This week on Thursday we had our apartment inspected by an elderly couple. On Wednesday night we went absolutely ham on this apartment. I was in charge of the kitchen and it was spotless. The inner Jen Dog came out. Magic Elder. Our apartment was disgusting even though we cleaned it 2 days prior… The elderly couple was supposed to go to the sisters apartment at 11, but the sisters canceled so we just thought they were going to cancel ours since they live in Saginaw. Being the smart elders we are, after the district council we headed to B-dubs during the time we were supposed to get inspected. While we were at B-dubs, the couple called us asking which apartment number we were. I was like uhhh 301, our meeting ran a little late, but we are coming home soon. Anyways, it all worked out and they inspected our apartment. Brother Debel, the person doing it said that the kitchen was absolutely spotless. I wonder who did that??! Moral of the story is be there when you have a scheduled inspection.
One thing I have learned as a missionary is that people trust us way too much. People just open up with us and go on and on and on about their problems. We just sit back and listen to them for like 15-20 minutes at a time. We call these people MichiGanders. Michigan Ganders. We taught this 26 year old named Jake and we were planning on teaching the Restoration in 20 minutes. Turned into an hour and a half lesson. Man was going off about his life and how he's having a child and his lady problems. It honestly doesn't bother me because I find all that stuff super interesting. This is how I am being trained as a missionary and a therapist.
One of the nights this week Elder Elliott told me to clean my ears. Elliott is super on top of cleaning his ears because he produces so much ear wax or something wack like that. He even has a tool Elder Reynolds gave him to help with it. We were sitting in a lesson outside and he could see directly into my ear. After he was like you need to clean those bad boys up. So he literally cleaned out my ears because he was satisfied by them. He was literally Brooklyn when she used to do my ears. It made me realize how much Brooklyn used to clean my ears and face with her facials. I don't get that out here . Elliott literally said that he felt dopamine in his system when he did it. Watch, this man is going to become an ENT because one of his companions let him clean out his ears. There was so much ear wax that it made me gag. It was nasty. I am not going to be a doctor or do anything with the body. Sorry not sorry Dad. Elder Reynolds was kind enough to bestow unto me one of his ear cleaning tools he has not used to me. This is an honor because Reynolds does not give out things often. My ears will now stay spotless.
This past week probably has been one of the slowest weeks compared to the others. We didn't find anyone, but we do have a bit of potentials. In our zone chat on messenger you are supposed to send your new friend ("investigator") you found into the chat. So everyone is like going ham sending these names in. Elder Elliott and I are like what, how are you doing this right now. It definitely is a test of faith for us. Sometimes you got to suck it up and press forward! #TheLordLovesEffort
Another week, another package mom sent me. After the second session of the General Conference we went to check the mail and I get these two big boxes, and they were heavy. Mom sent me 36 packs of Kettle Con and a 24 pack of Gatorade with some Welch's fruit snacks. This was a blessing because we have only been really snacking on chicken and rice. Hey dad if mom wants to keep sending me stuff I don't see why she can't . HA, I'm kidding, thank you for all the stuff I am getting. I am immensely blessed to have you guys as my parents. I love you.
Quote of the week:
"Dawg Conference on your mission hits different! Spiritual Feast!"
This quote was texted to me by Elder Tueller who is currently serving up in Traverse City. I met him at the past zone conference and he's dope. He has I think a crazy good scholarship for football at Utah State #GoAggies. Anyways, what he said to me was 1000% facts. I have never watched all the sessions of conference until this past weekend. No wonder why mom and dad want me to watch Saturday and Sunday sessions, they are "Diesel" as DallanySunnyBunnyLunny would say. Elder Elliott had a fever this past weekend so we watched ⅔ of the sessions in our room. I put it on the speaker and set up my phone. I had some questions in mind and of course they all got answered because Apostles and Prophet = Called of God.
I finished reading the President Nelson Autobiography and now I am sad. I have learned so much about that man and he was literally being prepared to be a prophet when he was born. I now get to read the Book Saints: Volume 1 all thanks to Seth for sending it to me. Maybe when I conclude volume 1 someone could send me Volume 2. Reading on the mission just hits different.
I think it's good I write about this in my email. Every morning I am up at 6:30, being out of bed at 6:30 is a different story HA! We wake up and usually just play some hymns on my speaker. The hymns aren't playing like mom loud when she is cleaning the house, but like just medium loud. If you close the door you can't hear it, so it's definitely bearable if you don't appreciate it. Everytime we turn on music the other elders get up, close their door and go back to bed. They ain't about it. All I'm trying to do is invite the spirit because hymns = instant spirit.
The General Conference Miracle. To get a background you have to know that the way missionaries have service on their phones is because one elder has a SIM card while the other elder is connected to their Hotspot. Elder Elliott and I were chilling in bed waiting to watch the final session of conference from our room. Elder Eccles comes in and asks me if I can go to the church with him to watch conference because they were in charge of unlocking the doors for people to come watch. The reason he didn't ask his companion was because Elder Reynolds was sleeping lol. Elder Eccles and I are both the ones with the SIM cards in our companionship, so If we both leave then our companions won't have service. Anyways, this happened. Elder Eccles and I departed to the church with both of the SIM cards. Elder Elliott soon realized after his internet went out, but it was too late, we had already left. The first thing Elder Elliott did was pray. He prayed that somehow and someway he would be able to watch conference. He looked up at the clock to lay back in bed and it was 6:03 pm. Elder Eccles and I are driving to the church and I look over at the clock and it says 6:03 pm and then it clicked. The other elders do not have service and can't watch conference. We immediately turned around and went back to give them one of the SIM cards so they could watch conference. How did I remember looking at the digits 6-0-3 on the screen. I DON'T KNOW. The one thing I do know is that God answers prayers!
On Friday I finished the book of mormon from cover to cover from when I entered the mission field. I can't say I understood every little detail, but reading the book of mormom especially on your mission, you understand 10 times more than you would back home. President Heap said that we need to finish reading the BOM before the General Conference and focusing on aspects of charity in the BOM. Even though I started one month late I set a goal I would. The power of the Book of Mormon brings a new light into our lives. I would like to use a quote from President Thomas S Monson in 2017 after speaking about the power of the Book of Mormon, "However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study." I joked to Elder Elliott right after I finished the BOM and was like, "alright I'm done, I read it, check the box." That was my mindset when I "read" (listened) to the BOM when I was 8. Constant study in the BOM is vital. I recognized when I was back home that I was poor at reading the BOM before my Senior year of high school. Shoutout to Weston because when I called him on Monday he was on a three week streak of reading the BOM before school. I love you Budday! I hope that after my mission I continually read the BOM daily. I hope that this missionary mantle isn't the reason why I'm reading it. I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon daily even if it is ½ a verse. Just one half of a verse each day will change your life is you haven't already started.
I love all you guys! I'm on Facebook Messenger all day, shoot me a text and as always #FindTime4Me
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