Floods and Foreshadowing

will there be time to go to the beach at all? Even just for the day? I miss the beach.
I'll be completely honest: I'm ready to come home it's just clicking in my head and heart that it's time. Cari made a good point in her latest email to me (sorry for not responding directly, Cari) that now's the time I can be the boldest. I don't know if it really was "Boldness" but I did tear into a member for being retarded in holding back his girlfriend from baptism. He didn't appreciate it at all, and probably hates me now, but I snapped listening to his BS (boy scouts, if anybody asks) and told him how I viewed the situation. I may have killed that relationship to a certain extent, but he still loves missionaries and still let me bless his child in sacrament meeting.
Yeah, so that's a weird experience: blessing and naming a child as a missionary. First of all, I had to carry the baby up there (carrying babies is not something I'm accustomed to, especially since there's a clear rule against us holding children). Second of all, it's something that's cool to do, but not something I'm ready for yet. Like a ten year old getting permission to drive around the block. It was such a great feeling, though. I know now that that is a blessing that I will always be worthy of to do for my own children. He really is a cute little Marshallese baby. His blessing was focused on his spiritual well-being. Elder Poulsen and Elder Wayland opened their eyes during the blessing (sinners) and said that he was smiling up at them and everyone else. They could see the potential in his eyes and were glad that the blessing focused so heavily on having the Light of Christ with him and the Power of the Holy Ghost directing him.
I don't know if any of you have heard, but there was a big old storm here this past week. 18 inches of rain fell. For as much as I would love to spend the last little bit of time I have teaching, it looks like it will be spent, instead, doing service. One family we went to do service for had five feet of water in their split level, completely destroying everything downstairs. Everything had to be ripped out and thrown away. We'll be working closely with the ward in finding who all needs help, because this is taking priority. Hopefully we'll still be able to meet with the few investigators we still have that haven't gotten baptized yet, but all of them have such a long way to go that it's not like we're prepping them for their baptisms this coming week.
Things are still going great, I'm just pretty trunky. It's not inhibiting the work, it's just the way it is. It really helps to keep my mind from dwelling on my aggravating district leader and some annoying situations.
Congrats on the great homecoming, Troy!
Love you all!
Elder Gates