Phoenix Arizona Mission: 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"