"You can't hasten the work of salvation with blood clots."



Wow! This week was really good. I know because it felt like a few days, but looking back it contained a month of top quality content.

Service:

We did service at the Barnyard again. This week they had us pound in like 20 T-posts. They fenced in their entire front yard because too many chickens crossed the road.

T: "We just can't figure out what it is that they want out there in the road..."

Me (In my mind because I'm not that bold): An escape from their cruel existence?

Anyway, I still saw the pig. This is the sow, they moved her in on her own because she is going to have babies and they don't want the other pigs to eat them...

Pigs are pigs.




S:

On Tuesday, we went to read the Book of Mormon with S. As we were talking to him, he told us to follow him to the basement house to see if we could pick up his ammo can full of pennies. We could barely do it. Which reminds me of a riddle (see end for answer).

What weighs more, 200 lbs of pennies or 200 lbs of feathers?

Anyway, he also showed us around and gave us some old hats. I got the coolest hat I have ever seen. It is a blue corduroy hat that in big red block letters says "SAVE THE DECLO HILLS". Apparently the resident billionaires of Declo, were planning on buying the "D" hill and making it so that nobody could hike up there. The citizens of Declo fought bravely, saving the Declo Hill.

Anyway, Pics:

Oh yeah, he also bought a 1947 Jeep. Hopefully we can help him restore it.








Wednesday:

J had us over for lunch, he was really excited to show us the UFO video he had been looking for. It was kinda crazy, but that's J. We told him to wait for General Conference for any official UFO updates.

J's Plants



We had dinner with a family that had this gem in their movie collection, so we had to take a picture:

Official Cinematic Masterpiece of the Idaho Boise Mission



Later on we went to the edge of our area to try and talk to a member of the Declo 3rd ward bishopric. Nobody answered so I took this panorama of the desert surrounding us:






We were going to leave when we noticed that we had been knocking on the wrong door. They let us in, gave us steak and potatoes and referred us to their nonmember granddaughter. This is what we missionaries call a good contact.

Thursday:

We went to Albion to do weekly planning. You are never going to believe this, but it RAINED!! One of the best things to happen this week! I'm pretty sure the last time this happened was Mother’s Day.


Friday:

Ok, now to the climax of the week. We had a mission conference (the entire mission was present) with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Brian K. Taylor of the Seventy, and Elder Alder (Idaho Area Seventy).

Mission Conference 





It was really good.

We were all kinda anxious at the beginning because this is very unusual, we didn't know if they were splitting the mission, sending a bunch of people home, or announcing that we were all being extended another year. The first thing we heard Elder Renlund say was, "You can't hasten the work of salvation with blood clots," right after Elder Taylor finished talking about missionary health.

There were a lot of good things we learned at the conference. There were 4 messages Elder Renlund was specifically sent to tell us:

1. Jesus Christ absolutely lives. He leads and guides His Church.

2. Thank you for accepting the call to serve the Lord.

3. You were called by prophecy to serve in this mission (He added, "I have assigned mission calls to people in this room, the Lord will not let me make a mistake")

4. President and Sister Bartlett were also called by God, and they love you to bits.

After the conference ended, we also got a new car! We have been driving the Corolla the whole time we have been here, but it is time to retire it.

New Ride 2019 Rogue



Elder Hodge, my trainer, is going home this transfer. I got one last picture with him before he goes. It is crazy how fast time flies out here. 

Bye "Dad"!



Saturday we went to several baptisms for our district. The Sisters in Rupert had one in the morning, and the Malta Elders baptized 4 people that night. We ended up helping with some of the Malta Elder's baptism, we shared the restoration while they were changing and I ended up conducting the music (conducting is easy, I just can't sing). Our district is doing really well right now.

Here is the sunset in Raft River after the baptism:




Sunday was also really good, we had a stake conference with President and Sister Bartlett, also Elder Carl B. Cook was there as well. President Bartlett had us stand up, we were the only missionaries there, and had the entire stake look at us. Then he told the youth that they are better missionaries than we are (which is entirely true by the way). It reminded me of the "Dare to Stand Alone" Talk by President Monson.



OK! That is pretty much all I have for this week! I love you all!

Bonus Pictures:

Colores



Corny boy



Still Smoky



The Corn Already Fell



Cloudy Declo



President Bartlett 


Answer: The feathers, picking up the pennies is just hefting 200 lbs of zinc. When you pick up the feathers you also have to deal with the weight of what you did to those poor chickens.

-Elder Hazeslip

Q & A

1. What did you learn this week?
There are going to be a lot of changes at the next conference. A LOT!

2. Do you need anything?
I'm good right now! Winter is coming though...

3. Transfers next week! What are you thinking? I know you said you were getting some new Spanish Speaking Elders.
So, apparently we aren't getting any new Spanish elders this transfer. All we are getting is a lot of Hermanas, so I expect that we will lose some of the good areas shortly. Elder Blashill thinks he is going to Malta. I might get an English elder. We haven't taught anyone in Spanish this entire transfer.

4. Best day this week? Why?
The mission conference was crazy, so definitely Friday. We have been looking forward to that all month and now that it happened (and we got a 2019 Rogue) we don't know what to look forward to anymore. lol

5. What made you laugh this week?
Elder Renlund, "The Gospel is the Good News, Satan is Fake News"

6. Notable meals this week?
Well, the Steak and Potatoes second dinner was definitely interesting. It was also really good!

7. Did you get a retainer?
I have an appointment next week on Monday, they are doing it for free.

8. How are your clothes and shoes holding up?
They are staying on me!

9. Favorite hymn?
This week "Savior Redeemer of My Soul" In general, "Hope of Israel". Vanquish every foe today.

10. What are you studying?
I've been reading the Book of Mormon every day. But I'm also studying Proverbs, because it is good.


Comments

  1. Belief is the reason we go on a mission. It is the motive for preaching about Christ and sharing/Proclaiming his love. Faith is understanding we are children of God and our Heavenly Father. May this definition of faith bless you in your life. Faith is defined again and because faith has an inherent joy it gives us a solid foundation that we finally have the peace we have been searching for.

    "Many believer's feed themselves on what God hasn't done. When I dwell on what hasn't happened, I create the atmosphere for the spirit of offense to arise and to thrive. When I dwell on what hasn't happened, I legitimize unbelief. I live with a sense of justification, for not believing God.

    Faith in the purest sense is the ceasing of resistance. even when there's no physical evidence, when the other evidence is present. Not feeding ourselves on what God hasn't done Faith in it's purest form is the absence of resistance

    Heaven is a place where everyone is celebrated, some are more honored but everyone is celebrated. All men and all women shall be judged on the light which they have received. Heaven is a permissible culture. God's nature is eternally permissible. These statements protect us from credit.

    Faith in the purest sense is the ceasing of resistance, even when there's no physical evidence, when the other evidence is present. Not feeding ourselves on what God hasn't done. Faith in it's purest form is the absence of resistance. Faith doesn't deny a problems existence, it denies it's influence. He or she was someone whom aridity and desolation never disturbed for he or she had a deeply rooted, and a vigorous faith.

    Now we can act as we have always dreamed. Now we can act as we have always been. Now we can step into the light and gather the sunlight instead of blocking out our possibilities. Instead of blocking out our joy. Variety will bloom in/under the sun. We can show off our best, we can enjoy other people's gifts. We can blossom where we stand upon the joy that faith provides us. Upon the joy that faith inherently has, which blossoms the entire field of flowers"

    .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDYaxabUfkA - The Definition of Faith

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