I'm Up For Anything

Really busy last week, so this will cover the 2 weeks.

From Last Week: Funny stories. Thanks for all the updates. That sounds like a great birthday to me - do you still have the red dot on your forehead. Sounds very busy for everyone over there.

Oh funny story before i forget - we went our to lunch with our zone leaders to Applebees before a big mission conference. So we sat down and I look up and there is a huge high def tv with a close up of the Georgia running back Washuan Ealy sitting on the sideline and then the camera goes to the next play with Georgia snapping the ball - so I quickly turned my eyes and the pain was so severe. I had to switch spots with someone at the table so I couldn't see the tv. It was like a dagger through the heart. It hurt so bad. But the food was great - I got a big bacon burger with some sauce - very good.


So here are some notes of the last 2 weeks:


13 September 2010 - Played bball for 3 hours today. Really fun. bought a lot of food today - attempt to eat healthy. Decided college football is the hardest thing I had to give up, sleep is close second. Had baptismal interview today with a good ole rancher type. Elder Bird makes me laugh.


14 Sept. 2010 - Went jogging on the treadmill in our little gym here for first time in like 6 months. Felt good. Weigh in at 159 (but a lady said there that it was 5 pounds over - so maybe only 154) - or she just saying that to feel better about herself. Had a bacon sandwich for breakfast like Morgan would do. Then Elder Bird & I walked across a desert to get to a subdivision here that isn't directly connected by a road yet. Talked to a man who said I should go into sales because I'm good at listening and then building off it with my ideas . Saw a vulture today. Bought some steak today (got $30 of meat for $13). Lesson with Ogburns. I love blueberry pomegranate ice cream. Don't like it when people are late.


15 Sept 2010 - District meeting went well. Had a homeless man walk in to church so the zone leader and I met with him for a bit. Lessons. Bishop came and gave us a loaf of homemade banana bread and the other bishop put a request in to keep us here to our mission president.


16 Sept 2010 - Had flu shots. Lesson with spencers - commited to baptism. Had a big plate of food before bed.


17 Sept 2010 - Ran 1 mile in 10 min today. Contacted all day - still hot here - in 100's everyday. Lesson with Ogburns & dinner weth them at members home


18 Sept 2010 - Went to Applebees. Had mission wide conference - saw Elder Coburn again - fun times. Elder Richard Hinckley (Pres Hinckley's son - he's director of missionary department). It was good. Lesson with Stott's and the Alvarez family. Sandra commited to be baptized!! So happy - and it will be next Saturday. Ogburns passed baptism interviews.


19 Sept 2010 - Church was really good. 6 investigators at church. Lesson with Shalayne and Sandra today. Our wards are getting excited about the work.


20 Sept 2010 - Had burgers and lunch with sister missionaries at a members home and played pool. I was trying to guess all the college football teams that had purple in their logo/uniforms. There are only 6 and i got 4 of them. Got haricurs today. Sandra and Shalayne passed interviews.


21 Sept 2010 - contacted whole day. Helped someone move. Lessons with Ogburns and Sandra. Sandra gave us dinner too.


22 Sept 2010 - Had interviews with President Beck today. Mine went well. I'm thinking i'll stay in Anthem for another 6 weeks, then i'll be gone, but you never know. While he was doing interviews I was doing a district meeting, went well. Began deep cleaning for inspections tommorow. Got free Taco Bell for dinner.


23 Sept 2010 - had another district meeting about goals and numbers and the importance of them. Lessons. Went to rose garden area on exchanges with Elder Farnsworth - great elder - I love being with him - hopefully meet up at BYU together. Sandra passed her Spanish interview as well which was great.


24 Sept 2010 - contacted 58 people ( a contact is making eye-to-eye contact, teach true doctrine, bear testimony, and invite to action) - so not just "hey, how's it going" - they are tough to do. Big day.
Most i've done in one day. Then we exchanged back for the Ogburns baptism. It was excellent. They asked if I would baptize all 3 of them. So I did the mom first, then the son, then the daughter. It was just great. Felt just happy. Then we walked out of the baptism and someone clipped the lock on some other elders bikes and stole them - not so fun. Great day with baptisms. Back in Anthem with Elder Bird.


25 Sept 2010 - Today we had Shalayne Winward, and Sandra Alvarez's baptisms. They were great. Shalayne asked if I would baptize her which was so fun. Then Sandra Alvarez's baptism was just great. I love that family - they are great. Then we began exchanges with the zone leaders. I found out I would be helping with 2 ward council trainings tomorrow - so I gotta cram some info


26 Sept 2010 - Today at church was great - it was so crazy - I loved it. Sometimes it's nice to sit from 7am-5pm in church all day - but when you're used to just always going - it makes it fun. So we (zone leader and I) met up with the Stake Presidency and a counselor in Mission Presidency and did 2 ward council trainings (one was in a ward I was serving in) - so basically, the mission presidency member started it off about the importance of missionary work, then a stake presidency member bore testimony, then the ZL and I got up and gave a 20-30 min presentation about the ward mission plan, the 5-focus names, coordination meeting, and ward council - and it was fun teaching about how to actually do missionary work. Fun stuff. Then we exchanged back. Had 5 confirmations today - I did one of them (Brannon Ogburn). Good times.


All is well - things are great. We get transfer news next Monday - so I'll e-mail probably around 3-4 with news about if i'm staying in Anthem or not. I'm up for anything.