Laramie Wyoming!

I'm in my first area! I'm super pumped. It is the Laramie River YSA (young single adults)!! It is almost exactly like the Elmwood YSA in Davis except that it is 70-90 degrees different. But ya. I'm so excited that my first place that I am sent to in the Fort Collins Mission is at the University of Wyoming. Go Cowboys! We already got to go tabling on campus (fortunately the tables are inside) and I taught a brief lesson with my trainer. Super fun. Next to our table was Sorority tabling for their rush week that starts next week; fraternity rush is happening this week. Turns out there are streets here in this town called "fraternity row" and "sorority row!" I didn't even know that existed. There are only about 35,000 people in this city, but there are 8 wards (congregations) here! There are 3 YSA wards!

My trainer is really cool. Elder Nash. He was raised in the Church, but never had a testimony of the Gospel. He wanted nothing to do with the Church from 18-24, then came back after his life was not going as planned. He is going to be 26 in a month! We're a pretty old companionship at 22 and 25 right now, we'll be 23 & 26 by the end of this 6 week transfer period. He has only been out on his mission for 3 months and we are both brand new to the area.

The Zone Leaders are in the apartment complex with me and are impressed that I am actually courageous enough to say hi to people and start conversations - most of the greenies (new missionaries) they have seen are too scared to talk to people. We were tabling at the University today and during the down time I talked to the table next to us. There is Sorority rush next week. I think all I'm trying to say is that it is awesome to be back in college - but without the school part. The Institute is legit! It is really big - like 3x that in Davis - with ~200 students coming to it.

The best part of being out on the mission so far though has been the Spirit. The MTC was great. I learned so much so fast and really started to get the hang of praying and recognizing promptings (impressions) of the Spirit. So many times already it has brought things to my remembrance at perfect times. The last lesson I taught to my "progressing investigator" (aka my teacher there who took on the persona of a non-member friend of theirs) was really goo. I felt prompted to share something I had learned the day before - prayer in the Bible Dictionary. If you can, look it up. Wow. I'll share a part of it: "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship." I testify that prayer is REAL. I can't believe how much prayer has already started to change me and has helped the people I have talked to thus far. I also learned last weekend that according to Bruce R McConkie (before his death as one of the 12 apostles), all prayers are answered by God - if they are asked correctly. It is when we ask through Jesus Christ and seek something that He desires to give/bless us. They will be answered. WOW. That's amazing. I love prayer even more now. Check it out for yourself.

I'm so grateful to be on a mission and am excited to start teaching/serving out here! (Btw, we are working on using justserve.org it started in San Jose, CA. Check it out online. We can serve up to 10 hrs a week. I'm not sure what we'll do yet for service, but I'm excited.)