We had Stake Conference this week. The big focus was on members helping the missionaries and how we all need to invite less active or inactive members back. There are 2300 people in the Marion stake and only a little over 700 people regularly attend! I think that will be a big focus next transfer. 

This week flew by. Friday we had weekly planning and we drove to Portland (a little over an hour to the South East) to help them with a family history booth at a local market. That was really fun and it was cool to see somewhere else. Saturday was the town Christmas parade. We thought this would be a good day for finding but unfortunately almost everyone was just watching the parade and wouldn't talk to us. We were invited to attend the leadership session of stake conference as well that day so that was really good. 

Sunday was stake conference which I talked about and then after lunch we started tradeoffs. I was with Elder Jones. We went to go visit Ben, although we have had a few great lessons he still does not seem to realize that God is a loving Heavenly Father. I think if he can come to that knowledge everything else will fall into place. We have invited him to church and to help us with some service we are going to give. Hopefully, if he can come to church he can see the full picture if that makes sense. We also did some door-knocking and found two people and got return appointments, we will see how those go. 

As we were door-knocking we stopped and talked to a man who was working in his garden. When we started talking he said he had worked in the states for a while in Houston. Come to find out he had worked in Sugarland and knew where Pearland was! He went on to share how he had always known there was a God and had been religious on and off. However, for the first time in 2 years he had gone to church (his wife's not ours) we talked for almost an hour just in his driveway and we will meet with him again soon. 

Monday we went street contacting before tradeoffs ended and met a few people but nothing really in the way of appointments. After lunch I was back with Elder Hymas and we went and visited Dez. He is always fun to visit and to talk to and he has started to progress as well. 

Tuesday was a long day, after lunch my companion and I  felt sick so we took the car and visited a few people. We got to share a video that came out for Light the World that the missionaries have early  access to called The Christ Child. It is an 18 minute film on Jesus' birth and it is so well made, it brings me almost to tears when I watch it. Check the Light the World website  but I would encourage you to watch it when it is released. 

I love you all

Ofa otu (Tongan for i love you)

Elder Jenkins 

 In Portland running a Family History booth with the Portland Elders.

Eating dinner