Okay so I haven't been in our apartment since Sunday so if you sent me a letter in the mail this week I don't have it and won't be able to respond. Sorry. Dem's da breaks, kid.
This last week was a little nuts. I'll try my best to remember everything.
On Thursday we had Mission Conference for 4 and a half hours (!) where we sat in a chapel and listened to people speak. So it was like any other conference except it was very specific to us and it was 4 and a half hours long (!). There's a medical missionary lady that works specifically on the east coast that specializes in psychology and stress and stuff like that so she talked to us about working with our companions and being positive. It was nice to hear about but I hope that some of the stuff she talked about wont' actually happen to me. I'll do my best. But the rest of it was nice counsel and stuff like that and I got to "interact" with a lot of other missionaries that I don't know. It was different from the usual.
Then on Friday I went to the DMV and got my temporary license. It eventually came out all good but it was an hour wait in the most dark and depressing building in existence. They had to punch a hole in my California license but it's okay cause it expires this year anyway.
I'm uploading some pictures for you guys now that I figured out I could do so. They're big cause they're 10 megapixels and everything but I figured you'd like some context as to what I look like as a missionary.
On Saturday I had exchanges with the Colonial Heights missionaries who are right next to us. It was a dud of a day with Elder Bischoff including an awkward spaghetti dinner at the local high school (old ladies have piercing glares), but things got exciting that night. Elder Petersen cut his arm doing service for that same house we did earlier but he didn't got to see anyone for it until he called one of the senior missionaries at 9. After that it was a mad dash to Patient First (which I had never heard of until I got out here). An hour and a half later he got no stitches and a 10 dollar hospital bill. The whole time I waited in the waiting room while Larry King took calls on the earthquake in Chile and covered in detail what it means for healthcare in the U.S. So that was exciting to get a look into the secular world. Also during all this, I realized that I had lost my camera during my exchange that day, so I practically had the noose around my neck for the whole 90 minutes. Of course you all know I found it since I have pictures attached and stuff so there goes that ending. It was in my backpack the whole time. What a loser I am.
Sunday got interesting too. The Colonial Heights missionaries had a baptism at 6 that night and we have church from 11:30 to 4 (including PEC) so we didn't do any teaching or finding or anything. But the baptism went real good until the last 15 minutes or so when the bishop decided to ask the new missionary there to bear his testimony to everyone. It was rough. I didn't know what to say. And that's really why Elder Merrill called you guys but I don't know if he actually told you about that or not. After the meeting he asked for my home phone number and I kinda went "uh-oh" but I guess it was all good. Anyway, we had a lesson at 7 and it ended at 7:05 and it's 30 minutes back to our area so we had a quick lesson there and then rushed back to prepare for Top Gun, which is the reason I haven't been at the apartment.
Top Gun is a 48 hour exchange with the training assistants for the area where we basically do our thing in their area and they tell us where we suck and where we suck only a little. It was good though. The first day (Monday) I went with Elder Brockbank who was a professional wakeboarder before he left and had one of the strangest days either of us had ever had (and that's saying a lot for him). Our only lesson wasn't even a lesson. Our member family brought a non member with them for dinner and went the conversation went towards us teaching him he asked if we could change the subject. It was weird. But the next day (Tuesday) with Elder Doxey was a lot better. He played basketball, baseball and football in high school and football for Snow College (notice the extensive athletes I'm being surrounded by?). We got taught by a Jehovah's Witness and raked leaves for a Catholic lady. Neither were interested. Then we had an investigator fall into our laps when our member brought in some nonmembers for our lesson, and one of them asked where the Mormon church started cause the Catholic church is wrong (more or less). So a completely different day from one day to the next. The area we were in is next to the mission office so that's where I am now, typing my e-mail, cause it's P-day. That last picture is me from about an hour ago so how's THAT for up to the date info? Don't mind the hair, I didn't get time to fix it (I've been using the surf hair well).
Speaking of pictures:
This last week was a little nuts. I'll try my best to remember everything.
On Thursday we had Mission Conference for 4 and a half hours (!) where we sat in a chapel and listened to people speak. So it was like any other conference except it was very specific to us and it was 4 and a half hours long (!). There's a medical missionary lady that works specifically on the east coast that specializes in psychology and stress and stuff like that so she talked to us about working with our companions and being positive. It was nice to hear about but I hope that some of the stuff she talked about wont' actually happen to me. I'll do my best. But the rest of it was nice counsel and stuff like that and I got to "interact" with a lot of other missionaries that I don't know. It was different from the usual.
Then on Friday I went to the DMV and got my temporary license. It eventually came out all good but it was an hour wait in the most dark and depressing building in existence. They had to punch a hole in my California license but it's okay cause it expires this year anyway.
I'm uploading some pictures for you guys now that I figured out I could do so. They're big cause they're 10 megapixels and everything but I figured you'd like some context as to what I look like as a missionary.
On Saturday I had exchanges with the Colonial Heights missionaries who are right next to us. It was a dud of a day with Elder Bischoff including an awkward spaghetti dinner at the local high school (old ladies have piercing glares), but things got exciting that night. Elder Petersen cut his arm doing service for that same house we did earlier but he didn't got to see anyone for it until he called one of the senior missionaries at 9. After that it was a mad dash to Patient First (which I had never heard of until I got out here). An hour and a half later he got no stitches and a 10 dollar hospital bill. The whole time I waited in the waiting room while Larry King took calls on the earthquake in Chile and covered in detail what it means for healthcare in the U.S. So that was exciting to get a look into the secular world. Also during all this, I realized that I had lost my camera during my exchange that day, so I practically had the noose around my neck for the whole 90 minutes. Of course you all know I found it since I have pictures attached and stuff so there goes that ending. It was in my backpack the whole time. What a loser I am.
Sunday got interesting too. The Colonial Heights missionaries had a baptism at 6 that night and we have church from 11:30 to 4 (including PEC) so we didn't do any teaching or finding or anything. But the baptism went real good until the last 15 minutes or so when the bishop decided to ask the new missionary there to bear his testimony to everyone. It was rough. I didn't know what to say. And that's really why Elder Merrill called you guys but I don't know if he actually told you about that or not. After the meeting he asked for my home phone number and I kinda went "uh-oh" but I guess it was all good. Anyway, we had a lesson at 7 and it ended at 7:05 and it's 30 minutes back to our area so we had a quick lesson there and then rushed back to prepare for Top Gun, which is the reason I haven't been at the apartment.
Top Gun is a 48 hour exchange with the training assistants for the area where we basically do our thing in their area and they tell us where we suck and where we suck only a little. It was good though. The first day (Monday) I went with Elder Brockbank who was a professional wakeboarder before he left and had one of the strangest days either of us had ever had (and that's saying a lot for him). Our only lesson wasn't even a lesson. Our member family brought a non member with them for dinner and went the conversation went towards us teaching him he asked if we could change the subject. It was weird. But the next day (Tuesday) with Elder Doxey was a lot better. He played basketball, baseball and football in high school and football for Snow College (notice the extensive athletes I'm being surrounded by?). We got taught by a Jehovah's Witness and raked leaves for a Catholic lady. Neither were interested. Then we had an investigator fall into our laps when our member brought in some nonmembers for our lesson, and one of them asked where the Mormon church started cause the Catholic church is wrong (more or less). So a completely different day from one day to the next. The area we were in is next to the mission office so that's where I am now, typing my e-mail, cause it's P-day. That last picture is me from about an hour ago so how's THAT for up to the date info? Don't mind the hair, I didn't get time to fix it (I've been using the surf hair well).
Speaking of pictures:
1. Me and Casen at the airport
2. Elder Haley, Elder Duke, and me at the Provo Temple.
3. My district plus Sister Rasband, one of my MTC teachers. From left to right: Elder Haley, Sister Pinter, Elder Jensen (Canadian who's in West Virginia), Sister Craft (covering my face), Elder Haley, and Elder Bird (also in WV).
4. Me and Brother Haskin, my other MTC teacher. I picked it cause I like the way I look in it (so vain...)
5. Elder Dixon (the guy I replaced), Elder Petersen (companion) and me (the doofus) at the stake center (T-minus 20 minutes before I was in my area
-Elder Ryan Parker
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