2-19-13

*Somehow this email never got posted. I just found it as I was going through all of his emails updating his blog so this is from back in February.

Today I am emailing you because yesterday the Libraries were closed for Presidents day. So here we go. 
               Last Monday we went and Played Raquetball again. It was a lot of fun as it always is. That night after dinner we went and taught a part-member and picked up a new investigator while we were at it.
              Same thing for Tuesday we picked up another new investiagtor and taught a couple of lessons. One with Jerry and Pauline which went well. They were a referal from Bro. peters in the first ward here in Decatur. He ended up being a good lesson. We also stopped by a former gator and picked her back up as a new gator again and started teaching her again. So things are going good. That night the family we live with fed us dinner which was interesting I have to say.
            Wednesday we had a couple of appointments fall though but we were still able to teach that day. One of the appointments was with the Banks that went well. And anther with some other part member family. We work a lot with Part members here. It is good.
        Thursday we had to go to Champaign for a zone conference. It was cool because I got to see the U of I for the first time. It is a cool little city there though. It was a good conference. It took us a little under and hour to drive there which was not so terrible. We got back had dinner and did not have very much time to work and everyone we did try to see was out because it was valentines day...
           Friday was awesome because We picked up a new Gator Mary, who we set a date to be baptized on March the 23rd. It was an awesome lesson. Her daughter is a member of the church and she loves the church. We had much time to go see many different potentials that day also after the weekly planning. 
       Saturday was jammed packed but way aesome because the morning we went to Joels house a recent convert for a lesson and he had 3 friends there a family that wants to be taught so we taught them and picked them up as new gators also! They are way cool. Then we had to go to a wedding for an investigator which ended up being postponed. Which wasted a good amount of time figuring that out. Then we had a lesson with the Carson family which went great. Then we finished the day with dinner at the Bocchios and also a lesson with Charley who will be baptized this Saturday! Yeah!
         Sunday we had many people come to church including 4 of our new gators and Charley. That is a record for here as of right now. Sunday after church we met with this lady who we picked up as a new gator also! so we ended the week with 7 new gators! That night we taught Dustin.
      Yesterday we had zone pday out in Spring field. It was a ton of fun. We really enjoyed hanging out with the other missionaries and what not. We had dinner with an awesome young couple the Halseys then had a lesson with the Speers who are investigators. It was a good day.
     Today we have a few appointments lined up and hopefully they will all go great! Have an awesome week!
Love, 
Elder Derek Turner
*Serving in Zion*