What's good in the hood family?!
So many awesome things going on at home it sounds like! Busy busy! This week was actually probably our slowest! E. Villejo was sick on Tuesday with a migraine and was throwing up. So, while he napped I read scriptures alllllll the day long! Although I enjoyed it! Montana does online proselyting...meaning we can use Facebook for an hour of the day to reach those who would be to shy to take the discussions in person, and also to help the recent converts with uplifting messages. This month, we are having a "facebook fast" meaning that instead of online proselyting, we are reading the Book of Mormon. I love it. The goal is to finish it in a transfer (6 weeks) while at the same time doing personal study in the morning. In the morning I read the New Testament and right now I am in 1 Thessalonians. It has been so cool to read the Bible and BOM side by side because you see just how in perfect harmony they are! I started the Book of Mormon 2 weeks ago, and just got to Alma. For an hour a day, that isn't too bad :D I'm getting so much more out of it this time!
So Tuesday wasn't very productive. However, Wednesday was very productive! We visited Sister Bond (the part-indian that made Torie's doll), visited an inactive named Byrl Quilici, and visited our two investigators Gene and James. We have to have the most unique investigators in the mission haha. All Elder Villejo asked Gene was if he had ever been married. Gene starts out with, "Well it all started at my dad's funeral...". Totally unrelated stories and an hour and a half later, we found out he's never been married. He's 82. Quite the visit but at least he is comfortable talking to us. He said his Book of Mormon has "vanished." We told him "Don't worry we got a whole box." Haha. He had trouble reading the small print so we got him a 12x12 Book of Mormon haha it's enormous! Can't wait t give that to him! James is a sad story. He was extremely depresed when we visited him. He has had all kinds of aweful things happen to him and has never been married. He's the kind of guy that tries so hard to follow the bible with exactness that he's afraid to try anything that may confront it. Never been married, still a virgin (he tells us all this stuff), has had a brain tumor, skin cancer, kidney cancer, lives in a beat up home, no family, was ex-communicated for dissagreeing with the Jehovah's Witnesses, and wants to see the second coming before he dies. We promised him that the Book of Mormon would bring him everlasting happiness and that all those losses will be made up. He was thankful for our visit and still wants us to come back so we will! :) Have high hopes for him.
Friday we sheek-rocked with Brother Stocket some more! More so sanding all the putty. Sanding is A LOT of work but I love service projects! I was completely COVERED in white dust, my hair was white, and I had a mask on so only half my face was white haha it was awesome! Afterwards, we played darts with Brother Stocket! Took me a whole game to figure out I'm left handed at darts haha. Later that night we visited Sister Stalder who had lots of food for us :) She is a lifesaver! And we just talked about girls, marriage and all that fun stuff with her. She really knows what she's talking about!
It is currently freezing. Legitimately. It wouldn't be to bad if it weren't for the wind. This weekend it's been hailing/snowing/freezing rain with a 20mph wind. Not fun to tract in but we were missionary troopers! Friday Morning Sister Stalder made us pancakes, bacon, and eggs! Soooooooo good. And we visited Sister Jensen at the Jensen family grocery store. Sister Jensen has been through so much and we haven't got to visit her. Her husband has been standing trial for some things he's been accused for and he also just had his leg amputated :( She is going through hell. So she happened to be at the store and we talked to her for a few hours (no one was there). Such a sweet lady with so much faith.
Sunday was the SO AMAZING. Trisha Breakall (the Bishop's daughter) gave her mission farewell. It was extremely spiritual and brought back the feelings of my farewell. Her and her sisters sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" to the flute and piano. I was crying haha. I got to give a blessing of comfort Sunday as well. Sister Meeks (an older lady that we visit) came up to me after sacrament meeting, grabbed my arm and asked for a blessing after church. So we did :) And Sister Jensen (mentioned earlier) was who drove us, so she got hear the blessing as well. Sister Meeks was going through some difficult trials and after the blessing sister Jensen said it was a beautiful blessing that she would relate to herself. Such a cool experience. After church we were invited to her open house. There was about 50 people there and it was so much fun to visit with people. There were a few non-members as well! Great food an desserts as with any Mormon gathering. Elder Villejo and I stayed till everyone was gone and we talked with Trisha about how great it is to be a missionary. All of us had teary eyes and we sang Trisha, "God Be With You, Till we Meet Again." Classic. So that was our week! Still freezing but it beats the heat for sure!
Prom sounded like a blast! I want to see all the pictures! Of the kitchen, of Jesse, of the decorations, all of it! Torie looked BEAUTIFUL and Jensen looked like a stud! I'm so happy they both had a good time. The church is so neat that it does things like that. Dad, sorry you had to get surgery! That doesn't sound fun at all. I miss being able to help you out with all the yard work, believe it or not. Don't over-work yourself! Hope everyone is healthy otherwise! Send more pictures!
Sunday during Gospel Doctrine we had a lesson on trials. Brother Stockett (the one we help with sheetrock) gave the lesson. He is one of the younger families and has only lived here for about 6 months. He is a Juvenile Probation officer for the county. He told us something I will never forget. The difference between sympathy and empathy. He said that growing up he had some of the worst trials. I won't mention them but believe me when I say they were horrible. He said, "Sympathy is somewhat understanding what someone is going through. Empathy is having experienced what someone has been through and helping them get through it." He went on to say that as a juvenile corrections officer, he has EMPATHY for these kids. And because of the things he's been through, he's been able to help these kids. So sometimes our trials aren't meant for us. Yes, we will benefit from overcoming them. But sometimes our trials will be for the benefit of someone going through those same things later on. It's all a gran plan presided over by a supreme being. That just really hit me this week. That my trials will help someone else because I will have empathy for them.
Have an awesome week and sorry this one is so late in the day! Love you all!