Hey Mom! February
27, 2017
This week:
The great meltdown, Jacob's cousin, cinnamon bread, and ribs!
To answer your question right away, yeah, things melted pretty darn quick the past week. The sun shown for a solid 4 days! And things quickly melted. All the winter-wheat farmers are going to have a blast this season, because Moses Lake had a super-rare and brutal winter. But after a few days of sun and the occasional rain, the snow is finally starting to go away! And...the mud, floods, and puddles that accompany melting came up. And consequently, a few potholes have formed as well.
I would also say that a few minds melted this week too. To answer your other question, Elder Mayes is doing fine. Elder Dalton, our DL, and I keep President updated on his overall health. He had some pretty bad episodes this past week, and safe to say that he hit rock bottom. We got him out, but it came at some patience tax. But I do look forward to where we can connect post-mission, because he's a gamer and I see us getting online for a session or two when we get back. Along with some other elders as well! He's also helped a lot in helping me brainstorm the story idea whenever we have some down-time.
There wasn't too many spiritual experiences the past week, but we did get the chance to teach Jacob and Natalia again. His cousin Jason, along with his fiancé, Moria, were present there too! Moria is LA, and Jason isn't a member, but during the lesson we got to talk to him about his experiences. He didn't have the best of upbringings and was almost a year sober, so we gave him a Book of Mormon bookmarked at Mosiah 27, and we challenged him to read about Alma the Younger's experience to see just how it was like him overcoming his challenges. I love the Book of Mormon for that reason, it's so easy to relate to if you really read it with the intent to improve your life. Pages full of role models who really had a testimony of God and the love he had for sending Christ to redeem us.
On the note of redemption, we actually learned something pretty profound in a Zone Conference Wednesday, and I wish I could share everything we learned from it! But we learned that a simple behavior change without the Savior is just that, a behavior change. But Repentance is a principle of action that changes more than behavior, it changes our lives, our views on ourselves and God, I would reckon everything about us if we really come to see it as it really is. That was probably the spiritual highlight as far as Gospel Principles goes!
Another funny story was that an elderly lady in the ward, Sis. Moote, sent us a referral for a lady named Thelma, who she had just talked to at a blood drive. We called her right away, and when Thelma answered she exclaimed "Wow! That was fast!" She was interested in finding a church to come too for her month-long stay at Moses, and she told us to call her again the next day. Unfortunately she never answered any call we made following that, but it was cool to see how she reacted to the urgency!
Sis. Jones and Elder Mayes also caught the rare disease of the Moses Lake winter, so we had to stay inside a few days for proper recovery. In that time, I cracked open the Jones's bread book and decided to try to make Cinnamon bread. It came out pretty well! I'll include some pictures. When I get back I'd really like to help you make bread more often Mom. I find it quite therapeutic!
And to wrap it all up, we had a great dinner with a younger family in the ward. The husband is only an elder but a successful anesthesiologist, so he made us some ribs! And they were just like Dad's ribs too! I'm not going to lie, but it was pretty good! And....when we were done, he just out-of-the blue decided to turn on his computer and show us a few game trailers to some new games that came out. We didn't condone it, it was more of one of those moments where you didn't protest because he was acting under his own agency, but at the same time...well, you know. Since when did the world get so high tech?
Then to top it all off even more, Jacob, Rob Johnson, and Kunza all came to church on Sunday! Unfortunately again Elder Mayes felt horrible so we had to go home early to recover again, but it was still cool to see how the Spirit is starting to take root in them even more, or at least enough to help them come to church to partake of the Sacrament! It was a good week for what it was. Heck, a few hours ago, a member paid for groceries!
Thanks for refilling the debit, although I could've lasted for the rest on the $125. I kind of accepted my own challenge to have that grand last for the whole mission. Laundromat fees in Eburg is what really did it in for us. And I'm super excited to see what the new house looks like! If you can, send a video tour of it or something. But even if we had nothing but a grass hut I'd be happy enough, because I'm with you guys a a family. And all you guys as my friends too! Let me know how everyone else is doing and I'll be certain to keep you guys in my prayers always. A family that loves the Lord can get through just about anything! I just wish I had enough words to say how much I'll always appreciate you!
Love you all!
This week:
The great meltdown, Jacob's cousin, cinnamon bread, and ribs!
To answer your question right away, yeah, things melted pretty darn quick the past week. The sun shown for a solid 4 days! And things quickly melted. All the winter-wheat farmers are going to have a blast this season, because Moses Lake had a super-rare and brutal winter. But after a few days of sun and the occasional rain, the snow is finally starting to go away! And...the mud, floods, and puddles that accompany melting came up. And consequently, a few potholes have formed as well.
I would also say that a few minds melted this week too. To answer your other question, Elder Mayes is doing fine. Elder Dalton, our DL, and I keep President updated on his overall health. He had some pretty bad episodes this past week, and safe to say that he hit rock bottom. We got him out, but it came at some patience tax. But I do look forward to where we can connect post-mission, because he's a gamer and I see us getting online for a session or two when we get back. Along with some other elders as well! He's also helped a lot in helping me brainstorm the story idea whenever we have some down-time.
There wasn't too many spiritual experiences the past week, but we did get the chance to teach Jacob and Natalia again. His cousin Jason, along with his fiancé, Moria, were present there too! Moria is LA, and Jason isn't a member, but during the lesson we got to talk to him about his experiences. He didn't have the best of upbringings and was almost a year sober, so we gave him a Book of Mormon bookmarked at Mosiah 27, and we challenged him to read about Alma the Younger's experience to see just how it was like him overcoming his challenges. I love the Book of Mormon for that reason, it's so easy to relate to if you really read it with the intent to improve your life. Pages full of role models who really had a testimony of God and the love he had for sending Christ to redeem us.
On the note of redemption, we actually learned something pretty profound in a Zone Conference Wednesday, and I wish I could share everything we learned from it! But we learned that a simple behavior change without the Savior is just that, a behavior change. But Repentance is a principle of action that changes more than behavior, it changes our lives, our views on ourselves and God, I would reckon everything about us if we really come to see it as it really is. That was probably the spiritual highlight as far as Gospel Principles goes!
Another funny story was that an elderly lady in the ward, Sis. Moote, sent us a referral for a lady named Thelma, who she had just talked to at a blood drive. We called her right away, and when Thelma answered she exclaimed "Wow! That was fast!" She was interested in finding a church to come too for her month-long stay at Moses, and she told us to call her again the next day. Unfortunately she never answered any call we made following that, but it was cool to see how she reacted to the urgency!
Sis. Jones and Elder Mayes also caught the rare disease of the Moses Lake winter, so we had to stay inside a few days for proper recovery. In that time, I cracked open the Jones's bread book and decided to try to make Cinnamon bread. It came out pretty well! I'll include some pictures. When I get back I'd really like to help you make bread more often Mom. I find it quite therapeutic!
And to wrap it all up, we had a great dinner with a younger family in the ward. The husband is only an elder but a successful anesthesiologist, so he made us some ribs! And they were just like Dad's ribs too! I'm not going to lie, but it was pretty good! And....when we were done, he just out-of-the blue decided to turn on his computer and show us a few game trailers to some new games that came out. We didn't condone it, it was more of one of those moments where you didn't protest because he was acting under his own agency, but at the same time...well, you know. Since when did the world get so high tech?
Then to top it all off even more, Jacob, Rob Johnson, and Kunza all came to church on Sunday! Unfortunately again Elder Mayes felt horrible so we had to go home early to recover again, but it was still cool to see how the Spirit is starting to take root in them even more, or at least enough to help them come to church to partake of the Sacrament! It was a good week for what it was. Heck, a few hours ago, a member paid for groceries!
Thanks for refilling the debit, although I could've lasted for the rest on the $125. I kind of accepted my own challenge to have that grand last for the whole mission. Laundromat fees in Eburg is what really did it in for us. And I'm super excited to see what the new house looks like! If you can, send a video tour of it or something. But even if we had nothing but a grass hut I'd be happy enough, because I'm with you guys a a family. And all you guys as my friends too! Let me know how everyone else is doing and I'll be certain to keep you guys in my prayers always. A family that loves the Lord can get through just about anything! I just wish I had enough words to say how much I'll always appreciate you!
Love you all!
Michael
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