Week 35 - Choose To Become

"Choose to Become"

That's our mission motto if you will, and it's something I think is very effective.

Some missionaries are clean haha.

Last week started off with an exchange with Elder Kunz who is one of our ZL's. We started out the morning by going to an appointment who then told us he doesn't want us coming over unless he calls.....awesome. So we felt the prompting to go back to our place, drop off the bikes, and do a "Red Shirt Contact" which is praying where to go and what color to look for...pretty crazy stuff. We got our apt. and felt the prompting of "yellow"....not sure why, but we prayed about it and went with it. After, the prompting came to walk down to Crafycroft, make our way to 5th street, then make our way back to our place. Again, not sure why. A few people stopped and talked to US but we kept walking the 3ish miles. Then, we looked up ahead and saw a dude in yellow. FTW! We talked to him and he was quite receptive. The only person we saw that was wearing yellow...all day. It's crazy going out and searching and hoping that the promptings you feel are not just...you. It's such a blessing to have this guidance upon us. 

I remember talking about praying for something funny...hahah. So one of our investigators 'Johnny' who has come a loong way and is sober and everything. He does struggle from some things still, but hey, we're human. He was there for our appointment....and he ran out of his ADHD meds...hahahaha holy crap. He was bouncing off the walls, got up and did an awesome dance move, arm wrestled, and everything hahaha. Oh man. We got a little on video, but sadly it won't get home until beginning of next month. God has the best humor. He knows what will be funny for EACH of us, without hurting anyone. Boom.

I kept imagining it biting me then me dropping it to the grown and stomping on it...but it didn't get that far luckily haha

District Meeting last week was on "Revelation through Church Attendance", I found Alma Chapter 6 and based a lot of it off that chapter. Got to get people to church yo.

The random songs that randomly come to my head. Aweee man. Music. "Sacrifice brings the blessings of heaven!"

We taught someone on medical marijuana this past week. He has avoided us before but after he left (after seeing us) he came back and said, "Something told me to come back." Even though he was stoned as crap..."legally". We shared a message about baptism and he said "That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" Again, very high. He's being taught by the JW's, but planting seeds goes a long way.

Mail has been taking a while lately...they say "fwd" on them...whatevs. It's like the government is shut down or something.....that's all we know haha.

One of our investigator's, Barbara, had some rough patches, but it solid! Yesterday we hooked her up with a ride to Conference and we had previously had a lesson about prayer and taking a question to conference and search for the answer. Well, there was some mis-communcation and our member thought she would be waiting outside, but she was waiting inside her house ready to go. Man, we felt awful. We told her she (not anyone else back home or else) can make fun of us for that. She has been coming along. She smiles, laughs, and has input during lessons which she never had any of that when we first taught her. We invited her to pray about a baptism date for the 26th of October, which has relevance to her as that's her mom's birthday who passed away. Yesterday at our lesson, she said she was excited to tell us that that was the day she felt to be baptized. Barbara is aware of satan's influence as good things come about. It's crucial to go over to progressing investigator's home to check up on them "daily nourish" because if we don't, satan will.

Something I've learned a lot on my mission is that the Lord calls YOU where he needs your help, not to be someone else, but to be YOU. Regardless of your strengths and weaknesses, there's always a reason for it. 

Have to keep weekly planning upbeat somehow!

Yup. So we had 10 hours of church this past weekend. CONFERENCE. 

Not too many things are as rewarding as when you find Waldo....

Seriously.

Some quotes and thoughts I liked from this conference.

-"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." - President Ucktdorf

-"We must be 1) Anxious to improve 2)desiring to please God 3)Recognizing our weaknesses" referring to 'meekness' - Ulisses Soares

-"It's impossible to fail when we do our best." - Elder Ballard

-"Faithfully pursue what brings happiness to your life." - Elder Holland

-"Help by being merciful, not judgmental, but kind." - Elder Holland

-"We should not be comfortable with our weaknesses." - President Ucktdorf

-"The adversary confuses us o who we are or what our desires are." - President Ucktdorf

-"Sometimes when questions come, we need patience until they're answered to our satisfaction." - President Ucktdorf

Some of my fav. talks were:

Elder Holland's

Elder Oak's

President Ucktdorf's first one.

President Monson's

Look 'em up yo.'

I picked up a guitar and wrote a verse in a few minutes during dinner on exchanges.

"Try"

"When troubles hang o'er us, they try to knock me down where I can't get up.

Struggles come o'er us, they try to lead where I don't belong.

So I will try. I will try, to servive, if I tryyyyyyy."

Meh.

Love you all. Will write some letters today. Thank you for everything! Elder Auva'a and I can't freakin' believe yesterday was our 8th month mark. Just insane.

Stay real!

:D

-Elder D. Hales