So it has been a pretty crazy week here in Carrollton getting this baptism was the most stressful thing in the world but we made it happen!! This week has been one to remember for sure. So, we basically focused on Tyrus the entire time. We did get to see other people but we made sure he got dunked. We did go on exchanges on Wednesday and I went up to Buchanan and got to interview another person for baptism. His name was Leo. I got to see all the families that got baptized in the past 7 months that I have interviewed so it was really cool to see them again and when we were there one of them had a 5 foot water moccasin come on his porch and he shot it so we went over to see it and I guess this is like a baby one but it was massive and I got to pick it up. It was pretty sweet! I guess they're super poisonous! And for Donna and Nikko, Donna has kind of lost interest and she doesn't want to change but she likes that we come over for Nikko so we are going to keep teaching him at least and hopefully she comes around. But for the big story, BIG T is a Mormon!! It was incredible! So,we saw him everyday this week. The interview was on Thursday and that went great. I got to sit in and be a part of that which was cool. And then on Friday he said he didn't want to do it anymore cause he didn't want to wear white... dumb reason. He is very self conscious and as well on Thursday he found out he was going to be the only one getting baptized then he said no then! cause he doesn't like being the center of attention and he had an anxiety attack, then on Saturday we were fighting cause he had to wear white and we didn't have a suit for him. But we had a member that ate breakfast with us go to the temple that day and she picked up a suit from the baptismal font and it was just the right size! But we were going back and forth all week long and we could just see satan working on him all week long but we had the baptism and he had a lot of his friends and roommates come to support him and we had members there and it was great and Tyrus wanted Elder Jensen to baptize him and me to confirm but the cool thing is I got to go in the water as well to make sure Elder Jensen didn't drop him. So we all got to get white! It was a very awesome experience! On Sunday he woke up late and was running late but got to church only 10 min late. We did the confirmation and then after the sacrament he leaned over and said to me "I just feel so good and clean right now. Like all the burdens on my back have been lifted. It feels so good!" Then he said that the past few days Satan was working so hard on him and he recognized how he didn't want him to get baptized!! So it was such a testimony builder for me to know that what I am doing right now is right and that I'm supposed to be here bringing these people this amazing gospel and true joy and happiness! That was basically our entire week. This week should be fun, for 2 days I get to go to the mission home in Fayetteville and stay the night there and be apart of the leadership boot camp. I hear its gonna be pretty crazy but I'm excited. The zone leaders had one last week and said it was intense but they learned so much and now its the district leaders turn so I'm exited! Other than that I'm just trying to hold on to every moment, cause its flying by!
 |
| His first water mocassin |
 |
| Elders Anderson & Jensen with Tyrus |
June 9, 2014....
Ya it was pretty fun last week with Tyrus and definitely one I'll remember forever! The District Leader boot camp was amazing! It was great to get away for 2 days and to get instructed on how we can better serve others in our district and how we can best help our areas. And ya it is beautiful out in that part of Georgia. but it was a great 2 days, we learned so much. But my favorite thing about President Harding is he's not only turning us into leaders in the mission field, he is turning us into leaders of the world. He himself is a very successful man. He was the leading salesman and was high on the board of Franklin Covey. He was just instructing us how to be the most successful business men as well and it was great, I loved it. Lots of great counsel and training of how to be our best so it was lots of fun. A great experience to be with the other leaders and create more friendships and love throughout the mission. But that was definitely an experience I wont forget. and no even though I was with him he didn't hint anything for transfers. So I have no idea whats going to happen. Transfers are on the the 18th. So I will know if I'm getting transferred by next Monday! Other than that it was just a normal week nothing to crazy happened. We had an investigator, Tabitha come to church yesterday so that was great. It was a good week and this week should be great as well, we get to go to the temple on Friday!
 |
| District Leader Boot Camp |
 | |||
| Boot Camp must include "play" time! |
June 16, 2014......
So crazy news!!!! Me and Elder Jensen are both staying!!!! crazy huh?
haha I guess if its working why break it apart right?? but I'm not mad by
any means I love the ward here and hopefully we can get the work
picking back up. We have some good people that should be getting
baptized. But I'm excited. I never thought I would be in Carrollton for 9 months but I guess the Lord has other plans for me and I
still haven't done what I'm supposed to do here. The other 2
companionships in my district are changing so there is a lot of change
happening in our zone but not our area. Carrollton is just too crazy that
they don't want to send anybody else out here! The week was pretty good. We
went to the temple on Friday and that is always great but other than
that nothing to crazy happened. Tyrus is doing good. He came to church and
he's doing good. We have
just been trying to find more people to teach. We have kind of reached a
point where we feel like we are out of resources but we are going to
wipe the slate clean and just start fresh and even if we think we've hit an area we are still going to see if people are interested. It's just so
weird trying to do everything on a bike and not having a car. But its all
good, we'll figure it out. The very fun and exciting
thing that happened this week is yesterday we left right after sacrament
with our high priest group leader (who is black) and went with him to
his friends church because he promised him that if he came to our church
that we would have to go to his church. and that's what we did. It was an
all black baptist church and man.... I had the best time ever!! It was
so much fun and it was everything I hoped for with all the yelling and
hollering and standing up and praising saying amen and thank you Jesus
after everything! And the choir and the crazy good gospel soul music
with the pastor standing up and yelling at everybody and stomping his
feet on the ground it was probably one of the funnest times I've had
since I've been on my mission! Definitely something everybody needs to
experience at least once in there lives. I even half way through grabbed
my camera and was sneakily filming the whole thing cause I thought it
was so funny but there was one guy in the choir that could freaking sing. He was amazing but it was way too loud and you could barely think
during it. But I was glad I got to experience it. We did find a family of 5 and they're amazing
but they're leaving to Honduras for 2 months... stinks. But overall it was
a good week.
 | ||
| Lucky to have a Temple so close! |
June 23, 2014.....
This week was good. It was pretty slow though, Jensen popped his tire
last week on Saturday and we didn't fix it until this Saturday and all of
the members were out of town and busy so we were on foot for most of
the week and it limited our travel area. But we did see
some great people and taught some really good lessons this week and we
did come up with a new creative idea. We were with new members in the
ward from Arizona last Monday and we were talking about family history
and we came up with an idea to have a family history night where we
invite all members, less active, and the entire community to the church to
do family history and get to research their families!! I'm pretty
excited about it! I have no idea how to do it but their going to show us
and our Mission President has been telling us to use family history a
lot more so we think it will be a great new way to try to find more
people and get them in to the church building! and ya I have and I haven't
gone back and seen the old promising people. They still don't want
anything anymore. the sad thing we run into all the time is when we
first meet someone and they're so excited about it and then of course, they
go tell either a family member or friend or worst, the preacher/pastor,
and then they drop all the anti literature on them and they get exposed
to a lot of non true stuff and then they shut themselves off and don't
want to talk to us anymore. I can't tell you how many times that has
happened. But it happens and you just gotta keep moving
forward and tell them when you first meet them that you will see a lot
of things that are not true and hopefully they stay strong but more
likely than not they're gone. But I love this work so much. It's amazing to
be a missionary. My testimony has grown so much and I know I need to be able to hold a temple recommend my
entire life and magnify my priesthood duties and do all God will ask of
me. I love you so much and miss you like crazy and can you believe
my year mark is in like 10 days..
June 30, 2014......
So, it was a great week this
week. A lot of stuff happened and it just went by so fast! I couldn't
really keep up with everything but I know I can't believe it, I kind of
forgot all about my hump day these past few days and today all my emails
have been saying it then I freaked out. I don't know where the time
goes.. this past year has been so amazing. I have learned so much that I
never would have learned back home. I know that this is where I am
supposed to be and I truly have learned what I need to do in this life
to be able to live with my family for time and all eternity! haha it's
sad to think but I don't think I would have made it if I wouldn't have
gone on a mission. I have been reflecting on it a lot but they always say
the mission is the best 2 years of your life... I sure hope not I want
better years ahead than this, but this will definitely be the best 2
years FOR my life. I'm excited for this next year, they always say it
goes by way faster and I believe them cause these past few months have
just flown by! As for my week, it was
pretty crazy. The beginning of the week started out great and we taught a
lot of lessons with members and we had lots of rides everywhere and
then wednesday hit and we couldn't get anyone to come out with us for like
the rest of the week which sucked and it was really hot but rainy all
week so that meant we walked a lot which was such a blast... ha but it
turned out to be a good thing cause we found a lot of families from
doing it! So on Wednesday we had President interviews which are always
great. I loved being able to counsel with Pres. Harding and learn from
him. Then on Friday I dont know if you knew this but it was the
170th anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrums martyrdom. So
we had a mission wide fast that day for miracles and families and we
found two great ones! One had been taught before and were in our area
book but had moved to a different place and they were excited to meet
with us again! So that was great and then on Saturday it was a fun
beginning of the day. We go to Ryans (basically like golden corral) every
saturday morning with the Munguias and Tyrus, so we did, and after Tyrus
was taking us to an appointment we had and we were driving down a street
and a car was turning left and didnt see us and pulled out and we
basically T-boned the crap out of her car! It was nuts! Everybody is
safe and no one got hurt. We totaled her car and it was Tyrus' brand new
2014 maxima so it was safe I didnt feel a thing for how hard we hit her. But it just damaged the front left side of his car. it was her fault,
she just didnt see us. so that was fun:) and then that day we thought it
was gonna rain hard we decided to walk but it just got really hot we
didnt have our bikes and walked 10 or so miles from apt. to apt. :) haha
and then on Sunday we had one investigator come to church. He is awesome.
His name is Josh Johnson. He is 17 and he has been taught for a year and a
half . He is friends with the members here but he can't get baptized until
he is 18 due to his parents not signing that he can:/ but this week
he said he is going to serve a mission and we took him to some of our
appointments so its awesome. He doesn't turn 18 till December and as well
we got 3 more people on date to be baptized! Tabitha who is
super solid and then Justin and Carey who we found on the day of the
fast!! so overall it was an amazing week:) I love you so much and I'm
so grateful to have you as a mom and to have the amazing family that I
have. I know I took that for granted back home and I promise I wont do
it again. but have a great week!
 |
| Celebrating "Hump Day" |
 |
| By the "burning" of the shirt |
