Elder Preston Armstrong : Week Fifty

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a Happy Mother's Day! I just got done talking to my family and seeing their faces was awesome. I just love all of you so much, all of my family and friends, without you guys I would not be here today.

This week went well and the work just continues to roll on. I am loving where I am in life and I enjoy everyday no matter how tough it gets sometimes. This week we got a lot of work done, but it’s summer vacation for most people so it's been pretty quiet. Vacation time is when a lot of people in India go back to their hometowns and villages from where they first came, so that was the case with most of our members and investigators.

We had our New Delhi District Conference yesterday, and I am happy to tell you that it will be the last time that happens. In 6 months, we will have the first stake conference for the newly formed India New Delhi Stake. We are so happy and excited. There has been so much work to build the Church up here. I am so grateful that not only was I here to help build the foundation, but that I will live to see the rest of the building. Nothing could make me happier than to be 60 or 70 years old and look at India with multiple temples and millions of members and to say that I was there and that those are my friends.

That's kind of my thoughts for this email, how important friends are. I have thought about my friends who are out serving with me, all of the friends I have made here in India, and all of my friends back home. I am a firm believer that you are a product of your environment, where you come from, and the people you are surrounded by have such a huge influence on who you become in life. I am so grateful that I had good friends growing up, who helped me come on a mission. I am thankful for brothers and parents who were my best friends. Since being in India I have made the greatest friends in the world. Some of those friends are members, but a lot of them are the missionaries I have served with and lived with for many months. Their testimonies have strengthened mine, and I have learned so much from them. The sacrifices, the faith, and the strength it takes for these Elders to come and serve is unbelievable. I could, and in another year I will, sit down and tell you stories about every missionary I have served with. I can tell you about their families and about their hometowns and their favorite foods. I will be excited to tell you everything, because I love my friends. The ones that raised me, the ones who helped me, the ones who left Marsh Valley to serve missions too, and the ones who live here in India. Every single one of them has had an impact on me that will last forever, and so will your friends and the people you choose to be around. So choose wisely, and be a good friend yourself. Because the Savior taught us best to be a friend, I know that He is the Ultimate Friend and I hope he will be the best friend that each of you will ever have.

Love you,

Elder Armstrong