8/22/2016

I feel like I don't have a ton to report on this week. Sister Baker got kind of sick so it was hard for us to get much done. Also our companionship just struggles to get much done anyway. I'm kind of having a bit of a hard time with it because I want to get many things done. We had two really good weeks at the beginning of this transfer though so I know it's possible. 

I was on exchanges a lot with Sister Shumway because we gave a training together in zone training meeting. That's probably the coolest thing from this week honestly. Sister Shumway is great because she is super humble and has the spirit. It was good to hang out with her because we just talked about spiritual things the whole time. We did a little missionary work together too. 

So anyway. Sister Shumway and Sister Wimmer were asked to give a training in zone training meeting, but Sister Wimmer didn't actually want to so she was like "why don't Sister Atchley and Sister Shumway give the training and me and Sister Baker make cookies? Sister Atchley LOVES giving trainings." and the zone leaders were like "yeah alright!" 

The training was pretty cool. Basically it was based on the Bible Dictionary definition of elect. "An 'election of grace'... has reference to one’s situation in mortality; that is, being born at a time, at a place, and in circumstances where one will come in favorable contact with the gospel." and about how nobody is in a better position to "come into favorable contact with the gospel" than full time missionaries. We talked about the importance of personal conversion. 

The best part was that we made everyone split into groups of three and actually teach EACH OTHER instead of role playing. We made everyone teach the restoration. It was cool because no matter what group I listened in on the spirit was so strong. I learned that one of the main things that brings the spirit to a lesson is the people teaching and the person being taught knowing and loving each other. If you know and love someone you will teach to their needs and they will be edified. 

Elder Anthony said "This was cool because I've never had two people that love me sit me down in somewhat of an intervention setting and teach doctrine to my needs. It was one of the coolest things I've ever felt." Then I also realized that most of the people I serve around don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of a missionary discussion. Therefore they aren't as aware of the power that's in them. It was just a really cool experience. President Clark was there. He winked at me. #StarStruck 

The other good thing that happened this week was that BROTHER TRIPPE IS THE COOLEST WARD MISSION LEADER EVER!! He's an animal. He's brand new, he was out mountain biking with non members and recent converts in the Alicia Park ward and broke his collar bone into three pieces on Saturday. So he strapped it down and showed up to ward council at 8:30. Then he went to like 3 other meetings he had on Sunday AND had correlation with us. He's going to get surgery on it today. ALSO his district cross country coach meeting was at the same time as the stake mission meeting so he just called his administrators and said forget that. He may or may not have just peaced out on coaching. Basically he doesn't mess around with magnifying his calling. He made us make a list of things that this ward doesn't do effectively and things that make doing missionary work hard and he was like angry about them too. He was like ALL THIS HAS TO CHANGE ELDERS AND SISTERS!! He's great. He's a convert so he has no idea what missionary work is like except that he has two rm sons. He asks them what he can do to be a good ward mission leader. They are obviously just going to tell him what they liked about their best ward mission leaders and what they didn't like about their worst ones. Also he trust that we the full time missionaries are called of God to do missionary work here, so he like.... listens to our opinions and stuff.  Then he's like super humble so he just does the stuff that needs to be done and he cares about our well being. On top of all of this he's really hilarious and sassy. 

So basically I'm probably going to get transferred haha. 

Anyway here's some quotes:

"Oh! Don't all leave because of me! Nothing kills a party like me showing up." -Sister Clark

"Is there a church approved way to dispose of a giant cardboard Jesus?" -Sister Baker

"Cut a slot in its hand and fill it with pass along cards." -me 

"Maybe they're only awkward because they're always around competent people." -me 

"Maybe they'll realize if everyone around them is awkward too." -Sister Shumway

"Aspire to greatness instead of acquiescing to mediocrity." -President Clark

"The members should be able to tell you love each other." -Elder Ball

*HARD NO headshake* -Elder Radeke 

"MAHINA! Sitting on Kitters is not how you make friends!" -Aysia

"Mahina's like how do you know do you even have friends?" -me 

"Oh my bad Mahina you're right, carry on." -Aysia 

"You've seen my missionaries!" -me 

"I wasn't paying attention." -Elder Mueller

"Dang that's a typical male response." -Elder Center

"What do Sisters say about Elders?" -Elder Center

"We mostly complain about whose pants are too tight and who has tiny hands." -me 

"Not you though Elder Mueller. You have loose pants. Everyone appreciates it." -Sister Baker

"My pants are pretty conservative!" -Elder Center

"They were more conservative at the beginning of your mission." -me 

"DANG I gotta put 30 pounds SOMEWHERE ok?!" -Elder Center

"I'M going to be the fat component of a fat/thin relationship." -Elder Center

"I haven't been paying attention to anything he's saying." -Sister Baker

"He's saying that after you get baptized you become a tool." -me 

"Oh yeah I didn't see ANY kind of giggling and carrying on back here." -Brother Trippe

"It was your son." -Sister Baker

"You'd be surprised what I do when I'm injured." -Brother Trippe

"It's a barbecue, we bring as many non members as possible..." -Brother Larsen

"What and cook THEM?" -Brother Trippe

"You don't have to be able to see it to manhandle it!" -Brother Trippe 

Sorry about the lack of quality reading assignments.

Here's one anyway:

The Power of a Personal Testimony by President Uchtdorf