Well, good morning! This week so far, good morning mom, this
week so far has been wonderful. Oh just thought of something else I’m going to
bring up, adding it to the list. I’m
trying to be somewhat organized this week, I have a list, I figured I’d write
down stuff, so I’m not just completely rambling on the whole time.
Let’s see, obviously first things first, you probably want
transfer news, I’m staying! I’ll be
staying in Stevensville for my last transfer! Elder Hand and I will be staying
together. I'm so excited! Elder Hand Is literally an amazing companion. Just a stud. So, as long as he doesn’t get
sent home, which I really don’t think is going to happen. I’m hoping for the
same miracle that I got. I think it will
be great. That’s our transfer news. In fact, just about my entire district is
staying the same. So that’s going to be
super fun. There’s a sister in my
district that’s going home with me, Sister Jacobi. She’s from Flagstaff. So that will be fun. She’s going from here to
Salt Lake, Salt Lake to Phoenix, and then she’s flying from Phoenix up to
Flagstaff. So we’ll be on the same
flights together up until that point.
Cause obviously I’ll be with you guys. Yes. The whole last transfer thing is SUPER WEIRD. And it doesn't make it better that salt lake rubs
it in your face with Myplan every week.
Let’s see, we’ve been in a trio this last week, because one
of our zone leaders went home. Elder Bezou, he’s from Missouri. His ancestors killed Mormons, it was
great. But now I’m in a trio
companionship with Elder Crockett, he’s a ginger. First name’s Davey. Not really, but he’s a stud. Great Zone leader, best one I’ve ever had. (voice
in the back ground – presumably Elder Crockett – “You’re darn right.”) You’re
darn right! Laughs. That’s that, well that’s it so far, I have
other things, but that’s that item.
Shrine? What’s that?
Oh yeah, so Elder Hand, I guess I’ve sorta been contributing to it, but
it’s mostly Sprite. Elder Hand has built
this shrine on top of our wood burning stove.
I think I told you about this last time?
I’m going to take a picture of it, cause it’s grown to the point where
it looks great. There’s a couple cans of
Country Time Lemonade, but it’s mostly Sprite.
You’ll see a couple Squirt cans in it, but it’s this whole shrine just basically
stacked up on top of each other, and built out of Sprite cans and with an
Arizona on top. An Arizona Lemonade. So,
yeah. Elder Crockett walked into our
apartment his first day here and he goes, “What is this?!? No other Gods before
me, this is blasphemy.” It was funny.
We have a campfire lighter and messing around I sorta, I
think I broke the igniter, so if we want to use it, we have to bring it over to
our stove, light the stove, and then use that to light the lighter. Which is kinda ironic because you usually use
a lighter to do that to the stove. So,
yeah, I see the irony in that. Had some
watermelon and cereal for breakfast. We
had a storm that was here, now it’s not any more. It was kinda nice actually to sit back and
listen to all the thunder and lightning and rain and think “Ah, it’s monsoon
season back home.” Or I guess monsoon season is in a couple of weeks, but it’s
about that time. I’ll be getting home in
monsoon season. I was reminiscing with that with Bishop, and telling the
family, the Olson’s, they’ll be moving down.
Technically they’ll be in Queen Creek, but that’s just a couple blocks
over practically. I love telling people
here that I’m from a town. I’m like, “okay, so what if it’s one of the world’s
largest towns? In fact, I think it is
classified as the largest town in America, last I checked on Wikipedia. Still classified as a town. #winning. Elder Hand makes fun of me for
that, he’s like “It’s not a freaking town!”
I’m like “So what if we have a Costco and a couple of Wal-marts?” He’s like “It’s Not A Town!” I’m like, “Ok. Fine. But it’s still a town.” We have a town Council. So ha.
We have signs that say “Welcome to the Town of Gilbert.” It’s a town. There’s horses that occasionally ride through
the street. Well, not on the street,
more like on the sidewalk. At least It
was back when I was there. You said it’s changed a bit. Is it still… I really hope it’s still a town.
Umm let’s see, miracles.
Oh! So we’re working with this
family, the Smith’s. This less active
family we found a couple weeks ago.
Amazing family. Mom and a dad,
both pretty less active, and two kids.
Both like, if I had to guess ages, seven. Both about that age. One of them might be baptized? I’m not sure. But, super, super great family. We tracted into them, and we figured out they
were members pretty quickly when the kids were all like, “It’s the
missionaries!” And we’re like, “Oh. Okay.” We were able to teach them, set up a
time to come back, and then they came to church. So her dad and brother are
both active members in the ward. Her
brother is actually the one that owns Romeo’s the really great Italian
restaurant. The missionaries get half
price there so I can get this giant fettucine alfredo burrito for like $3
there. It’s amazing. Everybody loves us there, and we love
them. Tip well. So that’s where my allotment goes,
apparently. #twiceaweek. But anyways,
they were at church again this week, and they are in the ward that has had
nothing going on, so I’m like “Prayers are being answered, this is amazing.”
And then, at church we have this new couple just randomly
show up from Sheridan Wyoming. #wrongsideofWyominginourmission West Side, Best
Side. Kinda like last row, best row, I’m starting that campaign. And #Iagreelastrowbestrow I love that package
you sent me! I think I talked about
it. Those photos. I love them.
Thank you mom. Let’s see… so
that’s been going on there. Anyways, so
we had this new couple show up, super great there. Right now they are looking for a home, they
are living out of their car. They kinda
moved up here, I think some things happened down there, but all I know is that
she is a recent convert of about a year, he’s a Baptist, but the whole time
he’s literally like, “I just love this church!
Everybody here is so nice!” and
everything, so we’re hoping to start teaching them. And helping them out. And hopefully they will progress. I know that bishop in ward council, they know
we work hard, but it’s kinda like “Okay… let’s start seeing something,
please.” We’re like, “We’re trying!” So, that’s that ward. And that just awesome miracles.
Elder Hand is walking out of the shower right now. (Elder
Hand - #Faithwassufficent we still had hot water) So, Elder Crocket and I both took a shower
and our laundry machine has been going all morning. And the washing machine only
works on warm/warm so #faithwassufficent also starting that hashtag
campaign. That’s probably a way better
campaign than #lastrowbestrow and I don’t even remember the other one I said a
couple of seconds ago. So yeah. Miracles at church, we have a lesson with
Amanda this week, super excited about that.
We’ll be teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to her, we still need to
pray about it, and plan it and all that, but… (Elder Hand belches in the
background) Anything you have to say my
glorious redneck companion? (Elder Hand –
No. ) Alright. Have fun. So we have
a lesson with Amanda this week so pray hard for that cause I’m super excited to
see how things are going with her.
Elder Hand. We got a
consultation with his doctor this last week, the doctor said it looks like a
torn meniscus and ligament damage, and so we’ll be getting his MRI this next
week. Which I’m like “Oh, I remember
what that’s like.” Really great,
actually. I took a nap during mine. They gave me headphones, and were like “What
kind of music do you want to listen to?” And I was going to say ‘Classical’ but
‘Classic Rock’ came out, and it was amazing. So, that was that sin. It was amazing sitting there. Of course, he’s
like “I can do some classic rock, I’m just going to put it on shuffle…” (Elder
Hand – Leave my crutch alone!) I just accidentally stepped on it! (Elder Hand –
to himself- Get over it, Elder Hand, you’re not even using it!) Yeah, you’re
not even using it. (Elder Hand – I’m using one.) One crutch, yeah. I see how
that is. Let’s don’t listen to Sister
Wadsworth, let’s see what she says. (Elder Hand – It’s fine! Leave me alone!)
Anyways… Being in a trio is really fantastic, cause you can all just make fun
of each other. It’s a freaking college
apartment. If I’m being honest here, I’m
living in a college apartment. We have
Nerf guns here. We have battery powered
Nerf guns. We have a shrine made out of
Sprite cans. Half, no literally all of
the furniture we’ve got in this place in the last three weeks has been
free. So, yeah, that’s a thing. So that’s his news, we’ll be waiting to see
how that goes.
(coughs) Freaking cotton in the air. Yeah, I was thinking I would love to move to
Stevensville, it’s beautiful here, the people here are great, but winter’s
suck, and allergies suck. Also I don’t
know if I could find work here. Maybe
Missoula. You don’t have to record this,
but that’s a Liberal town. I don’t want
to go there! It’s a Liberal College
town. So, I’m glad I never served
there. That place is ridiculous. They call it Zoo Town for a reason.
Horse Liniment Gel, most amazing thing in the Universe. It solves all problems. I’m fairly certain
it’s made from 20% water, 30% whatever stuff, and 50% Christ’s atonement
because it heals everything.
Preacher? What, oh
yes. So we got this referral a couple of
weeks ago, for this guy, and we’re all “Oh sweet!” He contacted some
missionaries in Salt Lake at Temple Square, the referral said he asked so many
great questions, and so we went to go meet him.
and so we went to his address and his address is a church. The Lone Rock church down the street. It’s a non-denominational church. A born-again Christian Church. And we go in, and see the office hours and
ask for him and they’re like, “Oh, he’s still in Salt Lake, he won’t be back
for another week.” Oh, okay. We get his
number and call and set something up. He
was busy, and then he wanted us to come over the day we were getting our car
fixed, so we’re like “Crap. That’s
tomorrow and we set that up like a week ago, sorry we can’t do that.” Anyways we were just finally able to meet
with him, and we had Elder Crockett with us, and he is an amazing scriptorian,
and so we were really, really thankful, cause we show up, and it basically
turned into him trying to talk us out of our religion and our faith. To the point where he’s saying that we’re
going to hell for what we believe. And
that we’re servants of the devil and all these things. Like, not in a very mean way, but he just
kinda throws it out there and you’re like “You’re still smiling, but you just
called us servants of the devil.
What?!?” And literally just
saying what we say is wrong. And we’re
just like, “uh…” And the spirit is just
NOT there in that situation. I mean it
got to the point where we sat there and tried to answer some of his questions,
and tried to teach and testify, threw out a couple of scriptures, but once it
really started to get to the point where the spirit of contention was really
there, and once we could get to a point where we could leave, we left. And dropped him as not interested. But he
brought up a lot of really interesting points, it was really actually believe
it or not my first time that I’ve encountered, or sat down in basically what
was a bashing session. We didn’t bash
him at all. We’re like “No, what you
are saying is wrong.” A couple of times, but so that experience was a first for
me. And I’ve been really pondering and
learning a lot from that. And I’m like holy cow. It was actually quite testimony building by
the end. I definitely think every
missionary should have that experience at least once. Cause wow.
I’ve definitely encountered people that have like thrown out anti
against us, I guess the trick is that you’re like “I could throw out stuff, and
in my mind rip you to shreds, but the spirit is not going to be there, and
that’s not going to do anything. You’re
not going to come closer to Christ from that, I’m not going to come closer to
Christ from that, so what’s the point in doing that? What’s really fun though is when you’re
teaching a lesson and people start bringing up, like slyly, kinda like what he
was doing. He was asking very pointed or
directed questions to lead us onto a certain anti topic. And we could tell, and we’re like,
“Aaaagh. Ok. Whatever.”
That’s fun when people do that when you’re tracting or such. But hey, that’s life. That stuff’s out
there. People are going to think all
sorts of manner of crazy things about you.
And you’re like, “No… Believe it or not, we do believe in the same
Christ.” And such. So, that’s real.
I’m driving again.
Bless Elder Hand. I’m sorry he
can’t drive because of his condition, but I’m kind of happy to drive. Choir this week. We performed in sacrament meeting and it was
wonderful. Everyone did great. It was
just a super great experience. Sang a
great song, looking to sing again in two weeks.
Holy cow and I get to be here. I
get to finish in Stevi. Love Stevi.
Anyways, that’s right, the Olsons. Had a great chat with
them. I’m dropping my suitcase off
tomorrow, which means I need to p…. Ugh.
Do you know how weird that is?
I’m packing up a suitcase. Like,
I’m packing to go home. I’ve still got
six weeks. I’m not gonna get trunky, but
like, I have to plan stuff that I’m not going to use for the next six weeks,
and send it home. Here’s a whole
suitcase of mine. That’s weird. I’m really thankful for it though. So’s the church, because it’s saving the
church like $60.
Squirt is still wonderful.
Love Squirt. I don’t drink nearly
as much as I want to, thankfully. But
probably still a little too much. And I think that’s all I had written down for
now. Also this voice recording is at 18 minutes. Should probably wrap it up. So I can send it off. Uh, that was a lot of stuff. This week, it was a crazy week, but it was a
great week. I hope you have a wonderful
day, I hope everything is going well.
I’m praying for you guys, I know
this week must have been pretty hard, being alone. And I think you have all of
next week too, or part of it. So, bless your heart. Know that the Lord is there with you. I’m praying for ya. I know you’re doing great. So, see you in six
weeks. Have a great day, Love you. Bye.
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