Lions and Tigers and Bears . . . oh my!

Hello everyone!  It's been a crazy one this week!  I'm just lovin' it out here, though!

Sister T. and I are doing very well; our prospective (mini) missionary, Sister S., went home on Friday, but we had many fantastic times while she was here.  We were able to find two new investigators this week, and both have had member-present lessons!  Yahooo!  Interesting stories from the week:

1. Everyone shoots everything around here!  Seriously -- everyone has a gun and uses it to shoot vermin on their property.  Funny side story: Sister T. told Bishop's family when we were over for dinner that she used to sit on her porch (in Idaho) and shoot raccoons, and then sell their pelts.  Well, the story worked its way through the ward and, by the time ward council came around on Sunday, it had inflated to the point where Sister T. had shot 50 raccoons in one night!  Hilarious!

2. We spoke in church yesterday.  No time to prepare . . . again!  Thank goodness the Spirit helps us out!  We talked about Christlike attributes and they made Sister T. speak last.  She was nervous as all get-out, but she did awesome.  I'm telling you, she came pre-trained!

3.  When you get a moment, look up the news story about Zanesville and the loose wild animals from a while ago.  It put Zanesville on the map.  Some old eccentric guy collected tons of wild animals like Bengal tigers and bears.  Unfortunately he got super depressed and killed himself, but before he did he let the animals loose.  They ended up all over the town!  Can you imagine knocking doors and looking around to see a Bengal tiger walking down the street?  I don't think pepper spray would be too effective there, although it works really well on bears, I hear!

4. One of our new investigators is M, an older gentleman.  On Wednesday night Brother B. came with us to teach him.  He is super passionate about the godhead being separate personages, but he has a hard time with the Book of Mormon.  So read it and pray!  We did tell him that, actually.  And Brother B. was an excellent teacher, sharing his experiences and testimony with a lot of power.  I had forgotten to bring a paperback copy of the Book of Mormon to leave with M., but Sister T. being as amazing as she is didn't miss a beat.  She gave him her quad, told him to begin reading that night, and we would return with a paperback copy soon.  How awesome is she?

5. D. is our other new investigator.  We found her through a nonmember referral.  She allowed us to leave a blessing on her home, and then she said she wanted to come to our church.  We gave her a chapel tour on Saturday and it went really well!  We had a member there and the Spirit was very strong.  We arranged for someone to pick her up for church on Sunday but then she didn't answer the door.  Sad times!  We will contact her again this week and find out what happened.

6. We had interviews with President this week and the first thing he said was that he missed seeing me in Powell!  I told him I missed seeing them, too.  He says with my abilities I should be getting 2-3 referrals a day.  The sad bit is that I had just told him proudly that we'd gotten 3 last week . . . and we lead the zone in referrals!  Looks like I've got some work/improving to do!  He also talked to me a lot about being bold and fearless.  It's weird how I've become less bold about certain things since coming out on the mission.  And it's something I've been working on a lot!  It reminds me of what Elder Zwick said when he was here: "There is no end . . . just endure."  Sometimes it's at such a fast pace, though, that I can barely catch my breath!

7. President told me that B. went to scout camp!  I jumped up and down and was super giddy.  I hope he had a great time.  Apparently he took C. along, as well.  Hoorah!

The people here are wonderful and I'm loving it.  Different challenges than in Powell, but that's just how it is!  Sister T. and I are ready for whatever Zanesville has to throw at us . . . except perhaps Bengal tigers!  Gotta run!

Happy Father's Day!

This is the only Father's Day that I will miss!  Hooray!  I'm beginning to panic a little bit -- tomorrow is my 8 month anniversary.  That's almost half of my mission gone!  Ahhh!  Come back time!  I guess I'll just have to live it up!  In a share-the-gospel kind of way, obviously. . .

It has been a difficult week, but definitely a building one.  This is a new area and we are still figuring out how to best work with the people.  I'm also trying to get used to how big our area is!  It's huge compared to Powell.  Working geographically is as important as ever, and we're still trying to figure out where everybody lives, etc.  BUT we have gotten lost fewer times this week, and I know where I am 75% (50%?) of the time now.  I am appreciating these small miracles.

We found an investigator named H.  He's an older gentleman.  He has a desire to know for himself whether the Book of Mormon is true and is reading and praying about it.  He has an open heart and a lot of good questions.  We're excited to visit him again!

Top moments this week:
We were washing the dishes at a member's house; he is moving and wanted us to help.  The sink was clogged so it kept filling up with water while we worked.  I would periodically empty the sink with a bucket, dumping the water outside.  Well, Sister T. being the genius farm girl that she is said, "How about a siphon?  It's just like IVing a cow!"  We found a small hose, used the same bucket, and voila!  It was such a great moment!

Visited an investigator the Elders left for us, named R.  We visited her twice this week.  The first time we talked for a while, left a blessing on her home, etc.  The second time her daughter was there, too.  We were about to leave when R. told us we couldn't go without saying a blessing.  I guess she really felt the Spirit!  She was very firm that she get another one!  She's adorable, and so well-meaning and open-hearted.

Our ward mission leader is so cool!  His whole family is.  And when I say his whole family, I mean his whole family.  There are so many of them that they have a bus to take them around places.  Well, they also use this bus to pick up investigators for church on Sunday.  The investigator that we went to pick up didn't answer their door, but the front window was open.  I wanted to crawl through it and say cheerily, "Time for church!"  But who knows, maybe something crazy happened that kept her from coming.  Our ward mission leader's dad is in the ward (we call him Grandpa), and apparently when he goes home teaching, he's done things like crawling through open windows!  His philosophy is: We made an appointment and I'm keeping that appointment!  Looks like we need to start taking Grandpa with us on the Sunday morning bus route! :)

Transfer News

Alright family!  It seems that I'm literally in step with Elder Bham -- I was transferred, too!  I'm in farm country!  We've spent a good part of the last couple of days lost because my GPS doesn't do too well on the back roads.

Even bigger news, I'm training a brand spankin' new missionary from the MTC.  Her name is Sister T.  I will attach a picture of the two of us with Sister K. and her new companion, Sister F., who is also straight from the MTC.  There were only two new sisters and we got them both!  So, no worries -- just doubling into an area that I have no idea about and I'm training as well.  I don't need to tell any of you that I'm stressed because you all know me too well!

Sister T. is fantastic, though!  We are both loving it here.  She especially loves the rural aspect because she's from Geneva, Idaho, and grew up on a dairy farm.  In fact, our ward mission leader's wife offered to give us fresh milk from their cow every week -- before she even knew that Sister T. grew up on a dairy farm.  This was very good because Sister T. is not a huge fan of store-bought milk.  I'm kind of excited "to get hooked" on fresh milk myself!

A few notes about my previous area -- it is on fire!  Members have been inviting their friends to church!  The day before I left, a member invited her neighbor to the play group that the women in the ward do together, and it turns out the neighbor is looking for a church . . .!!  Well, the member called to tell us all about it -- she was so excited.  She's a returned missionary and is thrilled to be sharing the gospel again.  We invited her to ask her friend if she'd like a chapel tour.  Turns out she'd been thinking of asking us about a chapel tour, but she wasn't sure if we did that in our mission or not.  Yay for the Spirit!  I also heard that the members found two interested families last week.  I have such mixed feelings about this; I want to be there to see all this happen . . . but I'm just going to have to help it happen here, too!

Waxed a car for the first time today . . . yep!

It's ironic that Mom titled her email with the line from Willow: "You are not in charge here, shortie . . . I am!" because yesterday we got a mini missionary!  Her name is A.C.  She recently graduated from high school and will be here with Sister K. and me until Friday.  It will be interesting if one of us gets transferred on Thursday!  Transfer calls are tomorrow night at 10:30!  Should be great.  I tend to follow E. Bham when it comes to transfers, which means I'm probably getting transferred.  Change is hard; you make deep friendships with everyone out here, but if I do get transferred I will just make some more! :)

Things are seriously picking up here in Powell.  Yesterday was the first day of the 40-day fast and there were a lot of members who got up and bore their testimonies, and mentioned experiences that they'd had because we had challenged them to do something.  The Spirit was so strong!  We also got nine member referrals this week!  With the Lord's sense of humor, now that the members are on fire, I'm going to get transferred.  Alas!  Ear wax!

We made commissary bags for the primary kids this past week, and President and Sister Nilsen talked with both senior and junior primaries about missionary work.  I think the kids were most excited for the m&ms (missionary moments) in the bags, but hopefully they will enjoy the other things, too!

I laminated my "Don't Eat Pete" board.  This really was a highlight of my week, because now when kids drool chocolate all over it, I can wipe it off!  My old one was getting absolutely disgusting so I made a new one. :)

Momma K. made bratwurst pizza . . . just saying it was delicious . . .!

We had quite a few great member lessons where we taught about the difference between spiritual and social conversion, and helped them understand how easy it is to help our friends receive a social conversion.  It has been going really well.

We taught L. twice this week in Sister W's home.  It was great to teach with Sister W's son D, who returned from his mission about six months ago.  We don't get to see Elders in real teaching situations, and D. was super good.  I have so much progress to make!  I was glad to observe a style that is different from the one that Sister K. and I have developed.

Sister C., our mini missionary, was supposed to arrive this morning but she was ready last night so she came then.  The very first gospel conversation she got to experience as a set-apart mini missionary was with a former investigator that we felt like we should visit.  He was a bit anti, but not in an angry way.  Most anti people are angry but there are some who have just intellectually dug themselves into a little confusing pit that they can't get out of.  Why?  Because we can't rely on our minds/intelligence to teach us truth.  We need the Spirit for that.  But all in all, I think that Sister C.'s experience has been good so far! :)

Wish me luck with transfers this week!