Good news everyone! The church is a living church which means we're subject to occasional POLICY CHANGE!!! They changed our daily schedule and key indicators. It's actually incredibly exciting! Actually there's be a lot of policy change on my mission. So now everything is like more standard throughout the world. The first one is old it happened last transfer. Now we always have zone introduction / district meeting week one, zone conference week 2, zone training meeting week 3, and district meetings weeks 4 - 6. Then during week 4 and 5 the mission president interviews every missionary in the mission. The new exciting one from this week is the daily schedule and key indicators one. First of all now instead of our schedule being so perfectly outlined we're just required to fit in particular things in specific time frames which can be adjusted by the mission president. Some major universal changes are that planning is in the morning instead of the evening, we have extra time in the morning so that we have plenty of time to exercise for 30 minutes and get everything else done. So like, basically we have to be ready to go out and done planning and personal study at 10:00. Then we get to have companionship study for 30 - 60 minutes any time in the day that it fits well, or during less productive times. Lunch is now only 30 minutes. The best part though is that WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAN AT NIGHT!! So when we get home we can write in our journals from 9:00 to 10:30! So basically I'm sure this is very interesting for you, but it's a roundabout way of explaining how I've been TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN MY JOURNAL ALL WEEK! #winning
Also now church wide missions only report 4 key indicators and mission presidents can't change them. They are investigators baptized and confirmed, investigators with a baptismal date, investigators at sacrament meeting, and new investigators.
We were able to meet with Kaveh and the Jamisons. They both came out with a lot of their concerns. I made a goal this past week to be more honest and open with people. It was really effective. I've found the longer I've been on my mission and in the church that the two most important things in life are loving others and learning about the savior. I always relearn that Heavenly Father sent ME here to represent his son, and if anyone could do it he would have sent anyone. He sent me specifically though, because that's who he needs. Therefore the most important thing I can do is be myself. Sometimes I forget and I act like "a missionary" preaching the gospel instead of "Sister Atchley" preaching the gospel. Then I say things that "a missionary" would say and I bear testimony like "a missionary" would instead of sharing my actual personal conviction of the truthfulness of the gospel. When I'm being myself I am able to testify more boldly and listen to the direction of the spirit more accurately anyway. It can be difficult though, because it leaves you vulnerable to rejection and mocking. That shouldn't stop me though, because look at what the savior had to go through.
Kaveh is like one of my favorite investigators my entire mission probably. There's also Helen. Basically every person I've ever taught or known from Iran has been the MOST HUMBLE and SO LOVING people I have every met. We also have this lady, Guiti, who was baptized about a year ago. She's so nice and she's a killer ward missionary. She just fellowships everyone, especially Kaveh. The saddest thing is that so many people from Iran are ready to receive the gospel, but they can't be baptized unless they are willing and able to never go back to their country again. Sad.
We were taken to In'N'Out twice this week. After having been exposed to it many times on my mission I can say this: I like 5 guys more than In'N'Out. People who think In'N'Out is better are just simply not correct. That's all.
The weirdest thing that happened this week was when we tried to help this really old Persian man across the street and he KISSED OUR HANDS! Then he asked us for coffee. Except it was like one of the only English words he could say so communicating was difficult. Also that awkward moment when you're a missionary and you're trying to help an exceedingly old Persian man who only speaks Farsi find coffee on a college campus. That awkward moment when it's difficult to find coffee on a college campus.
Anyway this was a pretty good week.
Wish I was better at reporting my life.
Sorry fam.
Quotes:
"Come on guy!" -Elder Gibb at all times
"Sister Call is glaring at me. Sister Call be like why does my companion suck so bad?" -me
"Instant unified laughter." -Sister Call
"Well I invited myself over to watch Star Wars at his place but I guess he didn't realize it was a date so he sat there grading papers and I sat their knitting while Star Wars was on and that was our first date." -Sister Johnston
"I should be a lunch lady." -Brother Johnston
"but you're a man." -Sister Johnston
"That would make you a lunch lord." -me
"We're going to read Revelations." -Sister Call
"The weird part." -me
"So all of it?" -Sister Johnston
"So basically you can tell who you're friends are because if they give you potatoes without skins on them they're trying to kill you!" -Sister Horton
"This water is good because it's purified... even as He is pure." -Sister Call
"or you could have cheesecake!" -Sister Dester
"Is that a don't offer the sisters my cheesecake face?" -me
"It's I don't know how old the cheesecake is face." -Brother Dester
"Their burrito folding skills are not that great. I should know I'm really good at folding burritos." -Sister Call
"could you feel the love?" -Sister Worthen
"Elder Boggess's heart is full of love." -Elder Everett
"This is what happens when you try to be healthy. Members take you to In'N'Out twice in one week and there's a ward activity involving pie." -Sister Call
"Doesn't derby pie have booze in it? Sounds perfect for a Mormon activity!" -Sister Wingard
"Ask them if they wan't cookies!" -Sister Call
"Do y'all want cookies?" -me
"..........come on sisters we just ate two dinners..." -Elder Mills
"We will be combined in the chapel for the 5th hour, sorry no I mean 5th Sunday 3rd hour. We will not be going to the 5th hour today." Brother Lamprecht.
I don't know if I assigned this reading assignment already:
Anyway Love Y'all!
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