Week Eighty Three

This week was alright. We started out by exchanging with the Farmingdale Elders. I spent the time in their area. We taught a few lessons, and found some cool Mainers. I was with Elder Jensen and we had a good time together. He's been out a transfer longer than me, and I didn't know him really. We spent the last year and a half in opposite sides of the mission, and I finally landed next to him. It's crazy how many missionaries you will never meet because you always live so far from each other. 

 It's been pretty snowy out here, so it's made for some fun proselyting. Whether we help people shovel, or take their sleds and go bomb some hills with them, it's been fun being around the snow again. This area of Maine feels a lot more like the woods than the Rockland area. It always feels like we're driving to someone's cabin or campsite. We are, but a lot of people actually live in the woods next to the campsites.

But luckily we live between two alright sized cities. This Saturday we had a booth over in Lewiston that did really well, and I was able to find a lot of Africans again. These ones are basically refugees from Somalia, and Congo. It was good to see diversity again. I can't believe I went almost a whole year without seeing anything but white people. Anyways good time. 

We are working more and more in this area to build it back up, and I think the key to this area will be part member family's. So we are going to do a lot of work with them, and try and find lots of children of record. Things are going well out here though! 

 

 

Week Eighty Two

Well I'm back in Maine now. The area I got is definitely going to be a challenge. When I loaded up the area book I had a flashback to when I first loaded up Colebrook's area book. Not too much planning was happening, or teaching, or finding. There was an unmotivated missionary who was in the area for his 5th transfer of the area and the final transfer of his mission. So I went into straight rebuild mode. We've already been able to set up a few reoccurring appointments with our investigators, and gotten in with a few less active part member families. So hopefully we can start getting down to work here.

One of the few people we are teaching is pretty cool. We teach a couple where the boyfriend is a less active member and the girlfriend is learning about the church.  We also are teaching a young girl who's mother just decided to come back to church. So #pmfforthewin Her grandma helps us teach her!

Besides that I'm living the country life again walking around in the beans.  Anyways, I'm excited to see what comes of these next few months, and how things end up. Elder Ricks and I have a vision for this area and we are excited to try and make it a reality! 

Week Eighty One

I have no idea of where to start this email. I guess I'll give the big news first. My time here in Boston is officially over. Last night I got a call and was told I'm being transferred to Saco Maine with the one and only ELDER PETERSEN! I was so excited when I told President this would be our 4th transfer together. But this is not what the Lord intended. I received a phone call earlier this morning from a distraught President Blair. He said he had been up tossing and turning all night thinking about my transfer, and he told me that he had a very distinct prompting that I needed not be with Elder Petersen again. So he told me my new transfer. He said he got up and looked in the mirror in the middle of the night and the Lord told him I needed to go elsewhere. That elsewhere is Winthrop Maine. It's a little more populated than Colebrook. So I'm going into Colebrook v2, but as a Zone Leader with Elder Ricks from my MTC district at my side. I'm sad, but obviously the Lord needs me there for something. I know it's going to be very hard, but I don't think I could possibly face an area harder than Colebrook with the state it was in when I got there. Speaking of Colebrook that area is on fire right now. There has been a string of baptisms ever since I left! Including 2 people I taught. I was so happy to hear that! Anyways I have learned so much from this area. I have seen miracles wrought by the hand of God that have built my testimony. I called Abela this morning and told her the news. I heard a long pause and she just started thanking me so much with a shaky voice. She told me that she is eternally grateful for me and Elder Solomon for changing her life, and that she will always keep in contact with me. Then she started telling me all how her life had changed since I first met her, and I was on the other end of the phone holding back my tears. I know that I came on my mission to find that family. 

Anyways this week was awesome! It got hot this week. It was 65 degrees on Tuesday so we wore short sleeve shirts, and man I have missed the warmth. I'll be missing it even more here in a few days. We taught a ton of lessons this week too. Our friend Lenge came to church. We were just chilling in the pews after Sacrament started and out of nowhere this lil dude wearing a green jumpsuit pops up, and I realized it was Lenge! He finally came to church! He was straight balling😂 he was holding this red Bible that matched his shoes😂 

I love the diversity of all the people out here, and I'm especially thankful for the people from the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Congo, and South America in general. I got to live in such a melting pot of a place, and experience so many different cultures. The world is a beautiful place, and I'm excited to learn more about those cultures when I get home. Have a great week everyone!