January 25 - Letter

Monday - On Monday we were in Bloomington playing basketball and Elder Lorsch came with us back to Martinsville and Elder Quick stayed in Bloomington. And they were on exchanges until Wednesday. On Monday night when we got back from Bloomington we went to Indy's with the Dudding's, an older couple in our ward. After that we went and saw some investigators. That was a good night and when we got home we watched "On the Lord's Errand" It's about the life of Thomas S. Monson! On Tuesday we woke up, I got to e-mail you guys and then we went to the Farm and saw Sister Banks.  

Tuesday we worked all day.  

On Wednesday we had a Worldwide Missionary Broadcast! We went to Bloomington for that and watched it at the Stake Center. Russell M. Nelson was presiding at it, and Neil A. Andersen, Bednar, and Dallin Oaks talked at it! The topic was "Teach Repentance, Baptize Converts" They told us of better ways to teach! They also showed us a stat showing how much higher the percentage is of people coverting when the members are helping the missionaries. It's good when the members are friends with the investigators because sometimes they get converted to the missionaries, not the church and then the missionaries leave and they stop coming to church. After that we went back to Martinsville and went to work. This week we had a lot of success. Our investigators are starting to progress. Me and Elder Coon are both leaving but we're leaving the new missionaries coming in with a lot of people to go see. There were days where people just wouldn't open the door this week, or tell us they aren't interested, but some days people open and we have great lessons with them. There is a family we're teaching, Kristi is a 40 year old mom and she is a recovering meth addict. She was on it for 20 years but she's been off for 3 and we're teaching her, and her mom and she has 4 kids. When we first met them 2 months ago they were nice, but not very interested and we couldn't get them both home at the same time to teach them, we started teaching them, all of it makes sense to them, and now they're asking us when we're going to come over, when we start to walk out, and if we forget to set up a return appointment they ask us " So when are we going to meet again?!" and they are on date to be baptized February 20! Another family is Jeremiah Cash and his fiance and kids. We found them in the Area Book a couple weeks ago, after Elder Coon was prompted to give a training on it in District meeting, so we found them and started meeting with them and teaching them lessons, they go to another church but we're teaching them and emphasizing Priesthood authority and now it's all making sense and they are on date to be baptized on February 20th! Another investigator is Torie Tumie. We've taught her the Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and Gospel of Jesus Christ and she loves it. We told her how The Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand and she likes it a lot. Another family is Mike Fisher and his family. He is on date to be baptized on February 20th as well!  

On Thursday, we were knocking doors, and a man named George answered, we taught him the Restoration and he wants to be baptized! It was a miracle. His wife's sister is being taught by Elder Quick and Elder Palmer in their area. We found 2 ladies in wheelchairs and they were both interested. Later on that day we were knocking doors, this lady opens the door and tells us to come in. We were confused because no one ever does that and we're trying to figure out who she is. We sit down and she's talking to us, she was nice and then she goes crazy. She thought Warren Jeffs was a part of our church and we set her straight and explained it all to her. She thinks that they're our 3 different beings, God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. But she thinks God is every single one. She believe that if God wants to be Jesus Christ he can switch to Jesus. She believes it because of certain scriptures in the Old testament that says I am. There's one in Zechariah where it says "They pierced my hands and feet, I am him who they did it too" but we taught her and she likes us a lot now. She asked us for a Book of Mormon and she started reading it and we went back 2 days later and she asked us for Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price and the Joseph Smith Translations. We talked to her for an hour and half in one lesson! After that Brother Pierson picked us up and we went out to his house way out in the woods, they made red lobster rolls for us and appetizer chicken and chicken and salad. After that we went to a less active members house with Brother Pierson, we had an hour and half lesson with them too, they are going through hard times and we helped them. Me and Elder Coon smell like smoke constantly because we're going in houses that always smell like it and we got in his truck and I said "When you smell like smoke you know you're doing good" and all 3 of us did. Sometimes we smell so bad.  

On Friday, we did Family History and then we went out and worked.

On Saturday we went to the church, had correlation meeting, my ward mission leader looks just like George Castanza and talks just like him, he's from New York. Elder Quick and Elder Palmer went and had lunch but me and Elder Coon skipped lunch so we could play basketball and lay on the church couches. It was fun. After that we went to the Farm. We got home and went out working and seeing people waiting for the phone call from the AP'S or President, finding out what we're doing. Elder Coon is going to Greenwood, and I'm going to Plymouth! Plymouth is way up north, it's 30 minutes away from Notre Dame, i'm in the Southbend Stake and it's freezing up there and there is lake effect snow. It's a little town, and the ward mission leader (George Costanza) told me I will see a horse and a buggy! The amish live there and he said the street lights look like an 1880 rustic look. I'm excited! Im going to try and go to the Chicago temple while i'm there! Because I'm pretty close to it. After we got the phone call, we went home cooked hamburgers and worked out.  

On Sunday Morning, we woke, got ready and went to church. Me and Elder Coon gave a short testimony in church so that was fun. After church we went way out to the woods to a members house and had lunch with them. After that we came home, me and Elder Coon started packing, and we made pork chops, our house smelt good like our house on sundays because Elder Quick made pork chops. After that we went out and said bye to investigators. And then we came home, and went to Bloomington!

We slept over in Bloomington and at 6:45 in the morning me and Elder Coon got up and went to a apartment gym! It's ok to go to Apartment gyms but not commercial and no one one else wanted to go but me and Elder Coon and we went and had a good workout! Everyone was asleep and didn't give us good directions so I had to go in 4 gas stations to figure out how to get there and ask a bunch of IU students and they all told us different ways but we pieced it together and made it! After that we made pancakes and eggs and ham and ate and now we're e-mailing! I love you guys so much!