Well hello again everyone! Things are still going well out here in Morris and we are having a great time!
Have a great week!
Elder Pickering
Just thought you would all like a throwback to how my old group emails so that you will always appreciate the little extra effort I have been putting in haha.
So this week we started off with exchanges with our district leader. So their area is about 2 and a half hours from our area, so it was quite the drive to do it, and we just blitzed the area when we were there. Which means rather than one companionship working in each area, you both just grind out the one area for the day but with a different companion. So its pretty good in theory. What they did is both companions had separately planned out what they would do that day with us, and it turns out the person that I would exchange with just decided he wouldn't plan the day, and so we ended up with an entire day of tracting, with only studies and a dinner appointment to break that up. So it was a long haul that day, that is for sure. We got to meet lots of different people, and get rejected in more ways than you can even imagine, I am sure, that is just the life out here sometimes I guess, so that was our exchanges. We did the grind, and then were able to get back to our area to further the work there.
One thing we have been able to pick up for service out in Morris is we are going to start working at this tiny little food shelf,and we go to the salvation army in town and we help sort things and move stuff around and just get to do a whole bunch of random things that gives us some good laughs sometimes. The other day we spent some time rearranging the furniture room because it was pretty bad. So we turned one massive pile of furniture into rows that you could actually see the stuff and it was way better. We could tell we did a good job because the couches were now accessible, and later on in the day we found this old guy just knocked out on the couches and he slept there for like 45 minutes, don't worry, picture will be included.
Here is another good laugh for you all. So as I told you about the massive man eating bugs here in Morris, let that just sit in your mind during this story. So as Elder Johnson and I walk around town to appointments or to find or whatever it may be, we find enjoyment in trying to meg each other. For those who may not know what that is, its where in soccer you kick the ball through another persons legs, its just like the ultimate destruction that you can give to your foe. So as we walk around town we try kicking rocks, pine cones, or any object that you could send through the other person's legs. Now we were walking home after a large dinner and on the path Elder Johnson spies with his little eye an object that is just asking to be kicked through my legs. As we approach we realize its one of these dead bugs which are all over the place, and as he is in mid sentence trying to tell me this will be the ultimate meg, he makes contact, and this "dead bug" was actually two massive bugs that made a sound comparable to a tank rolling in over us, and they just came flying at us and we were out of there. Whether we ran faster than we had strength, or were given Usain Bolt skills for but a moment we don't know, but we somehow came out alive.
Now let me tell you about our good friend Leigh (Pronounced Lee) So while we were on exchanges, I get t his call from the bishop of the English ward that we kinda cover and help out when we are able to. He said someone just walked into church and said he wanted to be a member,so he gave us all the contact info and we got on it. Now my boy Leigh is an 81 year old man who has had contact with members of the church his whole life, and the way he talks about the Book of Mormon and temples and his life experiences, you might think he was already a member. So we have met with him a couple times now, and he loves to talk that is for sure. And he even went to church on Sunday. However, he wasn't a fan of the kids making a bunch of noise or any irreverence, but we are working with him, he still expresses desires to become a member. We just will work on his patience with the niños. But it was a good show to me that the little things and the examples that we show to someone, whether you ever see the outcome or not are good things. Most of the members that invited him to church in his youth or gave him work or showed him charity are long passed away, but their efforts and example have made a lasting impression on his mind, so never cease to be an example.
Now the last story that I would like to end with has a good message behind it, it wasn't the highest point of my mission, but the lesson that it taught is invaluable and can hopefully help one of you one day. So down here in Morris we meet in the city hall chambers to hold our church meetings, we have it rented out to use it every Sunday. We just have to pick up the key on Friday from the city hall, which is a different building, before they close for the weekend. So its just habit for us to get the key on Friday. Now earlier in the week I had this thought that I should set an alarm or put it in the calendar as an extra reminder to get the key, and I thought to myself that is ridiculous, we will remember. And I even thought to myself, if its really important for me to put in a reminder, I will remember tomorrow to put one in, so yeah I was being a bit naive in this. So next day rolls around and guess what popped into my head just at a random time? That is right, to put into the calendar to get the key. And here is my mistake, I just told myself, If I have remembered two days in a row so far, no way I will forget on Friday. Well Friday comes and goes, and we get to about 8 and we realize we never got the key... So we head over to the city hall, knock on that door and a guy shows up from behind us and asks what is up. He was working in there so we talked to him about getting the key, he said our best option was to go to the police department and see what they can do. So we go there and they tell us to come back Sunday morning. Now I cant tell you how bad I was feeling for ignoring this prompting and trying to rely on my human self and then having it come back to bite us. Come Sunday morning we go back to the police department, and after lots of calls and lots of time, after we did all that we could do in our power, we came up short, there was no way for us to get the key, so we start calling and telling people that church will just have to be in someones home today. Then when we were on the way back home, heads held low, I had this thought to just go and check the place we hold church. So we did, we went over there not expecting much. Then we saw a car, and in the room next to where we meet there was some Hispanics getting ready for a fiesta, so the front door was open, but the problem still lied in the city chambers door. But we check, and it was unlocked, a miracle given to us from the Lord. Although as His servant I had fallen short earlier in the week, the Lord will not have His work or His plans stopped. So after all we could do, and all the asking forgiveness, but then also going out and working to find a way, the Lord provided that His will be done. Now it all worked out well in this case, thankfully it wasn't a situation of life or death, but never again will I put myself above any prompting I receive, no matter how silly it seems, and I urge every one of you to follow any impressions you ever feel. To quote Elder Eyring, 9 times out of 10, the first feeling or idea you get, will be right if you have the spirit with you, so never, doubt the promptings from the Lord.
So that is it for our week here in Morris, hope you enjoyed and see you next time!
Elder Pickering
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