Three Months of Greatness

Elders Huff & Nelson

So just this last Thursday marked my three month mark in the mission. It really isn't that long but it feels like an eternity. Everyone always says that the mission goes by so quick, and I've noticed that only the people that have come home from their mission say that. I'm not saying that I don't like my mission and that it hasn't been a great experience, I'm just saying these past three months seem like a year. I've learned so much and gained so much (including a bit of weight, but don't worry, this week I've started to lose some weight, I'm working on it #lotsofbananasandcuties). 

This week was pretty good. I can't really remember much, but that's probably the result of working so hard. Tuesday we set a baptismal date with a lady named Anette, and on Wednesday, Elder Moutz and I (we were on exchanges) set a baptismal date with Fabian and Joanna. We have no problem setting baptismal dates with people, but we can never seem to get them baptized! Since I've been in Concord, we have probably set about fifteen baptismal dates and guess how many of those have actually been baptized...You guessed right, zero, none, nada, zip, zilch! It's kinda driving me a little nuts. What are we doing wrong? We just got to keep working and maybe one day we'll figure it out. 

I had an awesome exchange with Elder Moutz this week and even though I am continuously feeling like I'm being judged by a zone leader, we had a lot of fun. The zone leaders came to our district meeting and we exchanged afterwards. Friday Brother Larson, who just got back from a mission in the Dakotas with his wife, took us to go see some people and afterwards we were driving back to our apartment when we suddenly heard a loud BANG! Someone in a school bus that had just drove by threw a full water bottle and it hit the windshield of the car. Brother Larson (who has been bishop, stake president, patriarch, and has served three missions) swore, flipped the car around and chased the bus down and went in and yelled at the kids in it. It was a pretty serious situation, but I have to admit, Elder Nelson and I had a pretty good laugh afterwards. High schoolers are just dumb . . . sometimes I forget I was one less than a year ago. 

Saturday was service day. We got up and went and helped a family move because there was so much black mold that had taken over the house. We had a lot of fun there and afterwards Brother Espinal took us to Harris Teeter for some delicious sub sandwiches. When we got home, we biked to Brother Watson's (our ward mission leader) new drivers Ed office, WatsOnWheels, and helped him paint it. We brought an investigator named Price. He's a very interesting fellow who's basically homeless (we seem to get a lot of those) and has lost almost everything. He's pretty notorious throughout Concord as a protester and trespasser so whenever we mention him in the ward people warn us of him. As if we didn't already know. He's calmed down in his old age and he really isn't a bad dude. He is super humble and loves the message we share. I just wish that when we would bring him to church that people would actually talk to him. They just assume he's crazy and won't even talk to him. All the people that have been able to have a conversation with him admit he's really not a bad guy, but everyone else judges him and even us for bringing him to church. It kinda makes me a little sick. We have a great ward and I dearly love everyone in it, but I wish some people were just a little more missionary minded. We're working on it. But anyway, we brought Price to help us paint (he's painted all his life and he's really good at it) and he helped us out a lot. We were all pretty amazed at how fast and efficiently he was able to do it. We had to leave to get to an appointment, but Price decided to stay and he helped them finish up the whole job. We were impressed. Here he is, basically owning nothing, spending half the day doing service for someone he doesn't even know very well. He has come a long way since we have started to teach him and I see a good life ahead for him. His political views might be a little different than other people, and he had a pretty rough past, but he can start again if he chooses to accept Christ.  This gospel is amazing and truly the best way to go. I've seen it bless so many lives and I see it more and more each day. I keep thinking to myself. How can this not be Christ's true church? How could this church's fruit not show that it is a good tree? I never realized how much I needed to increase my faith until I came out here. So many things go wrong out here it's hard for me to stay positive and strengthen my faith, but I just need to keep looking at the great things that I have seen. Missionary work is tough but it is well worth it. 

Yesterday was pretty good too. We had a pretty good church and we got to meet a new family in the ward and had a good pot roast dinner. We went to the Browns and little Jonathan brought me up to date on the whole playoff picture and how the Packers are making it to divisionals. Well hope everything's going well at home and wherever your adventures take you. Love y'all. Talk to y'all next week. 

Shady District