Leaving Fort Lauderdale East

Dear friends and family:

I've already sent the big news, I'm leaving Fort Lauderdale East. That means that so far, I have spent exactly four transfers in each of my three previous areas, leaving exactly four transfers for my (assumably) last area, whatever it may be.

I'm a little apprehensive to leave Fort Lauderdale, I've been here for six months and I know I'm going to miss all of the members and everyone else here. But I'm still happy and I'm sure I'll love my next area just as much.

Now for the other news:

It's been a great last week of the transfer. None of the key indicator areas have been extremely fantastic, but we were able to balance our efforts better this week better than ever before. None of the key indicators suck! We finally managed to get a decent number of investigators in sacrament!

First of all I want to talk about Russel and Darcia. They are an unmarried couple who we found on Friday. They accepted baptism, because they want to get married and they believe baptism will help them cement their relationship together. They loved church, and they accepted a date for the 28th of March. I am going to miss them already! Their marriage would presumably be on the same day.

Next, we had a miracle come to church as well. He came because of a culmination of events. We met him on Saturday and invited him to come to church; he said that he might come, but he wasn't sure yet. But we continued and found other people on his street to teach. Then, unbeknownst to us, the West elders' investigator invited him to come to church with her. So on Sunday morning, we saw Richard with Rose; they were long-time friends, and Richard only came to church because he was again invited by his friend. We'll see him again tomorrow or on Thursday, and we'll get an opportunity to teach him the restoration. But he loved church as well, and it was a welcome miracle from God that he came!

I finished my application for Neumont University, and according to Mom, who has been in contact with the admissions staff, they have already as good as accepted it, although they haven't formalized the acceptance. From what research we have done, Neumont seems to be a very good possibility for a college for me. Some advantages are that I could get a bachelor's degree in just three years, instead of four, and that the entire college would be oriented on my chosen career field - computer science. Some disadvantages are that because it is a small private university, it could be quite expensive without a large scholarship or grant of some sort; and as well, because of the large work load, it would be very difficult to work during my school career.

They are currently considering me for the presidential scholarship, which would be 75% of tuition cost. If I receive the scholarship, odds are good that I will accept and start school at Neumont a month after I return, in October. If not, odds are that I will accept my entrance into BYU-Provo and I will start there a few months after I return home.

Thanks,

Elder Slade