April 18 - Letter

So Monday we went to the South Bend Stake Center and played basketball all day and volleyball and that was fun. We rode with the Sisters from Plymouth to save miles and so while me and Elder Benson were in the back seat, we found these bay leaves that Sister Ogilvie gave them, you're supposed to put them in soup to add flavor, but they looked healthy to me so I started to eat them. They tasted good at first so I put another leaf in my mouth, and then as we're sitting in the car, a man is walking and they told us to go talk to him. So me and Elder Benson go talk to him, while I'm munching on Bay leaves, and at this point they are tasting BAD, but we taught him and then I got to spit out the bay leaves. We went back to Plymouth and tried to go see a Former investigator, we haven't been able to ever meet him, we just keep meeting people that live at his house.

 

Tuesday -Tuesday we had a conference call in the morning, and then around 10 o clock we went out and started working. We stopped by a less active/in active member and we tracted. As we were driving we saw an elderly lady outside picking up sticks in her yard, so we got out and helped her, and she was so grateful and we taught her as well. We tracted a lot and visited an investigator named Austin. Austin is an 18 year old kid that we found, me committed to baptism, and wanted a Book of Mormon, and wanted to come to church, but then found out our church doesn't serve a breakfast so he changed his mind and decided to go to his church. We went back and taught him the Book of Mormon, and explained it to him and he said "Yeah my pastor talks about this Book, but doesn't reads from it, and there is something he's missing, and this is it!" (As he holds the Book of Mormon in front of him staring at it) It was great. After working all day we went to the Reed's and had dinner at 7. They always make so much food so I get to eat a lot, We had tacos and churros for dessert. What they do is, with all the leftover Flour tortillas, they rub melted butter on them, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them, and rolled them up. They were good I even ate them. It was a good night with them, they just got back from a cruise and so they showed us pictures of it.

 

Wednesday - Wednesday we did our morning routine and then we went to the Bremen Library, because our Stake was asked by Randall K Bennett of the 70 to read Handbook 2 Section 1-5 before Stake Conference. So me and Elder Benson did that, and Family History. We worked all day and tried by people and then we went to Plymouth. We worked some more down there and talked to Debby Auilt and there family. We always talk to them outside, because I guess they have bed bugs inside, and they sit outside and smoke all day, and drink coffee and we're teaching them. Debbie has part of her leg cut off, and is in a wheelchair, but she's been to church a couple times and we're going to get her to church this week. Her husband Fred is a chain smoker. We are slowly helping her progress to baptism and we are going to help her quit drinking coffee sometime soon. Later that night, we got a text from Bob Schultz(been investigating for 35 years) and he told us to come to his house, because a missionary from 11 years ago was there. So we went over and met him and talked to him, and it turns out he served in Martinsville and knows the same people I know. We then went to the church and took him to see the new church building in Plymouth, it wasn't here when he was here, and while he was there we told the other Elders he was an investigator, and we told him to act like a Golden Investigator. Haha it was funny they started giving him a church tour. That night we slept at the Culver Elders place so we could wake up and help a member move the next day.

 

Thursday - Thursday we woke up, at 12 Brother Picked us up and we helped him move till 6 o clock that night. We were glad to help him because there was no way he was going to be able to do it. We did our Weekly Planning later that night and watched Work and the Glory and stayed in Culver again so we could wake up and ride with them to District Meeting.

 

Friday - Friday was a fun day! We went to District meeting and Elder Heimuli and Elder Mcleod came. We threw the football around before District meeting and had a fun productive District meeting. After that we went to Pizza Hut and had lunch. We were with Elder Heimuli and Elder Mcleod all day. I love them. We found out while we were at lunch that Debby Auilt's husband passed away. Elder Benson was thinking just a few days earlier, how much longer is he gonna live. He had skin cancer and always smoked and couldn't move the left side of his body, and it was hard for him to talk. At 3 o clock we went to Dale Hartmans farm to go help him and do service for him, plans fell through and we couldn't help him so we went to Brother Richharts and helped him. It was a lot of fun. We then went to dinner at the Padillas and they made the best Honduras food. It was fried plantain, with meat and peppers and sauce, and cheese it was so good. And then I even ate Angel Food cake, I'm eating no sugar this week though :) But it was good because after dinner, Elder Benson needed to go get lotion at CVS so we went on a run to Cvs to get him some. He has red hair and freckles and can burn so easy and it's getting so hot so he's been getting a shade hat, sunscreen, and lotion. The Culver Elders slept at our place so they could ride with us to do service in the morning. And we did a workout that night before we went to bed.

 

Saturday - Saturday we went and helped an in-active member clean up her whole yard. We picked up sticks and raked a ton of leaves. She was very grateful. Her name is Bev Fordham. She got donuts and milk and I was just drinking milk, not eating donuts and a member ( Brother Hindsdale) pretty much force feeded me and I ate 5 donuts. Haha. We then went to the church and changed. Very neat, uplifting spiritual experience happened today. We went to go share condolences with Debby Auilt and her family, and share a message about the Plan of Salvation. We pulled up and the daughter came to our car, she was crying and asked if we'd say a prayer.  12 people gathered around us and we shared a message and said a prayer. After we left there we continued working and went to Tractor Supply Company to get Elder Benson a shade hat. We tracted, visited people and then at 4, Ben Richhart picked us up and we ran an errand with him and then we headed to South Bend Stake Center for Adult Session of Stake Conference. It was such a good night. 1st it was beautiful in South Bend and Randall K Bennett talked to us, along with Elder Bahitshi. They told us Thomas S. Monson is aware we were meeting, and everyone at church headquarters wanted to be assigned to South Bend Stake Conference. That night we had dinner and stayed in Niles with Elder Heimuli and Elder Mcleod. Oh man I love both of them it was a lot of fun.

 

Sunday - Sunday morning we woke up got ready and went to Stake Conference. There were so many people there and Randall K Bennett told us again that Thomas S Monson wishes he were here. Some of the best days so far on my mission :) President Cleveland, Sister Cleveland, President Chipman and Siter Chipman (Indianapolis Temple President) and Elder Bahitshi and Randall K Bennett were all there. Good to hear from them. We rode back to Plymouth with Brother Timm and then we got to work. We tracted, visited less actives, and then went to the Ogilvies for dinner. It was a very good week:) I love you guys! Did I explain everything good?:) Ask me anything you're wondering :)