Spectacular Sunsets and Starry Nights

hello family and friends!

ah, another wonderful week has come and gone! I am doing well, Liberia is sweet, and Brewerville is great! life really is great, i have nothing to complain about! :) This week, i have really been focusing on being grateful for everything im blessed with. its easy at times to forget the many things we have, and i have too often found myself in that trap. so, this past week as well as this coming week, i am focusing on improving my gratitude for the many many blessings and conveniences i enjoy. I invite you all to do the same, and i promise that you will find much more joy and happiness in your life! whenever i feel upset, i often find myself going to the Lord to vent and express my concerns and before i can even complain, my concern is resolved by thanking the Lord for his hand in my life. Gratitude will change your life, the more you have, the happier you will be. :)

Some highlights of this week! A benefit of being in this new apartment is that even though we must be in the Compound by 7pm, we can be outside the apartment. i have taken advantage of that once or twice this week to enjoy the amazing starry night! oh my, the night sky has been so beautiful twice this week. Elder smith and i really enjoyed the bonding time. we saw 3 shooting stars in one night! we even had trouble identifying some major constellations because of the immense amount of stars in the sky. it was really sweet. got to talk about Kolob and the universe with other missionaries and it was simply a very special treat for me. :) of course, because it is rainy season, within a half an hour it was raining and the starry night was now a cloudy sky. maybe it will be even sweeter in the dry season! ill letcha know! :)

not to talk about the weather too much, but several times it has really improved my mood this week! like i said, its the rainy season and so constant cloud coverage almost 24/7. but a couple times this week, the clouds would clear and open up for some of the most spectacular sunsets i've ever seen. ah, seeing blue sky has been a blessing this week, even if it has only been for a little bit.

another great moment this week occurred while teaching a recent convert. we were encouraging him to pray with more sincerity and more often as he is struggling a bit with finding a new place to live after being kicked out of his current home.  after we invited him to prayer morning, afternoon and night, he replied by saying "i dont pray three times a day... (at this point i was a little concerned because he paused.)... I pray every five minutes! i pray every time i take a glass of water, every time i leave my room, always!" haha the way he said it really showed his faith, and it brought a nice big smile to my face :) E. is such a converted dude, i am so excited to watch him progress! we ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood last week and he is so excited to learn more and serve! he's reading Gospel Principles this week, i bet he'll finish it by friday! haha

MOM!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :) i hope you get my birthday letter this week! i love you so much :) you are seriously the best mother in the world. thank you for all you do, and i pray that you have a splendid day. Scott, nate, ry, dad, i hope you will find some way to make up for my absence and help mom have a terrific day. let her know how stinkin much you love her and how incredibly sweet she is! :)

well, this week has been sweet. it is difficult at times, but i "just keep swimmin" and before i know it, im loving it! life is good. i see the Lords hand in my life each and every day, and i invite all of you to search for His hand in your own life. thank you all for your love and support, i could not be the missionary or person i am without each of your thoughts and prayers. :) till next week my friends!

-elder fairwell