Crazy Cool Week!

Hello there, how in the world is everyone doing? So let me start off by saying, that package got to me safely. Thank you soooo much, I was actually thinking about getting new ties, and I love polyester ties!! You really can never have too many ties in my book, I went to the MTC with 6 and now, after donating some not so great ones to goodwill, I have 35, the most I've seen a missionary have is in the low 60's, but he had been out a long time, so I still can do it haha.

This last week I've had two more "it's a small world after all moments" 1) A lady in the La Center ward was at dinner with us one night, and she was talking about how she lived in Mesa for a while in High School, I asked her where and she said Red Mtn. I asked her if she knew any Bates' and she said she was in a seminary class with Vanesa and thought she might have even been in the same prom group. 2) We were eating a Pre-Easter Dinner at The Brinton family's house in La Center, I told them I was from Mapleton, and she said her cousin Jason Williams and his wife April lives there, and I just about freaked out, It was a neat experience. They are a great family!!

Yesterday was actually one of the best days I've had since I left my first area. The two wards I'm serving in (Maple Grove and La Center) have been pretty cold in the category of converts and retention rate in the last year or longer, but yesterday night, we had a lesson with a part member family (the Lusher's), in which I thought the husband (Dave) was never going to embrace the church. We have been seeing Trisha (wife) on an almost every Monday basis for a while, but a few weeks ago, we asked her to ask her husband to take the lessons, and they both said yes. She has been in-active for 11 years, but feels like now is a great time to change. So we taught about tithing, the Word of Wisdom and Baptism yesterday, and the spirit was just vibrating, I know that they felt it because we asked them and they said it was an overwhelming peace. I couldn't feel my legs or my arms when we walked out, I was (and so was everyone else) on Cloud 9. I love this work and I know that if you prepare, and teach by the spirit, miracles WILL happen. I PROMISE!!
Love Elder Nick Bates