June 18, 2012
First of all, Happy Father's Day!!!!!!! It's too bad we don't get to call home on Father's Day, but I was still thinking of you Dad! I have a letter for you I'll try and get out today. Clearly I'm not a sister missionary, because then I would have had the foresight to write it a week ago, and send it a week ago, so it would actually arrive before Father's day... Oh well! But I love you sooooooooo much Dad :)
First of all, Happy Father's Day!!!!!!! It's too bad we don't get to call home on Father's Day, but I was still thinking of you Dad! I have a letter for you I'll try and get out today. Clearly I'm not a sister missionary, because then I would have had the foresight to write it a week ago, and send it a week ago, so it would actually arrive before Father's day... Oh well! But I love you sooooooooo much Dad :)
Thanks so much for praying for me, you probably don't realize how
much it really does help out here. This week has been a LOT better than
last week.
Our Ward Mission Leader is insane. I've never met a better one. And our bishop is so cool! Bishop Daybell is AMAZING, I want to do my callings like him when I grow up. I respect him so much, and I know he loves us missionaries so much, and that is so crucial to missionary/ward relations. So it's gonna be good. I struggle with working with wards/members, because they frustrate me, but I'm going to try really hard for Bishop. And out here in Fruitland, (as i'm sure it is in carlsbad) missionaries really can't succeed WITHOUT member help.
This week we had a BAPTISM!!!!!!!!! The story leading up to it was
pretty funny, but I don't really know how to get into the details of
all that... Anyways, the girl's name is Desiree. She'd been
wanting to be baptized for a long time actually, but had to wait until
her 18th birthday. What I didn't know until just a few days before the
baptism actually, is that she still hadn't had half the lessons So I
got to give her both those, which was pretty fun for me, and I got to
know her pretty well, so it didn't feel at all like a strangers baptism. The baptism itself was
incredible. She'd been coming to church for so long that there was a
ton of ward support there. Also, pretty cool story behind the way the
service played out. One reason why the baptism kept getting postponed
is because her grandpa (who is very very very much against the
church) wanted to be there, so he could pass out anti-mormon stuff. So he
was there, and right before I got up to give the "missionary message"
thing, he told the bishop that he was going to interrupt me, and give his
anti-mormon shpiel, and try to ask me questions to make the church look bad and
stuff. The Bishop told him he could... haha, and didn't warn me.
Even without knowing that though, I was pretty nervous, because our
Mission President decided to show up to our baptism, and he was sitting
in the back. So I get up there and start talking, and I teach about the restoration. The Grandpa doesn't say or do anything. (I didn't know he
was planning on it) It was really spiritual, and then afterwards I just
go sit down and the baptism service finishes up. The Bishop comes and
pulls Pres. Weaver and me aside, and tells us what the Grandpa was
planning on doing, but didn't, because I guess he felt the spirit. :)
way cool :)
OH, other news, on Friday I was on an exchange with the Manorwood
missionaries, so I was on bike for the day. It was a pretty fun day,
but INCREDIBLY hard. We biked 15+ miles, and my temporary companion
beat me into the ground so hard. today is the first day since then it
doesn't hurt to walk, haha. Anyways, the day is wrapping up, and we're
biking over to our dinner appointment (they got us pizza. <3) and
we get a call from President Weaver. Our conversation goes a little
something like this:
Weaver: Hello Elder Lonas, How are you doing?
Lonas: I'm doing great President, how are you?
W: Great, Great... Well Lonas, Sis. Weaver and I want you to know
that we think you are a great missionary, and we really love you..
L: Oh my goodness, what's going to happen?? (spoken with about 10% melodrama)
W: I'm so sorry Lonas... But Elder Ps paperwork all went
through, and it looks like he'll be going to New Zealand on Tuesday....
L: AAHHHH, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE??? (Full blown drama queen)
W: I understand how you must feel... We are going to do our very best to figure out what will happen...
(Elder P, his current companion, was in Washington only until his visa came through, but assumed he would stay the whole six-week "transfer" period. Chase was unexpectedly transferred to this area and given this new companion just last week)
Conversation goes on for a few more minutes. But basically, he has
no idea what's going to happen to me. He still isn't sure, and Elder P has to leave for the Mission Home tonight, hahaha. So I might get a new
companion (which would be my 3rd this transfer) or I might go join the
Manorwood Missionaries, in which case I'd have 4 comps this transfer,
and 11 total. hahaha.
Fortunately Pres. Weaver seems to like me, otherwise I probably
wouldn't have gotten away with being a drama queen like that. haha
I got off the phone with Sis. Weaver just before I started
emailing, They want to take me and Palmer out to dessert tonight,
so that should be fun!
(and that really was the end of the email. I kept hoping I'd get a "part 2" later on, but no such luck...)
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