Today is the start of a new week. 

Well sort of, as far as missionary work goes. 

We had a Zone Training Meeting this Friday that really helped us feel the fire of missionary work! The whole zone is really pushing to be better. We're going to break that stupid ceiling that's keeping us from being the most awesome area in the mission.

Elder Hansen continues to be awesome. Our lessons are great and we really look forward to preparing them. It just takes some people a little longer to get used to teaching people that are way more experienced in the world than you about God and Eternal Salvation and all of that. I can definitely see why that is intimidating for some people. 

Alley Barland's baptism was on Friday evening. It was so cool, and the Spirit was so strong. She got up at the end and bore her testimony. It was so cool to see how quickly the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change hearts that are humble and open. 

Personally, I've kind of hit this weird plateau. Recently I've felt like my teaching skills were adequate, and as a result I kind of just left it. I didn't worry about doing hard things, because I already got all of those hard things done when I first came out. I learned how to teach and to study the scriptures and talk to people well enough, and that was all I needed. Then it started to bother me. 

I want to be excellent. I don't need the world to look at me and tell me I'm excellent, I just want myself to look back and say, "Man, that was hard, and I tried my best and did everything that the Lord asked me to." I don't think I've ever really said that and meant it before. It was pretty cool. I told President Shumway, "I may not ever be an Elder MacQueary or an Elder Bartschi, or any of those other missionaries that were awesome and have horribly hard to spell last names. I may not be the best missionary ever, but I can be the best Elder Chirstopher Melvin John Drake that this mission has ever seen or ever will see." So that's my goal. I'm going to resent some little goals tonight and work towards them. Keep me and Elder Hansen in your prayers! We need em!

Love, 

Elder Christopher Drake