Parting Ways

 Monday was our district pday. Yeah I know! We left the house. We did our groceries early in the morning and then dipped out to Jackson. It was about a 50 minute drive to Jackson which is where the ZLs serve. We got there around 9, we wrote our emails, texted on messenger, and played some basketball. I straight schooled Elder Tueller in ball. If you are reading this Tueller, get rest. We then had a BBQ outside in the pit we had in the parking lot of the church. I formed and seasoned the patties so you already know they were yummy. Our last activity we did was bowling for two hours. Elder Tueller taught me how to spin a bowling ball. So yeah I am filthy. Headed back to our area at 6pm. 

Tuesday was a grind. Door knocking most of the day. Small miracle. Background: we received two referrals from elders in Grand Rapids about a month ago for a couple named Cody and Faith. After calling and talking over the phone they decided they didn't have time to meet since they were about to go homeless. Cody and Faith had to spend the time working. We didn't know where they lived since all we had was a phone number. As we were door knocking an apartment complex we FOUND THEM! Taught them the full restoration and they want to learn more. God just handed them to us. God is so good!

Tuesday night we found out some news about transfers. Elder Tueller is heading to East Lansing to become our new assistant to the President. He would #Striver! His companion Elder Spencer is trioing with us until transfers. After the district council on Wednesday, both of us drove out to the mission office to drop off Elder Tueller. Before we parted ways, Elder Tueller and I did a tie swap! I have a picture added to the photo album. 

Wednesday we had a virtual zone conference for an hour. It was more just a preparation meeting for Elder Soares coming to our mission next Saturday. Wednesday night rolls around and we get another call from the APs. We were then told that Elder Millward is getting picked up that night by the office elders and he is becoming our new housing coordinator in East Lansing. So insane how two nights prior we thought we were just going to be chilling until transfers together. Elder Millward and I parted ways Wednesday night. 

This has been just so fun. I absolutely love being with Elder Spencer. We are covering Jackson and Charlotte. Jackson has the biggest areabook in the whole mission. There are about 600 names in that areabook so we have been grinding in their area finding God's elect. Elder Spencer and I get along so well, we laugh so much together, and we put our heads down and work! It's such a great combination. It's the ending I needed for this transfer. I am literally so happy! Couldn't be more stoked for this next transfer. SO HYPE!

Funny inside joke I need to add to this email. No one will understand how much I laughed at this joke. I literally cried. So there is a documentary about our church from the History Channel produced. It isn't true and has a lot of false teachings about our church. One part in the video says,"So the thing about Moronee [Moroni] is that he actually never claimed he was from heaven, but he is actually from the Starcluster Euphrates." This sentence from the video had me in tears for hours. It was a had to be there moment, but I have to write this down so I can look back on it in the future. 

Serving in Jackson has literally been so fun! One of the afternoons we just went downtown and took as many pictures as all the murals they have. You will see how many they have from the amount of photos I sent in this week. Here is a good example on what Jackson is like. We go knock on a door, this middle aged lady comes to the door screaming at us to get off her porch or else she will let her dogs out. Side note about the dogs were that they were both golden doodles HAHA. She then proceeds to flip us off and curse at us. After we walk to the next house over we bump into a man named Kai. Kai is so elect. He is around 18 years old and after we stated our purpose he was like,"yeah… I am actually so interested in learning." It seemed fake how much this dude wanted to learn. We handed him a copy of The Book of Mormon with a Restoration pamphlet and set up a time to come back. Jackson is sick! God is so good. 

On Saturday we got transfer calls. I am so amped. I am staying in Charlotte to district lead again. I am receiving a new companion and his name is Elder Garrett Nelson. This is going to be the hypest transfer of my mission. SO EXCITED. I will tell you more about him when I get him tomorrow for transfer day. 

My week was so good! I had a taste of what it was like to be a ZL. I got to see what call ins with the DLs were like, call ins with the APs, and even the MLC huddle on Sunday past 9. I didn't even know much work they had to do lol I absolutely loved my time with Elder Spencer. We get along so well, we laugh so much and we work hard. We are also both the same height so let's go! He taught me guitar on Sunday night so Dallan better watch out. 

Due to it being Easter we thought we would do something special. Elder Spencer wanted to pray for an hour focusing it on gratitude. I took the challenge. I ended my prayer around 45 minutes long, but Elder Spencer stayed strong and hit the hour mark. I love Jesus Christ! I know he lives and we have the privilege to partake of his restored gospel. Happy Easter everyone! I love you. Reach out to me, I will be a little busy today, but I will find time for you!