Monday April 30th, 2012 (Happy click day to meeee)

Well, I wasn’t expecting this. I guess you got your wish Mom; I’m
getting transferred tomorrow. This whole time, Elder Kovacs really
wanted to be released as a Zone Leader and up until a couple of days
ago, President was thinking that he was going to leave Altoona first.
But since he prayed about it, he said that Elder Kovacs should stay.
So there must be something here in Altoona he still has to accomplish.
I can only say that I hope the same is true for wherever I’m going
next (I’m guessing either Erie or Avalon).

My time in Altoona has been short and, from what a lot of people might
glean from my letters, somewhat unproductive. However, since I came
here at the beginning of 2012, the investigators have dramatically
been rearranged. Not one of the investigators we are working with now
were we working with 4 and a half months ago. And of the missionaries
have been in Altoona in the last year that, I’ve been the only one who
has not seen a baptism here. It can be fairly discouraging looking at
it from that point of view but in the grand scheme of things, Altoona
has changed me and taught me so many things. Probably the most
important thing which is that success is not necessarily measured in
baptisms.

Since the calling of newer and younger Zone Leaders, President Topham
has made the interesting decision to place a lot of us in Zones we
have already served in. Taking into account this reason, I thought one
of the major reasons I was called to Altoona was because it was so
close to Bedford. And for a long time I thought that’s what I was here
to do; if nothing else, I’ve helped the Elders down there find some
new investigators out of the old ones that had fallen through the
cracks. But I can honestly say now that it wasn’t only for Bedford.
I’ve always had a firm belief that no matter where you’re called to,
you’re there to make a difference because you are you. I don’t know
why I lost that belief for a while and forgot about the inspiration
that President Topham obviously has. I was called to Altoona for
multiple people, and a lot of them I probably don’t even realize. But
something that I needed to learn, and probably everyone should also
take into account, is that the worth of souls is great in the sight of
God. That does not mean that the worth of nonmembers is great only if
you get them wet. But our purpose states in Preach My Gospel that we
are to invite others to come unto Christ, member or nonmember.

Success is Spirit that missionaries bring into a home. Success is
faith that others feel when we show our faith in them. Success are the
tears that are shed when you tell the congregation you’re leaving. I
had the awesome opportunity to speak on my last Sunday in the Altoona
ward and expressed in the most straightforward way I could that the
Gospel was true and that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the
life. Success was the older less-active lady named Dee Miller, who has
been slowly coming back to Church since we started working with her 3
months ago, when she came up to me after my talk in sacrament meeting,
took my hand in hers and just thanked me, for she said, “Thank you.
You helped me a lot. You’ve made a difference in me.” I was worried
that soon after she was reactivated next month, she would slowly
return to her old ways, but the gospel has made a deep impact on her
life and I got the warm feeling that all would be well.

Elder Low