Week 4 of my first transfer. It was kind of an off week but what do I know, I've only been out a month haha. We met with one of our investigators named "Gene Halsey" who is probably about 90. I don't remember if I've mentioned him before, but basically he goes to a bible study and weekly "meeting" but claims it is not an organized religion but world-wide. Anyway, we came back to teach him a second time and he welcomed us in saying he had been thinking about us a lot. He's difficult to teach. Whenever the Spirit starts to pick up, he 'll COMPLETELY change the subject. And he knows it! For example we were talking about the Apostasy and and when we finished the first vision (spiritual high point), he says, "Did you know the Buddhist have the most members worldwide?" And then he gives us this smirk with all 6 of his teeth. Frustrating haha. Anyway, we actually committed him to coming the church but he has a hard time getting up in the mornings because of some health issues. He did agree to come though so we're hoping for this Sunday.
The weather changes every hour! We were in Twin Bridges and out of nowhere a rain storm hit, with mixed sleet so we got hammered while tracting. Kind of sweet. But freezing rain doesn't feel to good on the face. We also started teaching a 19 year old guy named Brian Todd. He claims to be atheist but has had all the discussions. He also owns the scariest dog I've ever seen. Half its face is ripped off and it's super mangy with an under-bite so you see its teeth. So we knocked on his back door haha and turns out the dogs name is "Natalie." Haha soooo scary. Brian said he's play bball with us so we're trying to get that started. We're actually at the church right now. Funny story about that, we actually got two bikes. And we thought we would try and ride them to the church about 3 miles away. The bike I was riding had no pedal, and no bolts to hold the sprocket on. It was stuck in 5th gear and the front tire was flat. And it was uphill the whole way against 20mph wind. My pedal bars broke off 4 times along the way haha it was the worst bike ride of my life.
On Saturday we actually attended a high school play! Shakespeare's, "The Taming of the Shrew." We heard about the play because one of the families we are teaching has a son who was in the play. We decided it would be good to go and support as well as to show ourselves at community events. We were the only ones ones in suits, so we stood out pretty well! The play was $7 bucks each...BUT Bro. Larsen from our ward (who looks like Gordon B. Hinckley) let us in for free. Righteous Exchange! The play was actually really good, I was impressed. It was hard to follow though, I never liked the way Shakespeare wrote.
One last cool thing! We got a referral actually from the Bishop. There was a family last week that came to church. The wife was Less active and the husband wasn't a member. They had a newborn baby and wanted it to be blessed so the bishop blessed it while the non-member husband held the microphone :) pretty legit. Bishop talked ot them after church and they both agreed to have the discussions. We gave them a call later in the week and they actually invited us over for dinner on the 14th! SO STOKED! Really hoping that the lessons go well. The ward members feed us every night and send us home with food. We have 5 loaves of bread...two of them homemade. And one of the members is a bee keeper so we have legit honey :D
Mike Bias. I think I mentioned him. He's been investigating the church 13 years now. We've been able to talk with him a few different times at member homes. Last P-day he actually gave us a ride home from a member's house and he told us we were doing a good job. Pretty cool to have an investigator tell you that. He's having difficulty accepting the Atonement. He feels like he has to much of a past to be forgiven and he feels like once he is baptized, that he will fall. I really feel for him. I think we all have a hard time accepting just how simple the Atonement is. We think that we there needs to be more of a punishment, or a way we can pay back for the things we do wrong. What he needs to understand is that Christ suffered so that we don't have too. "Repent and Forsake." Or "Confess and forsake" if it requires priesthood leader attention. Enormity multiplied by infinity are the things the Savior suffered for. He condescended below every pain. The cross did not kill Jesus Christ. The people did not kill Jesus Christ. Through Mary, he inherited Mortality. Through Heavenly Father he inherited the ability to overcome mortality. He WILLINGLY gave up his spirit into the Lords hands.
From Elder Holland's 2009 talk "None were with Him":
"...because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so...trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, 'I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you.]'"
Other Spiritual Thoughts for the week:
"There is danger in the word 'Someday' when it means, 'Not this day.'" - Henry B. Eyring
"When we face such temptation of our time, we must declare, I will give place no more, for the enemy of my soul" -Elder Holland
Thank you all for the letters! And Olivia for the package! She sent me a box with a ton of candy, letters, and a coloring book with markers haha awesome :)
Hope everyone is doing well! Love you!
Between the elevation, wind, and cold, my ears are having a rough time. My right ear is almost 100% but now my left ear is starting to hurt. I still have some ibuprofen. Some sudofed and benedryl. And advil/dayquil. if it gets worse i'll call Sister Mecham and she will tell me where would be the best place to get medical care. Otherwise i'm healthy!
Miss you a lot. I'm loving it here but would be lying if I said I didn't miss home. Luckily I have an awesome companion for my first transfer and a pretty area with awesome ward members. Hope work isn;t stressing you out to much! Hang in there. Pretty soon we're going to be doing some service projects. Like sheet rocking so that will be sweet. Have an awesome week! Love you!
P.S. Tell Torie I say happy birthday! I'm sending home a letter, that's why I didn't type it. Hopefully she'll get it friday!
Elder Inman
