Well, it sounds like everyone is doing great. I'm so happy to hear that!

The work's moving slowly, but surely. We met with six of our nine investigators, which is much better than last week. We've been teaching Jeff a lot. It's been so great to get to know him. He's been my favorite part of my mission so far. Speaking of my mission. I'm going to hit my six month mark on the 26th. We're going over to Rick's house to have a formal tie-burning ceremony.

We're still looking for new investigators and have had little success. President Weaver, in my interview with him, told me to open the area book and visit every person who had not been baptized. He said the list would be over two hundred people. Little did he know, the list was only about 30 names. I pulled out our ward list and wrote down all of the part member families next. A list that should be at least 300 hundred names is only 62. We'll be done visiting ALL of those people within the next two weeks. We've already caught almost half of them. Olalla is just a tough area. I'm working hard, doing at least five 5-7's and am keeping myself busy, not seeing the "hang-out" houses, less-active or active. That's how much work has happened in the past two years.

Elder Kerr is so homesick, it's driving me nuts. He whines and complains and then doesn't talk...EVER! Not during lessons, tracting, companionship study, companionship inventory, when we're just driving around or visiting members. You'd say he's just shy, but he's not. He just doesn't want to do anything. I flipped out at him last night because his negativity was driving away the Spirit. We did a companionship inventory, and I got to the root of his problem. He misses video games. Holy cow, I miss video games, but it doesn't effect my work. I talked to him, and come to find out, he's waiting for a sign that the Book of Mormon is true. I keep telling him he already knows that it is true, but he ignores me. So, last night I told him (by the Spirit) that if he didn't think about home and didn't complain for one whole week, God would answer his prayers. I told him to stop focusing on himself. I hope it works out.

Jeff's awesome. Bishop just got his record number and we'll be dunking him once the bishop gets the records, contacts his old bishop (the one that excommunicated him), and does the bishopric council. Woot. We're going over tomorrow to read scriptures and watch "Finding Faith in Christ." Rick is done with the lessons now. His baptism is all planned out. And his interview with my district leader, Elder Shively, is tomorrow. We're also having dinner with a part member family tomorrow, and it's Zone meeting. Tomorrow is going to rock. Stacy plateaued. She wants to know all this deep doctrine, and then complains it's too deep. Kerr and I will start with point A: God, Jesus and the Bible. I hope it will go well. We dropped by on Saturday, but they were totally hammered. The Wilson's are going on vacation. They don't come to church anymore and will be dropped. I can't wasted my time with them anymore. She'll be ticked but it will be worth it.

I've been doing good. I've grown this incredible love for everyone I meet lately. Tracting is a blast, especially when Kerr doesn't complain, and I'm learning to love Jesus Christ and his Atonement. When ever I teach a lesson, I bear testimony of Christ's Atonement. I came up with a new way to draw the Plan of Salvation and it focuses entirely on Jesus Christ. I've decided I HATE DEEP DOCTRINE!!! It drives the Spirit away, confuses investigators and becomes what the missionary thinks about it and not what Christ has said about it. I've grown closer to my Savior and have finally decided I love the Christ more than I love art. It just took me a long time to figure it out.

Well, I love you all. Good luck. Hugs, loves and handshakes to you all.

Elder Courtney Casselman

Still Alive