9-30-2013

Family,

Well, the transfer roster is out. Not many changes but the ones that did happen will be dramatic. I will be a zone leader in the Wichita zone with Elder Johnson. There will be 4 districts in my zone. So that means lots of exchanges this next transfer. Elder Johnson is from somewhere in Arizona. I think it's St. John, Arizona if there's such a place. He's been out for just under a year and is a body builder. So he likes to get up at 5:30 every morning and work out. I'll change that real quick, hehe. As you know, I hate working out in the morning. Hence, I would train for cross country in the afternoon. But yeah! On to my week.

So Monday was a good P-Day. No migraine! Tonight we're watching the Joseph Smith movie to help encourage the ward to bear their testimonies. Hopefully they bring some non-members as well because that's what we've been focusing on for the last 3 weeks. 

Tuesday we did service again. We installed a mail box post. It was fun digging it out and using power tools. I felt like Dad while doing it. We also used wood putty to fill in any remaining holes from the nails or staple gun. We had lots of appointments today and most of them fell through. We meet a lot of people on the street who say that they would like a visit and give us their address. But when we go back, they never answer the door. We would try for a few days and weeks but feel like they'll never answer the door. It's especially frustrating when you know they're home because you can hear them and see them look out the peep hole. Whenever I see that I usually wave. But even then, people won't answer the door. 

Wednesday we had lots of appointments again. Most of those held. We had nice visits with everyone we could and invited them to come to know the gospel of Christ for themselves. We had dinner out in Norwich that day. Norwich is 15 minutes north-west of Argonia. So that is quite a distance. It took about a half hour to get there. But I enjoyed being out in farmland for the brief time that we were there. Later that night we had an appointment with one of our newer investigators. At the end, we invited her to be baptized. She agreed once she knew it was true. I don't think she understood the lesson because we taught the whole thing in 30 minutes when we should've taught only half of the first lesson in 30 minutes. 

Thursday was a unique day for us. We had lots of appointments again today and they all held. We invited members to do missionary work, taught a lesson to our investigator with a bpatismal date, and talked to a less active who wants to come back before we had dinner with the Bishop (the people that I took a picture with my first day in the area. During the lesson, we told them that we had set up an appointment with their inactive daughter. She went inactive at 14 or so for no particular reason but wanted to re-learn the doctrine. When we told them that, I could see the love that this family had for their daughter. Sister Jensen cried and Bishop was also in lots of joy (without tears). It reminded me of Dallin a lot and the love that y'all have for him. Oh how I wish I could go to Dallin and just talk to him and invite him to come back to church. This was a very touching experience for me that I hope to never forget. That night we had some meetings and went on a team-up with the Bishop with one of our investigators. The spirit was very strong in that lesson. I love the singles ward here. It warms my heart to see their love for missionary work. That whole day, however, I couldn't stop thinking about Dallin and how much we love him. That's where I focused most of my prayers this week. 

On Friday we had lots and lots of meetings. Elder Eliason is training his last 2 transfers so he had a meeting for that and we had district meeting later that day. We watched some of the hastening the work videos. They were super good. That night, we attended a baptism for the Rolling Hills ward. It was a god service and I could sense the joy that they had as she entered the waters of baptism. 

Saturday was a pretty fun day. We went with the ward to do service at a zoo in Goddard. We finished pretty quick so got to walk around the zoo with the whle ward. It is a very interactive zoo and super fun. We would've gone home to work but our ride was in charge of the whole thing. So we just enjoyed it. It was funner than the SD zoo, I think. I could've fed a rhino, but chose not to. We walked into a cage of birds and also saw a white tiger being fed. Thta was super fun. I could've pet a giraffe too, but didn't. 

Sunday was another good day. Not only was it the last day of the Padres season, but we had a good sacrament service. One of the ward members (a pre-missionary) gave a wonderful talk on the plan of salvation and Elder Eliason gave a good talk on missionary work. Our Bishop also gave a good 5th Sunday lesson. But that's pretty much my week! Sorry I don't have time to write more. I have 7 minutes left and still have to e-mail president.

Love you lots!!!!

Elder Sutherland