Update!

Week 7:

October 20, 2014

Monday Oct 13th 2014

Well today was a very spiritual day for me. After Pday we were able to
speak to two investigators! Which is very good!! Pday itself wasn't
very good. haha We didn't really do anything, we went grocery shopping
cause we needed too, and went to Chick fil a because a member gave us
a gift card for 10 bucks. Which was super nice of them! I haven't even
met the person! haha Then we came home and ate it and just sat around
to figure out what we should do. Eventually we decided to ask the
sisters if we could borrow the car for a little portion of the day.
They said we could from 4 to 6 so we went to the church to do emails
at that time, cause it was only 2. Then once we got the car we went to
a surf shop. Elder Jolley just wanted to see what was up. But
everything there was super expensive!! Like 60 dollars for a button
down Hurley shirt. haha no thanks!! Then we went down to the skate
park to see if we would see anyone we knew, cause we have a few gators
who skate. There weren't any of them there but there were a few guys
who we met at the skate shop there. One guy was really good and fun to
watch. But in my head he was no Tony Hawk!! hahaha jk he was good
though!! After that we went to a less active members house to say hi.
He is a funny guy who loves cars!! Especially old cars, he has bought
so many its not even funny! But then we had ti  give the car back ti
the sisters so we went back to the church. After that we proceeded to
talk to a lady named Shirley Raper where we had an extremely powerful
lesson with her! We watched Uchtdorf's talk from conference and talked
a little about that. She then said that It seems like when i talk
about the church that i have been doing it all my life!! That it seems
so easy for me. Which is an extremely good compliment to me!
Especially as a new missionary!! Then after that we went to a young
couples house where we talked to a guy named Jerrod!! Very nice guy!
We then had another powerful lesson with him!! He is struggling to
believe that its true and doesn't know if there is a God but we
convinced him to pray with a sincere heart to know if what we are
teaching is true!! He has the desire, but needs to put in the effort!
He will know that it is true and that there is a God if he just prays
sincerely!! Then we came home and cooked up a frozen pizza and now I
am here. And that concludes this Pday entry! haha

Tuesday Oct 14th 2014

So today I am in Folkston Georgia for the day because of exchanges. So
after district meeting we go back to my apartment to grab all of my
stuff and me and a companion from that area switch for the day. We got
a ride from some senior missionaries named Elder and Sister Strait who
are the coolest senior couple ever!!! haha Sooo funny, on the way
there we stopped at chick fil a and after we got ice cream cones and
Elder strait said"Wanna know how to make a saddle-horn?" Then he puts
his mouth over the ice cream cone and uses his lips to form a
saddle-horn in the ice cream! haha it was hilarious. I love them so
much, they're great! So Folkston is definitely a different area, way
more southern. But still not bad, from what i saw. We just went to an
old folks home and talked and visited with some people. This area
originally opened as a service only mission but with time the
missionaries were allowed to teach. So it is a very very new area. So
that is pretty cool. We also had splits with ward members, I went with
a Brother named Justin Fazen who served in the Jacksonville mission 4
years ago. Which had somewhat to do with why he moved back here. So it
was really cool talking to him and getting insight from him. He may
even know my cousin Daniel Stevens who served here as well! But I'm
not sure, could just be the last name was familiar. But then after
that we went home and got to bed. It seemed like a really quick day,
which is both good and bad in different ways.

Wednesday Oct 15th 2014

So today i came back from Folkston and we met at the halfway spot from
Folkston to Fernandina to switch companions. But I didn't get my comp
back, i got the other Elder, because we needed to do two exchanges
this week because the exchange reports needed to be turned in by the
end of the week. So I led my area again, and this time was a little
more frustrating because plans kept falling through and some
appointments rescheduled and it was annoying. But it was something
that all missionaries need to know and be able to adjust and endure
through it. We did have a dinner appointment with two older couples
where one was a member and her husband is nor. It was super good and
the guy is obsessed with trains and football. It was nice talking to
him and he was very respectful to us as missionaries and said he
really admires what we do. So that was really cool to hear. We then
met a couple of other cool people and one was at the end of the day.
His name was Johnathon and he was just outsude smoking and we talked
to him about the restoration and he was very accepting and liked it.
It was cool, he said he had a recent scare in his life and that he
prays and that it was good to hear what we had to say. Then we just
knocked a couple more doors and nothing really came of it, so by that
time it was time to go back home so we did, and that was pretty much
the extent of that day. haha

Thursday Oct 16th 2014

So after me and my companion get back together and get back to
Fernandina we had a lesson with a lady named sister Kardel. Very nice
older lady who got baptized a little bit ago, then after that we
figured out a way to fill out my companions exchange reports because
we need a computer that is capable to read a certain file and the
church laptop that we use sometimes cannot read that file. So we rode
to a members house who has a computer and we used theirs and it worked
out great. However it takes a couple of hours so that was the bad
part. Just time i use to look up talks or talk with the members or
watch mormon messages. haha After that we went to a gas station to see
if we could see a guy that works there that my comp has met before. He
is from Syria but is Christian so he is very accepting of us and wants
us to come to talk to him. It was a very cool experience and he even
reads his Arabic Book of Mormon that was left for him last time. Which
is really cool

Friday Oct 17th 2014

Today we had a Train the trainees meeting in Jacksonville. It was just
to see how the training was going and stuff like that, it was cool we
got fed lunch and I learned some good stuff, so it was awesome. And it
always good to see President, he's such an awesome person with an
amazing spirit. I love him and his wife and they are perfect to
inspire this mission and group of missionaries. It was a good meeting!
After we got home we did some planning and then went to lesson with a
new part member family the Smiths. We met her for the first time and
she is super funny, both of them are awesome and we are trying to get
her back to Church so Bill can come to church and hopefully be
baptized! They are both in the Military and are just great people!!
Today was a quick day because of the meeting but it was a very good
day and a powerful spirit was brought!!

Saturday Oct 18th 2014

Well today was rather eventful! We had a service project for Amity at
her house doing massive yard work. We mowed, trimmed, cleaned her roof
(of course I was on the roof haha), ripped down some old fences,
cleaned up brush and beautified!! Haha and here in Florida it's okay
to burn all the clippings and fences, and stuff!! So we had a massive
bonfire basically!! And our loving Ward mission Leader brother Lasker
caught on fire!! It was intense, it was for a quick second and we were
all laughing after it was over and he was okay. Haha After that he
said, "well I guess that makes me the coolest member of the ward!!"
Haha it was fun and the project turned out awesome and it was very
cool to see Amity happy and see the wards love for her and the
fellowship. Then after that we had to do our weekly planning which
took a very long time as usual cause it's planning for the next week!
But it went really well and I led that so its a little harder and I
have to really go by the spirit in order to know who I need to plan
for and what we need to teach them and hopefully we feel the same way.
It's very important for us to be in sync and be on the same page,
because it really helps and unifies us as a companionship as well! So
that was essentially our day but it was very exciting with the whole
fire thing! Ohh and while I was ripping down a fence at Amity's and
there was a snake right in front of my face, and that was pretty
scary!! But it was no biggy, just a slightly startling experience!
Haha but that was my Saturday, fun day, good to do some service every
once and a while!

Sunday Oct 19th 2014

Today we woke up and of course went to Church and we were able to
confirm Amity and give her the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which was an
amazing thing. Elder Jolley is so in tune with the spirit it was a
very powerful blessing and it was great!! I am thankful to be trained
by him and learn from him and the spirit that he brings! Then after
Sunday school I was able to teach Young men's on the spot because they
didn't have a teacher. Haha so me and Jolley played Rock Paper
Scissors to see who was gonna teach and I lost, just my luck. Haha but
the lesson actually went very well, it was on gratitude and always
giving thanks to our Lord about all that we have, no matter how small.
It went well and I'm glad I'm getting comfortable teaching on the
spot, it's crazy to think how far I've come in such little time! It's
great!! Then after choir we had a dinner appointment at a members home
named the Colemans who are awesome. She is an amazing musician and
singer and is our choir leader essentially, haha and she's cool
(raised in Hayward ;) haha and he is a Nuclear Submarine Commander
which is waaaay cool!! And amity and her daughter Aria were there
because we are starting the new member lessons with her. Dinner was
great, and then we went out on the back porch because it was a
beautiful day and had a super awesome lesson about the restoration.
Once it got dark we were teaching by candlelight which was cool! Haha
Then after an hour or so lesson we had another member lesson with a
member named brother Johnston who is younger and has lived here for
five months now. He works in Epidemiology, which is something I
haven't really heard of! Haha but he is way cool and super sincere
about the gospel! We had something set up with Jerrod but he wasn't
there so we didn't get to teach him sadly. Cause it would have been a
great lesson! But then we just tracked a little in our apartment
complex for a little but didn't have any luck. :( then it was time to
go home and call all the other Elders and Sisters in our district for
their weekly numbers. And now I am in bed for the night, goodnight
Friends and Family!! Love you all!! :)





Pictures:

So this was a service project we did, tearing down fences, hardcore
weeding and, just all around fixing the yard. And as you can see there
was a huge bonfire!! Haha that's what's cool about Florida, we can
just burn all the clippings and what not. It was for a recent convert
we just baptized. We did the big stuff so she can manage the little
stuff on her own. And as you can see I got an artsy shot of Elder
Jolley. The fire was so so hot on the group picture, we were far and
it was like we were standing in it cause it was so hot! Haha and our
mission leader accidentally set himself on fire briefly haha but he is
okay, just a little whoopsie accident with a gas can. Haha