May 5, 2014

Hello Family! I think I got everyone on here. :p This week has been a quick one! I have been either super busy or super not for the past couple of days but the Lord showed me that this area is still on fire if we just get up the will-power and go out and do it! We have been so focused on the people that we are teaching that we sometimes forget that we need to specifically go out finding rather than just try and contact people on the street when we aren't busy. 

Jeni Bodine emailed me this week! She just hit 11 months! She promised me that she wouldn't get married before I got home so that's good. ;) This is a snippet of what she sent to me. "There is a lady here in my ward that looks like your mom, and she also has a son named Kyle out on his mission right now :) so every time I see her I think of you guys. She's pretty funny too. You would love her :) And hey, my district leaders name is kyle too! funny." Pretty sweet right? She is an awesome missionary! Baptizing the heck out of people. Literally, she's getting rid of the bad so therefore, baptizing the "heck" out of them. :P

So about Skype this week! This is what the plan is, On SATURDAY AT 12 we will be going over to our investigators house and skyping from there. This is really one of the only times we can do it because Elder Siglin is from NY and his family will be in church from 9-12. We will be in church from 1-4. Dinner is from 5-6. However, it is 2 hours later in NY which makes it 8 when dinner is finished. So we will be Skyping then. Does that work?? I hope so! We will call on Friday to make sure! If it doesn't, then we will have Elder Siglin Skype on Saturday and I will just Skype on Sunday around 6. Saturday would be better but if we need to wait then that is understandable!

So about this week!

Monday we got a call to see if we could go do some service for Tuesday. So on Tuesday morning at 9 we went over to help out. Their names are the Hatch's. We also had the missionaries from the ward they are moving out of helping. They will be moving into my ward soon. So we get there at 9 and help them move out. We then went to 4 different storage places to find out which one was the one they signed with. It was kinda funny actually. Well we finally found it and started moving stuff in. Brother Hatch and the other Elders helped bring it on carts to the storage room and I played Tetris and got everything inside nicely. They then took us out to burritos at a place called Viva-Burrito. When we finished, they dropped us off back at our bikes. We biked home then looked at our watches. It was 4.....  We were there for 7 hours helping.... But the cool part about it is their roommate isn't a member but she is moving into the house in our ward with them. So we might be able to start teaching her soon!

Wednesday we had a Zone Training with President and Sister Killpack, and the Assistants to the President. It was from 1:30. But everyone was there by 1 and in their seats studying by 1:30 when President showed up. He was SUPER impressed with us. :) It was all centered around the talk "Seek Learning by Faith" by Elder Bednar. It was a great training because Everyone participated! We all learned from each other and bore our testimonies. Best training thus far! Afterwards we went to an activity for the Laurels and Priests of the East Stake. All of the missionaries in the East Stake were there too. They fed us and then President Killpack stood up and talked for a little bit. Following him, all of the missionaries, at their separate tables, shared an experience where they felt the closest to God or how they came to know he was there. It was an awesome experience for them and us!

Thursday we got Elder Siglin a Helmet, FINALLY! It was kinda funny though because we almost got hit twice at the same cross walk that same day! We haven't been almost hit all transfer but the day we got him some safety gear, that happens. Good thing we didn't get hit! :) But a car in the west got SHOT!!!!!! It was in my last area too! The Thornydale ward! The sisters in the ward went to go visit someone they were teaching and he was sitting on his porch with a BB gun. When they pulled up, he pointed the gun and hit the window behind the drivers seat!! It shattered the window!!! They drove off quickly and called the cops. Sister Munn and Sister Hale are the sisters over there now. Sister Hale called the Zone Leaders and this is what she said, "Hi elder Smith. This is Sister Hale. Our car just got shot. Sister Munn is with the cops. Wait, I gotta go!" and then hung up.. I don't know what I would have done if I was him... haha but luckily they are all okay! And the guy is in jail :)

Friday was our ward Activity. We had a game night! Everyone brought their favorite games and everyone just sat around eating ice cream and playing games with each other. It was a blast! We played phase 10 twist. I super lucky the first few rounds and the game would have been over in like 20 minutes if I kept it up! But my streak ended and it just dragged on and on for like almost like an hour. It was fun though :)

Saturday we went on Exchanges with the Zone Leaders. I was with Elder Williamson. He is such a great missionary! We taught 5 lessons and found 4 new investigators!! We literally talked with EVERYONE we saw. It was great though because it showed me that the people that I pass by on my way to my appointments are still ready to hear the message. I just have to make sure Im looking for them. We played Rugby tonight too. One of the people we are working with is names Nick. He is 22 and living with his girl friend. He came to rugby tonight and played with us. And he is FAST! Like, I can run a 5:24 mile still and that is fast for everyone else. But he runs it in under 5. It is crazy! But he is way cool and I cant wait to actually start teaching him!

Sunday we were in Sunday School and we are talking about prophets. But this guy stands up and says, "I love Joseph Smith. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a prophet. But I think that Spencer W. Kimble is a false prophet and is going to go to hell. Wow... It completely caught all of us off guard! After about 5 minutes of him saying everything that President Kimble teaches is wrong, we just invited him to talk to the bishop about it instead of to us. Wow... I have never heard anyone call out a prophet like that. How can you believe that God would allow a false prophet to lead our church? He wouldn't. And Spencer W. Kimble was a true prophet! Haha what a great experience for my journal. :P

Well that is my week! I can't wait to talk to you soon! I miss you and love you all so much! Please try to keep Saturday around 12 open! I will call on Friday and double check everything. :) I LOVE YOU!!!!