Howdy All!
Another week gone by. Crazy to think about how many times that has happened (closing up on four months now). Been another crazy one at that. We’ve been doing an absolute crazy amount of service this week. Try something like 20 hours. We’ve been helping people move, turn over soil, build rock walls, set up for family events and volunteer at the local animal preserve. My hands are so blistered right now. I though about taking a picture, but then I decided I better not. (one of my blisters popped, and the next day I go a blister underneath it. It’s in a very uncomfortable place, between the palm of my hand and my finger.) Almost all the rest of our time we spent tracting and street contacting. Nothing too exiting has happened yet, we did run into a man who talked to us for a while, but we couldn’t get a number or address out of him. He said that he may see us around, he’s often in the area, and I think that if we do see him again, we may be able to get some solid details. Contacting people in the streets for the most part has been hard. It’s been very rainy and windy lately. So much so, it sounds like an army of trucks are running over the roof. We’ve been called back to Canberra this week again, so that’s not exactly my favourite (I wish they would leave us in the area for a while, it seems like just when we’re about to get traction, they force us to leave the area for two or three days.) Elder Boswell is a great companion. His big thing is organization and not wasting time, and it’s been good for me. He’s got the flat cleaner than the mission office, and practically every second of the day is organized, tabbed, scheduled, kept track of and categorized. He knows a bit about computers as well, so that always makes for good conversation, but he hasn’t studied everything I have, so I think sometimes I leave him a bit confused when I go off on something. He’s really a good guy, and his teaching has improved leaps and bounds. He still hangs back just a tad when we teach, but he really is already a fantastic missionary. I think he’ll be ready to train by the end of the transfer if he really needed to.
We went to go visit some former investigators on the outreach of our areas this week as well. One of them was quite good, and asked really good questions, but I think that she doesn’t plan on seeing us for a while. She also is not so big on the idea of “formal organized church meetings” from what I can tell. The other one we visited was really nice, but as it turns out it was her friend that the previous missionaries were teaching, and she’s not at all interested. She was really nice though.
All right, time to answer some questions! (Mom’s questions are italicized and underlined.)
Do the members ever feed you guys like they do here?
We eat with the members pretty often. The ward mission leader every Tuesday, some Wednesdays. Every Saturday is also covered, every other Monday is covered, and some Thursdays are covered. I’ve had some really good food (venison steaks are delicious)
Did you have the chance to go to the temple when you were in Sydney?
I did not. I really want to go. Most missionaries went the day we had to go back.
How are your clothes and supplies doing?
Good. Elder Boswell makes sure I do wash consistently, and has bought more cleaning supplies than I knew existed.
Do you know where we spent Thanksgiving last year (no one remembers so we don’t know where we are supposed to go this year)?
America?
Are you learning to like rice and eggs?
No. I’m learning better how to eat stuff I don’t like, but that doesn’t mean I like them any more.
Are you a family history expert now?
You should probably look for some good anti-inflammatory medication. I assume that you already have sleeping aids in the house somewhere.
I love you all, and pray for you all everynight.
-Elder Shelton