3-25-13

Family,

 

You are in a time zone one hour ahead of me! But that won't last long, hehe! That's a sweet picture of the DC temple. Where'd you take it? There's someone in my ward that served in DC. She loved it and has a sweet crystal thing with the DC temple in the middle. So, you took Cody and Jayce? Is it your spring break? It's a week earlier than normal. Normally it is during opening day in baseball which is about a week and a half away. Have you seen the Nationals' stadium yet? I think it's sweet. I haven't seen it in person but heard it's sweet. I drive by the Royals stadium all the time and it is not even close to being as big as Petco Park. But Arrowhead is pretty big. Anyways, enough about baseball. Let me tell you about my week if I can remember it all.

 

Monday last week was really fun because it was spring break here so some of the young men in our ward came and played with us. It was fun. On Tuesday, we were going to go to Liberty Jail with an investigator but she backed out because of her knee. Stupid getting old! Whatever. We went tracting with young men again almost every day this week since it was spring break for them. I love doing that. Before my mission I loved going out with the missionaries and during my mission I like going out with young men so it works. Later that night we got our plans squared away to go to the visitor's center with a recent convert and her less active mom and non-member Dad. On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the Harrisonville ward. I was in our area with Elder Ward while Elder Andrus went to Harrisonville with Elder Warner. We had an enjoyable time dropping one of our investigators (who said he'll NEVER join the Mormon church) and going tracting with a young man who should be going on his mission this summer. When we went tracting at Lake Tapawingo (reminds me a lot of San Diego beach homes) there are signs at the front entrance about no trespassing and no soliciting. But that hasn't fazed me in the past so why wouldn't it now? So we went ahead and knocked a few homes. The first one we did was a former Cowboys cheerleader and is opposed to organized religion. We will go back and bapitze her. The next three houses we knocked on were someone who mentioned no soliciting with the last one showing us his police officer badge and telling us to get lost pretty much. Elder Ward didn't want to stay as to risk being arrested so we went and did another neighborhood. We'll probably go back and continue tracting there later because everyone needs the gospel. On Thursday, we resumed our work as a normal companionship with weekly planning and a couple of appointments. After tracting for a bit with a young man, we went into an appointment with a lady who says that it's okay to drink a little wine and smoke a cigarrette every once in a while. She totally disregards 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 6:19. Is it okay to put graffiti on a temple or go in unworthily? No it isn't. So come on people. Stop being retards and accept the true doctrine of Christ. Our meeting at 4 fell through and at 8 so we were lost as to what to do for the rest of the night. That's what backup plans are for right? All last week, people were watching March Madness. It was kind of frustrating not to be able to watch it and have people tell us about it. Don't worry, it doesn't distract me from my purpose. Speaking of, on Tuesday night, my first zone leader, Elder Casper (who is now an AP), called and had a surprise for me. Elder Clare was then put on the phone and I talked to him for like 15 minutes. It was so fun to talk to him again. He goes home in July! I don't want him to but it's inevitable. He's got his flight plans all laid out but might stay to help organize the new Kansas, Wichita mission and get things straight away. We'll see. After Thursday, we had zone conference on Friday: Elder Andrus' first one. I was worried we weren't going to have it because snow was in the forecast but we had it. Our car actually was one of 2 cars to win the inspection of cleanliness and maintenance. We got a CD and peanut M&M's. The conference was so so so so good! President Keyes is thebomb.com and brought the spirit with a bang. We also found out the boundaries for the new Kansas, Wichita mission. It looks like it is going to extend a little past the Colorado border west and hit the Missouri border east. North is the same and South we get a pretty big chunk of Oklahoma. It is an exciting time to be a missionary. Oh, Dad FYI: Elder Andrus snores. I thought you'd appreciate that. But the zone conference was just overall great. That night we went to teh visitor's center with our recent convert, her less active Mom, her non-member Dad, and Non-member uncle. We got lost on the way and were 50, yes, 50 minutes late getting there. Our teamup got there at 7 and we got there at 7:50. But it worked out because they had a nice conversation with the sisters working there. The spirit, as always, is strong whenever I see God's plan for families. I can't see how people think otherwise whenever watching this. We couldn't go through the whole tour because we had to get home on time. But I think that made a lasting imprint on the non-members in attendance and everybody else, in fact. Saturday was just a meh day. I shouldn't say 'meh' because of what Dad said to me a couple of months ago about the movie: "The Rookie" when he told me "You know what we get to do today, Brooks? We get to play baseball." Well, we get to be missionaries; so anyday when that is possible is always a good one. Saturday night it started snowing but not sticking because it was still too warm. But Sunday morning we woke up to yet another winter wonderland. The third of the winter/spring. Apparently that doesn't happen all that often out here. Maybe one or two usually but never 3. Church today was optional so we started walking but coincidentally got a ride from an investigator that was on his way back from his church. The snow wasn't as bad as the past 2 storms but bad enough to almost cancel church. We enjoyed the sacrament meeting with all of the bishopbric and stake president (who lives in our ward). We shoveled for 2 hours. It was easier this time and enjoyed the thick snow to make snowballs and throw them at each other. I'm getting pretty tired of snow and want spring to come. Elder Andrus must have brought it all from Alaska or something. Well that was pretty much my week. Hopefully you're enjoying all sights and stuff in DC and sorry it's crowded. I would've loved to go and tell the president a piece of my mind. I wonder what President Romney would've done with his home teachers had he been elected.... Anyways...

 

Dad, thanks for your words and all that you do to support me along with the rest of the family. I guess my question would've been answered about spring break later in the e-mail but you could've gone to Peoria, Arizona and watched some spring training instead of all teh way to DC. Just kidding. I know you will love DC anyways. Thanks for the quotes and stuff. I appreciate all that you do for me and let me know if there's anything that I can do for you. I am on a time limit this week since the office is closed and I'm at the library. That's why I can't figure out the pictures. Well I thank you again and hope you have an awesome and especially safe week in DC! Wait, where did Mom, Cody, and Jayce fly into? That's all for this week. Until next time. Love,

 

Elder Sutherland

 

PS: "Patrick, you will be the waiter."

[...]

"[In Patrick's cute voice] May I take your hat sir? Mayu I take your coat sir? May I take your - "

"Okay that's good."

[...]

"I was the head chef on the SS diarrhea."