Week 48...The adventure continues

Monday-Today we got up early with the zone leaders and went to taco bell and Walmart, and they have these really good nacho fries pretty amazing stuff I would say, then we went and had sports with the Lititz sisters the Lititz elders the Lancaster sister the Ephrata elders and of the course us so we had 10 missionaries playing cards and basketball and chair soccer and spike ball. We had a really good time. We got back I took a short nap during dinner time then we went and saw a few people and the sister wanted the car so we dropped it off and left the key in it so when they got there they could take it and leave, so then we just started walking and we were almost home and they called us and said could you give us a ride back. So we walked all the way back to the car and drive to the park where they were watching softball.
Then we headed back and me and elder Allred played cards while we were back then we went to bed. 

Tuesday- Today we had district meeting, I had the safeguards instruction and i played the piano, we went to district lunch to the local mcdonalds. 
Then we had studies, the zone leaders stopped by because they needed an extra part to elder Christensens bike, guess I am not the only one that injured the steel horse. 
Later that day we went out for a ward council meeting and we all went into splits with names of less active members, and I went with brother shahan we went by a guy named well for privacy we will call him Billy, and his girlfriend answered and said he is not here so we ask if we could come back another time and she hesitantly said yes so we were pretty stoked, well we got back to the apartment and just barely we got a call from the provo mtc referral center that said a guy from Lancaster sent a nasty email and let's just say for your safety don't knock on his door again, so we ask for his name and it was the Billy , so I may have had an unpleasant experience if he was home.
So that was eventful, but I still love the area and the people in it even if they don't love me. 

Wednesday- it was a slower day today, and wasn't super eventful, so we just put plans together and hoped they went through, basically everything fell threw we did go eat at a members house and we had a lot of good food. 
We went an cleaned the car because somebody egged our car, and we vaccumed and cleaned the interior as well. 
Then a return missionary from Denver Colorado, came out with us to an appointment that didn't fall through with a less active family and it was pretty sick, we talked to them and the spirit was super strong and her 10 year old daughter wants to get baptized now so it is pretty sick. Then we dropped Conor off the return missionary and we picked up the sisters because it was late when they got out of the appointment that they were in, and they didn't want to bike home. So that concludes tonight.

Saturday- I slacked and forgot, well I didn't forget just been to mentally exhausted or lazy to write in my journal, so quick rundown those days started and ended and now it's Saturday
Today we were gonna go to the Ephrata elders baptism the guys name was Ben King but mission rules say that we need a gator to go watch other missionaries baptism, we had a gator ready to come so we got all dressed up in our suits and all that jazz went to the baptism and he called and said he wasn't coming, so we had to leave the baptism, it hadn't started yet tho but we congratulated him and left. 
Then we got back and finished where we left off, we didn't have a car today so we biked 3 Miles up and down hill to dinner, but 1/4 of the way into the journey the sky started to release its sorrows and water was everywhere, we road 3 miles in hard-core rain, we had pizza but still it was rough, we were soaking wet, the sisters agreed to give us a ride back so that was kind of them anyways that's the scoop for tonight 

Sunday- we went to ward council and all that cool jazz then church started and a return missionary gave his homecoming talk it was pretty cool, he sang and played the piano, then we went to out other classes we didnt have any gators make it to church. But the sister had one come do that's good. 
Right before we got out of church I got the privilege to speak in church next Sunday don't know what on but it's cool
Then it started raining like crazy when we got out is church good thing we had the car today. 
We had dinner at the Johnstons it was pretty good then we went and saw a part member family and picked up a new gator, he has been investigating for a long time, hopefully he will have a change of heart, this time around. 
Then it started storming like crazy right before we got home. So that's cool 

Week 47!!

Monday- today we went with the zone leaders again to wally world and then to subway. After that we went to the gym and played basketball and cards both are not my strong suit.

Then we came back at 4 at like 445 I took a nap until it was time to find people and that's what we did the rest of the day. Not super eventful but there was events in the day so can't complain to much. 

Tuesday- this morning we had district meeting, it went pretty good then we had burger King after words and then I went on exchanges with elder Hadley in Ephrata PA we had a good time had 4 people stop us and question our church in a bad way one guy jolted to side of the road and stopped traffic for 10 minutes so he could deny what we were telling him.

Went and did service at a nursing home well kinda service they play a game where they each have a ball and they take turns trying to get as close to the middle as possible and all we do is give them back to them. But I'll tell you those old people are mean there was some of them punching each other and cussing at each other it was very intense didnt think they could get that vicious.

But I overall had a good night.

Wednesday- exchanged back with Lancaster and then we came Home very quickly because we had service at a place called water street Mission we basically help homeless people get their meals and then clean up their mess later we did that and it Took us a little more than 3 hours. Then a member took us to a buffet which was pretty good, we did a little service for them to then we came back and got cleaned up, and ready to go to appointments, had a pretty good rest of the day not super busy though. 

Thursday- I got to go on 2 exchanges in a row, this time the zone leaders exchanged with us because my companion and elder barneys companion had an appointment on the same day so they just went together and we and elder barney stayed in Lancaster we had a really great time the first person we visited was a guy named Andrew that I have taught twice so me and Elder barney went and taught him. We ask him to be baptized and he said yes. So Andrew is getting dunked on the 18th of August, he is super excited and I am as well because this area hasn't had a baptism in 2 and a half years so when me and elder Allred came in here we promised ourselves that we are going to get a baptism, and look at that, if you say something long enough and truly believe it with a sincere heart, then it will happen.

But if you think it will suck, well buddy then it will suck, period.

Anyways after that we went to a dinner appointment and had lasagna and green beans, pretty good stuff. 

Then we came back from the dinner and every single appointment fell through and I mean horrible, just no luck we just got pooped on, and in case your wondering not physically because that's disgusting 

But we decided to park and go walk the ghetto around the Lancaster County prison. We were walking and picked up a new investigator on his porch named louis so we kept walking and a guy was walking towards us and says I have a church but it's to far away and yours is right across from my house, so we gave him info and he says he will bring his family.

Then we saw the Spanish elders on the park and we ran over there and talked to them, we weren't talking with them for more than a minute when this young guy I think he said he was 21, anyways he said I need to speak with 2 of you, so we ask him if he spoke Spanish and he said no so the spanish elders walked away disappointed. I know life's rough being a missionary, that is seriously a struggle in areas where there is more than one set of missionaries is having to pass people on if they don't speak very much English we give them to the Spanish elders or if they are younger we give them to the YSA elder or if they are single females we give them to the sisters, very very confusing. 

So this was quite the opportunity, we sat down with this guy and he was a missionary for another church but now he is atheist, which he believes in God just doesn't acknowledge him or care about Jesus christ in a sense, confused me but we just rolled with it. And every thing we said he had a theory or paradox to every spiritual thing we say and changes it to scientific or other research.

I think he just needed go vent because we sat there for an hour and maybe Said 50 words give or take, he went on about aliens to the story of Paul, then to acid the drug FYI and related it to the warm feeling we get and how that could be the Holy Ghost tryed to make and atheists joke but neither of us got it so we just said we will come back with more answers alright and then got home at like 930 or something.

We got back and told Mission stories and some how that led into ghost stories on our mission and when we were home, then we led into a card game called seven up I think, it's seven something I know that.

Then that led to deep doctrine than it led to life after mission and then we watched the restoration video and the legacy for some weird reason and the district, mostly to make fun of it. 

Then we lost track of time and stayed up til like 1230 which back home isn't very late but it is on a mission and we won't do that again Im sure in the morning it will suck getting up. 

We have interviews with the new mission president tomorrow so just to put the cherry on the cake there. Anyways goodnight. 

Friday- so today we woke up, a good thing to do in the morning but we definitely didn't wake up as fast as usuall.

We exchanged back about 830 so pretty early, so that's cool.

Then me and elder Allred started planning after elder Christensen and elder barney left.

Then after studies and weekly planning we got on the steel horses and biked up and down for an hour to get to a single appointment. Which fell through so we biked back and I didn't crash so I was pretty impressed with myself but we came home so we would get back in time for presidents interviews because we were riding up with the sisters and their interviews start earlier so we would wait for them, they start at 3 and then ours start at 5. Well president mutumbo showed up late and all interview were pushed back 2 and a half hours. and was taking 30 to 40 minutes per person so came 9 00 and their were still 4 missionaries that hadn't been interview it was me and my Companion and then the zone leaders. And he didn't want us to break our curfew so we will have to be interviewed another time, other wise we would have been there past 10 and got home around 1030 or 1045, so good call.

Then we came home and hit the sack.

Saturday- today was decently eventful it started off with the usual study prayer and such, then we got ready and went to see a few people, then we went to the Church because one of the Ephrata elders gators is getting baptized, I am calling them gators from now on investigators is hard to type all the time.

Got that done and then we had dinner with the Martinez family again it was really good again there was a language barrier but it was better this time, I am slowly learning to make out what English words they are saying.

Then we went to a potential gator in Strasburg who is a no show, then we headed to Quarryville and taught a less active and her daughter again. The one with the ferret. And one of her daughters wants to be baptized so we are working on 2 gators getting dunked now.

See all it takes is desire to baptize converts and grow their faith but when your desire is lazy nothing grows but weeds, I'd say thistles... Because I hate them(:

After that we headed home later out of the appointment and tried to not hit any horse and buggies

Good night and sleep tight 

Sunday- got up and picked up the sisters for church had a good week, had a good amount of gators come for church,

We biked the most we have ever before today and that really took up the most the day. 

Week 46...Amish Country

Monday- today was our preperation day and we met up with the zone leaders to Walmart and then to of course taco Bell
We went and emailed, then we got together with the Spanish elders and played card games (which I lost at), then we played basketball with them (which I lost at) but if you are going to be bad at something undeniably, you should be proud of it I let them know that.
We got done with preperation day and then we dropped off the car to the sister missionaries and bishop picked us up at their apartment and we went and ate salad and then for desert we at blueberries with 0 sugar whip cream. If you can't tell they like being healthy which isn't bad,  but a little meat and sugar won't do you any harm.
He dropped us off after and we came back and we were unable to get in our apartment because when Elder Allred gave the keys to the sisters for the car he gave them our house keys as well. So we sat out in the sun that was boiling our skin and waited for the sisters to drop off the keys. Then we went walking AGAIN, I try to spice up that part but walking is walking. But the temperature this up coming week will very from 105 to 110 and then pile the humidity on top of that. 
Came back to the apartment and on the way we found a lone 20 dollar bill, so we gave it a home.
Then I had a package that my mom had sent me previously and I saw it and somebody had taken a knife to it, nothing was removed but somebody looked inside. So I got the sister missionaries address to deliver stuff to because they don't live in a community where the down stairs Marijuana smoke floats through our vents and people just look at other people's mail.
"Send things to the sister address and they'll give it to us 165 DICKENS (BUILDING.F)"
The good part about the package was I didn't have to use the effort to open it, how meaningful can some people be to kindly do that for me. They must have known that our day was rough.
Bless their souls.
Anyways that's that for today tomorrow we wake up early and go meet the new mission president and his wife and children.

Tuesday- Today we didn't have district meeting because it was meet the new mission president day so we got up at 530 for that then the sister missionaries had the car so they drove us there. The mission president is the only one who can speak English, his wife and all his children speak French, I tried to say how's it going to one of the children and I got a really strange look. Then I realized that I talking to somebody that Doesn't speak English and I definitely don't have the gift of tongues. There was a lot of great missionaries it was pretty fun there's 28 missionaries in our zone. The Lancaster zone. 
We had a really great time, then we road back with the zone leaders and of course stopped at Taco Bell. Then headed back to Lancaster. We took the car back from the sisters because it was our day to use it.
Then we went with a member to an appointment. It was pretty sick appointment, we made a deal with them we said we will come to your church if you come to ours and they said deal so this Sunday at 8 a.m we are going to attend a catholic church, pretty excited always wanted to go to one because there buildings look cool.
Then we tried to see a few more people and they all fell through so we came home and sent some scriptures to a member who was going through a rough time so we thought that was a good time to do that.
I tried to get my bike fixed today but it was the 4th of July week so they were closed.
So we will wait til Thursday to get that taken care of.

Wednesday-  Happy 4th July!!!
This morning got up did study prayer and such. Then we went walking for 2 hours to find a less active member he let us in and gave us water super cool of him.
Then the zone leaders came to our apartment today because we had planned on elder barney who was in a band, he brought his drums sticks and five gallon buckets and we were going to go to the square in Lancaster and he was going to play the drums and get peoples attention and we were going to talk to them about the gospel but turns out you need a permit to do that. So we all sat down around a table and watched the district videos super boring.
They left and we went into town and the streets were lit up with fireworks and people dancing with music pumped all the way shooting fireworks and playing poker in the streets screaming and yelling it was awesome. Didn't get any proselytizing done but watching intoxicated people dance around with sparklers was entertainment enough. 
Then we came back early because it was starting to poor rain but a cool member brought us back home we were quite a ways from home and we didn't ride bikes because my steel horse is still broken. Sadly but that was my big 4th of July day ended up having a good time.

Thursday - got the great opportunity to weekly plan again today...
Then I went and got my bike fixed its got a brand new rim on it and it doesn't look like a Pringles chip. So it's good I fixed it, but after it was fixed I realized that I have to ride it now......
Drove to strasburg and we were driving around and when we stop at stoplights we are not surrounded by cars like usuall. But there are horses and buggies sitting all around us and instead of hearing engines roaring when it turns green you hear in a uncoordinated rythym the loud smack of steel shoes on smooth blacktop. 
We went to a members house because everything fell thru, and we talked and they gave us ice cream and cookies the very American and unhealthy welcome to our home. Talked for a little while and then we talked to the sister missionaries and they wanted a ride home again. So we turned around to do that, we shouldn't have expected a thanks but when they got in the car they were just super rude and obnoxious making fun of Elder Allred and calling him slow driver and bad at directions. But we dropped them off at their apartment with a smile and a wave.
Elder Allred and I were pretty sore about it, him being the district leader, we talked it over and decided they will never get the car again... No just kidding.
I used my skill of looking at the bright side of things and turned it around with a positive attitude like I do, and said God is happy that we didn't make his daughters walk home and that is all that matters.
And we would love for God to be pleased with us all the time. So we will continue helping the sisters and eventually they will quit being rude to Elder Allred for showing the example of charity and I left it at that.
And then to top the night off and make it better I got a package from my mom and it has awesome stuff from her and Coach Drake. So shout out for the package it was a blessing I needed today. Oh and the sister missionaries opened the package because we send them to their address so nobody gets into them in our weird apartment complex but wherever we send mail somebody is going to open it before you, I don't know if that illegal or not but, they told me they did so they left their glasses in the car and I think I pulled them off pretty nicely. 

Friday- today the district and zone leaders and the sister training leaders had MLC so Elder Allred went with the zone leaders and I was in York for the day with elder Percy, he is a interesting elder but we had a good time after they dropped us off together we went to eat at a place called Chipotle and it's like a Mexican subway and I got a drink and had to take pictures of the back of the cup because it perfectly portrays how the city people describe beef cattle and how they use it in their products I took pictures and they will be attached. 
After that we worked on contacting referrals and he just happened to mention, that 2 days before this somebody got shot in the face right here. In my mind I am like oh that's great, what an amazing place to knock doors, but I said thats bad and put my hands in my pockets and tried to pretend like nobody was seeing me, but hey I'm alive!!!
We were walking in another area and a huge family outside screaming and yelling said hey boys come pray for these kids they crazy. So in the middle of this ghetto street we said a loud prayer so this West York Pennsylvanian Brady bunch would be pleased and then left, all the while trying to keep their kids out of the one way road, I wish it bothered them as much as I was concerned for them.
Came back and met with Elder Allred and zone leaders took us home and we had a great time, decided to help someone move on the way home as well they were cool. Elder Christensen and Elder Allred moved the couch and me and Elder Barney grabbed the cushions and acted like we were struggling. But we cheered them on.
Anyways that the story for today 

Saturday- today we didn't have a whole lot happen today, we met with a couple cool families, had dinner with a Hispanic family, there is a little bit of a language barrier so depending on the tone of their voice and what you think they say determines what direction we shake our head and say Yay or nay to. Pretty good food though I wasn't quite sure what we were drinking though..... But it tasted fine. 
We went to a couple different families but the last family was a less active member and her daughter and we talked to them on the porch, it was a little weird because while we were talking to them the daughter had an albino ferret running all over her up and down her shirt on top of her head and her lap super interesting people but it's whatever. 
Got back late and now are just chillin. 
So that is all today.

Sunday- got up early today because we were invited to a catholic church but when we got there they didn't open their door so we went back home and then to our church and they said they slept in so whatever, but we had an investigator named Andrew showed up and he had a great time and is excited to come, the sister had an investigator come and she was cool as well.
After church we went to a members to eat then we had a meeting with the elders quorum missionary leader and the sister were late and they called us and said they got in a car accident, and they made us and the members their concerned, then they knocked on the door and said they were joking, the members voiced quite clearly to them that what they did wasn't funny. The sisters have just been on one this week. 
Then a member picked us up and went to an appointment with us, they ended up knowing the investigator for lime 23 years and they talked about cats and cancer and Medicare and retirement, after that they had talked and talked we had the opportunity to share a little message and then we had to go home. So had today taken care of that way. Just really excited for preperation day tomorrow. 

A couple extra's......

Ruthan and Daren got these photos sent to them the day of transfers...... Kody and his new companion!!

Week 45

1.Today was transfers I met up with Elder Allred and we headed off to work, I new it would come sooner or later but I got the steel horses, they suck I thought it would be okay, and it is when your going down hill but for Pete sakes Lancaster is up and down and down and up. And it's hot as all get up, its cool here besides the fact I'm in the big city/suburbs which is a big change from Petersburg but we have been having a great time my companion is from Arizona and is funny. anyways just got back home after a long day of working definitely going to bed soon

2.Today we had to weekly plan. 

But then we rode out on the steel horses and oh my goodness I am honestly very out of shape, I was sweating so bad today it was 85 degrees and humidity is very high and then a member informed me that it will be 100 with 100 percent humidity Saturday and so on. Just what I needed to hear today. So I think I will wear my beanie and coat that day 

Anyways I am going go sleep like a rock tonight

3.Today we didnt bike but... We were on our feet all day long in killer heat, because we and the sister missionaries here share the car and miles are cut here so cant go to far without strapping your shoes on or you saddle up on the steel horse.

We went to the Church too sign up for some service thing and let's just say that this church is huge... It has an elevator and it's got to 2 floors! I thought that was a pretty crazy.

4.Gave a blessing today and it was super cool because we gave one to a member who hurt there foot really bad and her foot healed super fast so her non member granddaughter wanted one it was super cool. Then we walked back into the heat, the humidity literally feels like you are walking through jello, the air is super thick and very hot anyways that is my daily dose of complaining but this is the hardest area I have ever had to work but I definitely like it here, Im not a big fan of the city but the people here are awesome and the harder I work the better I feel. 

5.TODAY WAS ROUGH. To start out we had to ride bikes all over Lancaster up and down the little hills and big hills and it was close to 100 degrees but we kept going didn't even stop to use the restroom, that mostly because we were sweating all the liquids out of our bodies. We biked and biked but there was no success. Then we were heading home to get back for a dinner appointment and we were at an intersection waiting for the stoplight to say we could go, then a guy on a bullet bike pulls up and starts making fun of our bikes and wants to race us, I guess he looses most of his races so the only races he can win are against pedal bikes anyways we crossed in front and went around to the next sidewalk I turn the corner and all of the sudden I fly over the handle bars, land on my helmet, I stand up and look at my bike and the front tire looks like a pretzel.

THE tire had ran into the edge of the curb.

So we are on main St and the bullet bike guy is making fun of me and just when it happened a huge bus pulled up to watch. So it was just perfect timing.

Anyways we were still 1 and a half miles away from the apartment, i couldn't ride my bike and I can't push it so here I am putting this steel horse on my shoulders  all the way to the apartment, hey it was fair, the horse and I took turns riding! 

My companion was worrying about me because I was making jokes and laughing all the way there, I just figured there is no real reason to get mad I'm alive and all that got injured was my pride. Oh and the white shirt isn't so white anymore because I am not quite sure how to get bike grease off of a shirt. 

My head probably wouldn't look the same if it wasn't for the helmet.

My mom was right it's kinda funny how I didn't realize how right she is until it actually happens

MOMS ARE JUST SUPER SMART, HEED TO THEIR MESSAGE OR YOU WILL REGRET NOT DOING SO.

ANYWAYS after that we walked and walked and walked, oh and then we walked. We did find people but we had to give all of them to the sister missionaries.

Then we walked 

Just glad we could help, you know do a good deed daily. And walk 

I don't get it, this area is killer hard and very slow but it turns out this is one of the areas I am having the time of my life serving in, and walking 

So just keep walking until the tire looks like a donut, not a pretzel.

6. Today it was our turn to use the car thank goodness, but we car pooled to the Church with the sister missionaries and then they didn't tell us they didn't need a ride back so we waited we thought they were somewhere talking, like when your mom gets out of relief Society...

Turns out they were going to Lititz for baptism and didn't inform us but it's what ever. 

The sister missionaries then call us about time before curfew and they were in the middle of Lancaster, they said its to hot and didn't want to ride bikes. 

we kindly went and picked them up on this little one way street, so parked in the middle because there were no parking spots we jump out and throw their bikes on and strap them up and we all jump in and we get home late because they told us the wrong street thrice times. 

But they kindly offered to let me borrow their bikes while mine gets fixed, but I would have to turn down the light green bike with baby blue stripes. 

Anyways it's been a good Sunday we met with cool members and had a great time. 

And we told the ward council that I had wrecked my bike and the elders quorum president proudly stood up and let the congregation know I had done so.