Week 84 - Are You Crazy?!

Hi mom!!! 

Haha yeah I heard that the weather in Utah is pretty bad. Last week we had like 60 degree weather and it's finally snowing here. I expected it to be a lot colder here, but apparently it's a warm winter right now. But thank you again mom for sending the pics of all the family in New Zealand :) I'm excited for the Heimuli reunion in June!!! Wait, is it in early June? Cuz I've gotta be in school on the 23rd. Dallin's (Elder Pili's) story was amazing!!!! It's good to hear from him especially seeing the growth he's developed!!! Man it's amazing the miracles and the things you experience on a mission. Dallin is killing it! 

So when Coach Taylor was here we talked about football and the possibilities of red shirting which I'm really fine with. But I didn't really ask him for specifics :/ my bad....I'll email him and get some more details!

Well here is the low down of the week!!!

Mon- Office, Meeting, FHE (No investigators could come :(.... So pretty boring haha!

Tue- So on Tuesday it was the only time of this week we had to actually proselyte because we had Specialized training and the Mission Temple day this week. So we went on exchanges in Indy North with Elder Quick and Elder Walton :) Me and Quick stayed in Crossroads while Redmond and Walton went to campus. It was great! Being with Quick was almost like we never left Bountiful, except we were grinding hard and teaching the gospel. We didn't really stop at all for the exchange! We were non stop go go go, and I'll be honest, Quick was wearing me out haha! He is such a hard worker, and he taught me something during our exchange: If the spirit prompts you, DO IT!!! I already knew this, but Quick took it to a whole different extreme haha. We were driving down this one road, when Quick saw another road we were just about to pass on our right. Suddenly, he just stomped on the brake!!! I looked at him like, "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" He told me he felt we needed to see Keith (one of his investigators) and he literally backed up (in the middle of traffic) and turned down that road. Keith wasn't even home. But then we both felt we needed to knock some doors across the street. So we did and we met a really cool guy named Carl who was interested in the message we shared. So now Quick is going to see him again later this week. It was pretty cool because he followed a prompting to see Keith, which got us to go down that road. But that prompting led to another prompting which led to Carl. So you never know where the prompting goes, you just have to have faith and continue forward. We PC'd a campus near by and eventually finished the exchange with dinner. 

After the exchange I reflected on the changes Quick has made and you know he was awesome before. Now, he is a different person, yet the same loyal friend. It reminds me of the Mormon Message by Elder D Todd Christofferson where he talked about the Gardener and the Bush. The gardener came upon a tall bush which seemed proud of the might and stature it had attained. The gardener cut it down till it had no leaves and was just a tiny stump. The Bush cried and complained saying, "Why have you done this to me? I was making such progress. I was the best I could be! But now everyone will laugh at me." The gardener replied, "I don't need you to be a tall bush. I don't need you to be a tree. I need you to be a bush." Later as the gardener kept working with the bush and trimming it, it eventually began to bear fruit and became the most beautiful plant in all the garden. We are in the hands of the Gardener and Creator. He knows exactly what we need and we can have faith that wherever He trims we will be better and stronger than before. I may or may not have butchered that story but that's what I got from it. And I can't help but think of Quick.

Wed- So we had to go down to Columbus and pick up Elder Taka and take him to a doctor's appointment. But while we were down there we decided to watch the Missionary Broadcast that was being shown all across the world for all the missionaries. It was amazing to hear from Elder Oaks, Bednar, Nelson, and many other general authorities. They talked a lot about Baptizing converts and teaching repentance. But one quote by Elder Oaks really hit me. "As part of teaching we should never cease to be concerned for them." Wow, never cease to be concerned. Sounds a lot like we need to be constantly on the lookout for the well being of not only converts but those around us. This is where Home and Visiting Teaching take such a pivotal role. Being concerned for our brothers and sisters, being willing to stop worrying about ourselves and help others, LOVING one another. It's all part of the gospel. We are part of the gospel and we should be willing to become living examples of it. Anyways I just found that quote really neat. After the broadcast we ran Taka to the hospital, which we found out they had to reschedule it to Monday :/ so now we have to go back haha! But hey it happens. Following that we had a lesson with Grace and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She was very intrigued, especially about the fact that we came from heaven, from one big family. Then we had to run to Fishers then back to Columbus because we had to switch some cars for Elder Summers. 

We returned to the office later that evening because we had specialized training the next day, so of course we had to get our trainings and everything situated. 

Thur- Specialized training. This was the 9th specialized training I've had to organize and set up. It hit me how long I've been here because now almost all the Trainers at this training were people I picked up from the airport when they were a part of the previous specialized trainings I've done before... Weird. But the specialized training went off without a hitch. After that meeting Elie came to the chapel for a lesson!! We talked a lot about the gospel, but especially what it means to have the spirit after baptism. Because before baptism everyone can experience the Power of the Holy Ghost, and Elie expressed to us that he loves meeting with us because he feels good and that when he goes home he feels different. We told him that it's because he's experiencing the feeling of the Holy Ghost but because he's not baptized and confirmed, that feeling can't be with him always. You must be baptized by water and the spirit if you are to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5) because the water cleans us, and the spirit will sanctify us and help keep us clean. Through these steps and eventually taking upon yourself sacred covenants made in the temple, you'll make it back. After explaining all that we put Elie on baptismal date for Feb.  25th, so we are praying he finds a new job so he can come to church on Sundays! Either that, or a different shift that doesn't conflict with church. So if you could pray for Elie that would be great! We were running late so we bolted to downtown Indianapolis and had a lesson with Cici who is very interested in our church. We talked to her about the Plan of Salvation too, and she had tons of questions but we were able to resolve all of them. She is very sincere in gaining an understanding but the question is if she's going to act on the knowledge and feelings she receives. We talked to her about it and she expressed that she wants be be a 100% sure before being baptized. We listened and explained that there will always be questions and nothing is a 100% sure thing, otherwise, faith would not be required. And without faith, we will not progress in the gospel. She understood that and she was willing to keep praying and trying to understand for herself. After the lesson Elder Redmond and I were EXHAUSTED!! Haha we never had so many intense spiritual lessons after a conference! Conferences drain us too, so we came right home and just crashed!!

Fri- Office day, we spent the day running errands and cars around for the office. Then we had to get all the stuff ready for the Mission Recent Convert Temple Day!!!! It happens every other month and really takes time and effort to organize. It took us the rest of the day but we got it all done. So nothing really exciting or crazy but we were busy!!! Most exciting thing was I got Hevynn and Bo's package and in it there was a NZ All Blacks tie. I immediately took my tie off and put this one on. It's very cool! Everyone was asking if I had just changed ties. What? No :)

Sat- Mission Temple Day!! We had about 60 people show up to the temple day but it went smoothly:) However that took about all day, then following that we had to go to the stake conference here. those were almost back to back so I didn't have time to email. I got on long enough to shoot Helam a quick happy bday email haha! 

But there was a recent convert who told us that when he went to the temple, he felt so good and that he knows this is the true church, because he can't deny the feelings he has. It was cool to hear that, it kind of reminds me of all the people I've taught and not one of them have ever said they were baptized because it sounded true. It's the feelings they get from learning, the Holy Ghost literally testifying to them it's true. That's where a lasting conversion comes in, because no matter how scientific or how we think about the gospel, when push comes to shove, we always choose our heart over our mind. Or maybe I'm the only one who does that (then that explains a lot haha) but it makes sense to me. Anyways I could just feel the spirit in the temple that day and I always feel happy when I feel the spirit:)

Anyways so that's about it. Next week we have about 3 zone conferences and then 3 the week after :) so it's about to get even crazier!!!! Haha love you mom! Ofa Lahi Atu!!!