Hello World.
It says in the white handbook to not write anything negative about the areas where we serve, so I guess this Email will be really short.
Just kidding!
So anyway, Mom asked me how it feels to have reached 11 months and to be almost halfway. I'm guessing it feels about the same as being asked what it feels like to turn 50. I'd rather not think about it either. But since you asked, I'll answer. It's exciting but scary at the same time. Someone once told me the hardest part of my mission would be right about now. Extreme tiredness sets in, you start realizing you're almost on the downward slope, and earthly things (like sequels to your favorite childhood movies about talking toys) start to look very, very attractive. It's kind of a cruddy time to be training, but it's probably best to keep me focused. President Jergensen mentioned in the interview with me how missionaries lose focus around this time. I can definitely see how. But I'm pushing through and making the best of it. I'm enjoying this transfer much more than last, and the work is definitely picking up, so those two things help.
This week was also the week of the big change. The Peoria Illinois Mission was split so now we have Davenport (which apparently takes in Dubuque), Nauvoo, and Peoria Stakes. That's a huge geographical change. We also got a new Assistant from there, one of the ones from the other mission, and so it's weird having three. And we also have a new mission President, President Jergensen. Now, this is a lot of big changes for a guy who hates change (yeah, it was wonderful hearing our new AP that's been out 17 months saying he's been in as many areas as me, and would have only been in four if he had stayed in the other mission), but I learned quickly to love President Jergensen. Now, when he asked us to take off our jackets in Zone Conference, that may have made me somewhat biased in his favor, but still, I think he'll be good. He definitely doesn't seem like the whip-wielding taskmaster I expected him to be. He's got a good sense of humor, really has his wits about himself, and seems loving and caring too. We only had quick interviews, kind of like little getting to know you things, during Zone Conference, because we'll be having real ones at one of our district meetings coming up. During that interview, I was telling him about a couple that have been friends to the missionaries that ordered a Book of Mormon out-of-the-blue when the Referral Center called them up, seeing if they had gotten whatever DVD they had ordered, and asked them if they wanted a Book of Mormon. I said, "We'll be teaching them now, which is great, because we already love them and they already love us." He stopped me at that and pointed out how that is what it's all about, and that I was the first one to mention that yet. He also said that the second part of that sentence really shows what type of missionary I am to have people love me. Since I'm still learning how exactly to accept compliments, I mentioned how that was not meant to be bragging (which he said he knew that already) but that it's become common for me to tell my companions "I'm sick of all these people liking me!" I'm not, really, but I really don't understand what's so apparently lovable about me. I don't go out of my way or work really hard at it, it just happens. Anyway, I just find it so odd that the thing that means the most is the thing that happens naturally. Maybe all these other things I constantly stress over will just fall into place if I just sit back and let it.
Maybe. Can't risk it. Some useless stress should help things come together, right?
But yeah, things are picking up like crazy here. Numbers weren't terribly high for this last week, but numbers don't matter, the people do, and a lot was done for the people. We set a baptismal date last Monday, which fell through when she didn't come to church, but at least we set one! Also, we picked up a few investigators and gained some fun stories. One new investigator has dementia, I think, and was way talkative, spoke in third person, was 82, repeated a lot of the same stories and sayings, spoke to her pictures of deceased relatives, and dropped us when we finally got a member there for a visit. We're still puzzled as to why she dropped us, but we were able to convince her to keep the Book of Mormon that she was trying to hand back to us, at least. I told her that there was a chapter, 2 Nephi 2, that would help with reading Genesis.
Yesterday we were taken by an awesome Less Active to a town named Forest City to go to the A&W there. While there we drove around the Winnebago Plant there. It's the main one. I feel so special to be near such a major American Landmark as the Winnebago Plant. We also went to the Pilot Knob, the second highest point in Iowa. It had woods there and a stone tower and a hill to hike up. I felt like I was in Washington for a minute. Pictures of both will come soon.
Oh, and the fourth was actually really quiet and boring. No real fireworks like back at home. I kind of miss the war zone. there were some good fireworks displays, but both were after we needed to be in and too far away to see from our windows. You'd think third story in Iowa would allow you to see forever, and it would, but we have trees around us.
Well, that's about it!
--
"But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in." D&C 127:2
Elder Charlie Gates
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