I Love Being A Missionary

21 Feb 2011 - Bought some new gym shorts at Ross today - like them below the knee - got them for like $13. Picked up my 2 new suits. Took a nap. Played bball with 2 18yr olds in our ward who are getting ready for mission. Living the dream - no complaints.

22 Feb 2011 - Had dentist appointments today. They said nothing looked bad - free cleaning from an LDS Dentist. Being a missionary rocks - free perks and all members love you. Went out on splits with our WML - our Stake President says he is the best WML he has ever seen in the church. He's a really cool guy. Found a new investigator named Galen who looks promising. Began exchanges with Elder Oesterle.

23 Feb 2011 - I really like Elder Oesterle - he is a real say-it-how it is guy. Isn't afraid to chastise his district members - is real bold. We did our 1 hr of mormon.org time. Went to a steakburger place with Elders Kennington and Baldree - really cool elders. Then since Elder Oesterle helps in the office a lot, we had to drive and deliver a bicycle. Taught a 9 yr old - Jaden - really good kid. Taught an 18 yr old who has addiction problems so we had a lesson on that. We set up chairs on her drive-way and taught her there since no man was home. Then went to Avalos family - gave a blessing.

24 Feb 2011 - Elder Bird brought 5 members to his district meeting for the missionaries to teach. Pete was there and it was really good to catch up with him. It was fun watching 2 sets of missiionaries teach him and work through his past concerns. Fun times. Had another lesson with Austin - taught L3 and re-commited to baptism again.

25 Feb 2011 - Went back to Galen's for a lesson with Bro. Adair. Taught L1. It went really well and he commited to church too. Finished our weekly planning and contacted. Began exchanges with DL #2 Elder Mendenhall.

26 Feb 2011 - This morning we drove over to some elders house and sat them down and asked them about some misbehavior issues. Got it sorted out and then we contacted most the rest of the day. He was asking how it is easy for me to yell at people (or really to correct in loving ways). So we talked about how I had to learn it and it really is all about confidence I feel. I know I'm right (teaching true doctrine) and so there is no need to fear what they think - they will be transfered out eventually - and the mission sets the course for life - so you better learn how to fix things quickly and efficiently. Got Taco bell. They have a new crunchy burrito for 99 cents that is really good and big. So 2 of those did it for me. I also enjoy their potato burrito. Then we attended his adult session of Stake Conference - first one I have ever been too. Was really good. Exchanges back and finished stake reports. Talked with President Morris about our meeting tomorrow.

27 Feb 2011 - Had our Deer Valley Stake coordination meeting. President Morris came and it was fun. I really enjoy working with leaders and seeing how they handle bishops. Fun times. Galen came to church today and stayed the block. He brought his 2 yr old too which was cool.

28 Feb 2011 - Went on a district hike this morning. Really cool. There was a faster and slower group so I stuck in the very back - don't like it when people feel they are holding others back. So I just stayed back with Elder Bird or Giles or Hall and took pictures along the way. I bought a hunters hat for the hike which was cool. On the top of the mountain I dropped Elder Giles camera and it broke. So I gave him my camera. So I have his. It works perfectly - except the digital screen is broken. So I took lots more pictures (just can't see what it's taking) and uploaded them and sent some to family. Preped for meetings tomorrow.

1 March 2011 - MARCH!!! Had zone leader council today at 9am this morning. Went really good - had good discussion on how to improve baptism efficiency. Mission Presidency discussed how to work with member better. We had a skills training on being facilitators when we watch other missionaries teach so we can get in and help them become better teachers. Had lunch with Elders: Tripp, Brase, Geren, Farnsworth and President Morris - great group. I love the missionaries I work with - really solid and just great people. Then we drove over to the transfer building and all the district leaders met us there and we had a leadership training from 1-4. The overall message was working with members. We had a skills training on sitting down with auxilary leaders and helping them see the missionary process. They let me close the meeting with a talk on the baptism interview and walking through Preach My Gospel on it. I'll attach it for you to see. They made me type it up and gave a copy to all the leaders in mission. That is cool - makes me feel good. Elder Juchau came back home with us for the night. Had a lesson with the Wildes and we talked with them on church attendance. Elder Juchau is really bold like me, so we just fed off of each other and it was great.

2 March 2011 - Had specialized training with President and Sister Beck spoke on the Book of Mormon. As mission we have been reading the Book of Mormon in 60 days and we just all finished it (the amount of time it took Joseph Smith to translate the plates). I really enjoyed my experience with it. President Becks big thought was that we have to BELIEVE we can baptize/have succes - as a mission we don't believe we can really do it. Taught Galen again. Went pretty well, we'll see how he comes along. Interview with Nathan went good too - sharp kid. Good day. I love being a missionary and having the best time ever. Do work!

3 March 2011 - Had a lot of planning. Taught the Toledo's and set a date for a week and a half out - ha - talk about a sense of urgency. It was really good though. her 9 yr old sister, Brooke, was just baptized and she was on fire with the questions today while her non-member sister, Alexxis (that's right, with two x's - pretty sweet), struggled a bit. Do you want to know why her 9 yr old sister is amazing? Because she has the Holy Ghost and it was so cool to see. North Canyon correlation again, now when they ask us for a spiritual thought (which they do every week) I say, "Well for our spiritual thought, we thought we would teach on the purpose of coordination, or the purpose of the focus names. Things will get better hopefully. Then taught the Reddings. They are awesome. Have an 8 and 13 yr old that are not baptized and they are on fire, especially the 8 yr old. They eat it up. Its cool to see a family get into it. Also had coordination in Pinnacle Vista.

4 March 2011 - went out to Elder Oesterle's district metting. Interviewed a couple of missionaries just to see how they were doing in preparation for President Becks interviews (we asses some situations and then give a report to him so he can focus his efforts when he interviews them). Stayed for a bit, then went back to Elder Bird's district meeting. We got to facilitate on a couple of practice rounds. Then interviewed a missionary. Went to the Toledo's and reviewed for Alexxis' baptism interview. Had dinner with the Gladdens - LA Family. Made stuffed peppers that were decent. Took the last hr to plan for our stake meeting. I interviewed the sisters over the phone (Moody, Zollinger, Fleener, Pilimai)

5 March 2011 - went down to the stk center at 9am for Alexxis' baptism interview - of course she passed - she's awesome! Then helped Elder Bird with a couple other interviews. Got McDonald's. Yummy. tracted into a lady who was good friends with Yvonne Ogburn who iIworked with last summer - so that was cool. Loving life and being a misisonary rocks.

6 March 2011 - So in a ward council, the primary president was saying how the stake wants to put a missionary fireside on Easter night with a primary choir and how she thinks no one will come, blah blah blah. So i said, "Well of course people will come, and they will bring all their friends too." Everyone laughed a bit and then Bishop told her to continue to work on it. We had 2 members of the high council in there (one for the ward, the other over missionary work) - so we talked about it after. The mission has taught me so much about how to 1) Listen to leaders 2) Believe they know what they are doing/inspired and 3)FOLLOW them. So many peole second guess and think they can come up with a better way - no you can't. We had a Stake Meeting and Bishops think they know a better way that will work with their ward that goes against what Stake is saying and President Beck went off on obedience - law irrovocably decreed in heaven, followed by - by the voice of my servants, or myself, it's the same. Fun times. I love it. Love being a missionary and being involved and seeing how things work. It's so fun - I laugh and smile all the time.