Week Eighty Seven

This week was one of the better weeks that I've had since being here in Winthrop. Also transfers happened, and we were the only Zone Leader companionship that nothing changed. I think my fate may have just been sealed.

 Anyways, the highlights of this week were definitely when we were on exchanges. We had exchanges with the Lewiston Elders, and the Oxford Elders. On the exchanges with the Lewiston Elders they needed some help with Swahili because they found a family that spoke Swahili! So you already know I went and threw some jambos and hibaris to that family. They were freaking out that I knew a little bit of Swahili. Then I was able to video chat in Abela into the lesson, and she taught them all about baptism, and the spirit was so strong! Her testimony is so strong! It was so amazing to see her and the kids again. She is a Saint. She videod into the lesson while she had the sisters from Revere at her home for dinner, and she had the Elders there the night before! Then she offered to drive up a few hours for a lesson with them. What a woman😂😂  The rest of the exchange we were just going off finding. I was enjoying being back in the city. I miss it. 😂☺️🙂😑☹️😢😭

Annnnnd the exchange with Oxford was awesome. I stayed with Elder Hatt here in Winthrop. We took the dirt roads by storm, and tried to find some people to teach. The rain was coming down, and Elder Hatt didn't bring a rain coat so he was drenched and soaked with water. The highlight of this exchange was knocking on a car window, because there was literally no one else to talk to. It was an old man that was really kind. He invited us to his home on the side of the mountain. I'll send some pictures from his view!

I'm excited for what's to come this next transfer, and to see what else the Lord is preparing us for. It's been so much fun to be a tool in his hands. I like to think I'm a multi tool the Lord can use on his projects. And sometimes if it doesn't work he will just use me as like a hammer to drive the point to get the job done! I think we should all strive to be like multi tools. Then the Lord can use us in many situations. Anyways have a good week everyone! 

Red or Dead District

 This is the view from the guy's house who we knocked on his car window.

Week Eighty Six

This week was full of a lot of work.  We had a lot of different things planned, but random things kept throwing off our plans. I think when that happens, that's the Lord's way of switching up our plans for better things to happen. That definitely is true in our case, because we were able to put another two people on date to be baptized this April! One of them is the daughter of some people to we are helping come back to church named Saphira. The other is a guy named Patrick. He came with us to the Saturday night session of Stake Conference, and we also wrote his work a note and acted like old minister dudes, and got him all Sundays off so he also came to church on Sunday. The note was very official, and we hit it with some bomb signatures.

This week it hit 50 degrees!!! So I got to bust out the short sleeves for a little bit in the afternoon. I felt so blessed. It's amazing how much easier the work becomes when it warms up outside. People become way nicer, more people come outside, and just in general more happens. Also it's staying light till 6:45 now. Buuuuut that means it's just the beginning of mud season. I have a pic of a spot where we just about got stuck. I love me some good dirt roads.

I am grateful for all of the miracles we are receiving here in Winthrop. It's one of the many things I love about being a missionary. I get the opportunity to see God's hand so often in my life, and I am learning more day by day about all the small miracles He performs. I hope all of you can learn to recognize all the ways our Heavenly Father truly influences our life. It's easy to forget when we get caught up in the world.

Anyways have a good week everyone! 

Mud seasons begins......

This dog is named Joey and he works at the copy center. He jumped up on me when I sat down.

Week Eighty Five

This week was pretty awesome! We had interviews with President Blair, Zone Conference, Keira's baptism, and Stake Conference! So we were pretty busy.  The beginning of the week was normal though. We had a little miracle while finding. Since there are not many ways to find out here we were tracting for most of the day. We were about to call it quits on finding and go chef up some quesadillas for dinner. But we decided to knock one more street, and we came across this little run down apartment building with like 4 rooms. And that was how we found our boy David and his son David.

During interviews this week President was telling me and Elder Ricks about how when we first got into the mission he was really concerned about Elder Ricks, and how he thought I was just a wild dude. He said it's one of his favorite things to watch missionaries grow, and become amazing missionaries. Its always a good time with President Blair. 

I was chilling having  a good time at Zone Conference when Sister Larsen told me she had a surprise for me! Then she pulled out an African shirt! My African sisters in Revere got me an African shirt, and had Elder Nielsen deliver it to Sister Larsen for me! It's awesome becsuse I wanted one the whole time I was there, but no one sold them, and you had to wait for someone to get back from Africa to get one! So when it randomly showed up when I was in Maine, I was so happy!

The baptism went really well, and we were able to have one of the people we were teaching show up. Things are going a lot better now since when I first got here a month ago. I know that if we work hard, smart, and rely on the lord, he will bless our efforts, and give us the strength we need to keep working!

Week Eighty Four

I got to start off the week as a classic dad in a mini van. We picked up the Augusta Sisters, and Saco Elders, and drove down to Manchester for MLC. It was awesome! Shout out to sister Larsen (office worker) for getting me buffalo mac and cheese. We got some sad news there though. We are not allowed to leave the mission boundaries for any reason now. So that means we are not allowed to go to the temple for our last day in the field😭 It was really sad news and a lot of the older missionaries and Sister Blair were crying. It's ok though. Sacrifice brings blessings.

My companion Elder Ricks had a new milestone this week. This Wednesday we were walking into a ZLC, and he slipped on some ice, and when he landed he busted his pants open. Like the worst tear I've ever seen. We had a good laugh and one Elder just so happened to have a pair of pants he felt like he should randomly put in the car. #miracles But to top it off when we were at district council, he was in the other pants that matched that suit, and he stepped up on a chair and they busted too. This time in front of a bunch of sisters. Good times.

This weekend was great. We had 3 baptismal interviews and the Sisters in Auburn had a baptism. It's a very exciting time around the zone! We have our very own baptism coming next Saturday! 

We had the most investigators at church this ward has had in over a year this past week! It was 4😂 It was awesome though, and a lot of people thought one of the ladies we brought was a member. 

Anyways it's getting better here in rural Maine! Hopefully we can see some awesome things happen in the next few weeks. I'm having a good time as a missionary, and want to use the most of the time I have! Have a blessed week