Email June 30,2014

Hello my Dearest Brothers and Sisters! I hope you are all doing fantastically...fantastic. :) So to begin this email, I will give some pretty big updates: Just a heads up! Since transfer calls are next week and since I've been here in Redding for 4 1/2 months it's a good chance I might be transferred. So if you are wanting to send a letter wait until next week's email so you know the address if I have moved or if you can still send it to the same address. Thanks, guys! Also, there is a HUGE transfer happening: President Weston has finished his service as mission president for the California Roseville Mission and President Marston will be the new mission president as soon as he arrives, which happened around 12 noon today. I am SO sad to see President Weston go because he is an incredible man, he has helped me SO much and I love him so much! This mission has grown to amazing new heights because of his leadership, faith and drive. President Marston has big shoes to fill. But I am confident that he will be amazing as well. I know that I haven't talked about President Weston much but I want it clear that I love the heck out of him, that I am so grateful that he was my mission president for these 8 months for his leadership, testimony, faith, and love, and that he was an incredible man. I hope to stay in contact with him after my mission. He is phenomenal! Well, onto the main body of the email: Not too much happened last week, other than I got trunky and homesick hearing a few different stories from home. One, that Hannah Warburton had passed away. I can say that knowing the sadness and mourning it caused many of my very good and close friends definitely saddened me and made me wish that I could be there to help them. I know that because of the Plan of Salvation that when we lose ones that are near and dear to our hearts, they are not gone forever. They are unseen to us for a time and season, but when we rejoin them on the other side we will be able to see them, converse with them, hold them close and continue the glorious and beautiful relationships we had in this life. It made me want to work harder so that I might be able to help someone else who is going through a tough time, help someone know of the Plan of Salvation that they might be comforted in their time of affliction. That they might be able to have the atonement help them overcome their struggles, trials, afflictions, problems, etc., and look forward with faith to a brighter future. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real! One thing I know for sure, is that "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." It may not happen the way we expect and often not the way we want, but things happen. But everything happens for a reason. Quotes come to mind, one of them being, "The battles we fight today make us stronger for the battles we will fight tomorrow." We all struggle with different infirmities and weaknesses. But they are meant to make us stronger. To develop us into the person we want to be and need to be. I know it's tough. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know it is tough. But they're on our side so they won't give us something above our ability to handle. So when we think something is too hard, remember they are on your side! It is with them that we will make it through the cliffs and crags and perils of life. It is with the atonement of Jesus Christ, the grace that is so mercifully given by and through Him. How beautiful is it to know that we can make it, no matter what? Well, quick updates from the week: Ben and Mary Francis came to Stake Conference last Sunday!!!! :D :D :D :D :D But they didn't come yesterday... :( But hey! It's okay, she has a baptismal date set for July 19th and so she didn't have to come this week in order to make it. But definitely keep her in your prayers. We picked up a former investigator, Jeremiah McCall. Jeremiah is 12. His dad is a member, but his mom is not. And since his mom and dad divorced before he was 8, he wasn't baptized into the church because his mom would not give him permission and talked him out of it when the missionaries tried a while back. But we have recently started going back and it seems promising this time (Everything seems promising...and then boom. Where is the person who is throwing these wrenches?! But we are keeping the faith this time, it is going to happen!) because his mom doesn't have as raw feelings toward the church now. So we have taught him the Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and Word of Wisdom (he's not struggling with it, we just have taught commandments with his lessons because he's only with his dad every other weekend and always on Mondays and Tuesdays and we're trying to get it all in before his baptism). But he already knows everything, we just kind of fine tune it. It has been amazing, and he has expressed a desire to hold the priesthood and pass the Sacrament! Awesome!! Pao. He disappeared. Literally. He is just gone. He was living in a sober home and one day we tried to see him the people there said he hadn't been there for a few nights so we tried a few days later and the people said that he still wasn't back. So...he's gone. But from what Pao has been through with missionaries in the past, I guess this is a normal thing. I love him and hope he finds the truth someday. We promised that we would go through the Salt Lake temple together one day and I hope to be able to keep that promise. Gah, it has been really hard and sad. We have picked up a lot of potential investigators that we are hoping to sit down and have lessons with this week. It seems like people are being put in our way, even though they don't have a full desire to learn quite yet. But hey, in Preach My Gospel it says that honest seekers of truth may not recognize missionaries and the message is true and sent from God at first, but in time as they pray and read the Book of Mormon they will come to know of it's truth and reality. And with our other investigators, not a lot is happening. :( BUT! We're doing the best we can with what we have! It is amazing out here, I love it! I have learned a lot and have recently applied a new study technique and it is helping me out a lot too! So that's awesome. I hope to continue it. :) I am happy, I am safe, I am have an amazing time! I love you all! Love, Elder Jacob Cevering P.S. Happy 4th of July!!! :D