Spiders!

Hey! Mom & Dad & family;

First off! One of the members brought us home after splits the other night and said that he needed to check out the cellar for spiders. Didn't think to much of it until we took flashlights down there and there were BLACK WIDOWS EVERYWHERE! My comp and I ran up those stairs so fast. We left him down there. I have never seen so many Black Widows in my life. You know how I HATE spiders. Well, I think I got one hour of sleep that night. I could just feel them crawling all over me. The guy came back the next day and sprayed to kill them. I don't want to go down there to see if they are dead or not. I really like our home that we are staying in but not the fact that I have to live with Black Widows.
Well Mom & Dad, this letter is going to be a bit different. I know I don't say much on the net but I have a challenge for you. I would like to send this to the kids but not sure how they will take it. I know everyone is busy but I am going to give you and Dad this challenge anyway. This is a prompting from the spirit that I had and I want to share it with ya'll. I would like you to try and accomplish this before I get home. You have lots of time. Dad you know how hard it was to go out and knock doors all day long in the heat just to find that one investigator that is just waiting for the gospel to feast upon the words of Christ. Well if you have been on a mission you know that it doesn't work all that well. Most of the baptisms come from member referrals. Not all members go out and do what their part in the missionary work is. I guess we all think it is the missionaries job to find those who are searching. NO! that is not how it works, we are on a mission to help members to do their job, members are the means. Without the members our work is not possible. Last year we had 400 baptisms in the Texas Lubbock Mission. 350 of them came from member referrals. NOT from knocking doors. I would like ya'll to read D&C 38:40-41. Think about that scripture and look at your responsibility as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Also, read Alma 6:6 and do what that scripture tells us to do. I will get down to the chase. What I am asking ya'll to do is to find at least one person to teach in your home with the missionaries before I get home. The members here in Portales that follow that advice tell us all the time of the blessings that they receive from doing this. I know our family will be truly blessed. Then you will be able to bless the lives of others. Please take this challenge for me!
Things are great here in Portales. I am loving this place. I love the farm area. Dad I know you said in your e-mail that I couldn't wait to leave the farm and get away from it , but I can honestly tell you that I really miss being on the farm. I would give anything to go out and move hand lines with the family. I know, pick yourself up, it is a shocker. We are not able to be on the equipment on the farms here that we do service on but we get to do the grunt work. I love it, it gives me a chance to get into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and get my hands dirty. I am glad ya'll liked the pictures that I sent. I need to do better, I just forget to get the camera out but I know I am going to want them after my mission. Yes! Mom that is my comp Elder Krizin. He is from Utah. Funny looking guy but fun to be around. I am doing pretty good on keeping myself healthy. I can't work out much but I do my best. I have lost lots of muscle but we can work on that when I get back home. Oh! I lost one of my memory cards. I know you are mad right now Mom. I will keep looking for it. Yes! Mom it would be fun to skype but that is not allowed here in this mission. We are getting a new President in June. Maybe he will let us, but if not that is ok. I am going to miss Pres. Robinson. We get along great!
Our investigators are doing great. We have a family of 7 with a date of April 10. Keep them and us in your prayers so that all goes well. We are teaching the plan of Salvation tonight so I am so excited for that. I love the plan of Happiness. We are so blessed to have this in our lives. It gives us peace and comfort during our life here on earth. There are 2 other investigators. We have two appointments with them, one tonight and one tomorrow. We hope to set a date with them by this weekend. I love this place. I love the humility of the people in the community and the ward. I would love to stay here for awhile. The other missionaries tell me that I am in the promise land. Just kind of like home. Well I had better get I am going to get kicked off this computer. Hope all is going well for ya'll. I am really excited for this weekend to listen to Conference, it will be great! I hope ya'll love it as much as I will. Suit season is over here. We don't have to wear our suits all day. I am pretty stoked about that. LOL! Well, Love ya'll, Take Care.
Love Elder Eppich