12 Nov 2001

Dear Family,

So, how's everything going? Things here are going pretty well. Last Friday I went to a conference of the Leaders in the Mission, and it was way cool. We learned a lot about how to be better leaders, how to interview baptism candidates better, how to be better leaders, etc. The Mission President also explained what's called a "consagration week". It consists of an entire week in above average consagration to the work. We'll begin the week (starting the 19th) with a fast; that P-Day will be 1/2 as long (up til 12) and then we will work as normal. Every day we will get up half an hour earlier and leave the house an hour earlier. Lunches, instead of being at 12, will be at two to use more efficiently these precious hours when families are in their homes, and we'll only be there for 45 minutes. We won't get mail this week, either. The 3 main purposes of this consagration will be (1) bring families to church (50% of the people who go to church get baptized) (2) prepare our program (investigators) to convert more families in the following weeks, and (3) to achieve the Standards for the Consagration week. Every day, we must achieve 1 splits with members, receive 2 family references, teach 4 first charlas, 2 progressive charlas, add 2 families to the program, and set a firm baptismal date. When I first read this I was pretty scared, but I have faith that it can be done. Just got to work our guts out!

Just got back from Wendy's and doing shopping. Saturday we went to the mall where Wendy's is at and there was no electricity, so we made up by going today :) Then when we got back, lo and behold we got letters! And Dad wrote me! That's like Chelsea writing me! :P First, let me answer and respond to the letter from the family (a.k.a. Mom)

(1) tell Skyler that he better practice good cause he's only got - according to "Mom's Mission Countdown Calendar" - 102 days left to get prepared to LOSE!!!

(2) that ring sounds way rad!! Thanks for ordering that one ring that I asked - it's for one way cool member of the bishopric who's always way cool with us, and he deserves it.

(3) tell Grandma (all of them) "Hi!" and that I love them. Grandpas, too. :)

(4) got the letter and wrote to Kristin. Thanks.

(5) you tell me not to be so hard on myself for not learning so quickly my "lessons" and then you say, "if we learned quickly I suppose the average lifespan would be much shorter" It's true but I've only got 3 months left in "life"! So it's a little frustrating, but I'm doing well so no worries.

Last Tuesday we had interviews with President Blacker. That is such a wise man, it's unbelievable. He's really doing a fantastic work - baptisms have more than doubled since he's been here. We then had a quick capacitation by the Assistants. They showed us that video that talks about those 3 young men who, at Sweetwater River in Wyoming in the dead of a bitter winter, crossed the entire company by wading in the river and bringing across people one by one and how all 3 of them died later as results of that act of heroism and how Brigham Young said that they'd be save in the Celestial Kingdom of God for that one act. They then asked us how it related with the missionary work. They explained it as this - we were the young men in the river, and these families on one side would never be able to cross the river without help. These families are those whom God has prepared to listen to and accept the gospel, those who are on the very edge of the riverbank ready to be carried across.

Well, gotta go get ready. Love you!

Elder Onken

P.S. Also got the package with the flag, the pin (cool!) and the garments and envelopes and medicine. Thanks! Wasn't open, either. Odd.