Fairbanks July 13, 1982

Dear Mom, Dad and Family,
It's been awhile since I have heard from you last. How was your vacation? Or are you still on it?
This past week has been a busy one for me. We taught 11 discussions and had 3 baptisms. I had the opportunity to baptize one of them. His name was John Bluel and it was great to get all dressed up in white an baptize someone! Experiences like that make my mission worthwhile and makes me feel reat that I am serving the Lord. The others that were baptized were John's sister Katrina Bluel and Tim Ryan.
Tim Ryan is about 25 and was so excited about his baptism and so were we. He has been a Catholic all his life and went to a Catholic school but just didn't agree with it s he had been seeing the missionaries for over a year and finally accepted the invitation to be baptized from Elder Whitman and I. He is a great guy! The Lord has really blessed us.
We have a possibility of getting 5 more baptisms this month, but because of Word of Wisdom problems and marital problems it is going to take some time and effort.
So when is Mark getting home? I know it's soon.
I also had the chance to speak in Sacrament meeting last Sunday on repentance, boy was I scared! But it's getting easier to talk in front of people.
I have also been trying to re-certify as a gospel teacher. As missionaries we progress, first we start out by becoming a 'certified gospel teacher' which means that we have to read the Book of Mormon, pass off all 8 discussions, read "Book of Mormon, key to conversion" and write a report, learn mission song, memorize D&C section 4 and memorize D&C section 121:34-46 That I di the first month out in the field. Now to re-certify I had to do al tat over again, except read B of MO again. Plus memorize about 40 scriptures and read 'the challenge' by Alvin R. Dyer. And it's great to be learning and growing. So I have been really busy with that and with the regular missionary work.
The days have been getting shorter now, I guess we lose approx. 6 min a day and that will make it easier to sleep at nights. It's been great temp in the 70's, not too hot and not too cold. Perfect missionary working conditions.
Well write back and take care, I love you all. Elder Daren Wilding