June 25, 2007 - "Things are Winding Down" [in Winters] - As Michael's title indicates he believes Winters will no longer be the home to missionaries starting July 10, 2007. The assistants to President Stoddard visited during the week and Elder Bennett (Michael's trainer) asked Michael if Winters should be "closed". Michael responded "Yes, at least for a while, but not forever, it just needs to rest." The missionaries in Dixon will be able to work in Winters after Michael and his companion Elder Price leave on July 10th.

Michael reported the status of his investigator pool as follows: Sister Seacrest believes those parts of the Bible that she wants to and chooses to ignore the rest. They are going to teach her about Jesus Chest at their next visit and then decide what comes next. Sister Brayton likes to keep things simple and she thinks the Elder's message is complex. A new investigator is the husband of a new convert from Fairfield who just moved back to Winters. Michael said, "I'm pretty sure he slammed the door on me when I knocked on his door just 3 weeks ago but he says that he's keeping an open mind", Michael added, "It feels like I have tracted every street and talked to almost everyone in Winters. It's weird to tract the same street again too. You remember some of the people and some of them remember you but there's always several houses where nobody was home before." Patrick, whom we can't teach right now due to lack of his parent's permission did come to church on Sunday.

As for our other investigators we are trying to help each of them work through some issues. First there is Sister Seacrest who does not believe in an afterlife. Sister Brayton who had the bad experience at church a week ago says that she is still confused on how she can know the truth. She believes in God and Jesus Christ but is not even sure about the Bible. Patrick is in trouble with his parents can cannot speak to us for a while. Then there is the part member family who failed to keep their last appointment.

The zone is struggling. We've had two baptisms this transfer and no more committed. Michael said, "I don't know what's going through the zone but we're having a hard time. We try and encourage them and testify and build their faith but when the hard times come sometimes we let it go quickly. Also the mission president has set a new standard. Everyone should find 25 new potential investigators a week!!! I'm going to struggle to accomplish that. It's pretty hard in a town with about 4,000 English speakers and I've talked to probably half of them. I run into a lot of people during the day that I've already talked to before. I've almost tracted every street and my options are running out". [Editor's note: Goals have to be realistic and 25 new investigators each week simply is not realistic].

Michael's E-mail concluded with "I don't know what to do to improve things but one thing I am sure of is that I won't give up. I won't let down. The work must move on whether the people are willing to receive it or not. I'll find somebody. I've had 1 baptism in every area I've served in and I don't want that trend to stop now. I'll keep praying for it. I know you pray for me and I appreciate it. They really do help. I'm not discouraged but I'm looking for answers".

One of our investigators came to church She came early and was quiet and reverent and we sat next to her. She freaked out during the sacrament because all the doors were closed and there was someone guarding each door. Then they said the blessing on the bread and water and passed. The deacons were very orderly like they were brainwashed into doing things exactly the right way or else they'd be punished. So in the middle of the first talk she got up and left!

Michael reported on a troublesome time instructing his zone. "We started out the week with a Zone Development Council and we gave good talks but there was one missionary that had to get his 2 cents in every minute and really made my talk a lot weaker than it was going to be. Elder Price and I talked on "miracles". They require "felt need" Elder Price covered that part. And also prayer and faith, I covered that part. That definition comes from the Bible Dictionary by the way. So our instruction was a little disappointing but I think most of the other missionaries recognized his poor attitude and understood what we were trying to convey. The missionary that was giving us trouble hates his area and is going home at the end of this transfer [July 10].

Michael seemed a bit discouraged over that fact that so many weeks have passed since his last baptism. He wrote, " I don't know why I haven't baptized in 4 months. It's not like this mission is a place where you can't baptize, it just takes effort. I don't know if I'm just not putting enough in or if it's really not the Lord's will for us to find anyone. I'm basically just struggling with faith and fruits. I think I have enough faith to baptize every transfer but every time I work for it, it doesn't come to pass. Don't get me wrong though I love the work and I'm doing the best I can. I'm not really discouraged, just sorrowful for the sins of the world. Don't worry about me though, I'm really doing fine it's just that things are confusing sometimes."

Tuesday was transfer day and I said goodbye to Elder Davis and welcomed my MTC District Leader as my new Zone Leader companion. We make a really young dual Zone leadership I have to say. I've never heard of any younger team of zone leaders. We had a Zone Leader council in Santa Rosa at the mission home. It took 2 hours to drive there. This was my first trip back to the mission home since I came out and met President Arrington there. It's a really nice home, especially for Santa Rosa. We had an amazing meeting and talked about ways in which we can get the mission to accelerate in its baptisms. We had a nice lunch made by sister Stoddard and then drove the 2 hour drive back to Winters. We didn't get back to work until 5 pm but miracles happened in the next 4 hours. We found 2 new investigators and taught an investigator that has been busy with school. The old investigator is Sister Seacrest. She's the band teacher at the middle school here in Winters. She grew up in Palmyra NY and loves the Mormons. We just have to get her to believe in its teachings. She read 3 NE 11 and we did some service for her on Saturday. She said she would take time off her other job to come to church! One of the other new investigators is pretty weak but the next one is golden! She's living with a less-active and has actually had a kid with him (small problem for us, big problem for the Bishop). She was asking on the internet "what is the purpose of Life?" and "why am I here?" etc. The very next day we knocked on her door! She only believes in God and Jesus Christ and that they are different, that's the only reason she let us in is because we share that belief. We basically just did a long Q and A session and then committed her to read the Book of Mormon. I picked four verses, Helaman 5:9-12 and then wrote it down because she said that she had a Book of Mormon and so we came back on Sunday (family had dropped in and caused them to miss church). She said that it was amazing that she had a pamphlet in the Book and it just so happened to be on that very page Helaman 5:9-12. Miracles I tell you, miracles! I love this work! We are so excited.