First off this week is transfer week, and things will be all changing up tomorrow so I thought I would let you know all that is going on. I have been told that I will not be leaving, but that I will receiving a new companion here in the Perrysburg ward. Elder Steele is being transferred, and I am really going to miss him. I can hardly believe that our time together is finally up. I have learned so much from him, and we have really enjoyed and have had a good time with one another. Just as the song, For Good, from Wicked says: "I've heard it said that people come into our lives, for a reason, bringing something we must learn and we are lead to those who help us most to grow if we let them and if we help them in return." I truly have learned so much from Elder Steele and everyone else that I have met here on my mission, and I look forward to be able to learn so much more from all of those that I continue to run into and meet.
Sadly this week all of our investigators cancelled on us, so we weren't able to see or to meet with any of them. That can always be disappointing, but we just have to continue to look up, remain diligent, and to work hard. We were, however, able to have a dinner at a members house every night this week. We really enjoyed being able to be with the members and to be able to help and laugh with them. They are all truly amazing and I thank them all so much for what they do for each of us. The Arens family is one in particular that is rather enjoyable. Brother Arens always manages to get us to laugh and really lifts our spirits. He is a rather odd, but also great person! We also were able to spend time with the Kebker family. Brother Kebker is our ward mission leader and he is always out helping us, and stopping by making sure that we are okay. We always feel at home at their house, and they ask us to just come in whenever we need food or water. They truly are great and we truly do love all of them so much!
Because all of our appointments fell through Elder Steele and I ended up having to do lots of tracting! That is always interesting for us. We ended up running into tons of Catholics, some Jews, a Buddhist, and even a super anti-Mormon. Luckily we scared the anti so much that he just ran back into his house because he didn't want to be cursed. It is very interesting the things that people think of us... We were also tracting one road and ended up running into some Jehovah Witnesses who were tracting the other end of the same street. Needless to say that was a little awkward. Sadly we didn't find anyone during our efforts, but we know that they are out there somewhere, we just have to continue to have faith and to look for them.
We were able to have a really cool service opportunity this week. There is an old Catholic church in our area that needs lots of repairs and such. Brother Kebker is close friends with one of the members of the church and he was told that they were wanting and needing to fix it up, but they weren't able to really afford the labor for people to do it. So he called all of us missionaries and asked if we would be willing to help them out, and of course we said yes. So all of us missionaries went to the Catholic church and helped lay tile in their gym area. It was really cool to be able to be there and help them. They were really touched that we would be willing to help another church, and that we took our time to serve them. I loved being able to help and to also be able to lay the tile. We had a great time serving them and being able to help them with their needs, and in worshiping. Once we finished they offered all of us coffee as a thank you. We had to reject it, and we were able to explain some of those standards and beliefs to them as well. Overall it was a great experience and I loved every moment of it.
My missionary tip of the week is allow yourself to learn. We truly can and will learn so much from everyone we meet and come in contact with. We need to allow ourselves to be taught by all of them and to be able to open our hearts and our minds to all that they have to say and do for us. As we do we will come to learn so much more, come to love all we come in contact with, and will come to really enjoy getting to know people, and to meet many more along our journey in life.
I love you all, and I hope that all is going well. Prepare for general conference this weekend, and prepare yourself for the wonderful and amazing blessing of hearing from the Lord's Prophet. Open your minds and your hearts and go listening with faith and with a desire to learn and to grow.
Elder Brown and Elder Steele
"People come into our lives for a reason"
No comments:
Post a Comment