River Falls week 24

Well my time in River Falls has officially come to a close. For the first time on my mission I am being transferred! Six months in my first area. I will really miss this place. I was absolutely shocked. Both Elder Cole and I thought I was staying... I am gong to Andover Minnesota and will be with Elder Garrett, who was actually in my MTC room with me! I am happy about that. I will also be the District Leader there. I am ever so slightly terrified about that... we will see how that goes.

Well, here is the summary of my last week in River Falls, 'Wiscansin. First, BYU lost to Madison. apuoghfasudnfkajsnfjaskdfna. <-- That describes my feelings about that. I may or may not have talked a lot of trash to ward members and investigators... good thing I am leaving before they can all come track me down ha ha :)

So one of our investigators, Sister L., called us on monday night freaking out because CPS showed up at her house and said they were taking the child because the place was too dirty for the child's health. She lives in a trailer park and without going into too much detail, the trailer is the dirtiest place I have EVER been in my life. We went over to help her clean it to try and help her keep the child. I started having an allergic reaction to something in the house and my throat was closing. I was wheezing and coughing. Then I started to itch a lot. We cleaned a good portion and then had to leave so I didnt die or something. Oh man. The horrors. 

Elder Carlos Godoy of the 70 came and toured the mission this past week. He is flipping hilarious. He taught us how to find the real concerns that investigators have instead of the fake ones they throw at us. Someone's phone went off and he stopped talking and turned to the person and said, "you could at least make it a hymn!" He then told a story of when he was with President Uchtdorf and Pres. U. was setting apart someone to be a 70 and someones phone went off halfway through. Pres. U. told the man the same thing. ha ha. 

He also held a fireside later that night which we were allowed to bring investigators too. He told his conversion story. He had always seen the mormon church and wondered what went on inside. Finally he got invited to an event there and when he went inside people were playing a game called Poor Poor Cat. Our investigator, Sister J, Started Laughing hysterically at this (She is from Brazil, just like Elder Godoy). We were just like what... He then explained that in Poor Poor Cat one person gets on his knees and crawls around to all the people in a circle meowing. The person the "cat" goes up to must then pet the person's hat and say "poor poor cat." If you smile while doing this you then become the cat. So yep, that was his first impression of our church. Ha ha. The Sister Missionaries were playing and he eventually was taught by them and got baptized. 

So while out one night checking up one someone we had talked to a few times before a rolled up newspaper slammed into the window next to my head. i turn to see a boy about 6 years old standing there. All of a sudden he screams ALIENS and then grabs the newspaper and chucks it at my back as I was walking away. I, being a great trainer, pointed at Elder Cole and said, "He is the alien!" The little boy and now a little girl who had appeared locked their sights onto him. He took off running as the two children chased him screaming alien and throwing that newspaper at him. I was quite amused as I watched the scene. ha ha. 

So the Hudson ward is getting sister missionaries and we went to the member's home that they are living in to help them clean out their garage and other stuff for the Sisters coming in. We had to take out some screws from the wall in which they were moving in to. Those screws were literally possessed by Satan. It took us 2 hours to pry like 10 screws from the wall. One of the screws took literally 1 hour. Elder Cole and I got up and literally worked up sweats putting all our might into unscrewing that screw. Our pride definitely took a hit that day.. finally we got it out and screamed in triumph. There was a black powder around the hole that the screw came out of. We knew it was Satan's screw....

So our investigator Brother M is a little quirky and very shy. I knew for a fact that he would NOT like the fact that one of us was leavingon wednesday. So when we were at his house last when we went to set up our next appointment I was very careful. I said," Brother M. we are... going on a trip on wednesday and would love to meet you before then!" Elder Cole totally missed what I was trying to do and was like, "yeah! One of us is for sure leaving! We want to see you before then!" I facepalmed. As I predicted, Brother M was not comfortable with that and he ended up calling the mission home and demanding that we stay... oh boy. 

A few days later I went on an exchange with Elder Sharp, another missionary who is from Mesa. We had a blast, but literally no one would talk to us that day. that wasnt fun. ha ha

Our investigator Sister J was baptized on Saturday. She is the most golden and prepared person I will perhaps ever meet. I feel completely unworthy of the gift of teaching her that the Lord gave us here in River Falls. She told her conversion story at her baptism and it was so powerful. Not often do investigators flag you down on the street and then get baptized... 

Well, since transfers are today my email time will be a tad shorter since I now have to go pack for the first time in 6 months. Blah. 

 Thought: Alma 5: 6-7

6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in ^aremembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has ^bdelivered their souls from hell?

 7 Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the ^abands of death, and the ^bchains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.

I love these scriptures because we really need to remember how merciful God has been to our fathers. This is one purpose of the BoM. Go read moroni 10:3-5, remembering is also a condition of us receiving answers. God awoke them from a deep sleep and illuminated our souls. This is the point of missionary work. To remind people that before they came to earth they agreed to a very specific plan! Oh how glorious this plan is! This is salvation, people cant remember but we have that knowledge. Share it! 

Sorry if my email is scattered today. I love you all! Have a great week.

Elder Damron