Josh Mission Email August 17 2026: City Slicker (Almost)

Happy Monday Y’all,

I promised I would talk a little more about Davonta in my last email. It’s been about 2 weeks since he’s been baptized, and I am so excited for him. He has been dealt a really hard hand in life, he grew up in a rough part of Baltimore and as a result of the choices of other people he has some impairments that make regular life tough for him. Through it all, he has maintained such a strong faith in God and a desire to be close to him. He couldn’t stop smiling the whole time during his baptismal service and he bore a really cool testimony about how repentance has changed his life.

My new area is Kensington, and it’s really dope. It’s right outside of DC, and it’s got an urban section and there’s just a lot more people everywhere. The temple is also in my area and church is right next to it, which is so cool.

Highlights over the past few weeks:
-My last companion went home so I got to spend the day with a couple of guys up near my old Mandarin area. They’re both a ton of fun and really good missionaries so we had a blast.
– New comp is chill, he’s been out for about a year now. I finally got a comp that wants to go into DC for P day so we’re going to do some cool stuff this transfer.
– Got to teach on a porch during a massive rainstorm. I was testifying about how our lives really do have purpose and meaning and how we can come to find God. There was some crazy thunder crashing in the background, it felt straight out of a movie
– Teaching about the Plan of Salvation outside the temple. For sure one of my favorite lessons of my entire mission so far.
– MIRACLE SATURDAY. Our ward mission leader goes out with us for 8 hours on Saturdays and we visit people, find, and teach with him. He has an amazing life story and such a strong testimony. He also lost his hearing during covid so to talk to him you have to hold this little microphone he has that connects to his hearing aids.
– We’re teaching just some really cool people. They’re smart, interesting, charismatic, curious, and it’s fun to be with them. We also have one or two friends that are a little (lot) less stable but they’re really funny.
– The pace at which we move is just a lot faster over here. The days have been flying by, I like staying busy.

Spiritual thought 🚨🔥

For Times of Trouble
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/times-trouble/

“You can change anything you want to change, and you can do it very fast. That’s another satanic suckerpunch—that it takes years and years and eons of eternity to repent. It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, “I’ll change”—and mean it”

I listened to this talk this week, and instantly put it on my list of all time favorites. If you want to know how to really utilize faith in a practical manner to improve your life and make you a happier, more stable person, give this a read/listen. We do not need to confuse meekness and humility with doubt and trepidation. Our faith in Jesus Christ should and always does give us the ability to walk with faith and confidence in any situation.

Much love!
Elder Banks