel that it's getting closer. I know we need to prepare ourselves the best that we can to be ready for anything that can happen. Prepare Physically and Spiritually as well. And as much as i might talk about home or how much i miss you guys, or anything really I want you to always remember this, I Know this is where i am supposed to be. I think the mission is doing more good for me than i am doing for it really, but i love it. I am so glad i made this decision. i know that this is where i am supposed to be, The lord wants me here, he needs me here. I havent yet seen a miracle come to pass from my doing but i know this is where he wants me. I know i made the right decision. I have learned to love the work, as much as i say i miss home or anything doesn't take away from the fact that i am Serving the lord. I wouldn't change anything. I have learned so much already and i know that it never will get easier but it will always be worth it and that the sufferings of this time do not compare to the glory that we can find within us. anyways i will email you guys again soon.