April 15, 2013
Dear Family:
That story about Lydia was awesome, I am still laughing
about it. Sounds like you had a really productive week, now I can't help I
kinda miss that happy busy time at home in April but mostly May that is super
busy but it is still fun anyways. I feel like me and Allen are being really
productive, it is just a different kind. This week we taught a ton of lessons.
So many we didn't have time for weekly planning ha. For all of those of you who
haven't been on a mission in the last 5 years that is just like where we plan
for the next week and it takes like 2 hours, so after study time you end up not
getting to work for all morning. That sucks that is all I got back for a tax
return, I’m going to owe you like 4 grand when I get back haha. I didn't notice
that Dads name wasn't on the letter, if you clarified that because I was asking
him questions that isn't why I asked them, I was just curious. It just dawned
on me that dad can marry people now cuz I was talking to some members about
civil marriages. I hope you get to do that sometime. I can't believe you
actually burned the pile! I was saving that thing! ha jk. that thing was
thick, I’m not surprised it burned that hard. Brett btw in your last letter
Ronny changed your name, you will have to ask him about it haha. Also keep
those backflip skills up, I lost mine a while ago and it is hard to get back. I
flew of the tramp once and then I've sucked at it ever since. Ronny, how did I
stay out of trouble? I have no idea to be honest. ask mom and dad how they did
it cuz it beats me. I am glad you asked the question cuz it had me thinking
about it. In a lesson I got asked the same question and it helped me have an
answer for her. Otherwise I don't think I would have had an answer. They best I
came up with was from PMG was p. 19. There is a quote on there from Boyd K.
Packer "True doctrine understood changes attitudes and behaviors. The
study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a
study of behavior will improve behavior. The thing is my friends also
understood the doctrine, probably even better than me. I think my saving grace
was I saw a direct correlation with how my days and weeks would go in relation
to my prayer and scripture study. That and living the gospel just made life
easier. So maybe obedience too. I didn't understand a lot and I still
don't. I think being in a small town also helped, we don't have it near as bad
I found out at college talking to people and then talking to people out here.
Sharee those are some impressive track stats. Also your story about Bryant
thinking Moni was named Robby makes a story Lisa told me make a lot more
sense now ha. Also thank you guys for sending me the newspaper things.
So here is the weekly breakdown.
Monday after e-mailing we went thrift shopping. I bought a
old suit cuz I hate wearing out my good suit going to meetings and stuff. I
will still wear my good one to church though. I also got a sick flannel shirt.
We talked to a crazy while we were doing that. I don't normally tell you about
all the crazy people I talk to cuz that is pretty much a daily experience. But
I found this one funny cuz something that happened a few days later. It was
this lady wearing all white that told us that we need to be vegetarians and
never get married and we need to give our self to God. Then a bunch of other
crazy stuff I don’t have time to go into about how the second coming just ended
and it started in like 62 and he just left again like 2 years ago and now she
is traveling by foot all over the country talking about it. On like Thursday I
found the scripture 1 Timothy 4:1-3 while I was looking up stuff about
dispensations. I texted it to Elder Albright and Kelly cuz they were with us
when it happened and they thought it was pretty funny.
Tuesday I was on exchanges with E. Albright. That was fun.
We went to the Rex's again for a minute and met her son that just got back from
serving in SLC. So he and I talked about that for quite a while Elder Albright
got referrals. Mom they have these things called pretzel rolls. You will
love them. And yes they are amazing. They come from Costco.
Wednesday Susan tried to drop us, but we didn't let her. She
had to wait in the doctor’s office for like 6 hours one day and found a
magazine with a bunch of anti crap in it. So we pretty much spent a whole
lesson explaining the stupid stuff to her and she also decided that she doesn't
belong in the church cuz she doesn’t have a family and can't pay tithing. It’s
a good thing Elder Allen was there cuz he had some bomb answers to all her
questions. We are going to see her again soon and hopefully all goes well
there. I also got to talk about Jessie in a lesson about going to Utah and
she loved it.
Thursday we went to see a guy named Joseph that Elder Allen
picked up while I was on exchanges. When we got to his house all I saw was this
black guy standing in front of a few people blaring a recording of somebody
preaching and I was like Elder Allen. What did you get us
into? So we went and met the guy and he was cool. Then he went in the house and
switched the cd to some rap instrumentals and he is like let me show you how I
teach people about Jesus. He started rapping and he was good! Then he turned to
me and was like spit a rhyme! I was laughing so hard I couldn't even think. So
then he started rapping about Joseph Smith and Moroni showing him the plates
and stuff. It was cool! and he knew his stuff. I was super excited to get into
the discussion and then he is like wait, we are waiting for somebody for
our lesson. Then two Jehova Witnesses’ showed up and Joseph makes us promise
that we won’t bash with them. So we pretty much just talked about the bible
with them and tried to not tell them they were wrong. We also taught Steve and
he's going loved General Conference and is gonna get baptized. I taught Roy Brown
alone this time which was fun. So I pretty much got to see some of my favorite people
that day.
Friday when I woke up I had a dream about grandpa. Me and
him were in his old big garage and I just got home from my mission (even though
I was in my shirt and tie). He was showing me this awesome semi that he welded
the entire frame so it was completely custom. It looked sweet. All he had was the
frame and he was getting hoses and stuff like that getting ready to drop in the
motor and tranny and stuff. I also found my iPod and was super happy it still
worked (something I was thinking about earlier that week) in a pile of fiber
one bars. (Bro drake keeps giving me those things and they are amazing). Plus
some other cool stuff that I don't have time to write. We had an awesome dinner
at Sam’s house. His mom made us carne asada and it was amazing. We were
supposed to go to some other city to go somewhere cool but I don't think Sam
called Pres Smart to ask so we didn't .
Saturday I had my first experience helping somebody quit
coffee. We took her (Sis Snow my first lesson in the field) coffee and hid her
cups and coffee maker and stuff. So we just have a bunch of coffee chilling in
our place. We are going to give it to this guy that owns a restaurant and gives
us free breakfast whenever we want. Dad I used the first letter you sent me
with Sis Snow. The one about the guy you met that speared his own fish and that
awesome story there. She loved it. She said you were a good missionary and that
you are also a really eloquent writer. (to me you sound a lot like Clive Cussler,
probably cuz you listen to those books so much). we are working with her every day
now to help her quit so she can get to the temple.
Sunday was good, we had some investigators there. I realized
a couple things Sunday. Missionaries are the only ones in church that actually
carry their scriptures anymore. Everybody is using I pads and phones now except
us ha. I also got to stand in on ordaining Bro. Drake’s son a Deacon cuz he
wanted Allen and I in there. It was a big circle and I thought we were going to
break the poor kids neck so I was trying to hold up some of the weight. I have
been thinking about blessings a lot because we do them a lot. During the
blessing I realized something. There are not a very many things as comforting
as a couple good pair of heavy worthy hands sitting on top of your head. After
that, I stopped trying to hold up the weight.
Well that’s all I have for the week!
Love you bye!
P.S. I got Kaiden, Jetson and Skylers e-mails. Skyer is the
only one I had a hard time with
this is me and Elder Albright and a cool sign.
Traditional Missionary Salute!
Also would you mind sending me the talk "Safety for the
Soul" by Elder Holland with a letter. I hope it’s not too thick. I don't remember
it for sure but I think it might be a good one for me to share with people
about the Book of Mormon. Just caught a 2 minute glimpse of it the other
day.
Also tell Ronny I thought of another business idea. Storage
units. Easy to maintain and everybody has too much crap to keep at their house.
If somebody doesn’t pay, just cut the lock and take the stuff out and rent it
out again
