Monday, April 30, 2018

Puddles of Pollen!

Hey y'all  this week was pretty standard. We did a lot of service for the ward, I'll hit all the highlights. Wednesday was district meeting, which is always fun, then we went and helped some non members move which was fun to take a break from tracting and online work. Thursday we helped them move again. Friday we helped the Henderson's in their yard with weeding and gardening and digging ditches around her flowerbeds, (I'm pretty sore haha) then on Saturday we unloaded the bishops storehouse truck for the food orders and helped with that whole process. I'm super humbled and gratefull everytime we help with that. Some of these people rely on that food to get them by and its an eye opener for sure. It makes me really gratefull for where\how\who raised me. Everyone read Mosiah 4-5. and ponder on how you can try a little harder to be a little better at giving of your time and resources to help those who are less fortunate. It's what Jesus would do. Then after that we went to give an older lady in the ward a blessing. Her name is Sister Marler and shes kinda crazy and has 2 huge german shephards. She talked our ears off for forever and gave us some hotel soap from the 80s,  then finally told us what was going on, she said she just needed to know going forward in her life that the Lord was still there and still cared about her. I was then volunteered by my companion to give the blessing. I don't remember all what I said, but it was pretty short, I remember thinking that usually good blessings are long and thoughtfull and what not, but after about 30 or 40 second my mind just went blank. feeling a little inadequate I wrapped it up. Immediatly after she turned around and said, "did you feel that?" not knowing exactly what she was reffering to I sheepishly replied, "yeah I think so" she then proceeded to tell us in great detail how she opened her eyes mid blessing and saw someone in white kneeling in front of her smiling, and how the room was full of similar figure, and that thats why she talked to us for so long because she was waiting for them to gather into the room...... Who "they" were/are I'm not entirely sure, and she's is a crazy old lady, but I'm going to take her word for it. The next day at church we saw her and she told us she was set apart to be a service missionary a few minutes earlier and that almost word for word what I said is what they repeated in her setting apart. #faithpromotingsories. Good week. 


Stafford Civil war park, the union armys "valley forge" of 1863, really cool site.

So the pollen here is like dust, the yellow stuff you see in that puddle of water is pollen, quite literally a puddle of pollen, and the "dust" on that black car is what happens when it is windy after it rains, its like St. George except EVERYTHING is covered in pollen instead of dust











Monday, April 23, 2018

Spring Has Sprung!

Hey everyone this week was pretty good. We had a solid lesson with Cheryl on Tuesday and comitted her to live the hard stuff. The word of wisdom, tithing and chastity. Then on wednesday we had zone conference and we talked about building our foundations now so when we go home and build a "house" metaphorically, then our house will stay up. We sang the Wise man built his house upon the Rock. We did the hand signals and everything, twas a good time. Then at the end we Played a questions of the soul game, we had our zone versus another zone. It all came down to the wire and we were all tied up, I got voulentold to be the sudden death tie breaker question answerer person. So I got up there and the question was supposed to be hard but was actually really easy. It was why should I keep the sabbath day holy. Luckily I had just taught Cheryl the commandments so I pulled Exodus 20:8 out of my back pocket and won the game. Twas lit. then we tracted the rest of the week and taught a few lessons. Anyway today is zone p day so this is a short email I gotta go ball up. See y'all next week. 

PS  I forgot to tell you all we got smartphones and our bathroom flooded for no reason!  

Brother Hartley: super cool convert

 




Monday, April 16, 2018

Onions, Who Knew?

Hey everyone, so this week was transfers. I have a new companion, Elder Newton from Kuna, Idaho.  

So that was on Wednesday, Tuesday we taught Cheryl the gospel of Jesus Christ and the commandments and on Friday we taught Lili the Plan of Salvation and they both came to church! They couldn't stay for any of the other hours but at least they came to sacrament! We also found a new investigator this week, an older gentleman named Hank, his wife died a few years back and we taught him the restoration and were able to testify to him about eternal families it was super awesome. So it was a good week. 

We were walking out of our apartment getting ready to leave for the day and the people who live above us were moving out so we offered to help, we ended up helping for like an hour and moved all their stuff and they even fed us after, super nice. But one of the guys recognized us and after we were done got our number and said he wanted to talk with us, so we went over and he said, " I want you guys to come over and meet with me and my wife because I'm confident if we study together we"ll see that the Jesus you believe in, doesn't save, I'm confident we'll see that there is only one Jesus." That is about 70% of people here, we meet with them and then they try to tell us why were wrong haha. But we believe Jesus died for everyone and everyone is going to be resurrected, and if he believes that I'm not "saved" who's Jesus really saves? TBD if were going back haha. 

I also discovered that wild onions grow like crazy out here, like almost as much as grass, people have lawns of wild onions its nuts, so I dug some up and took them home and now I have free onions for my omeletes. 

Jeffy the snake
our view from the apartment
RIP Elder Windmiller
wild onions
New companion Elder Newton







Monday, April 9, 2018

Cringy Moments!

This week twas a good one. We started off with exchanges with the ZL's which is always a party, we found them some new investigators in their area. I also discovered to never EVER ask for extra meat and queso on a bowl at chipotle, they charge thru the roof, 15$! Can you believe that??  On Wednesday we met with the Ray family we found last sunday, the husband Kacey is athiest and needs proof. His wife, Lillian, is super awesome and open, she used to be catholic and hated it cause you have to pay to repent or some weird thing like that, anyway she loved everything about the gospel, even the word of wisdom! She came to church on Sunday but unfortunatly left after sacrament. Another Miracle. Some other elders, not in our zone found a lady, over facebook. Her name is Cheryl, they found her few weeks back and taught her a few lessons and then reffered her over to us. Shes awesome! super prepared and ready for the gospel, she watched General Conference with the other elders and came to church with us this week. Speaking of which, The Do's and Dont's of Fast and Testimony Meeting. 

As every missionary knows, its always a gamble bringing an investigator to church on fast sunday..... you just never know whos gonna get up there and talk about southern pride for 8 min. (true story)
-DO bear your testimony as directed by the spirit
-DONT talk about a funeral you went to
-DO bear your testimony as dierected by the spirit
-DONT talk about southern pride
-DO bear your testimony as directed by the spirit
-DONT ramble on a 15 minute story about your week and start crying for no reason

I think we get the point..... PLEASE if you notice the missionaries have an investigator there, follow the guidlines as listed above, then we can all avoid incredibly awkward and uncomfortable situations. And hopefully the investigator isn't confused as heck and learns something about the church. 

Thought for the week, Jacob, chapter 5, if you map it out it really isn't that hard to follow, and its AWEOME, this is the 11th hour, the last time the lord is going to send laborer to the Vineyard. Everyone do your part! "Casualness leads to casualties."

District pic
Me and Shiloh(the cockatoo)
Awesome flower tree with legit massive flowers all over in Virginia 
Allegory of the olive tree as told by me (zenos)









Monday, April 2, 2018

Temple In Richmond!

Hey Everybody, So this week we had interview with President and we were talking about how we're sleeping, and how terrible our 1000 year old mattresses are. So guess who has two thumbs and a new bed. THIS GUY. So thats neat. We have a lot of time to tract, gives us a lot of time to think too. Also a lot of tries to perfect our door approaches. So sometimes its hard because I just feel like a salesman in my dorky white shirt and tie and man satchel with BOM's. We just have to stay focused on our purpose and remember our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. But that's also challenging because the most common respsonse we get is, "No thank you, I already know Jesus." So that presents the new challenge of how to invite them to the restored gospel. I guess thats why we have two years to figure this out. Anyway. TEMPLE IN RICHMOND!!! All the missionaries lost their minds when President Nelson announced that haha. That conference was Awesome!! My favorite quote 
From conference was from Dieter Uchtdorf, "He gave all that we might receive all"

P.S. thats butterscotch pudding on my face. I had to eat a pie without my hands for zone P day