Yep, I'm moving. Not really happy about it, I'm not going to lie. It stinks. But it was bound to happen at some point.
As will most likely be a theme with my mission, I get to leave just before a baptism can go through. Marissa, the girl we've been teaching, now has a baptismal date for the 9th. That's way exciting. But I won't be here for it. Figures. Not really sure where I'll end up, but McConnel will be training. That'll be good. He'll be a good trainer. He's been a great companion to have and it's hard to leave after one transfer of us rockin this place.
This past week's been a tough one, work wise. Christmas made it difficult to do much of anything, plus we had a legitimate blizzard, which blew in a lot of snow and blew out any chance of doing much work. When you're on the edge of town with no sidewalk because nobody had plowed it out and no car (either because it was grounded due to weather or because we had left it at a member's home due to the weather) we couldn't really go much of anywhere. Walking on the icy road was suicidal, and wading through waist deep snow through fields was a death sentence. We got out as much as we could but not much could be accomplished. Church was even cancelled. It ended up being twenty inches in a few days.
Our other investigator, being the stubborn man that he is, was committed to be baptized...but said it would only be after he finished the Book of Mormon. Not a date, nor the regular way of going about it, but it's a start. We read through an Isaiah chapter with him and helped him understand it. I learned a ton myself. Half the time I feel like even if the investigators don't learn anything from what I say I sure did.
So monday I'll email you, letting you know where I am! Hopefully it has snow.... Places like Des Moines only got rain. Those turds.
Elder Gates
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
...If Only In My Dreams.... (Dec 21)
Merry Christmas!!!
This week wasn't very productive, but I'd consider that mostly due to the car accident we had on monday.
Oh, and in response to your email, that is AWESOME that grandpa is doing indexing for people from Yankton County!!! The counties out here are tiny and Yankton County is just a few miles larger than the city, so that's just amazing! Anyway. Way cool.
Ok, so I'm a terrible son and just wanted to make that all a cliff hanger about the accident. We just backed over a rockery curb thing on Monday going out of a members' driveway. Since we drive a little Toyota Corolla, it popped out the bumper and apparently broke the window washer resevoir. We knew about the bumper pretty quickly, and it was fixed easily enough at an autobody place, but the resevoir we didn't know about till we tried to put new washer fluid in and it just poured out the other side. Sooo, yeah. We spent a good part of a day or two this week getting that all worked out, and we're still waiting for the call from the office to let us know the new resevoir is in in the dealership in Sioux City to take it there. Kind of a pain in the butt.
Christmas seems to be pretty well set for us. I got the packages thursday this last week and Elder McConnel got his too, so our little charlie brownish fake tree has presents around it now. [FPEO thank you for the stuff to Elder McConnel, he was pretty stoked about it and thought it was funny you'd send him something, but I wasn't about to tell him the truth behind it] We are also set for Christmas and Christmas Eve, we have dinner with our Branch Mission Leader Christmas Eve and Christmas morning we're going to a member of the branch presidency's house for calling home and then to a young couple in the branch's house for dinner. If that doesn't make much sense, just know I'm covered. It's been a 180 since thanksgiving and it's awesome. People are trying to figure out ways to feed us now. And I nearly cried and hugged the Sister who invited us over to call home from her house on Christmas, since it had been up in the air how we would pull it off. But she said we could use her basement for privacy and take as long as we wanted. I nearly hugged her. Her and her husband are awesome. And their youngest son, who's just a little younger than me, just came home from college and looks a lot like me. Kind of creepy. Everybody in the branch kept thinking he was me, and so did Elder McConnel.
Yesterday we got the chance to deliver gifts to people from "Santa," and it was a cool experience. They went to people in the branch having hard times and we were asked to help deliver them. It helped to meet with some people and also was just cool to see. It's helped me see the real side of christmas, since all we've got to do much of lately is tick people off by interrupting their christmas season by knocking on their doors and bringing them out into the cold, or so it seems. Some people may be more receptive, but most are just too wrapped up in the season to be annoyed by people most of them don't consider christians (people don't make the connection that we introduce ourselves as being from the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints, or that it says JESUS CHRIST on our nametags in big letters, or that we say we'd like to share a message about JESUS CHRIST with them. But, as we've been told, we're going to burn in eternal Hellfire and Damnation [FPEO would it have been bad to say "See you there?" I almost did on accident....] because we worship a different Jesus. But mostly that You're Going to hell stuff just makes me laugh). So Elder McConnel and I plan on doing just a little door-knocking christmas eve morning with santa hats on.
We had an awesome lesson this week on prayer with our investigator who used to have a baptismal date. We hope he's either received his answer now that we've taught him how to pray more in-depthly with scriptural references and committed to do it. We also have an appointment with the investigator who was in the hospital. We're hoping to set a date with her since she's received her answer. We also are probably going to be having a family out of the huge pile of elect people in Vermillion moving here soon, and they are set for baptism. Just remembering to look on the bright side of life!
The weather is pretty nice right now, just upper twenties or so, perfect for my new best score in disc golf this morning (14. Not bad here) but snow is coming and storms apparently, too. Woo! So i'll have a white christmas for sure! We went out on the Missouri this last week. It's frozen over in parts and was really flippin thick. Don't worry about me in the cold, I'll be good. As long as we avoid curbs.
Well, Merry Christmas Everybody! This is my last monday P-Day, so I won't be sending another one for a week and a half. I still can't believe how fast this transfer went.... Thank you everybody who has sent me christmas gifts!!!
Love,
Elder Gates
This week wasn't very productive, but I'd consider that mostly due to the car accident we had on monday.
Oh, and in response to your email, that is AWESOME that grandpa is doing indexing for people from Yankton County!!! The counties out here are tiny and Yankton County is just a few miles larger than the city, so that's just amazing! Anyway. Way cool.
Ok, so I'm a terrible son and just wanted to make that all a cliff hanger about the accident. We just backed over a rockery curb thing on Monday going out of a members' driveway. Since we drive a little Toyota Corolla, it popped out the bumper and apparently broke the window washer resevoir. We knew about the bumper pretty quickly, and it was fixed easily enough at an autobody place, but the resevoir we didn't know about till we tried to put new washer fluid in and it just poured out the other side. Sooo, yeah. We spent a good part of a day or two this week getting that all worked out, and we're still waiting for the call from the office to let us know the new resevoir is in in the dealership in Sioux City to take it there. Kind of a pain in the butt.
Christmas seems to be pretty well set for us. I got the packages thursday this last week and Elder McConnel got his too, so our little charlie brownish fake tree has presents around it now. [FPEO thank you for the stuff to Elder McConnel, he was pretty stoked about it and thought it was funny you'd send him something, but I wasn't about to tell him the truth behind it] We are also set for Christmas and Christmas Eve, we have dinner with our Branch Mission Leader Christmas Eve and Christmas morning we're going to a member of the branch presidency's house for calling home and then to a young couple in the branch's house for dinner. If that doesn't make much sense, just know I'm covered. It's been a 180 since thanksgiving and it's awesome. People are trying to figure out ways to feed us now. And I nearly cried and hugged the Sister who invited us over to call home from her house on Christmas, since it had been up in the air how we would pull it off. But she said we could use her basement for privacy and take as long as we wanted. I nearly hugged her. Her and her husband are awesome. And their youngest son, who's just a little younger than me, just came home from college and looks a lot like me. Kind of creepy. Everybody in the branch kept thinking he was me, and so did Elder McConnel.
Yesterday we got the chance to deliver gifts to people from "Santa," and it was a cool experience. They went to people in the branch having hard times and we were asked to help deliver them. It helped to meet with some people and also was just cool to see. It's helped me see the real side of christmas, since all we've got to do much of lately is tick people off by interrupting their christmas season by knocking on their doors and bringing them out into the cold, or so it seems. Some people may be more receptive, but most are just too wrapped up in the season to be annoyed by people most of them don't consider christians (people don't make the connection that we introduce ourselves as being from the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints, or that it says JESUS CHRIST on our nametags in big letters, or that we say we'd like to share a message about JESUS CHRIST with them. But, as we've been told, we're going to burn in eternal Hellfire and Damnation [FPEO would it have been bad to say "See you there?" I almost did on accident....] because we worship a different Jesus. But mostly that You're Going to hell stuff just makes me laugh). So Elder McConnel and I plan on doing just a little door-knocking christmas eve morning with santa hats on.
We had an awesome lesson this week on prayer with our investigator who used to have a baptismal date. We hope he's either received his answer now that we've taught him how to pray more in-depthly with scriptural references and committed to do it. We also have an appointment with the investigator who was in the hospital. We're hoping to set a date with her since she's received her answer. We also are probably going to be having a family out of the huge pile of elect people in Vermillion moving here soon, and they are set for baptism. Just remembering to look on the bright side of life!
The weather is pretty nice right now, just upper twenties or so, perfect for my new best score in disc golf this morning (14. Not bad here) but snow is coming and storms apparently, too. Woo! So i'll have a white christmas for sure! We went out on the Missouri this last week. It's frozen over in parts and was really flippin thick. Don't worry about me in the cold, I'll be good. As long as we avoid curbs.
Well, Merry Christmas Everybody! This is my last monday P-Day, so I won't be sending another one for a week and a half. I still can't believe how fast this transfer went.... Thank you everybody who has sent me christmas gifts!!!
Love,
Elder Gates
Many are called but few are frozen (Dec 14)
Boy am I lucky to be one of the elect few in that case.
Dang it.
Yes, it has been absolutely miserably cold this week. And it's technically not that bad for here. Nor should i really complain because there's always somewhere that's worse. But, it's cold.
Elder McConnel is from Boise, Idaho, and handles himself just fine in the snow while driving. So no worries, mom!
The snow and cold, and the fact that Iowa was hit the worst out of any state, led to us being told to stay inside tuesday night. Well, Elder McConnel and I had an appointment with one of our main investigators that lived about ten minutes away, and we got the news to stay in half an hour or so before the appointment. So, we took the matter to President Talbot and got it approved to go as long as we were positive we'd be safe. Luckily, a member from the branch drove who is from northern Minnesota and had an SUV, so he drove. I've never seen a near-whiteout going sideways. Anyway, that's probably more news than you wanted to know, Mom. The next day our cars were grounded so we were made to only walk. THAT stunk, since we live on the edge of town (Literally. We're on the corner of 8th and CITY LIMITS Road). So we walked to our Branch Mission Leaders house and used that as our base to head out and do stuff. We mostly just went and shoveled some sidewalks that day. By the way, you know it's bad when a midwest town cancels school due to weather. But it was sunny that day, and not too terrible, just in the single digits or so, plus a ten mile an hour or so breeze. Plus I was bundled up really well. I wore sunglasses, too. Big mistake. Our branch mission leader thought i looked like the unibomber. But, yeah, it was cold. Especially that night when we walked home. Elder McConnel and I had to check each others faces for frost bite. Not to mention that a conman of a duck caused us to try to free it from the ice just to find out it wasn't stuck anyway. Most people think we're crazy for being out in the cold tracting. But we gotta, can't cut out on the work just for some cold. But we do have a chart that keeps track of temp and wind speed and lets us know how fast we'll get frost bite, and we'll definitely come in if we need to. We went disc golfing in the snow again this morning. Today was very freakin cold. But at least we had spray painted my white discs read, so we didn't lose them as much.
This week, strangely enough, despite the cold, was mostly spent finding. And with all of our searching we only set up two return appointments. But we taught like six lessons to members and had about that many meals fed to us. It was great.
Keep warm, everybody. I'm trying my best....
Elder Gates
Dang it.
Yes, it has been absolutely miserably cold this week. And it's technically not that bad for here. Nor should i really complain because there's always somewhere that's worse. But, it's cold.
Elder McConnel is from Boise, Idaho, and handles himself just fine in the snow while driving. So no worries, mom!
The snow and cold, and the fact that Iowa was hit the worst out of any state, led to us being told to stay inside tuesday night. Well, Elder McConnel and I had an appointment with one of our main investigators that lived about ten minutes away, and we got the news to stay in half an hour or so before the appointment. So, we took the matter to President Talbot and got it approved to go as long as we were positive we'd be safe. Luckily, a member from the branch drove who is from northern Minnesota and had an SUV, so he drove. I've never seen a near-whiteout going sideways. Anyway, that's probably more news than you wanted to know, Mom. The next day our cars were grounded so we were made to only walk. THAT stunk, since we live on the edge of town (Literally. We're on the corner of 8th and CITY LIMITS Road). So we walked to our Branch Mission Leaders house and used that as our base to head out and do stuff. We mostly just went and shoveled some sidewalks that day. By the way, you know it's bad when a midwest town cancels school due to weather. But it was sunny that day, and not too terrible, just in the single digits or so, plus a ten mile an hour or so breeze. Plus I was bundled up really well. I wore sunglasses, too. Big mistake. Our branch mission leader thought i looked like the unibomber. But, yeah, it was cold. Especially that night when we walked home. Elder McConnel and I had to check each others faces for frost bite. Not to mention that a conman of a duck caused us to try to free it from the ice just to find out it wasn't stuck anyway. Most people think we're crazy for being out in the cold tracting. But we gotta, can't cut out on the work just for some cold. But we do have a chart that keeps track of temp and wind speed and lets us know how fast we'll get frost bite, and we'll definitely come in if we need to. We went disc golfing in the snow again this morning. Today was very freakin cold. But at least we had spray painted my white discs read, so we didn't lose them as much.
This week, strangely enough, despite the cold, was mostly spent finding. And with all of our searching we only set up two return appointments. But we taught like six lessons to members and had about that many meals fed to us. It was great.
Keep warm, everybody. I'm trying my best....
Elder Gates
The Abominable Snowmormon (Dec 7)
Well, everybody, it happened.
Snow has come to the midwest.
With more to come shortly.
So now the freakish cold at least has beauty along with it.
I'm trying to focus on the bright sides of it:
1) Snow looks cool.
2) Sliding on compact snow, as you will inevitably do, is a fun feeling.
3) Lakes are freezing over, which means soon we can go join the people out on Lake Yankton with their ice holes.
4) If Elder McConnel does anything dumb I can chuck a snowball at him.
5) People supposedly get nicer when this time comes (Lies. We were standing on somebody's doorstep and it started snowing. Well, most people would let us in or send us off, two things that would have kept us warm, but instead he decided then was a good time to complain to us about his life. After 5 minutes of standing there freezing, seeing no polite way to leave, I just started laughing at the awkwardness of it all. I just couldn't help it; I just imagined somebody else's perspective of that moment and it looked hilarious. I tried to cover it up, since we were supposed to be sympathizing with this man, and i think I was successful at doing so. Thank goodness.)
6) Disc Golf (which we did this morning) has a whole new level of difficulty. Playing that game in leather gloves is hard. And painful. But fun.
7) It makes great pictures. We're going to take pictures of all these things, not to mention some other plans.
8) I'll have a white christmas.
9) No "MAKE IT SNOW" signs will be on my door.
10) I will appreciate warmth so much more.
That's good enough, I think. This week hasn't been too eventful in the way of work, other than the one investigator that had a baptismal date is now not progressing really and one that we picked up last week that just fell into our laps has received her answer from the spirit that the Book of Mormon is true and will be baptized (just no date yet) but is now currently in the hospital. She had a 22-pound cist removed from her stomach. Sounds farfetched? They showed us a picture. I nearly puked, but I don't think that our sixteen-year-old investigator would have appreciated being puked on. But she asked us for a blessing, without us offering, which is tight! She's way solid. We also found a man who loves to feed missionaries, and have eaten at his house twice. No idea how interested he is, doesn't seem like much, but we'll try to teach him as much as we can. Way nice, way lonely old man.
We also had our christmas zone conference in Des Moines this week, a nearly six hundred mile drive round trip. We stayed the night in Sioux City on the way down and on the way back, which helped. But it was snowing, not really sticking, a good chunk of the trip. But it was worth it. Zone conference training was really good, and then we had a talent show and a slideshow with pictures from all over the mission. Way tight.
Elder McConnel is helping to change things up in this branch in the way of seeing things get done and letting them know who we need to focus on and in what way. It's so cool to finally see somebody that's just like Look, we need to do this because it will actually have results.
Anyway, life's good up here in the fridgid tundra of the north!
-Elder Charlie Gates
Snow has come to the midwest.
With more to come shortly.
So now the freakish cold at least has beauty along with it.
I'm trying to focus on the bright sides of it:
1) Snow looks cool.
2) Sliding on compact snow, as you will inevitably do, is a fun feeling.
3) Lakes are freezing over, which means soon we can go join the people out on Lake Yankton with their ice holes.
4) If Elder McConnel does anything dumb I can chuck a snowball at him.
5) People supposedly get nicer when this time comes (Lies. We were standing on somebody's doorstep and it started snowing. Well, most people would let us in or send us off, two things that would have kept us warm, but instead he decided then was a good time to complain to us about his life. After 5 minutes of standing there freezing, seeing no polite way to leave, I just started laughing at the awkwardness of it all. I just couldn't help it; I just imagined somebody else's perspective of that moment and it looked hilarious. I tried to cover it up, since we were supposed to be sympathizing with this man, and i think I was successful at doing so. Thank goodness.)
6) Disc Golf (which we did this morning) has a whole new level of difficulty. Playing that game in leather gloves is hard. And painful. But fun.
7) It makes great pictures. We're going to take pictures of all these things, not to mention some other plans.
8) I'll have a white christmas.
9) No "MAKE IT SNOW" signs will be on my door.
10) I will appreciate warmth so much more.
That's good enough, I think. This week hasn't been too eventful in the way of work, other than the one investigator that had a baptismal date is now not progressing really and one that we picked up last week that just fell into our laps has received her answer from the spirit that the Book of Mormon is true and will be baptized (just no date yet) but is now currently in the hospital. She had a 22-pound cist removed from her stomach. Sounds farfetched? They showed us a picture. I nearly puked, but I don't think that our sixteen-year-old investigator would have appreciated being puked on. But she asked us for a blessing, without us offering, which is tight! She's way solid. We also found a man who loves to feed missionaries, and have eaten at his house twice. No idea how interested he is, doesn't seem like much, but we'll try to teach him as much as we can. Way nice, way lonely old man.
We also had our christmas zone conference in Des Moines this week, a nearly six hundred mile drive round trip. We stayed the night in Sioux City on the way down and on the way back, which helped. But it was snowing, not really sticking, a good chunk of the trip. But it was worth it. Zone conference training was really good, and then we had a talent show and a slideshow with pictures from all over the mission. Way tight.
Elder McConnel is helping to change things up in this branch in the way of seeing things get done and letting them know who we need to focus on and in what way. It's so cool to finally see somebody that's just like Look, we need to do this because it will actually have results.
Anyway, life's good up here in the fridgid tundra of the north!
-Elder Charlie Gates
Free Range Turkey (Nov 30)
Hello Everybody,
So Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas has begun! Christmas, for all who are poor and uninformed, is a holiday that begins the day after thanksgiving and goes all the way till the 25th.
For Christmas, we were surprisingly not invited to anybody's home in our branch. We had thanksgiving out in Vermillion with their Branch Mission Leader who invited us over at FHE when he found out we had no plans for the holiday, which was very nice of him and his wife. We also came with our Branch Mission Leader and a member of our branch so it's not like we deserted our branch completely or anything. It was a fun time and felt like home. We had hors devours or however it's spelled (doesn't matter how it's spelled in that language, it's going to be pronounced differently anyway) which consisted of a cheeseball, veggies, chips, dip, and a sort of monkeybread that had garlic instead of cinnamon. Basically like home except for the monkeybread. And then we had dinner a little while later and then dessert even later. It was awesome and fun. My comp seriously seems like a Fawcett, which is great. There're things I don't quite agree with that he does, but for the most part is just real and will say what he thinks, which is hilarious and makes me feel so much better cause it's what I was thinking as well, so I don't feel as bad and can just voice my own opinions as well. Anyway, Thanksgiving was great, about the dinner, that is. We made the mistake of tracting that morning. A bunch of being waved away and once flipped off. Oh how delightful. Finally, when somebody did answer the door and we could start saying something to him, he told us he already had a church (a common response). Elder McConnel, somewhat fed up with the rude rejections we had received, just happily replied with "Oh that's great! We're just out wishing people a happy thanksgiving today. Is there anythign we could help you out with?" The man, looking slightly dumbfounded, declined the offer for service.
This week has also been District Leader Council, which meant, that's right, another trip to Sioux City! Woot! So yeah, while the district leaders were in there I took a couple brand new greenies tracting. Which was great because I got to drive (it was one of the few times I'll be considered a senior companion for awhile) and because it was hilarious. We tracted an apartment complex that had one of those old, rickety, horror film elevators with doors you have to pry open for yourself. It was great watching them tracting. One talked so fast in one continual sentence the poor people at the door had no chance to respond except with "Hi...Well...Um...Yeah...I'm not interested." And the other stood on the doorstep looking like he was somebody from the military to deliver the news of a death in person. I also tried to hotwire a doorbell, which is always fun, by pinching the two wires together that stick out of the hole where the doorbell should be. Well, they weren't wires...they were a spider's legs. It was kind of creepy.
The weather is getting colder, that's for sure. Still no real snow, but that's ok as far as I'm concerned. It should be coming soon, and with the way it's been delayed, it'll probably be big. Woot.
Our investigator wants his date moved back, which is probably better because we have a lot to teach him still. He's still pretty awesome but still doesn't recognize he's gotten and answer. Most of our time right now is taken up by finding investigators and visiting Less actives. It's hard work but it's going well. We're working hard. I hope that the fact that I spent just a very little bit talking about the work you don't think I'm being lazy out here, it's just not very interesting to talk about for the most part.
I know this work to be true and exactly where I should be. And while the work is tough, I know there's a reason I'm here.
Love,
Elder Gates
So Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas has begun! Christmas, for all who are poor and uninformed, is a holiday that begins the day after thanksgiving and goes all the way till the 25th.
For Christmas, we were surprisingly not invited to anybody's home in our branch. We had thanksgiving out in Vermillion with their Branch Mission Leader who invited us over at FHE when he found out we had no plans for the holiday, which was very nice of him and his wife. We also came with our Branch Mission Leader and a member of our branch so it's not like we deserted our branch completely or anything. It was a fun time and felt like home. We had hors devours or however it's spelled (doesn't matter how it's spelled in that language, it's going to be pronounced differently anyway) which consisted of a cheeseball, veggies, chips, dip, and a sort of monkeybread that had garlic instead of cinnamon. Basically like home except for the monkeybread. And then we had dinner a little while later and then dessert even later. It was awesome and fun. My comp seriously seems like a Fawcett, which is great. There're things I don't quite agree with that he does, but for the most part is just real and will say what he thinks, which is hilarious and makes me feel so much better cause it's what I was thinking as well, so I don't feel as bad and can just voice my own opinions as well. Anyway, Thanksgiving was great, about the dinner, that is. We made the mistake of tracting that morning. A bunch of being waved away and once flipped off. Oh how delightful. Finally, when somebody did answer the door and we could start saying something to him, he told us he already had a church (a common response). Elder McConnel, somewhat fed up with the rude rejections we had received, just happily replied with "Oh that's great! We're just out wishing people a happy thanksgiving today. Is there anythign we could help you out with?" The man, looking slightly dumbfounded, declined the offer for service.
This week has also been District Leader Council, which meant, that's right, another trip to Sioux City! Woot! So yeah, while the district leaders were in there I took a couple brand new greenies tracting. Which was great because I got to drive (it was one of the few times I'll be considered a senior companion for awhile) and because it was hilarious. We tracted an apartment complex that had one of those old, rickety, horror film elevators with doors you have to pry open for yourself. It was great watching them tracting. One talked so fast in one continual sentence the poor people at the door had no chance to respond except with "Hi...Well...Um...Yeah...I'm not interested." And the other stood on the doorstep looking like he was somebody from the military to deliver the news of a death in person. I also tried to hotwire a doorbell, which is always fun, by pinching the two wires together that stick out of the hole where the doorbell should be. Well, they weren't wires...they were a spider's legs. It was kind of creepy.
The weather is getting colder, that's for sure. Still no real snow, but that's ok as far as I'm concerned. It should be coming soon, and with the way it's been delayed, it'll probably be big. Woot.
Our investigator wants his date moved back, which is probably better because we have a lot to teach him still. He's still pretty awesome but still doesn't recognize he's gotten and answer. Most of our time right now is taken up by finding investigators and visiting Less actives. It's hard work but it's going well. We're working hard. I hope that the fact that I spent just a very little bit talking about the work you don't think I'm being lazy out here, it's just not very interesting to talk about for the most part.
I know this work to be true and exactly where I should be. And while the work is tough, I know there's a reason I'm here.
Love,
Elder Gates
Yankton with a twist (Nov 23)
Aloha,
Thanksgiving's this week! I'm mostly excited about the fact this means the beginning of christmas and christmas music. We have no set appointments yet, but a couple possibilities that will probably pan out. We'll see.
And yes, I do have a new companion! His name's Elder McConnel, and he kind of looks like Steven and is a lot different than Elder Nelson, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's a good guy and will be good to serve with. It's been kind of stressful the last couple days, having to get Elder McCollen acquainted with the work out here. But it's falling into a rhythm and will be good. But I was still looking forward to today. P-Days are the closest thing missionaries get to "A Day of Rest." And they're not restful, really. Things are still going well, just going to be doing a lot of finding to build up our teaching pool and lots of Less-Active work.
Snow should be coming soon, or so they say. Good thing I bought my boots this past week. They'll be handy. A lot of missionaries go without but it'll be nice to have some boots. Not to mention they're way comfy.
Transfers are really...interesting times. Now I've done one where I stayed, and for the first time in my mission have had a normal mission pattern. On transfer day I got to hang out in Sioux City with the Zone Leader left behind, the other one had gone Assistant the week before, and another elder whose companion had left with Elder Nelson. We got some good shopping done, visited a member who collects and sells knives and swords which was interesting, and did a few other odd-jobs, as we all kept wondering who we were getting and all the craziness with that. Blind transfers sure do fulfill their purpose, but they cause so much intrigue amongst us missionaries it's hilarious. And the Vermillion Elders got whitewashed out and were replaced by sisters! It was kind of creepy to think that in the room I had slept in the night before there were now sisters. And that the apartment I'd been in so many times is now off-limits. Weird....
I'm thankful for this work. For all we do. I'm thankful for the atonement and for Christ's restored church. I'm thankful for my family and all they do for me. I'm thankful for all the knowledge i have being a member of this church. I'm thankful for how much God has blessed me and continues to bless me.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Elder Charlie Gates
Thanksgiving's this week! I'm mostly excited about the fact this means the beginning of christmas and christmas music. We have no set appointments yet, but a couple possibilities that will probably pan out. We'll see.
And yes, I do have a new companion! His name's Elder McConnel, and he kind of looks like Steven and is a lot different than Elder Nelson, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. He's a good guy and will be good to serve with. It's been kind of stressful the last couple days, having to get Elder McCollen acquainted with the work out here. But it's falling into a rhythm and will be good. But I was still looking forward to today. P-Days are the closest thing missionaries get to "A Day of Rest." And they're not restful, really. Things are still going well, just going to be doing a lot of finding to build up our teaching pool and lots of Less-Active work.
Snow should be coming soon, or so they say. Good thing I bought my boots this past week. They'll be handy. A lot of missionaries go without but it'll be nice to have some boots. Not to mention they're way comfy.
Transfers are really...interesting times. Now I've done one where I stayed, and for the first time in my mission have had a normal mission pattern. On transfer day I got to hang out in Sioux City with the Zone Leader left behind, the other one had gone Assistant the week before, and another elder whose companion had left with Elder Nelson. We got some good shopping done, visited a member who collects and sells knives and swords which was interesting, and did a few other odd-jobs, as we all kept wondering who we were getting and all the craziness with that. Blind transfers sure do fulfill their purpose, but they cause so much intrigue amongst us missionaries it's hilarious. And the Vermillion Elders got whitewashed out and were replaced by sisters! It was kind of creepy to think that in the room I had slept in the night before there were now sisters. And that the apartment I'd been in so many times is now off-limits. Weird....
I'm thankful for this work. For all we do. I'm thankful for the atonement and for Christ's restored church. I'm thankful for my family and all they do for me. I'm thankful for all the knowledge i have being a member of this church. I'm thankful for how much God has blessed me and continues to bless me.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
-Elder Charlie Gates
Elder Gates the Level 37 Dragonmaster (Nov 18)
Hola!
Ok, so, this week is transfers! Elder Nelson is leaving me, which is sad and kind of scary since I have no clue who's coming to replace him. He's been a good comp. But he's been called to be zone leader which is pretty cool. We all guessed that he would, which President Talbot called inspiration. So now I have to step up and show the new guy the ropes of the area. Which would be so much easier if I had been here two transfers and not just one. But to add to the craziness, the Vermillion elders, who we did a lot with and kept in close contact with and everything, are being whitewashed out! Meaning, both are leaving and two new elders are coming in! So I'll be the only missionary staying in the district. Oh how fun....
But other news: WE HAVE A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!! AND I'M NOT LEAVING THIS TIME SO I SHOULD BE HERE FOR IT!! His name's Dennis and he's changed a lot while we've met with him. At first he was questioning why God doesn't come down and show himself and why the atonement had to happen, and was...not combative, but didn't listen well. Now he listens intently and loves our visits. He's such a cool guy and it's been great to see the spirit work on him.
So did you know that our church owns Coke and is behind the giant tower in Dubai that we're making for a temple? Or that higher up priests in the church wear green undies? Or that it's blasphemous to have pictures of Christ with long hair because it's meant to show him as effeminate? Or that the NIV Bible is absolutely evil? Yep, neither did I. Great things you learn from Evangelical Ministers while tracting. Funny thing about that little town we visited was that they had a strip club. The town is smaller than our neighborhood back at home.
We also drove looking for a referral from church headquarters forever. The guy had asked for a Book of Mormon and it took nearly all afternoon to find. First we went to the wrong town, then we had to drive all over the local Reservation for it, and it was just loads of fun. But there are legitimate hills in parts of Nebraska! Whoda thunk? Things you learn while lost in the middle of nowhere.
The mission's going great. I'll be just fine with the new way that things are about to be going. I should be getting a good companion, they almost always have good companions for "Greenie Busters," as they're called.
The weather's getting more chilly, but it's still really sunny. I hope it stays that way. Snow is no bueno.
I forgot to mention. There's a member of the Branch here that makes the Elders whatever animal they want out of cardboard and paint and such. Not knowing this when he asked me what animal I wanted, I now have a sky blue dragon hanging above my bed! It's pretty cool too. Looking back, if I had known, though, I would have liked a platypus or something like that. Or a monkey.... But I like my dragon. My companion asked for a snake, but the member of the ward doesn't make animals that are evil, and so Elder Nelson received a version of what this member of the branch believes the snake looked like before it lost legs...and apparently wings. Elder Nelson refers to it as the Serpent That Beguiled Eve. I just call it Lucy Fir.
The work's going great. I love it. Still finding more investigators and meeting with some less actives! We have some pretty cool less actives here.
Love you all,
Elder Gates
Ok, so, this week is transfers! Elder Nelson is leaving me, which is sad and kind of scary since I have no clue who's coming to replace him. He's been a good comp. But he's been called to be zone leader which is pretty cool. We all guessed that he would, which President Talbot called inspiration. So now I have to step up and show the new guy the ropes of the area. Which would be so much easier if I had been here two transfers and not just one. But to add to the craziness, the Vermillion elders, who we did a lot with and kept in close contact with and everything, are being whitewashed out! Meaning, both are leaving and two new elders are coming in! So I'll be the only missionary staying in the district. Oh how fun....
But other news: WE HAVE A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!! AND I'M NOT LEAVING THIS TIME SO I SHOULD BE HERE FOR IT!! His name's Dennis and he's changed a lot while we've met with him. At first he was questioning why God doesn't come down and show himself and why the atonement had to happen, and was...not combative, but didn't listen well. Now he listens intently and loves our visits. He's such a cool guy and it's been great to see the spirit work on him.
So did you know that our church owns Coke and is behind the giant tower in Dubai that we're making for a temple? Or that higher up priests in the church wear green undies? Or that it's blasphemous to have pictures of Christ with long hair because it's meant to show him as effeminate? Or that the NIV Bible is absolutely evil? Yep, neither did I. Great things you learn from Evangelical Ministers while tracting. Funny thing about that little town we visited was that they had a strip club. The town is smaller than our neighborhood back at home.
We also drove looking for a referral from church headquarters forever. The guy had asked for a Book of Mormon and it took nearly all afternoon to find. First we went to the wrong town, then we had to drive all over the local Reservation for it, and it was just loads of fun. But there are legitimate hills in parts of Nebraska! Whoda thunk? Things you learn while lost in the middle of nowhere.
The mission's going great. I'll be just fine with the new way that things are about to be going. I should be getting a good companion, they almost always have good companions for "Greenie Busters," as they're called.
The weather's getting more chilly, but it's still really sunny. I hope it stays that way. Snow is no bueno.
I forgot to mention. There's a member of the Branch here that makes the Elders whatever animal they want out of cardboard and paint and such. Not knowing this when he asked me what animal I wanted, I now have a sky blue dragon hanging above my bed! It's pretty cool too. Looking back, if I had known, though, I would have liked a platypus or something like that. Or a monkey.... But I like my dragon. My companion asked for a snake, but the member of the ward doesn't make animals that are evil, and so Elder Nelson received a version of what this member of the branch believes the snake looked like before it lost legs...and apparently wings. Elder Nelson refers to it as the Serpent That Beguiled Eve. I just call it Lucy Fir.
The work's going great. I love it. Still finding more investigators and meeting with some less actives! We have some pretty cool less actives here.
Love you all,
Elder Gates
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