Hey everyone, so this week was super busy and great here. Looking back on the week today it seems like so much has happened, so I'll do my best to fill you all in on the highlights.
So this week we tried something out with our branch, something we call a "Harvest Night". Basically what this was, was all the missionaries split up with the members and we split up and got down to work. The idea was you could go visit the less active members and people you're teaching, and basically you just get a whole evening to go out with a member and get some work done! So I was with Hermano Contreras and he killed it! We got into this less active family and has this little lesson, and he was pulling out scriptures that went right along and bearing his testimony, and he just did an awesome job! We also passed all these casinos and he kept joking how we should plan a branch activity to help improve the branch budget and get more money for more pachangas, so funny guy. And then we were also able to stop by a guy we are teaching, and they just talked and clicked right a way and it was perfect.
Another thing that was an adventure this week was that we went to help out this family that is brand new to this area here in our branch. And since they are new, they haven't had a chance to get a mower yet, and so their lawn was about 3 feet high in some areas. So we borrowed a mower from our Branch President, but with only one it would have still taken forever on a big lawn. We decided "hey what is there to lose?" and went and asked the neighbor to use his lawnmower. It lead to a super good contact and a second lawnmower so win win.
We also had stake conference this week and that went super well! We had Elder Alder here from the Seventy, and he just really brought in some cool insights and feelings into the meeting. In the first meeting, for the adults, he ended up calling up all the missionaries, and our Mission President. And our Mission President, President Barney, told everyone to pull out their phones and take this act of faith. He had them write their names, and what ward or branch they are from, then send it to a certain number. The number he gave was that of the zone leaders, and then told them all, "who is someone you wish was sitting next to you right now, but isn't because they haven't had the chance of receiving the message of the restored gospel?" And then challenged the to put that name into the text and send it to the zone leaders. Now this was not so that the missionaries can go out and tract into these people or try and proselyte to them, but so that they can set their own goals to try and work with those people, little steps to introduce them in natural and normal ways. So that was super cool. The second round of Stake Conference we ended up translating it for our branch, and so that was a party.
And then yesterday was super cool as well. So about a week and a half ago, we found this lady named Patti. And yesterday we were finally able to have the first sit down lesson with her and really just set the stage and start things off. The lesson went incredibly, and she grasped and accepted all the concepts super well! Even the idea that we need to be baptized as Christ was, rather than as babies or by sprinkle or something like that. And the best part is that she does not work Sundays! That is the biggest blessing ever. So we set a baptismal date with her, and she is working towards the 7th of July, so keep her in your prayers, and we hope to see her continue to progress well on this covenant path towards God.
So this last week we also had Mission Leadership Conference, and I was just put in as District Leader again, so I had the privilege to go to that. We had Brother Littlefield come from the Misson headquarters, and gave us a bunch of spiritual fire so to say. I wish I could share all that I gained from that, but the main idea he laid out for us was "A little bit more, and a little bit better". He said that this is the key between a missionary who sees the success, and a missionary that gets stuck in a loop. Every time he goes out with missionaries, they all do the same thing, the ones that are seeing all kinds of fruits of their labors, and the ones that are not. He said the only difference is that the ones that see the success are doing the same things, just a little bit more, and a little bit better, doing everything in their power to help people come to the covenant path, and then holding their hand along the way all the way. So I am super excited to see as I apply the many things he taught, what kinds of blessings we will see, and we have already seen the blessings that came with Patti, so I'm super excited about that.
Well love you all, hope you enjoyed the email and all have a great week. Go out and do a little bit more, and a little bit better!
Elder Pickering
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