Email from Dereck 2/23/09

Dereck has had a hard week this past week. Here is what he had to say in his last email.
"This week has been the most trying of my mission. Starting last Monday everything started to go wrong. Our big family cancelled on us four times. Our baptism was pushed back a week and in every lesson it just seemed as if I couldn't speak at all and that I would just stutter and not make any sense. I have been studying like I have never studied before and to continue to see myself fail is really hard on me and you all know how hard I am on myself...the thing that is keeping me to just push on to the next lesson, the next door, are my prayers. If I couldn't communicate with my Heavenly Father on the basics, I couldn't do this anymore. It would overwhelm me and I would just become a mess. It gets hard to put on a smile but you know that when there is a big trial in our life and times get hard that something big is coming around the corner. I have learned to just keep that hope that it is just around the corner. That if I put my faith in our Heavenly Father that he will help me. As I continue to serve with charity then Iwill be happy. I love to know that it will get better."

I am hopeful that this week is going better for him and that is spirits will be lifted. I know that he will gain confidence in his abilities to teach as he studies. We keep reminding him that missions are hard, but so worth it. He has grown so much more than I think he realizes. He has endured hard things before and has been able to push through. He will continue to push through. He knows that he has the Lord on his side and sounds like he is placing his trust and faith in Him to do all that is asked of him as a missionary. His scripture that he chose to put on his plaque is found in Nephi 1 3:7. He knows that the Lord will provide a way.
Anyway, long story short, if you would keep him in your prayers I know it would be appreciated.