Crazy Week (no letter last week)

Sorry about not writing last week! I'll try and make up for it now. This week was pretty good and the end of it was pretty crazy. On Thursday, Elder Welch and I gave a "training" to the other missionaries in our zone. It's called zone meeting. It was only my second time being the missionary at the front training other missionaries but I thought we did really well. I like that I'm getting over my fear of talking in front of large crowds. Our zone is doing really well compared to other parts of the mission and I'm proud of the hard work that everyone does everyday. It has been really really hot and it would be miserable outside in the sun if I didn't know that what I'm doing can really help people.

Yesterday I had a good day at church. There was a man and his fiance who came for the first time. They moved here from LA and have been going to a Chinese branch (congregation) for the past month or so. They plan to get married in China at the end of he year and then be baptized so it was nice to have new people! The rest of my Sunday was a little crazy. I went to a baptism for a man and his wife who I interviewed for baptism. As a zone leader I have the opportunity to interview some of the people who want to be baptized in my zone. This was actually my third interview and I really love them. It is amazing to see the happiness and excitement people have to change their life and choose to follow Christ. The missionaries who taught them were pretty new and had never baptized anyone before. So they were very happy and it was a good service.

Later that day we got a call from other missionaries in the zone and they told us they got into a car accident and needed a ride. I didn't think it was going to be that bad but we got there and one of the missionaries (out of the three) was taken to the hospital. The driver was totally fine and the missionary in the passenger seat thought he was fine but on the drive over to the hospital he started having back pain. The missionary behind the driver was the one who went in the ambulance. They were doing a U turn and a car hit them right where he was sitting. So we went to the hospital from 7 to about 11:45. Normally I am in my apartment by 9-9:30 so it was strange being out so late. Our mission president and his wife came and worked some things out as we waited. The Elder behind the driver fractured his cheek bone or something and the Elder with back pain has a lot of muscle strain I guess. They're at the library and planning on going to UCLA for the doctor today. It was scary to realize how quick something bad can happen. I finally got in bed around 12am and I woke up at 6 so studying this morning was pretty hard!

I've been pretty happy this week. As I focus on other people the things I tend to worry about disappear. As we realize that being happy is really about doing things for others we'll be happier than we've ever been. I've never thought more about others any other time in my life and I've never been deep down happier. I know the only way I could be happier is to be with the people I love too. So I'm going to try and be a better and happier person everyday because I have a feeling that before I know it I'll be on my way home.

I hope everyone is doing well. I think about each one of you every week. Please excuse how bad I am at writing letters and emails too. If last week wasn't that great decide that this week will be different!

Love

Silas