Death march

We got our new companion, Elder Clinger from Shelley Idaho. Other then that it's been a normal week.

A investigator from Nevada moved up here and is going to start coming to our branch. He lives on the border of another branch and he needs rides to church. His name is Carl and he just trying to quit smoking to be baptized.

We have been meeting a lot of people just shortly after deaths in the family. This week I think we met three and last week I think it was four. One of the ones this week the woman had just got off the phone call telling her that her brother in law was dying and she wouldn't have time to get there in time. She kept asking us who sent us. 

We just keep on marching on to victory.

 

Me: Pictures??

Erik:

Ain't nobody got time for that

I got bronchitis. Now that it's warm weather I got strep throat and now I got bronchitis overnight. I get bronchitis every time I get strep throat and I only ever get strep throat if I get sick...

We invited basically everyone we met this week to church and we still didn't have a single person there... It was a pretty normal week. We met a lot of awesome people as always but no one that is ready to make the commitment.

Transfers are this week and elder steed and I are going to trio train here in Warsaw. This will be elder steeds last transfer as well.

Sorry I didn't email last week. I didn't realize I forgot to send it. We were having a district p day for the first time in almost 6 months. I was cooking most of the time anyways. I would much rather have had a normal p day.

This is the district

A mouth of blades

Well the weather keeps hoping from p day to p day so the coldest part of the week is around p day. It rained a lot this week which was nice since its warm enough to rain. It really set the stage for the week because our good friend Chuck dropped us. We got fed about 5 times this week which was awesome. There are awesome members here in Warsaw.

We visited a kingdom hall on Thursday and apparently they had cancelled their church without telling us.... We stood up by while congregations.

Yesterday we were out finding, as we always are, and this man started anti-ing us. Usually I'm really passive and just walk away or just have a civil conversation. This time I got prompted to do something I don't usually do and I rebuked him really quickly and firmly. He was pretty stunned and it wasn't contentious at all. He was talking about us adding to the bible and said we should stick to one book and so I asked him what book he followed in the bible. He answered that it is many books. Realizing his error he switched to our belief on Jesus Christ and that wasn't going to fly with me. I quickly and thoroughly tore apart all the lies about what we believe about my Savior and the spirit was super strong. I know who Christ is and I simply invited him to learn as well. He was pretty stunned and simply said he guessed he didn't know what we believed after all. Not everyone is ready to be taught in such a way but we should always be using the edge of our blade to teach as Christ taught.

The Spirit is definitely quick, and sharper then a two edged sword.

"the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."-Heb 4:12

To mom:

[In response to my complaining about the weather here] Don't even talk about bad weather haha I have been watching the forecast. I would be wearing a white shirt outside in that weather.  It's been hovering just above freezing and it's a good thing because we would have about a foot or two of snow if it was colder. It's been raining for several days. 

[In response to me telling him that I made his dad run 4 miles with me] Haha 4 miles is our 30 min jog every morning. Not this week though because I think I have stress fractures in my ankle so I just hobble a couple miles and then do pushups while my companion finishes his run.

Chuck dropped. I think he is just struggling with some things but he will make it to baptism sometime. He is a great guy.

It's been warm enough to just wear my leather jacket which is nice.

We are having a district p day today in Geneseo that's all

Lingering freeze

This week we had zone conference at the Fayette building where the church was organized on April 6 1830. It was a great experience.

We have started teaching Natasha wheelers family. She is the recent convert.

Charlie is having a hard time meeting with us because his busy schedule. His baptism will have to be moved back but he is a awesome guy.

It looks like it's warming up this week. So it might stop snowing soon.

We had an interesting instant karma experience. We were knocking on doors one evening and we were walking up to a door and I heard someone say, "don't open the door I think it's the Jehovah's witnesses." So I yell that we aren't Jw's and elder steed knocks on the door. When the guy opened the door Elder Steed said we were missionaries and the guy promptly slammed the door. As soon as he slammed the door, the light fixture above the door broke off and shattered at our feet. The guy exclaimed some profanities behind the door but he didn't open the door. We stood there for a moment and then walked away. It was very strange and we had no idea what to do because he refused to even acknowledge what happened because we were there.

Anyways the work is going well. I hope everyone is doing good.

A keen perception

We moved out of the hobbit hole this past Thursday. It took us all morning and the new apartment still isn't all put together. 

It's hard to try and separate what needs to go in here and what doesn't to make a clear sensible picture of how my week was. I think about so many little details and it's hard to just step back and stop thinking about such little brush strokes and get a sense of depth to the story. 

My weeks are summed up quite well in a painting. There are many different events that make up the whole picture. Many different colors but they are all in the same color scheme as to make a landscape and not a loud distraction that passes easily from the memory. Much of art has moved away from the more enduring nature of intricate yet simplistic designs that take so much time and thought to create. 

The gospel is much the same way. A few people want large changes that they can do quickly and then move on. Most people don't even want to take the effort to even make simple and small steps.

When we get lost in creating, not worrying about what strokes or colors to use, and rather why are we painting in the first place, we lose the sense of worry about such trivial things. 

All paintings have "happy little accidents" as Bob Ross would say, but they are all swallowed up as the canvas is given life and depth with each color, shade, and stroke.

It all made sense in my mind when I typed it...

Conference was great. Each session brought direction and drive to the church. I'm excited to work on receiving personal revelation and inviting the Holy Ghost into constant council and not just a silent companionship.

This is the flat stock Nate and I forged last monday

This painting sits above my desk. It's called mountain mist