Hello there - 06/18/12

Looks like a lot of service projects this week.

 

Being a missionary is pretty darn cool. That's pretty much all I have to say.

This week has been pretty poor in terms of numbers of lessons taught, but we worked pretty hard. We had a service project every day this week, and three of them on Saturday. Monday, our P-day, we ended up moving some people out of a Motel 6. Tuesday, unloading a storage unit for a less-active member. Wednesday, yard work and horse chores for a less-active family whose father was out of town. Thursday, we helped clean house for a woman who needed to box up her ex-husbands old stuff. Friday, we unloaded a packed U-Haul for a friend of a member who recently got divorced. Saturday, we helped one of our investigators set up a surprise party for her husband's 40th birthday (he asked for a white shirt and scriptures!), we helped move more boxes of ex-husband's stuff, and did more horse chores. I felt pretty blessed, actually, that we got to help so many people. In the future, we may have to ask the Elder's Quorum to help out so we're not doing service all day long instead of teaching. But that's just how the cards fell this week.

 

We seem to have been blessed for our diligence in service opportunities, because the media referrals have been pouring in this week. I think we got 8 media referrals, more than I've seen in the rest of my mission combined. In my mind, that's the Lord's way of giving us teaching opportunities to make up for the ones we missed while unloading moving trucks and such all week.

Going on exchanges again was way more fun because I got to stay in my area and stay with my car. Eventually I need to buy my bike. But leaving my investigators and working in someone else's area feels like leaving my children with someone else for the day.

I got to meet a very sweet deaf girl this week while tracting. I would have referred her to the ASL missionaries, but she actually lives in DC and is just visiting here for vacation. Her name is Alice and we wrote notes in my study journal back and forth. I felt very blessed to meet her.

I've found little simple things to keep me happy when the days are discouraging. Elder Gowers doesn't really understand them, but they make me happy anyways. I always pay attention to all the plants in people's front yards and try to identify them if I can. I wave at passing cars and see if I can get the people inside the car to wave back. (That one always makes me grin!) I talk about dorky sciencey things all the time. And I make it a point to always find something to smile about.

I've been guilty of focusing too much on our numbers, being poor and not enough on the quality of our work. God has truly blessed us in some amazing ways! Being able to confirm the whole Nielson family on Father's Day was a huge blessing. Finding them a place to stay with the Yeske family was also great.

Oh, and Stephani Klamm got clearance from the First Presidency to be baptized!