February 13, 2017

Friends and family! We had a baptism! Melanie was baptized last
Saturday and everything was amazing! We also had many missionaries
from our Zone show up to see it with their own investigators. It was
packed and she had many of her friends and family there to support
her. We even had a couple of non members attend. They will soon be new
investigators!

We recently had the great opportunity to hear Brad Wilcox speak to our
mission this week. He gave his talk to all the missionaries and their
investigators. He talked about grace being the divine help that we all
receive from a loving God. When we accept this help, we receive more
and we are helped along the path of eternal life. It reminds me of a
scripture that a dear friend once shared to me that I rely on daily.
It is in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

This next week as the Spanish Zone we are going to be following a new
schedule. It is the schedule that they use in Latin America.
Everything will be pushed back an hour so we will be waking up at 7:30
and going to bed at 11:00. We're all excited to see what will happen
as we move forward! The hand of the Lord is in this change and we're
excited to meet new people as we follow the inspiration of our mission
president!

Have a great week everyone!

February 6, 2017

Well family and friends, this has been an amazing week! We have found
so many new families to teach and they're all so prepared!!!! The Lord
has really blessed us here in the daybreak area.

My new companion is Elder Holmes from Alabama. His favorite things in
the Ward are guns and the gospel. We work very well together and our
goal is to help everyone we see come closer to Jesus Christ. Today we
had a companionship activity and we had some bonding time:

We were very blessed to have 4 non members come to church today. We're meeting with all of them today and tomorrow and we're going to teach them the restoration. It's amazing because Elder Holmes and I felt very strongly to pray that we can find 4 people to bring to the waters of baptism. We knew that the only way we could possibly do it is with the help of the Lord and He truly does bless His faithful servants. 

Something that I have been learning more and more about is how the Lord always keeps His promises. My favorite promise is the one found on my mission plack from D&C 88:62-64. This promise is true and I have experienced the blessing from it. I am accompanied as I teach and testify of the restored gospel. My greatest desire is to do missionary work and to help others experience the blessing of knowing their God and the plan of salvation that He had created for us. I am so excited for the baptism of Melanie this next Saturday. We met with her yesterday and she's doing amazing! She told us that the Book of Mormon is true because of what the Spirit told her through her prayers. She's only 9 too and it's amazing to see the Spirit working through her. 

Anyways I love all of you and I hope you have a great week! 

Elder Kallin James Austin 
Utah SLC South Mission 

January 30, 2017

Hello family and friends!

Transfer calls came in and I will be staying. My companion, Elder
Cardenas, will be leaving unfortunately and will be going to West
Jordan. I will miss him greatly. He is a fantastic missionary and a
very hard worker and I know that he's going to do great things in his
new area. My new companion will be Elder Holmes. He is a gringo from
Alabama and actually lives with us in our apartment. It will probably
be the easiest transfer that he's ever had.

This last week was one miracles after another. We found a new
investigator named Homero. He has read the Book of Mormon twice now
and is about to finish it again. He really wants an answer to know if
he really needs to get baptized. I know that we were sent to him for a
reason and now is his time. We will be eating at his home tonight and
we will also be starting a fast to help him get an answer. Everyone
please keep Homero in your prayers!

Melanie is amazing and she is for sure getting baptized. We taught her
yesterday and she always remembers to read and pray. She's only 9 and
she did better than I when I was in high school! Right now she's
trying Moroni's promise in Moroni 10:3-5. I know that she will be
ready for baptism and her brothers are also doing everything with her
to support her. This family is just so amazing! I'll attach a picture
of them in the email.

Recently I found a quote by Elder Bruce R. McConkie that pretty much
describes the calling that I have received. " I am called of God. My
authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I
have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is my Master and He has chosen me to represent Him. To
stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if
He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent
me. My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my words are His
words and my doctrine is His doctrine. My commission is to do what He
wants done. To say what He wants said. To be a living modern witness
in word and deed of the divinity of His great and marvelous latter-day
work."

My vision is that everyone to whom I speak will come to know the
Savior through who I am and what I say. My purpose is to invite others
to come unto Christ by helping them receive His restored gospel
through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism,
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. This is
all I think about anymore and it's what drives me to do my best each
day. I hope that everyone will find the joy that I have found as they
share this gospel with everyone they meet. It will be something I plan
on doing for the rest of my life.

I know that the Savior is real and He directs this church. I love you
all and I hope you have a wonderful week.