Open your eyes...

HELLO! It came like a thief in the night, but the end of the transfer is here! This has been a really busy week, in spite of the fact that it was a day shorter than normal. 

The Malta Elders spent the night with us in Declo on Tuesday and we rode up to Twin Falls together on Wednesday morning for the Elder Brian K. Taylor mission tour. There were a lot of missionaries at the zone conference (it was half of the mission), including all but 2 of the Spanish-speaking missionaries. 

These are all of my mission companions (with Elder Silva standing in place for Elder Marin)

Too back lit but we tried. 

We had lunch with and got to meet Elder Taylor, a very tall man, and we got to shake his hand as we walked into the Chapel. It was a really good meeting. I thought he was going to tell us how terrible we were and then send 30 of us home. However, he actually gave some really good training and advice... and then sent 30 of us home.

Jk, but there was a moment when he asked.

"Raise your hands if you saw Boise Idaho on your mission call, and thought Really?! where is the inspiration in that?"

*Lots of hands go up* 

"Ok, President Bartlett, take down their names"

*Hands fly down*

It was part of a story he was telling us about when he was the Mission President of the Texas Dallas Mission. President Nelson came and gave a mission tour, and he asked all of the missionaries from various regions of the world to stand up. He asked if there were any missionaries from Africa, to which President Taylor said no. President Nelson responded, "We can fix that" and continued his training. 

Sure enough, a few months later he got an arrival notice for a missionary from Africa. But it was such an off the cuff statement he didn't think President Nelson would remember it.

Later on when he became a General Authority he was in the missionary assignment room watching almost a hundred missionaries receive their assignments. It was killing him so he asked the guy running the computer if he could see the date that a specific missionary was assigned. They looked up the missionary from Africa and he was assigned to the Texas Dallas Mission the same day of the zone conference, an hour before the zone conference. But then he realized that time zones existed and it was actually at the exact same time President Nelson was speaking.

D&C 1:38

What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Instantaneously.

He also gave us a list of ways we can find new people to teach, and to baptize. He promised us if we did the things he told us to do, that our work would double. 

We are already seeing that happen.

Throughout the rest of the week we did what he said to do, we asked for part member family lists, over age youth lists, talked to the ward councils about people that come to church regularly but who were not yet baptized, etc.

We also did some service. Our landlord broke his hand in a bicycle accident and was trying to weed-eat. So we did it for him. Summer Jobs come in handy sometimes. We also installed a new storm door in our house. That took FOREVER but it was successful. Learning new life skills every day. 

Storm Door Assembly

One other service project we did was for a lady who had a calf named milk that she feeds three times a day. I took a selfie with the cow. (at top of blog post) She made us tea with mint leaves that she grew. Honestly not the biggest fan myself, but to each his own. 

Hola Vaquito

Feed the vaca.

Milk the calf

Mint tea 

​We also had a dinner appointment with a family that had very energetic children. We were saying a closing prayer with them and I heard a creepy 4 year old's voice in my ear saying "Open your eyes" I did not. But instead I curled over. I then heard my name tag go flying across the floor. 

I survived.

It's been a good BUSY week. I'll end this email with this question from Elder Taylor's list:

Who do you wish you could have sitting next to you at Church, but doesn't come?

The first face that pops into your mind is probably someone you should invite to learn more about the Gospel. Talk to the missionaries about how you can do that.

Love you all! Have a good week and stay safe!

-Elder Hazeslip

Here are pictures that don't fit in with everything else I talked about:

We got a ride in this car. It's really old.​

1933 Chevy Sedan

​Lots of trucks in a field trying to pick up alfalfa or whatever they were doing.​

Harvester Meet Up

After Zone Conference we went here. Elder Royal served in Ketchum.​

Ketchum Burrito

We still play basketball in the morning​

Basketball

Q & A 

​

1. Transfers? Predictions? 

I really think nothing is going to change. Only about three people are going to move around and they are going to make Twin Falls Spanish its own area again because 4 Stakes in Spanish and two wards in English is waaaaaay too much work.

2. What did you learn this week? 

Man. Lots of stuff. How to install a storm door for one, life skill right there. Gospel Related I learned that if we explain the Doctrine of Christ correctly to someone who is at least halfway open to listening they should be asking us when the can be baptized. Because for real, who wouldn't want a remission of their sins that they can renew every week through repentance and partaking of the sacrament. 

3. Let me google that for you. What do you want to know today? 

HMM. How do they process sugar beets into sugar? That should be sufficient for this week. I'll have to start a running list!

4. Notable meals this week? 

After last week, it is going to take a lot to get to the next level of weird meals... and I’m not sure I want to go to the next level. So I guess we had Domino’s pizza. I haven't had that in a long time!

5. Spiritual highlights this week? 

The Devotional with Elder Taylor. It was really good. I'll go into some more detail when I write the weekly email. Also we had a really spiritual ward council in Declo 2nd, we were talking about miracles and what could happen in the ward and one of them said that they knew miracles were coming because his wife and daughter told him that they were going to be meeting with the missionaries. They are an incredible family, miracles are in progress.

6. Do you need anything? Alterations go well? 

YES! The pants stay on now! I think I will look for a place closer to get the other suit altered though, probably in Burley.

7. What song has uplifted you this week? 

Death Shall Not Destroy My Comfort by MOTAB. Anything you do while listening to it becomes epic. It is what I listen to while showering or writing in my journal.

8. Biggest challenge this week?

Bearing my testimony without any prior planning. A. bore his, and he told me that he wanted to hear mine. What are ya supposed to do? So I did it. I stood up there without saying anything for anywhere from 4 seconds to 4 hours, couldn't tell. As I talked though it got easier. 

9. What made you smile this week? 

J. Every time. He has this really low chuckle that he lets out at everything. He is getting baptized in June. We were also talking to our Ward Mission Leader in Albion and he suggested all the missionaries get together with all of our pictures and videos and stories and make a movie called "the conversion of J."

We may need to do just that.

10. Name 5 things in your fridge right now. 

Wow, hard one. We didn't go shopping last week because they hadn't paid us yet. Milk, Butter, Habanero Sauce, Corn Tortillas, Sour Cream.

That's almost all that we have other than some more condiments.

OK, I Need to work on that weekly email so it turns out good! LOVE YOU!