July 4, 2016

Dear Family,

Happy 4th of July and belated Canada Day! We just got done walking in the Big Parade in Denton with the rest of the zone and the Spanish Ward who put the float together. It was a little awkward being Canadian and all but I wasn't the only one. There's a Sister from Vancouver who came out with me last August so we were awkward Canadians together.

On Canada Day we got to celebrate by meeting our new mission president. We had a big meeting with a couple of other zones where he introduced himself, shook our hands, and shared a few thoughts. President Whitney and his wife are definitely a lot more soft-spoken than President and Sister Ames which is an adjustment. I'm sure both of them are still trying to get used to the whole leading a mission thing. I'm really hoping we as a mission can have some super spiritual experiences with them so they can trust  and love us a little more and we can do the same. I think for the most part the rest of mission feels about the same. We miss President Ames but we feel like the best way we can honor him is by loving President Whitney.

After the meeting we had lunch at the apartment and got a call from a random foreign number. Elder Parkinson answered it and apparently it was some British evangelist who somehow got our number. Elder Parkinson bashed with him for a while until finally he asked, "Can I ask how you got our number?" In response, this guy said he'd tell us if we revealed some very sacred things we learn in the temple... Well, I'm sure glad I can count on grown adults to be mature in this world! You kind of have to wonder why somebody took the time to call two young missionaries in North Texas if what they're saying doesn't have some truth to it that Satan doesn't want being spread.

That's alright though, because I'm pretty sure we found a golden investigator this week! Well, she was a referral from a guy in Keller so WE didn't find her but you know, close enough. She's a single mother who recently lost her own mother. Her friend gave her a Book of Mormon about a month ago and she's read until about the middle of 2 Nephi. She told us, "I've been struggling to hear my mother's voice since she passed, but when I started reading the Book of Mormon I heard it." Can't get much more sincere than that! To me it's just so amazing to hear a testimony like that from someone so unbiased that's just looking for truth. Definitely made my week.

Hope you have an awesome day and such. Take care!

Love,
Elder O'Brien (the younger)