Not much news...

There isn't too much to report and there are no new pictures, but Dereck has told us some stories that I thought I would share. He has had some funny experiences. He and his companion were walking down a street to do some street contacting and a guy on a bike wanted to talk to them. It turns out he was doing a movie about missionaries going to West Hollywood - I don't suppose it would have been a very nice movie. They left him pretty quickly. Another time, they were street contacting and Elder Burris got pegged with a rogue water balloon. I guess they can laugh about it now, but at the time he was not too happy.
He has been very busy attending zone leader conferences and become somewhat discouraged to find that their zone was not up to par. Rather than whine, this is what they decided to do. I think he can tell you better than I can. Here is what he wrote:
"This has been a week of weeks. We have been trying to put more out, to truly leave it all out on the line. We were super busy with zone leader stuff. Well we knew if we wanted to change the laziness of this zone we needed to start setting a better example and bigger and do more. They have something called the goal. We must get 20 lessons, 10 hours of tracting and 2 member presents. There is also a standard that has been set up that is called the standard of excellence. Well, that is something that I have been striving to accomplish my entire mission and to set that standard. Well now that I am a zone leader I was told that that would be changed because of so much stuff to do. Well that is not true, we started working our tails off!! Dang i love that. Well, we got the goal we got the majority of the standards of excellence and more importantly we are truly preparing souls to be baptized. We never found one person off of tracting and what we were doing but we got a referral over the phone and went over there and found a golden investigator. Then we went to pec and in the middle and a lady called and said I want to be baptized and she and her son will be taught tonight. I don't have good speaking skills. I don't have lots of gospel knowledge. I am not the best missionary. But, I can testify if you will put yourself out in full the Lord truly picks you up in your failings All those things become useful for good. This is true the Lord cares for you and and I. I love all of you and I love the Lord. "

The latest ...

Well here I am trying to play catch up again .. so sorry. In a recent email we learned that Dereck "is a sinner". Not exactly what you want to read from your missionary son ... well it turns out he was late for interviews and was caught speeding. He was so bummed. He told his mission president and he starts waving his arms around telling Dereck that he needs him to be able to drive so he needed to go to a defensive driving class. Well, a Saturday and $200 later, he has a clean record and is able to drive the mission car. It is a good thing too, because he celebrated his 20th birthday as a newly called Zone Leader. I guess ZL's need to drive! He and his companion are over the Phoenix North and Glendale stakes. One of the stakes includes the two wards he was serving so he is able to see some of the people that he has grown so fond of. The really bizarre part of this whole thing is that his companion is Elder Burris, yes, the same Elder Burris that trained Dereck when he first went out into the field. So he will have the same companion as he did this time last year.
He loved the DVD we sent him with everyone saying hi and Happy Birthday - so thank you everyone for your willingness to support our son.
He attended his first Zone Leader council on Sept 30 which was held in Flagstaff. He said it was good to see the place again! He is adjusting to being a zone leader, but says it is hard, because he has to have things go through the appropriate chain before he can get involved. This frustrates him because he liked being able to just jump in and help. He said his new area is dead and "full of eternal investigators", so he is hoping to make a total fresh start of the area and see what happens.
We have officially passed his one year mark, so we are on the downhill slope. I am so excited to see him again, but I also know that he is having the time of his life and is loving his service to the Lord, so I will try not to wish his time away.
Here is a little note from Dereck's last email that I thought I would share:
"well family i know this church is true... the book of mormon is true.. NO one that has read and prayed about it can deny the fact that it is true.. if they did or do they will be lieing to them selfs, to the world and more importantly to there god who has created them! Jesus christ is the savior of the world.. with out him there is no happyness, there is no joy, with him the world is lifted out of a "dark and dreary world" this i know to be true.... i love and miss all of you but i am so excited to see what this next year will bring thanks for all you do!! love Elder Wesche"


Dereck's old "District of Love"







I thought the wall of badges was a cool picture - it is amazing to see the strong army of the Lord!