Have Faith in the Future–June 4, 2012

Dear Family,
Having faith in my future is something that has been a major idea and
lesson I've been learning this week on mission. Not only has it been
because I have a new companion, but because I'm now a fully trained
missionary. It's been a long week, but one full and packed with
lessons to be learned. MY hope is bright and my will is strong in
facing the unknowns of my life here. Faith is my new skill I'm
learning to use here on mission and it can be scary at times.
First off my new companion is from South Jordan Utah. His name is
Elder Jenkins and he even trained my MTC companion! He is a very
powerful missionary, with a great skill off inviting the spirit. We
get along very well and the change has really not been as bad as I
thought it would be. He seems to teach me even more than Elder Fagg
started too and we are both learning too use our skills at building
the kingdom in Jozi. I have great faith in my future, because of him.
I got the idea of faith in the future from a talk by Holland called
"Remember Lot's Wife". It talks about how we need to move forward and
not dwell in the past. That we should stop thinking about what we used
to have, but what we do have. IT also shows our heavenly father that
as we move forward as he directs, we show faith that he will bless us
even more in our future. History is to be learned, the present lived,
and the future thought of.
I've done a lot more tracting with this new companion and I have a real
love for it. I love talking to everyone and listening to their life
story. Every time I listen to someone I think of my family and how the
gospel can bless them like us. Some stories really pull at my heart
and I can see my eyes are changing. They are changing more in how I
see everyone, that I really see how they are worth it all and they are
my siblings lost. Elder Jenkins has really opened me up to a new way
of being a missionary, almost a higher level.
Still, we have tons of fun and joke all of the time. Myself, I always
seem to have things go wrong or something funny happens to me. Like
our first day together we locked ourselves out of the flat and had to
break in, I tried to do a backflip (key word tried), broke a cabinet,
and had the longest talk with a drunk guy convincing him heaven was in
the United states. Mission really is fun and amazing.
WE had four baptisms yesterday and I got to baptize 2 of them. They
were Akhona ( a 19 year old girl) and Tumelo ( a 15 year old boy). The
spirit was there and I really love the magic in that sacred covenant.
I always get so pumped from that. our next ones will be on the 17 and
we will have 7 that day! The work is really moving my side yo. IT will
all be amazing if the lord sees it fit:)
I'm glad to hear that summer is in full swing there as I'm in winter.
My package should reach you this week and I want pictures of you guys
and the stuff. I'm about to go play beach volleyball and have a huge
Braai. I love you all so much and keep me up to speed. Be safe and
stay happy:)
Love your son and brother,
Elder Jack Forrest Dalton
ALWAYS FORWARD SOUTH AFRICA
:)