9-2-13

Family,

 

I'm sending this on Tuesday today because yesterday being Labor day, the libraries were closed. Today isn't P-day, but we're just e-mailing today. I laughed at the picture of the despicable me minion. Hopefully Jayson doesn't look like that when he enters the MTC, haha! I also did service for 6 hours this morning helping to build a house. We had a good guide help us who actually knows stuff about carpentery work. I have very little experience in that regard so I was happy to be able to help. It was also fun. There were people with all kinds of experience there so I felt right in. We got to use hammers, saws, install siding, and a few other things. So a good life skill learned, right? There were single age people there too but they left before we had a chance to talk to them. Thanks for telling me about your week and everything. I was glad to hear about everybody. How does Cody like seminary this year? Who's the teacher again? It's not brother Oross, right? I loved doing the Book of Mormon with brother Holland as our teacher. Okay on to the rest of my week.

 

So I'm not going go get into too many details but I'll do my best to remember what happened this week. While I e-mailed in Argonia, I had my journal with me to tell me what happened in the previous week. But not anymore. On Monday last week, I had one of the worst migraines in my entire life. I felt nautious after the headache went away. But the headahce was super bad. It came on gradually making me think it wasn't a bad one. But it was a super bad one. I finally bought some migraine stuff at the store yesterday in case that ever happens again. Hopefully the next time I get one, that stuff will be able to tone it down quite a bit. But it was super fun to be able to play P-day sports again. We played jump 21 and chair soccer. Boy it got intense sometimes. 

So a little background on what I'll tell you next: So for the past 2 or 3 years or so I have been reading the whole old testament. I plan on finishing the entire bible before I get home. Well, on Tuesday, I finished the old testament. I was sure glad to too, because it was getting pretty boring talking about the second coming and all that (other than Malachi, which is always a hit). Beginning the New Testament was sweet! I've never read it all the way through before. The stories of Christ going around healing everybody and doing all that he did is truly amazing to read. I absolutely love it. 

We attended Wellington's district meeting that day too. Later that day we had an appointment with one of our newer investigators. He has close to no faith in the Savior. So it's a little different than most people here who have a huge faith in Him. But he loves and appreciates our visits and we're tyring to get him to get some faith. We invited him to church but he didn't come, which kind of stinks, but whatevs. We're trying to find ways to find because tracting hasn't been doing anything success-wise until Sunday when we decided to tract this one apartment complex. Well it was a good choice because there were only singles there. I can't remember seeing one person that wasn't under 30. So we'll be going back there, that's for sure. But other than that, times have been pretty slow including on Wednesday. I've been getting pretty tired through the first part of the afternoon too so, it's been tough. 

Wednesday night, however, we had a great lesson with this less active lady. The spirit was strong as she commited to some to church the next Sunday (2 days ago). She didn't come, which was a bummer, but I'm just glad that she was able to feel the spirit once again. Also Wednesday, we had a leadership training meeting for all zone leaders and district leaders in the Wichita, Wichita north, and Derby zones. It was a good meeting. Thursday we tried to do some creative things. we walked around downtown Wichita for an hour trying to find singles. Not much success there. But that night after an appointment with the girl that we have on baptismal date, we went out the church doors and smelled something on fire. We looked around and the mulch under one of the trees was on fire. So we stomped it out and poured some water on it just in case. 

Friday we attended the Rolling Hills district meeting followed by lunch at chipotle (which made me super tired, by the way). The rest of the day on Friday was pretty slow. Saturday we had some nice visits with a less active lady and her Dad. He dominated the discussion, however, and we didn't get to feel the spirit all that much. Next time, we'll just have to shut him down (not in a mean way) and say that we're here for her. His filipino girlfriend was also there, but didn't say much. She's a less active and we invited her back to church. She didn't say yes but she didn't say no either. She ended up not going. Later, we got super pumped to do more missionary work as we talked with this super enthusiastic active member. He's hilarious, but knows what it takes to get the ward going in missionary work. 

On Sunday we had a nice fast and testimony meeting. Both Elder Eliason and I bore our testimonies. That night, we had our first dinner with a young ward member. We've had dinner prior to that night with members of the bishopric, but not with the younger body until that night. I love our ward. Everybody is so close and so funny. For FHE last night, we played this game called boxers and briefs (similar to apples to apples) and everyone was laughing all over the place. Too bad we couldn't stay all night. We're getting a hang of the area little by little and are bringing the gospel to the world one person at a time. Then today we did service and had fun doing it. I kind of felt like Dad who can build/fix anything. Now I can at least use a hammer! But that's pretty much my week! 

Tomorrow we have a meeting where all the zone and sister leaders in the mission gather to the mission home and have a leadership meeting. The zone leaders then re-train on that to the rest of the zone at zone meeting usually in the next week or so. So we'll be doing that on Friday. Oh, on Saturday we had a guy ask us about our favorite college football team and how they did on the first game of the year. Way to make me miss worldy things, dude. At least I'm on a mission where I can't think about that! 

 

Yeah, Wichita is a very big city. Not like San Diego, but there are sure lots of people that need the gospel. Our apartment is near the edge of english-spanish territory. Go east about 3 miles and you hit mini-mexico. That's where I'm e-mailing right now. Well thanks for being an awesome family and I'm always glad to get your e-mails. I have a testimony of the retsored gosepl that it is true. Satan may try to convince you otherwise, but don't ever listen to him! He is, was, and will always be a loser. Just stay on the Lord's side and you will always win. Just as Nephi says, there is opposition in all things (or was it someone else? I think it's pretty safe to say Nephi). But that doesn't mean life needs to be sad. This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God, so whatever experience gets us closer to that goal will be able to get us there. But that's pretty much it for me. Do you have any questions for me? I should get going here pretty soon. Y'all have a great week! Love,

 

Elder Sutherland

 

PS: "Where's Timmy?"

"He's in the bathroom."

"Why?"

"It's 6:13. Timmy always goes to the bathroom at 6:13."

8-26-13

 Derek asked me to send him a new washcloth. 

I wonder what in the world he has been doing with that one!

His new apartment, with his tired companion, apparently.

Family,

 

I'm writing this from a library in Wichita. I haven't e-mailed at a library since December. But this has been a good week. Elder Eliason and I are really struggling to find things to do. Elder Eliason is from Holbrook, Idaho (30 miles from Malad) and is the middle of 5 boys in his family. So combine the families, and you get 9 boys and a girl. I think that's pretty funny. He has been out almost 20 months and goes home a few days before Christmas this year. His first area was Wamego just like me! I have enjoyed reminiscing with him about that area.

 

So, since I don't have nearly as much time as last week, I'll only cover the highlights. So first, Dad, in your e-mail you talked a lot about getting out of our comfort zone, and reading it really motivated me to act. Last Saturday, Elder Eliason and I were trying to think of creative ways to find new investigators. We didn't know the ward because we had got there only two days earlier. We decided to go to the mall since that is a typical place where young single adults "hang out". So we went there and it was really, really hard to stop people and say: "Hey, I know you're shopping, but do you want to know more about our church?" We talked to two people. One had just graduated high school this past May and his girlfriend was a junior in high school. So we failed there. That's where your e-mail comes in. I need to just step out of my shell. It's sooooo hard for me just to stop and talk with people; especially in a busy mall with so much wordly stuff around you. 

At church yesterday, we were just trying to fellowship the ward with us. I also gave gave a talk about Elder Ballard's conference talk: this is my work and my glory". I felt the talk went well, especially since I only knew about this assignment a few days prior top giving it. But Elder Eliason and I are brand new to the area and brand new to our apartment too. So, we're not too familiar with the Wichita area but I think I'm getting the roads down. We also bought a road map at the QT gas station and Elder Eliason and I (pronounced eel-ya-son) wrote all over it. He's now a road map expert. When I left Wellington on Wednesday, we also were assigned a full-time car, being new zone leaders. We got the car that I was driving in Wellington and now they share a car with the Pratt sisters. So they need a car, haha! We'll get one for them when more cars come in in September. 

On Thursday, we met the only investigator that we had coming in (we now have two, as of yesterday). This girl has been super prepared to hear the gospel. She is seriously dating a return missionary who had been less active for several years after his mission. His girlfriend came up to him and said: "I want to check out your church" even though she was born and raised Catholic. So when they were on vacation in Bulgaria visiting his mission to the Czech republic, they started taking the lessons. (FYI, this returned missionary's parents are on "the district 1"...so I get to meet them!) She met with us on Thursday and immediatrely accepted baptism. Her date is for October 3rd, which is kind of far away, but they want to have their parents come up for the baptism and then fly out to general conference that weekend. We had it approved by President Bell to get her confirmed at the baptismal font. So, we're super excited for her and for this returned missionary who just got this wake-up call to go back to church by his girlfriend. She's super nice too and already knows that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and all that. 

But as far as finding new investigators, we are needing help from the ward in that regard, so that's why I appreciate that e-mail you sent me. We drove around the two religious universities in our zone the other day too and found nothing that we could do. Although, at church yesterday we talked to a professor at Friends university who is an active member. He said he'd let us know what he could do and be sure to get us onto campus! So that should be cool. Could you do me a favor, Dad (or Mom), and print out your e-mail you sent me and send it to me? I'd like to read it and keep it but don't want to spend money to print. Speaking of money, there are so many rich people here! It's crazy! The houses by the nice golf courses are super nice. 

Anyways, back to my week. Our bishop is super cool. He sent you that e-mail with our pictures in it. I also got a picture on my camera. Bishop Jensen is his name. In fact, our whole bishopric is really cool. We did laundry this morning at one of their houses. But anyways, I better wrap it up here. I'm sure the other elders are getting uneasy wondering where their zone leaders are. But I'd just like to let you know that I know that this work is true and will carry forth forever. I know now that people must not be comfortable with attending another church because the fulness of the gospel is in only one church, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am grateful for all that you do for me (including sending that package that I got on Saturday). I must step up my obedience as a zone leader and work harder than I ever have before. Elder Eliason is a great leader and hard worker. I love you all and hope you have a great week! Love,

 

Elder Sutherland