Hello! It was quite the week this week. And unfortunately, we didn't see as many people this week as we typically do. Between Zone Conference and Interviews twice this week, we didn't spend as much time in our area as I would have liked. But it was a good week nonetheless :)
Monday it rained on and off, but then got super hot and sticky. Elder Braden and I played Tennis and Frisbee while the rain lasted and then it got to humid for comfort. That evening we met with the Greenwald's as usual and we showed President Uchtdorf's talk, "Come, Join with Us" followed by priesthood blessings given to both of them. They know they need to come back and I think they are very close! Please pray for them. Afterwards we tracted a little bit and found, "Shakespeare in the Park" where there were lots of people in one location...we called on the rain from heaven so they would all scatter and it happened! (It was going to rain anyway...we just prayed that it would come sooner) haha.
Tuesday was our Zone Conference in Worland, WY. We discussed incorporating Temples and Family History Work into our teaching and finding. I gave a discussion on that and enjoyed it quite a bit. President Mecham made us promises and blessed us acquire a SURE knowledge of why we are here by virtue of the Holy Spirit of Promise unto the Sanctification of our souls. He told us that we are the elect and and made us promises pertaining to the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. Pretty cool stuff :) That evening I started on an exchange with Elder Slade from Cody while Elder Braden exchanged with the Elders in Thermopolis.
We spent half the day in Cody Wednesday. President told us the night before that he wanted to do interviews with all the missionaries in the Cody District. As a Zone Leader, he asks us to do pre-interviews. I mainly asked about finding ideas and how each missionary is doing. I enjoy interviews but they can be draining. I also had an interview with President that went really well.
Thursday I returned Elder Slade to Cody in Exchange for Elder Swisher (District Leader). Elder Swisher has lost his iPad so spent about a half hour looking for it. While doing this I also came to discover one of our missionaries decided to buy a skateboard...and he told his companion that I gave him permission to have it...I know myself a heck of a lot better than that!!!! Made me so mad. Waiting to Elder Braden gets back to confront him about it. That evening we did a lot of walking but no one was home. We later realized it was because everyone was at the Powell fair.
It wouldn't be a Wyoming experience without washing Dairy Cows in preparation for the fair! Brother George (our Ward Mission Leader) asked if we could help wash his cows that were going to be shown in the fair that morning. We did and it was pretty gross but awesome. Those are some big animals. He offered to let us show them in the fair but we went to Lovell to do more interviews there. We didn't get home till about 3 and then had some really good lessons with a new Less-Active family (the Lopez's) and found some new people as well.
Saturday was really fun! Not very productive though. It was the last day of the Powell fair and EVERYONE in this small town goes. We spent the whole day there trying to talk to people but no one was interested. Go figure. BUT we did see a few Less-Actives and even an investigator there so we got to talk to them for a little bit which was good. Also, we got a lot of free food including free funnel cake and Hawg Heaven. The last fair event was the Demolition Derby. I've never been to one so it was fun! Basically a lot of Junker cars get into a ring and crash into each otehr until their engines stop running or they lose tires haha. Way fun.
Yesterday was good. Elder Braden is still in Thermopolis, so Elder Swisher is still with me. We had a really good visit with Bill and Nora Winters, a Part-member family who got back from Nauvoo not to long ago. We testified of the Book of Mormon and discussed why the Saints were willing to travel thousands of miles because of their testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel. We are going back Wednesday to have a MOOSE Steak dinner and are watching 17 miracles with them. Then we went to a Less-active family to find out why they still didn't come to church.
Well that was our week. Not all that exciting, but some new experiences for sure! In answer to your question dad, from what I understand I will be home January 17th. 10 days after Alex gets home. The reason for that is because I came into the mission on a 5 week transfer, and there will be another 5 week transfer due to transfer day falling on Christmas Eve. And, missionaries used to go home a week after a transfer happened and now they go home the last week of a transfer. So I get pushed forward 3 weeks! It'already almost August. Yikes.
