Andover week 1

So new area. Fun! I miss River Falls a little bit, but I guess that is natural. For the first time in my mission I am actually serving in Minnesota, though.

So the Taylors have this santa plate that Elder Cole and I liked a lot. Well, at the start of me training him he took an oath that he would not eat off of any plate but that santa plate while he lived at the Taylors. I like that plate too and was here first, but he still swiped it. He even would pick my plate up, put my food onto another plate, and then use the santa plate. That goon. haha. Anyway, on Tuesday I walked out into the kitchen to see him and another missionary this was with us eating lunch. And the other missionary had the santa plate. I started laughing and said, "OH MY GOSH." They looked at me puzzled. The realization of what had occurred creeped onto Elder Cole's face. Oh man, that was hilarious. He tried to defend himself as he realized the mix up, but alas, the day before our time together ended he failed at keeping his oath. I need to teach him what enduring to the end means.

We taught and said goodbye to Sister Jessica and Sister Jamie, both of whom got baptized. I teared up a little as we walked out of Sister Jamie's apartment that night after saying goodbye. I truly care for these people. Leaving was one of the hardest things I have done in awhile.

Our investigator Mike was FURIOUS I was leaving. Like, super super mad. He didnt want either of us to leave and called the mission home and demanded we both stay. Oh man.

We tracted into this guy named Ross. I shook his hand and kept shaking and kept shaking. He wouldnt let go. I tried pullling away but he seriously held my hand for like 2-3 minutes and kept talking. so awkard.

So now I am with Elder Garrett, who was actually in my district and room in the MTC! I was happy to hear that I was with him. He is the definition of exactly obedient and I admire him for that. Not that I am not obedient, he is just very aware of what we should be doing.

Basically this area is a tracting area. It is literally all we do here. The missionary who was with elder garrett before me kinda left him hanging dry a little and he doesnt know the area very well and we have no investigators. so basically both of us dont know the area. We are psuedo whitewashing (we call it whitewashing when 2 missionaries with no prior experience of the area come in and start working there). I whitewashed River Falls. It is brutally hard, but it can be fun. We are going to do WORK in this place. I am pretty excited.

This ward is also amazing, I love it already. It is a super missionary minded ward. We have joint teachers lined up throughout the week that are also required to feed us, which we dont mind, and if our plans fall through we go help them work with their people. Their reactivation program is very good as well. Family after family is coming back to the church. I am going to like this place.

While tracting this guy opened the door and said, "Hi, my name is Blaine. Blaine Lutheran." I got a kick out of that one. ha ha. on the same street we met a man who left the church over 20 years ago. He lives on Zion street. Oh the irony...

We dropped by a potential Sister G. we talked for a minute, set up a return appointment, then she told us to hold on because she wanted to give us some stuff. We waited and she came out and handed us a stack of anti. This stuff was honestly so ridiculous. I couldnt even believe that she got sucked into this stuff. I just do not understand people who claim to be the true christians but then run around persecuting anyone who does not have their beliefs. Our return appointment was rather fun, too. She spouted off all this stuff and I just kept telling her to go to the source, not the internet, and read the BoM. She pulled out the 'ol Revelations scripture that basically says (in their interpretation) no more scripture can come forth. I am pretty sick of that one and I told her (politely, dont worry) to look up the order the bible books were written. Since Revelations was not written last, that argument would mean that parts of the bible would have to be thrown out. Then I basically repeated "read and pray about the BoM" 39 times and we had to leave. Why do the bashers come out when I come to town? Ha ha.

We tracted into a woman named Sister B. She is a wonderful lady and we had a good discussion. At the end she told us if we came to her church, she would come to ours. So we did! We went to a baptist church sunday night from 6-7. The first 20 minutes were songs and the congregation could pick them I picked out "I'll Go where You Want Me To Go" from their hymn book and we sang that. It was pertty fun. Then the pastor taught Judges chapter 6. The sermon was great and the music was fun. But whenever I go to another church I cannot help but feel a little empty. Afterwards a man came up and told me that the song I picked was quite fitting for us. They are wonderful people there. Sister B. is coming to ours next week.

At church I told this guy I was from mesa and he rambled about Arizona for about 40 minutes to me. He talked about his family history there, how he goes there a lot, how the ward is very connected to Mesa, and just about anything else possible you can and cannot think of to talk about Arizona. Then he talked about Vegas for awhile. During priesthood he came up and talked another 10 minutes about the surrounding towns. I was mildly amused. ha ha. I liked that guy already.

Anyway, my email time is a tad short today because I have to do some district stuff. Being a district leader is uber fun; I love getting to know all the missionaries and their investigators.

Thought: So the woman who gave us the anti gave us the testimony of some woman that was actually pretty cool. the line I liked out of it said:"I know you think you believe in Jesus, but you may be decieving yourself. It seems you dont belive in him; you believe about Him." This line hit me pretty hard. There is a lot of truth in it! How many of us believe about Him, but not fully in him? I could not help but think of Matt 25: 10-13

 

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were^aready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was ^bshut.

 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
 12 But he answered and said, ^aVerily I say unto you, I ^bknow you not.
 13 ^aWatch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh

Do we truly know Christ? Will our lamps be prepared that we may be let in to the feast?

I love you all, have a wonderful week!

Elder Damron