The reason for the title of this email is not because I hope to be transferred. In fact, I would love to stay here in Scottsboro longer, and I have actually been told that that is probably what will happen. The reason for the title is that we were supposed to receive our transfer calls last Saturday. Instead they told us on Saturday night that we would get the news on Sunday or Monday. Yesterday (Sunday) they told us that we would get the news on Monday "as early as possible." Well, it's afternoon, and we have yet to receive the call. I don't expect to be leaving Scottsboro, but it still builds anticipation and anxiety waiting this long. Not sure exactly why President Sainsbury is taking so long. Either way, we don't have transfer news yet.
This week has been a little bit slow. Last week we had a couple of times where all of our plans fell through, so we had some time that we had to fill and we had nothing planned. So this week we focused a lot on planning and making several backup plans so that we always had something to do or someone to see at every hour of the day. Well, even that didn't work. We still had a couple of occasions this week when all of our plans and our backup plans and our backup backup plans fell through, and so we did something that was supposed to take us a couple hours in half an hour. And then we had nothing to do. It's tough sometimes. I guess we just have to find more investigators so that we have a lot of people to go see and we always have someone to see at all times, whether we plan to see them or not.
Anyway, we did have a few good lessons and nothing fall through during our exchange with the Monte Sano Elders this week. I went with Elder Peterson, who is actually the person I replaced when I came to Scottsboro. He was happy to be back, and we had a great exchange. First, we went to go see Skylar. Ever since we got her the children's illustrated Book of Mormon, she has been reading pretty well and really understands what she reads. She was able to tell us about everything that she had read, which was really good. Usually she just says that she couldn't remember anything. So Elder Peterson and I had a lesson with her (and both of her parents) about keeping commitments. We basically just straight up told them that if they don't start coming to church, doing better at personal/family prayer, and reading (which Skylar is doing better at), and stay committed to doing those things, there's no way for her to get baptized. It just can't happen if they don't ever come to church. They all but told us that they would be there on Sunday, but lo and behold, they weren't there. It's hard, because I really feel like Skylar wants to do the right thing, but without her parents' help/support, it probably isn't going to happen. We were able to set up an appointment with their family for the youth in the branch to go out and meet with Skylar and teach her a little bit. They have been wanting to for a little while, and so we finally got it set up for this upcoming Sunday. Hopefully Skylar's family will be at church and they can just have the lesson there. But if they aren't, the youth from the branch are going to go out to Skylar's house and have it. Hopefully she will make a friend or two or a few with them, to give her an added incentive to come to church. It should be good.
So the lesson with Skylar went pretty well. Most of our lessons I feel like go pretty well, it's just the stuff that happens in between that I'm not sure about. After we saw Skylar, Elder Peterson and I met up with Elders Hastings and Foster at Mama Reyes' house for dinner. I don't know if I told you about her, but she is just a lady in our branch who loves the missionaries and she is basically our mom out here (hence her name). Well, her daughter got married last week (that was really big news in the branch), and so we had all kinds of wedding leftovers. It was pretty awesome. After dinner, Elder Peterson and I went to go see Dustin. Like always, he's nuts. Elder Peterson never met Dustin when he was in Scottsboro, so he was pretty pumped to meet him. Elder Peterson loved Dustin, and like always, we had several good laughs with him. We also got to read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon with Dustin, since we have been asking him to read for like a month and he hasn't started yet. I thought it went pretty well, and hopefully he will keep reading. Side story: at church yesterday, President Bennett told a story about how on his mission he met a guy who was a crazy drug dealer/user. But this guy came to church for a while, actually watched General Conference with the missionaries, and followed the example of the ward members and the Apostles. He shaved his beard, cut his hair, and started wearing a white shirt and tie to church, all because that's how the Apostles dressed. Eventually this guy was baptized, and when President Bennett went home, he was the ward mission leader. During this story, Elder Hastings and I just looked at each other and went, "Dustin." It's definitely possible, and I would be so excited if we were able to help him change his life like that. Just that would be worth serving for two years.
After we saw Dustin we went to see Alex, and we were able to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with him and help him understand why it is so important and how he can know if it is true. I love talking to Alex, and he is such a funny guy. Anyway, our lesson with him went pretty well. We actually set up an appointment to come back and talk to him about the chapter that we left him with to read, and so Elder Hastings and I went back to see Alex on Friday night. We talked to him about what he read, and kind of went through it again with him. Usually when we go over to his house, we talk about that kind of stuff for a while, and then we just talk to him about whatever else for a while. He is doing a lot of work on some cars at his house, so we talk about those a lot. But one thing that he said to me on Friday really hit me. He said something to this effect: "I notice that you change when you talk about God and that stuff vs. when we are just laid back and talking." I thought that was awesome that he was able to notice a change in me when I spoke with the Spirit. I don't know if there is a big change, but I do feel like my tone of voice and demeanor do change a little bit when I am talking/teaching/testifying about things that are of eternal significance, rather than just talking about cars. Actually, the thing that we were discussing was that Alex felt like God was just really selfish, because He just created us for the sole purpose of worshiping Him and doing exactly what He says. I was able to help Alex see that God finds His joy in our own. And that He knows that the only way for us to truly be happy and find joy is by living by His words. The only way for us to experience true joy is by doing everything that we can to be obedient to Heavenly Father and His Son. It was after that quick lesson/testimony that Alex made his comment about me changing when I spoke about those things. It was a pretty good lesson, and I'm excited to see Alex again in the future.
One big blessing from this week that hopefully will turn into more: Elder Hastings and I were walking on the side of the road on our way to see someone that we had planned for. All of a sudden, a guy just pulls up to us and is like, "Hey, are you guys the Mormons/Latter Day Saints?" and we were just like, "Yeah." He told us that he really wanted to talk to us, and so we set up an appointment with him, actually for tonight. Hopefully that goes well and he becomes a solid investigator.
Speaking of solid investigators, we met with Roger again this week on Friday. We had planned to teach him the Plan of Salvation, but at the beginning of the lesson he just says to us, "Tell me about church." So we basically just talked about church and what goes on. On Saturday, we were able to give him a church tour and show him around and make him comfortable. On Sunday, he became the first investigator that we had at church since Diane got baptized. He seemed to enjoy himself, and he even participated in our Gospel Principles class that we teach during Sunday school. He is doing really well, and is reading the Book of Mormon on his own. Please keep him in your prayers. He has some problems with the Word of Wisdom, and he is going to really need a testimony of the Book of Mormon, of Joseph Smith, and of the power of the Atonement if he is going to overcome them. I know that he can, it's just a matter of him gaining that testimony.
Well, it's been a pretty good, although a kind of slow, week. This morning (p-day) was pretty fun. We went and hammocked by the lake for a bit, and then Brother Olsen, a member from the branch, took us to the golf course and we hit balls on the driving range for like an hour. I realized pretty quick that I haven't golfed in a long time, and I was never that great even when I did play. It was still pretty fun, though. I hope all of you have a great week. I love y'all and I thank you for your love, support, and prayers. Happy Birthday again to Addi, Jayden, and Dad. Love you.
Elder Beach
#RollTide
Beautiful Alabama!
What missionaries do for fun...
We found some light sabers in the store, so, of course we had to play...
Me, Elder Hastings and Dustin.
Hammocking on p-day!
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