I love being a missionary! This last week was amazing! We are getting lots of help from the members now and we're kind of guiding the way for them to use Focus 5. One of our wards actually leads the mission with Focus 5! Amazing! We found several new investigators this week and one of course was by accident. We were late for an appointment, went to the wrong apartment, and a girl named Cristal let us right in and wanted us to come right back after our appointment. We taught her and she has tons of questions and is great! We got to have interviews with President Palmer and they were awesome. He's so amazing. He and sister Palmer love us so much and it's so obvious to tell that all we want to do is do everything we can to earn their respect. They're pretty amazing. Yesterday in Church we actually had 7 investigators show up! That's amazing! That never happens! And we taught the Lopez family the Word of Wisdom and they're actually living it! Maria stopped drinking coffee and Eutiquio doesn't drink anymore! We know they're going to be baptized they just need a little boost to get them going. Awkward experience: a former we had called us, James, and wanted to meet right away. We had to go to a members house because we cannot be alone with a man there has to be at least 1 other female in the room. He had just been separated and we were teaching him about hope and how the Gospel can bless his life and how the Book of Mormon changes lives and then the sister member said "I stil have a problem with the Book of Mormon." AGH! We about died. Luckily I think we salvaged the situation, but needless to say we will not be teaching in her home again. Our happily married couple Alberto y Marie are doing great. They actually call us with questions about who is Israel? None of our investigators do that! They're amazing. Highlight of the week and the year. . .

ELDER HOLLAND!!! It was so amazing! We rode to Spokane with Bishop and Sister Shurtz. The entire mission was there and he let all of us shake his hand. It was so incredible being able to look into his eyes. Apostles' eyes look different and it feels like they're looking right into your soul, which they are. He told us that he didn't shake each of our hands because he cared what our names were or where we were from, but because he wanted to have a personal interview with every single one of us and look into our eyes to know if we were doing our very best. He said that almost all of us are. Wow! When I felt like he was looking into my soul he really was! Sister Haws and I sat front and center. There was no way we could be any closer, we were close enought he could spit on us. He was look down at us and look right into our eyes again while he was speaking. I still can't get over what it felt like. He is the missionaries apostle. We've seen videos and heard stories of what he's like and it is so true. He started by yelling at us and shaking his finger at all of us yelling "DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE THIS CHURCH!" He said that the prophet and quorum of the 12 do not want us to be perfect, but they want us to be believers. He said that our missions will be a complete success if we only bring one convert to the Church. All the time, money, effort, tears, work, countless people working to help us, will all be worth if we are the only person we convert on our whole mission. He said that if we remain true and active in this church for the rest of our lives and practice what we preach then it will all be worth it. He then started crying saying that he cannot stand to meet with Return Missionaries who leave the Church. He said he just can't do it, it's too hard for him. To know what we do every single day and what we are able to witness and what we have to learn to teach this glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ there is no excuse and no reason for us to leave to Church.

He then told us how Preach My Gospel was started. President Hinckley came into a meeting saying "We're doing something wrong with the way we teach the Gospel." He had just come out of an interview with an inactive Returned Missionary. This is how Preach My Gospel was born. PMG is not for the investigators, it is for the missionaries. He said that before PMG when there was the discussions it was a memorized lesson that was taught to everyone. There was no adapting it to the needs of the investigator and no need to know the scriptures very well because everything was memorized. He said no wonder not many people accepted the Gospel. Now with PMG the missionaries are taught how to teach, they are required to know the scriptures and know the Gospel because we can't teach memorized lessons. We have to teach to members needs and bring them to the Gospel not force the Gospel upon them. We are so blessed to be able to have PMG.

He told us that we are not perfect. He said our families think we're perfect, our friends think we're perfect, that everybody thinks missionaries are perfect. He knows we're not, but he said "DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING TO DAMAGE THAT IMAGE!" Don't talk about stupid things that you do. Teach the Gospel and testify of it and be Believers. Don't do anything to make others think we are not perfect. He ended by teaching about the Book of Mormon. How nothing in the restoration could happen until we had the Book of Mormon. We need to be bold when teaching about it because it will change lives and people's lives are at stake. We cannot be shy or timid because we can help make the difference in people's salvation. It was so incredible to hear everything he had to say. He said that our mission and mission president are famous in the mission world. We don't know why, but aparently they are. He ended by giving us all an apostolic blessing. That our troubles would disappear, we would have health and our health concerns would go away, and that our family members would all be blessed. I know that this Gospel is true with every fiber of my being. Jesus Christ is our savior, Lord, Redeemer. He is everything! The Book of Mormon is the word of God and will/does change lives. I cannot testify enough of the power of the Book of Mormon. I will never leave this Church and I will do my best to be the absolute best missionary I can. Hold me to it and don't let me every forget it.

I love you all so very much!

Hermana Eliza Probst