Thursday October 7th: Guess what I got to do?!?! Go on guess. I try to do it every 8 weeks. I donated Blood at the church building. For those of you who don’t know, I really enjoy having a huge needle shoved in my arm to draw out blood. Really I do that’s not sarcastic. It was awesome. I think that was my 12th or 13th time donating. See I do enjoy it. Thanks Mom for taking me that first time in San Jose, You turned me into a blood donor :)
Friday October 8th: This day was really cool but kinda sad. We were invited to attend a funeral. The cool thing about it was that I got to dedicate the grave. Yeah that’s right, yours truly got to dedicate a grave. I got a picture of the gravesite a few days after the funeral so everyone can see the spot. His name is Lee Hanna, he is not a member but his daughter is, and she thought it would help if we did that. We thought as we were in the cemetery "Even though this is a Lutheran (I think it was a Lutheran cemetery) Cemetery, everyone that is in it is probably Mormon now, or at least on the path."
Saturday October 9th: We went to Sister Lasko's Pizza place and helped do some work for about 4 hours. I was scrubbing some vents that were above the oven; it took me awhile it kinda sucked. But overall was fun. I got to help in the kitchen for a little by prepping some food (she didn’t open till 4pm, we got there at 1) and when we were done we got to make our own pizza, it was really good.
Sunday October 10th: 10-10-10 that was Sunday. After church, like I said earlier, this was the time we went and saw Nannette. For dinner we went to Bishop Laker's house for dinner and he is a pretty cool guy. Huge house awesome family, I had lots of fun there. Gage the oldest (8 years old) has down-syndrom but he is a really funny kid and he loved having us over. Landon, 5 years old, was full of energy running all over the place, excited we were there. and the last kid, I forget his name but he’s 8 months old. We got to teach them a lesson and it was on Repentance. You know what that means? I got to teach by using my Rubix cube, "No matter how messed up, scrambled, or confusing life is, we can always rely of Jesus Christ to help us become whole and clean.
Monday October 11th: It was our Preparation day but since it was Columbus day all the Libraries were closed :( That’s why I’m emailing today (Tuesday 12th). We went to the park and played Frisbee Golf. its so fun. Is there a course near home? I want to play when I get home. After Frisbee Golf we went home and I got to do Laundry!!!!! Its great to have clean clothing. Later Monday night we had some other Elders come over. Elder Welch and Elder Brinkman. Elder Attwood and Elder Brinkman went to a leader meeting today (Tuesday) so Elder Welch is my companion for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday October 12th 2010: It was the First day with new temporary companion, Elder Welch. It was a day of service. We started off like normal with our daily studies and for service we went to the senior center (like Elder Attwood and I do on Tuesdays and Thursdays) to help Toni in the kitchen with Meals on Wheels and serving lunch to all the old people. It was fun during the break we had we played a little on the piano and played with some "Soft chairs, the ones with the Wheels" (Christian will understand) and I learned how to do a wheelie which was cool. After the service at the senior center we got to go to Sister Tallents house again to mow her lawn. But this time I didn't mow, Elder Welch did it all, But I wasn't slacking off. I was using the leaf blower to get all the awesome beautiful red leaves in a pile so that I could throw them a way. I ended up getting the leaves off the neighbor’s yard as well, you know a good service thing. I filled up 5 compost garbage bins up with leaves, there were a lot. For our hard work Sister Tallent rewarded us with her awesome ice-cream pie, which is amazing, some apples and bacon. After all of this fun awesome service (yes it was fun) we went back to the apartment to relax for a short break. Elder Attwood and Elder Brinkman got back and they went to Brother Blust to teach him (he wanted to leave the church, but agreed to meet with him before he made a final decision). While Elder Welch and I went to go to Otto & Jean Johnson, a less active couple, well we couldn't find their house so we went tracking down that street and came to Nicole Little's home and she said that we could come back tomorrow to teach her. Awesome I found some one :) when everyone got home we partied all night drinking beer and breaking all the commandments, jk. We hung out talked and went to bed so that we could run it the morning.
Wednesday October13th 2010: This morning like I said was running day, I ran 3 miles :). We saw Brother George Robinson today, It was his 75th birthday. He was so happy to see us. we shared him a lesson from the June 2010 Ensign about how important it is to keep a current Temple Recommend (page 35 I think, if you’re interested). We saw Brandon after lunch didn't teach much but we prayed with him. After we walked 40 min to the Bozarth's home (less active family) and taught them The Plan of Salvation. It went great. We walked 40 min back home in the rain, which I thought was awesome. We did have jackets on which was good. I love the rain. Elder Attwood and Elder Brinkman got home today and Elder Brinkman and Elder Welch went home, so that left Elder Attwood and myself to go teach Nicole Little. This was a MIRACLE. We show up, it’s raining a little bit and she comes out and we teach her OUTSIDE. When we start teaching the Restoration, it stops raining. When we finish teaching, it started raining again. Look me in the eyes and tell me that that wasn't a miracle, I dare you. I am so excited because I got an investigator :) We got to play basketball at the church tonight that was really fun.
Thursday October 14th 2010: Today isn't over but I'll tell you what has happened thus far. District meeting this morning. It was awesome, it was all about the Spirit, and I got to teach about recognizing the promptings and relying on the Holy Ghost, It was fun and really cool. On our way home we went to Nannette's house and taught her the Plan of Salvation, it was so cool, I felt and taught by the spirit the whole time. It was such and awesome experience. She asked about Baptism and what she had to do to get ready for it on Nov. 6th. So I would say today was another miracle day.
Friday October 15, 2010: It was sacred time in the morning, meaning it was weekly planning day. After planning for this up coming day we went over to Brandon's house to see how he was doing. He’s been struggling a little bit with reading the Book of Mormon so we sat down and read with him. Guess how much we read with him? We started in 1 Nephi and read chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. 5 chapters!!! It really helped him, and it helped me too, because I got to read it again and I got explain parts of it. We then helped him with his car. We helped him get his passenger side window back on the track, because it was off the track, go figure. For Dinner we went to Brother and Sister Garcia's for dinner, they are a less-active family. After dinner, we got to work on another car. Brother Garcia has a Jeep (like Bob's) and he needed help with some rear axel stuff. I helped a little, it was mostly Elder Attwood doing it, but he likes doing it.
Saturday October 16, 2010: Today was totally pointless and that is why I’m going to share it. We went over to Sister Vincent's house to help her PACK boxes because she is moving to Florida. We helped pack her stuff, not pack a truck. and the stuff we helped her pack was like "Really, you couldn't do that yourself" I took apart a shelf and ran like 2 boxes to the basement, helped try to fix a broken vacuumed, and folded and packed some of her clothes. It was extremely BORING and painful but I know that she needed help and although I was about to die (we were there for like 5 hours doing barely anything) It was the right thing to do. To go help her with some of this stuff. she was really happy that we came to help and when I look back to that day I know that it was right to help. Even though it sucked doing it, I’m happy that I did. Ok so Brother Blust was the one that took us and he calls us all the time. He said he was going to get us at 9 in the morning and he shows up at like 8:30. He has a few mental problems as it is, so I learned that my job is first a Missionary and second a Counselor for people who don’t know how to get real professional help. I wont get in detail but he is having some emotional problems and has threatened to leave the church. We're trying to help as much as we can but there is only so much WE as Missionaries can do to help. Later in the day we went to Nicole Little's place (she’s our new investigator) and she wasn't there so we went shopping to get some food, I have no money left on my card for food. but I hope I have enough food to last till the end of the week.
Sunday October 17, 2010: We had church today, surprisingly enough. During Elders Quorum, we were going over Baptism, one of the guys there (less-active) left because its hard for him to grasp the idea that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is the only True church with the proper Priesthood Authority to baptize. Last I checked It was. We went to see Sister Baker in the afternoon, it was great, and we got to share with her Faith and Hope. We decided to ride our bikes this evening and my bike broke again. Last time my pedal crank fell off, then my pedal, and now it was my pedal again and guess what the Elders that put my bike together when it got here, they striped the thread where the pedal goes so I have to buy a new pedal crank. Oh and my chain skips when I put pressure on it so I might need to buy a new gear thing for my back wheel. YAY I get to spend more money!!!!
Monday October 18, 2010: Today, right now its email, later its a district activity carving pumpkins, and going to some peoples houses in the evening. And we are doing another exchange tonight!!! EXCITING.
Investigators:
Brandon: He always forgets when we have Appointments, which sucks sometimes because we'll go over and he wont be there. But other than that he’s a good guy. He has trouble sometimes with the commitments we leave him. Prayer is really good with him, he says some cool ones when we are with him, But his reading is slacking still because he works a lot and just got a second job and that’s one of the reasons he cant come to church on Sundays. "Stupid work, leave Brandon alone on Sundays!!!"
Nannette: She is the one with the Baptismal date for November 6th. she is doing well with what we are teaching her and what she is reading. She has lots of questions for us which is great, because it helps her understand. She has been sick for a little while so she couldn't make it to church :(. When we went to visit with her on Sunday after church, we answered lots of questions and taught a little on the Plan of Salvation. Sister Greves was with us and she is an amazing woman, she definitely helped us out a lot. Before we left she gave us some BEER!!!, don’t worry it was to make beer bread. Elder Attwood loves it, I’m not that big of fan.
Mike Mulligan: His wife is a member in our ward. We went to go teach him the Restoration, but instead we answered a lot of questions and read a little with him. We are going back today to teach him again.
