Hellooo!
Another great week in the beautiful state of Arizona. It was still in
the hundreds last week but not as hot as it was the week before. This
next week we are supposed to have thunderstorms and it will still be
over 100 degrees when it rains! That will be neat.
This past week was filled with exchanges and this next week there will
be a few more!
On Monday we went to Deseret book where I bought my moms and sisters
favorite chocolate, Utah truffles! They completely were liquid by the
time we were able to bring them home so I just threw them in the
freezer and they tasted just as good. Gotta love the sun! Last week we
set up with sisters in the Gilbert mission in queen creek to meet some
of their recent converts grandfather who is a less active deaf member.
He was really nice man. He has this machine that he and his son who
also lives there use to hatch all different kinds of birds. The
machine keeps the eggs at 100 degrees all day and night and apparently
that is the best temperature for them. He said he had at least 200
chickens in his back yard. Its interesting hobby raising birds he has.
But yeah he was an neat person and so was his family. He wants to get
back to church and prefers going to his grand children hearing Ward
but the only problem is the interpreter situation. So we invited him
to come to the Mesa branch whenever he can.
Tuesday we had a very spiritual district meeting in which I learned a
lot. After that we went to the Tempe mission to meet the new
missionaries and give them a training on what to do when they meet
deaf people. Their mission president is so supportive of our program.
He is an amazing mission president. He leaves this week too with our
mission president. At that luncheon and training in their mission
there was a new missionary there from Herriman and he knew some of my
friends from Herriman that was cool to meet someone who has friends in
common. After that we went and read the Book of Mormon with one of our
investigators in which we were running late to because the Tempe
mission training went late, but the Lords hand provided for us once
again and the investigator and the member hosting the lesson were both
late as well and we beat them there. Way to go team
Wednesday I went on an exchange with an Elder into his area and elder
Jackson went with a youth in our branch to globe. And that Elder I was
with his companion went with a zone leader. The Elder I was with
served In a Bike area. It was in the 100s that day. It was a good
experience being in English and on a bike for a change. Many people
here think it is crazy that missionaries ride bikes in that heat but
our mission isn't even on the list the church put out of 115 hot
missions throughout the world. Other missions have it harder, they
have humidity and 100 degree weather so I am grateful that there's no
humidity here and we can ride bikes. When elder Jackson came to pick
me up that night the car reeked and the battery wouldn't start so we
got out car battery jumped then he dropped me off with another elder
for that night and day exchange.
Thursday Elder Jackson and the zone leader took our car to the shop
and it turned out that awful smell was leaking battery acid. The
battery was wrecked and things were corroded. Our car was running
purely off of the power we got from the other cars we had to get jump
started from. The Elder I was with that day was a missionary from
Brazil who converted when he was 14 he is one of the most diligent
missionaries I have met. He is pretty new here so we relied on our
iPad and wifi to get us to each appointment. That day we taught a man
who lives in a half way house. He was recently released form prison
but he is one of the most spiritual non members I have ever met. We
taught him and he accepted all of the invitations we extended
including baptism. Teaching lessons in English was different and I
think I stumbled with my grammar a bit but the spirit was there and
able to testify of truth. We also taught the restoration to an 8 year
old boy who is preparing for baptism and his member family wanted him
to take the missionary lessons before his baptism. Later that day we
went for the last few minutes of asl class and we had a good turnout
compared to what it has been recently! Elder Jackson always tells a
deaf joke at the end of each asl class and those are always fun to
interpret.
Friday we had weekly planning and another Elder joined out
companionship for an exchange because his companion was on an exchange
with an assistant. We went to his old area globe and taught asl class
again.
Saturday we went to 2 baptisms that were in his area with him and did
some other things in the asl program. That night after we dropped him
off we were pulling in to get gas when we noticed a man getting out of
his car to push it out of the way of traffic we ran to help him with
that. His battery couldn't hold a charge and he says he thinks his
alternator is fried. We were with him for a long period of time trying
to help and towards the end we shared the gospel with him. He seemed
very interested, we compared this trial he was going through with his
car as a way of Heavenly Father showing him that he loves him. When we
have trials like that it only makes us stronger. He said though that
he'd prefer to have his sons friend who is a member teach him and
along with his son, we committed him to that. He said his son is going
through tuff times and he explained something to me so clearly that I
hadn't hardly thought about as he compared this with his son. He said
that people who do not have a belief in God are usually more willing
to believe in him when they fall, when they struggle, or are in need
because they want a change in their life or want something better.
That is not the case for everyone but it made sense the way he
explained it. He also said when those who do not believe in God and
have success they think they got there all on their own and give no
credit or gratitude to God but only to themselves. Again that's not
the same with everyone but it was interesting hearing that spiritual
insight from a man who himself is not a member of this church. And
really God gave us everything, we are onto here on this earth because
he allows us.
On Sunday Elder Jacksons and I gave talks in Sacrament meeting based
off the 2009 January ensign article by Elder Eyering titled "Let us
raise our voice of warning". It is good for all members and non
members to read this talk, especially if you are a missionary! It is
life changing. And then later that night we went and visited with a
less active and shared the June 2016 ensign article titled "Hooray!".
It's about a four year old in sacrament meeting who at the end of the
sacrament prayer yelled out loud "Hooray!!" It was "quizzical"for the
lady writing the article but she pondered about that, what the word
Hooray is used for, and the atonement and how it is really is
something we cheer for. Without the atonement we can not receive a
remission of our sins each week as we partake of the sacrament.
Just a thought. The atonement is real! We have a father in heaven who
loves us each and has a perfect knowledge of all of us! He knows the
desires of our heart and desires to bless us as we give in to his will
and keep his commandments.
Love you all! Have a fantastic week and stay cool!
No comments:
Post a Comment