Greetings from Pleasant Grove, Utah

The courage to follow the Savior's example.

New member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Famous Gardiner Sisters

Hello family!

This has sure been a very busy week!

To start it off, we had a mission-wide conference in Provo with President McCune, Elder Clarke of the Seventy, and President Donaldson (previous San Diego Mission president). It was the kick-off of the integration of mobile devices in missionary work. UPM (Utah Provo Mission) has had iPad's for a little over a year now, and that's because we were a pilot mission. We have now left the pilot stage and are in the integration stage and several missions throughout the world are slowly incorporating iPads into their areas. We will be trained on how to use Facebook so we can testify of the Savior and invite all to Christ. All in all, it will be a powerful tool for us to share the gospel. The Lord is truly hastening his work!

We had Zone Training Meeting. That's when the Zone gets together and we talk about missionary work and tools and doctrine and stuff like that! I really like going to those because our zone leaders are really cool and we have a pretty great zone! I learn a lot from those meetings and I feel the spirit so strongly!

Jumping forward to the weekend...the sister I mentioned to you was baptized! We had a wonderful baptismal service at one of the stake centers. There were a lot(!) of her friends there. To see the support she had with this choice in her life is incredible. It gives me comfort knowing she has that much support. Elder Greenacre performed the baptism and I had the privilege of confirming her the next day in Sacrament Meeting. It such a neat xperience! We could feel the spirit so strongly in both events! I truly cherish the friendship and relationship we have with her and her sister. They're strong. They've managed to stand firm against the adversary's ferocious winds of discouragement. A true testament of faith and hope in Heavenly Father.

Jump ahead a few hours. This is when we went to the Lindon YSA Ward. We sat with the Gardiner Sisters in sacrament meeting then afterwards we talked for a bit. Hailey, Allie, and Mandi are super cool and I'm really glad I got to meet them! I will probably see them around again.

Backup to earlier in the week. There is a young woman who lives in the stake. She has been preparing to serve a mission in the England London South mission...which also happens to be Elder Greenacre's home mission! How about them apples! Anyways, Tuesday night was her setting apart. She invited us to be a part of it! Beforehand, President Gleason (Stake President) gave a little shpeel about serving and it was kind of like what President Dionne told me...it was kind of nice to hear it again because it reminded me why I'm really here. Anyways, It was so cool because I had never been in a setting apart circle for a missionary! You could feel the spirit just flood the room! Wicked cool.

Welp....today we have Zone Activity. That's where the whole zone gets together and does stuff and has a good time! Looking forward to getting out there and getting active! That about sums up this week.
Pics will soon come! Love you all!

-Elder Ahrens