March 3, 2014
Hello Family!
Okeedokee to answer your question, I
have not been taking the vitamins. I
take them every now and then when my acne starts coming back. But for the
most part, I don't take them. But, I pulled them out of the
suitcase a few days ago and put them in plain sight in hopes that it will cause
me to use them up before too much longer.
Regarding questions about the
transfers, Elder N was transferred to the other side of the mission.
My new companion is Elder A. Elder A is also an Elder that came
out with Elder Page. I had met him at the 12-week training meetings Elder
Page and I had attended. He plays the piano so well! This is very
good because I can only sort of play the piano now days. I was playing
the piano at a couple baptismal services and it was pretty funny stuff. I
was able to keep the melody going for most of the time...but the rest of it was
pretty hit and miss. So I am more than happy to surrender the piano to my
pro of a piano playing companion.
Woot Woot! BYU accepted
me! Wow! That is awesome! Oh.... wait... I have to pick
classes? Hmmm I hadn't thought that far in advance yet. Hmmmmmm yah I will need to think about that. Any suggestions? I really want to
think about that as little as I possibly can. I guess I probably need to
decide for sure on whether or not I'm going to return to BYU-I or if I will go
to BYU. I'm definitely leaning towards BYU but I will finalize that
decision and let you know.
I think all the time about how my
mission is a training ground for the rest of my life. I believe that the
mission is simply the Lord's training house for his member missionaries.
All the time I see missionary opportunities that I can't wait to put into action
as a member missionary. We are working with a family in the ward right
now that has helped me gain a celestial view on how to work with members.
Several weeks ago, as I sat in ward counsel, a family's name was brought up
with a child that just turned 9 and hasn't been baptized yet. Although a
very active family in the church, somehow getting their son baptized in his 8th
year didn't happen. According to church policy, this child now needs to
receive the missionary lessons before getting baptized. It was for this
reason that Bishop asked that we go by to begin the baptismal preparations for
this young child and his family. When we spoke with them, the Hermana
explained to me that she has been thinking for a while now about how important
it is that she helps her child get baptized and how she has been meaning to
contact us about it since she knows that her son now needs to receive the
missionary lessons. Then she explained her master plan! She wants
to use this as a missionary opportunity! She wants to invite her family
and friends to her son's baptism in hopes that the spirit they feel there will
cause them to want to make the same decision. But wait, that's not
all! She also wants her friends to have the opportunity to come witness
the preparation lessons for baptism in her house! She says she wants
everyone to see how important it is that even a child understands what he is
doing by being baptized.
If that doesn't sound like the most
effective member work ever, I don't know what is. I was so impressed by
this idea that I began pondering how I could help replicate her excitement
amongst other families in the ward who only appear on the ward list and not at
in the chapel on Sundays. So we will definitely be trying to put that
into action with those who are in similar situations. As I thought
about all of this, I also realized that one doesn't have to be 9 in order to
receive the preparation lessons for baptism. All 8 year olds and their
families can do the same thing! Church policy doesn't say that 8 year
olds can't receive the same lessons. It simply states that 9 year olds
are required to do so. Now that’s a fun thought.
I'm sure it isn't the first time that
someone has done something similar but it is definitely the first time that I
have been aware of such effective member missionary work. So Dad, is the
Lacey 6th Ward still looking for missionary opportunities these days? Try
it out!
Hmmm other cool things.....well I
just barely bought the keyboard for the iPad. I need to charge it before
i use it. So I'm excited to see how much more I enjoy my iPad experience
with a keyboard. I'm assuming that the area book App will be so so much
nicer with it. And speaking of the iPad, Gospel Library is amazing.
Every time I use it, I think about how much I know dad would love it!
Seriously. He will LOVE it! It is straight up awesome. I have
EVERYTHING I need at the tip of my fingers. And it all fits in my
scripture case (I still carry my scriptures around because I prefer the paper
feel of my scriptures when I'm teaching and stuff like that). There are
some missionaries though that have decided to leave the old school scriptures
at home and hit the streets with nothing more than an iPad and pamphlets to hand
out. I asked about an iPad to USB connector and they said they didn't
have one. Could you see if anything like that exists for me?
If it does, could you send me one? Thanks.
Well, that’s all I got for now.
Love you all!
