This week was mostly spent in Galena. The Elders there are having a hard time getting along, and since President would rather not have to ET anybody, he's allowing for two day mid-week exchanges. So I got to chill with Elder Poulson for a couple days, which was fun. Elder Poulson's the Elder I'm the closest to from my MTC group and we have had pretty much the same mission experience. It was great being able to talk to somebody that could relate to it all. Since the Spirit is not present between him and his companion, who has a history of having a hard time with his companions (what's that word that means "doing the same thing expecting different results?"), Elder Poulson saves their teaching appointments for exchanges. So I got to see a lot of the people they're teaching. We also briefly stopped by this antique store in Galena that has some amazing ties. I picked out a few and walked up to the counter, asking how much they were. "Well," said the man on the other side, "I usually charge 5 bucks a tie." My heart sunk a little, knowing that, no matter how amazing the ties were, I had made a commitment not to waste money and fifteen dollars was more than I was willing to pay. "But are you guys the missionaries from the Latter-Day Saint Church?" We responded in the affirmative. "Did you help my mom clean up dog crap in her yard a little bit ago?" I hesitated, as I had not, but Elder Poulson responded that he had with another companion. "Well, it sounds like you two just earned yourself a couple free ties." At this point, the love of God was made manifest to me and I just stood there, dumbstruck, staring at the saint of a store owner. "Do you mind if I grab a couple of ties, too?" Elder Poulson asked, breaking me out of my trance and allowing me to close my mouth before any drool came out. The store owner graciously and readily acquiesced and Elder Poulson grabbed a couple incredible ties of his own. Having legally robbed the man, we left, spewing out our thanks. Missionary blessings CAN be temporal. Sometimes. It was a good big exchange. It really felt like a really short emergency transfer more than an exchange. We also had interviews with President Jergensen on Friday, which was great. He informed me that I will most likely be staying in Dubuque until I go home! I hope that goes through! It's really a great area. He also thanked me for all I did in Quincy and said that I had done a great job there with paving the way for the next elders. This sort of surprised me, as I had thought I had failed for sure there. But sure enough, Saturday night I got a phone call from the Elders in Quincy informing me that Emily was being baptized the next day!!! I tried to congratulate them on it but Elder Curtis deflected the praise back to myself as Elder Cooper and I were apparently the ones that finally got her to really want to be baptized. So that was way exciting! Anyway, that's about it!
Love,
The Transcendentally Beautiful Elder Gates
(Doctrine & Covenants 137:2)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Double the Temples, Double the Fun
Hello there everybody!
So I think I forgot to mention this last week, but I got permission to go to the Nauvoo Temple this last Tuesday! It was, of course, incredible. It's been so long since I last went, I think it was October 2009 or so. So it was no problem getting permission to go. Plus it was great doing a session in such a historic temple. I was reminded of so much and learned so much. I LOVE temples altogether, but Nauvoo, both the town and the temple, will always have a special place in my heart. I remember watching the webcam that used to be set up, showing the building of the Nauvoo Temple, and how excited I would be to check up on the progress. So, yeah. I especially like going to Nauvoo from the south, along the River Road, being able to see the temple perched atop the hill for miles before getting there. It's beautiful. The members that took us were even nice enough to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even some fudge from the Fudge Factory and small souvenirs. They really didn't have to do all that, and I wasn't expecting them to, but they did. Oh, speaking of small souvenirs, unless you don't have one already, Mom and Dad, one of those Nauvoo Bricks is yours to keep.
Later in the week, however, I got the chance to tour a Masonic Temple. That was fascinating! I had always wanted to see what people had always talked about when they said things about how things in the temple were taken from the Masons. Now that I've been given a tour, and had some things explained to me from the Masonic symbols, I can see how there are a few similarities, but oh, what a difference! Comparing the feeling between the two of them was the biggest testifier. While I could see that there was good in the Masons, and that what they do and all they stand for is interesting, the Spirit wasn't there. Not that the Spirit was absent, it was just no more present than any normal building. At one point, in a large lodge room, I played "Come Thou Fount" on the organ, and immediately there was a difference. While the building had me in awe, I didn't feel the Spirit until I played that song and felt the Spirit come in. Those of you who have been through an LDS Temple know, on the other hand, that in there the Spirit is so very strongly testifying of its truthfulness. Being able to compare and contrast the two locations was a wonderful way to grow my testimony in the Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I also had the fun chance to show our guide, a less active member, how to work the player piano in one of the other lodge rooms. He had never seen it work, and didn't think it could, but after doing some looking around and finding the hidden peddles, I soon had the thing running. I love the little things you learn on your mission, like all that I learned about player pianos from one of my favorite members in Mason City. I was also amazed to hear, as I began pumping the peddles, the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" play back at me, and feel the Spirit once again change the vast building. The Masons generally only require their members to believe in some higher power, and some smaller auxiliaries within the group do get more specific on Christ, and thus there is a slight religious tint to the organization, but is not a church, the Spirit's just not in that building like it is in ours. As missionaries who visit other religions always say, seeing other churches rebuilds your testimony in the Church, the same happened here with temples. Gotta love it!
We also set another baptismal date this week! This one is with a 16-year-old kid named Hunter. He's a good kid who used to be taught but got really busy for awhile but wants to be taught again and still wants to be baptized! He didn't come to church this week, due to work, but he's looking for another job and we're praying for him.
Ok, so for a little extra bit of news, in my efforts to refocus myself and rededicate myself to the work, and allowing the mission to change me, I have felt impressed to, and have decided to, stop writing letters. I'll only write my emails home for family and this blog and my already rare snail mail letters to family. You may all still write me, but I won't reply. Now, in extenuating circumstances, such as a marriage or whatnot, I'll send you something as a congratulatory thing or whatever, but otherwise, I feel that this is what I must do. So, keep updated on my blog here and you'll know everything basically that I would have sent to you otherwise! I hope you all understand! And remember, Mom, Dad, Cari and James, this doesn't include you, you'll still hear from me.
Well, that's about it!
--
"Don't Sell Yourself Short." -President Crabtree
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
So I think I forgot to mention this last week, but I got permission to go to the Nauvoo Temple this last Tuesday! It was, of course, incredible. It's been so long since I last went, I think it was October 2009 or so. So it was no problem getting permission to go. Plus it was great doing a session in such a historic temple. I was reminded of so much and learned so much. I LOVE temples altogether, but Nauvoo, both the town and the temple, will always have a special place in my heart. I remember watching the webcam that used to be set up, showing the building of the Nauvoo Temple, and how excited I would be to check up on the progress. So, yeah. I especially like going to Nauvoo from the south, along the River Road, being able to see the temple perched atop the hill for miles before getting there. It's beautiful. The members that took us were even nice enough to pay for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even some fudge from the Fudge Factory and small souvenirs. They really didn't have to do all that, and I wasn't expecting them to, but they did. Oh, speaking of small souvenirs, unless you don't have one already, Mom and Dad, one of those Nauvoo Bricks is yours to keep.
Later in the week, however, I got the chance to tour a Masonic Temple. That was fascinating! I had always wanted to see what people had always talked about when they said things about how things in the temple were taken from the Masons. Now that I've been given a tour, and had some things explained to me from the Masonic symbols, I can see how there are a few similarities, but oh, what a difference! Comparing the feeling between the two of them was the biggest testifier. While I could see that there was good in the Masons, and that what they do and all they stand for is interesting, the Spirit wasn't there. Not that the Spirit was absent, it was just no more present than any normal building. At one point, in a large lodge room, I played "Come Thou Fount" on the organ, and immediately there was a difference. While the building had me in awe, I didn't feel the Spirit until I played that song and felt the Spirit come in. Those of you who have been through an LDS Temple know, on the other hand, that in there the Spirit is so very strongly testifying of its truthfulness. Being able to compare and contrast the two locations was a wonderful way to grow my testimony in the Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I also had the fun chance to show our guide, a less active member, how to work the player piano in one of the other lodge rooms. He had never seen it work, and didn't think it could, but after doing some looking around and finding the hidden peddles, I soon had the thing running. I love the little things you learn on your mission, like all that I learned about player pianos from one of my favorite members in Mason City. I was also amazed to hear, as I began pumping the peddles, the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" play back at me, and feel the Spirit once again change the vast building. The Masons generally only require their members to believe in some higher power, and some smaller auxiliaries within the group do get more specific on Christ, and thus there is a slight religious tint to the organization, but is not a church, the Spirit's just not in that building like it is in ours. As missionaries who visit other religions always say, seeing other churches rebuilds your testimony in the Church, the same happened here with temples. Gotta love it!
We also set another baptismal date this week! This one is with a 16-year-old kid named Hunter. He's a good kid who used to be taught but got really busy for awhile but wants to be taught again and still wants to be baptized! He didn't come to church this week, due to work, but he's looking for another job and we're praying for him.
Ok, so for a little extra bit of news, in my efforts to refocus myself and rededicate myself to the work, and allowing the mission to change me, I have felt impressed to, and have decided to, stop writing letters. I'll only write my emails home for family and this blog and my already rare snail mail letters to family. You may all still write me, but I won't reply. Now, in extenuating circumstances, such as a marriage or whatnot, I'll send you something as a congratulatory thing or whatever, but otherwise, I feel that this is what I must do. So, keep updated on my blog here and you'll know everything basically that I would have sent to you otherwise! I hope you all understand! And remember, Mom, Dad, Cari and James, this doesn't include you, you'll still hear from me.
Well, that's about it!
--
"Don't Sell Yourself Short." -President Crabtree
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
Monday, March 14, 2011
"Heroes Get Remembered, But Legends Never Die. Follow Your Heart, Kid, and You'll Never Go Wrong." -Babe Ruth Off of The Sandlot
Hello World,
It's Elder Gates.
As you can tell by my title, I still have the sick talent to remember quotes, even after it being this long.
I hear that apparently I unknowingly made an appearance in my homeward's sacrament meeting. I'm happy to know that I have achieved Nirvana and can now be in more than one place at once. I'm happy I could be of assistance, Lake Holm Ward!
Speaking of home, I met a less active Marshallese guy that actually lived for a time in Auburn, actually just on the wrong side of the road in Algona. It was pretty cool to finally meet somebody that not only knows what Auburn is (and that Worshington is not only a city but a state as well) but that lived there. So that was pretty cool.
This week was mostly spent outside of my area. I went on exchanges with Elder Poulson, a good friend of mine from the MTC, and my current District Leader, over in Galena, IL. Galena is apparently a pretty big tourist town. Why? Nobody really knows. I think it's somewhat like the Field of Dreams, how people just came in the movie to the field without really knowing why. Speaking of the Field of Dreams, guess what's in my area? It's either in it or just on the border, but I'm going to go with it being in my area because I want to go bad. Anyway. Point is that this wee little town has lots of appeal. It's a cute town, but besides Ulysses S. Grant being born there, there's not much historical about it. Their branch building is the back part of an office building, which is still a step up from the storefront on Main Street that Savanna, another area in the district, has for a church building. I never thought I'd see a fishbowl chapel. It was a good time over there, but there are times when visiting other missionary's areas helps you gain a new appreciation for your own. I'm just not used to being in the "whiter field," usually I'm in the area that helps other missionaries appreciate what they have. We then had Zone Conference in Iowa City which took all day. We didn't get back until late that night. Lucky for the Galena Elders, they got to sleep over in Savanna so they wouldn't have to be getting back to Galena so late, but seeing as we were driving the Sisters in our district to their area in Maquoketa, we really couldn't use their apartment as a rest stop. So we got in at 11 at the earliest. It didn't help, either, that Elder Noel got a ticket. He almost had his driving privileges taken away, but as the command for mine to be taken away came from Salt Lake and was not merely a command from President, President Jergensen had to let Elder Noel keep his driving privileges so we wouldn't lose the car. This, of course, as it always does, led to a few minutes of lamentation by President Jergensen as to how he wishes I had not lost my driving privileges and that if there is anybody that should be driving it's me. I've gotten used to this lamentation either by him or by Elder Church, the Senior Couple Elder over the vehicles. I usually then have to inform them of all of the perks of being in the passenger seat, while also thinking about how useless it is to be senior companion without the keys. It's like being captain without the wheel.
"Steer the boat here."
"Um, no, Captain."
"....Ok, whatever."
Luckily I'm in more of a co-senior companionship right now so it doesn't matter too much.
Anyway, point is that Elder Noel now had a hefty ticket to pay and no money in his account to pay it with. He had to call home for the money. President Jergensen gave him authorization to do so, but said that Elder Noel, since he was so close to going home, could not speak with his mother but to have me do the speaking. That was hilarious, his mom cracked me up. While it was slightly awkward passing on her continuous expressions of love to him, it was nice talking to a mom of a missionary, even if it wasn't my mom. President never gave any amount of time to the conversation so I had a good chat with her. Speaking of Elder Noel going home soon, it's really weighing on his mind, and, as he puts it, is driving him crazy. I really don't understand all of the trunkiness he's feeling, especially as I've recommitted myself lately, but I do hope I'm not driven crazy by it when I reach that point in my mission.
We set a baptismal date this week with a Marshallese kid! His name's Eddy and his brother is a member already. I was actually in Galena when they met with him, but he's a great kid that's been coming to church for awhile.
The Zone Conference was really good, too, and I received some strong impressions of how to improve myself as a missionary. I've become recommitted, which is a good thing as last couple transfers reduced that somewhat.... Long story for all those that don't know already, just know that I'm more committed now than ever. I plan on sprinting these last few transfers and being completely consecrated to this work. Not that I haven't been mostly, I've just not been quite as focused as I could have been. This makes me sound so disobedient and unfocused, but believe me I've been really good, and better, now I'm striving for the best I can possibly be, and Zone Conference gave me the ideas of how. So...yeah.
That's about it!
--
"Never Sell Yourself Short." -President Layman
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
PS To explain my new signature, this was advice once given to me by one of my stake presidents. While he said it almost as just a random, it really has been a major quote for my mission.
It's Elder Gates.
As you can tell by my title, I still have the sick talent to remember quotes, even after it being this long.
I hear that apparently I unknowingly made an appearance in my homeward's sacrament meeting. I'm happy to know that I have achieved Nirvana and can now be in more than one place at once. I'm happy I could be of assistance, Lake Holm Ward!
Speaking of home, I met a less active Marshallese guy that actually lived for a time in Auburn, actually just on the wrong side of the road in Algona. It was pretty cool to finally meet somebody that not only knows what Auburn is (and that Worshington is not only a city but a state as well) but that lived there. So that was pretty cool.
This week was mostly spent outside of my area. I went on exchanges with Elder Poulson, a good friend of mine from the MTC, and my current District Leader, over in Galena, IL. Galena is apparently a pretty big tourist town. Why? Nobody really knows. I think it's somewhat like the Field of Dreams, how people just came in the movie to the field without really knowing why. Speaking of the Field of Dreams, guess what's in my area? It's either in it or just on the border, but I'm going to go with it being in my area because I want to go bad. Anyway. Point is that this wee little town has lots of appeal. It's a cute town, but besides Ulysses S. Grant being born there, there's not much historical about it. Their branch building is the back part of an office building, which is still a step up from the storefront on Main Street that Savanna, another area in the district, has for a church building. I never thought I'd see a fishbowl chapel. It was a good time over there, but there are times when visiting other missionary's areas helps you gain a new appreciation for your own. I'm just not used to being in the "whiter field," usually I'm in the area that helps other missionaries appreciate what they have. We then had Zone Conference in Iowa City which took all day. We didn't get back until late that night. Lucky for the Galena Elders, they got to sleep over in Savanna so they wouldn't have to be getting back to Galena so late, but seeing as we were driving the Sisters in our district to their area in Maquoketa, we really couldn't use their apartment as a rest stop. So we got in at 11 at the earliest. It didn't help, either, that Elder Noel got a ticket. He almost had his driving privileges taken away, but as the command for mine to be taken away came from Salt Lake and was not merely a command from President, President Jergensen had to let Elder Noel keep his driving privileges so we wouldn't lose the car. This, of course, as it always does, led to a few minutes of lamentation by President Jergensen as to how he wishes I had not lost my driving privileges and that if there is anybody that should be driving it's me. I've gotten used to this lamentation either by him or by Elder Church, the Senior Couple Elder over the vehicles. I usually then have to inform them of all of the perks of being in the passenger seat, while also thinking about how useless it is to be senior companion without the keys. It's like being captain without the wheel.
"Steer the boat here."
"Um, no, Captain."
"....Ok, whatever."
Luckily I'm in more of a co-senior companionship right now so it doesn't matter too much.
Anyway, point is that Elder Noel now had a hefty ticket to pay and no money in his account to pay it with. He had to call home for the money. President Jergensen gave him authorization to do so, but said that Elder Noel, since he was so close to going home, could not speak with his mother but to have me do the speaking. That was hilarious, his mom cracked me up. While it was slightly awkward passing on her continuous expressions of love to him, it was nice talking to a mom of a missionary, even if it wasn't my mom. President never gave any amount of time to the conversation so I had a good chat with her. Speaking of Elder Noel going home soon, it's really weighing on his mind, and, as he puts it, is driving him crazy. I really don't understand all of the trunkiness he's feeling, especially as I've recommitted myself lately, but I do hope I'm not driven crazy by it when I reach that point in my mission.
We set a baptismal date this week with a Marshallese kid! His name's Eddy and his brother is a member already. I was actually in Galena when they met with him, but he's a great kid that's been coming to church for awhile.
The Zone Conference was really good, too, and I received some strong impressions of how to improve myself as a missionary. I've become recommitted, which is a good thing as last couple transfers reduced that somewhat.... Long story for all those that don't know already, just know that I'm more committed now than ever. I plan on sprinting these last few transfers and being completely consecrated to this work. Not that I haven't been mostly, I've just not been quite as focused as I could have been. This makes me sound so disobedient and unfocused, but believe me I've been really good, and better, now I'm striving for the best I can possibly be, and Zone Conference gave me the ideas of how. So...yeah.
That's about it!
--
"Never Sell Yourself Short." -President Layman
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
PS To explain my new signature, this was advice once given to me by one of my stake presidents. While he said it almost as just a random, it really has been a major quote for my mission.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
How Many Missionaries Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?
Two and the Holy Ghost, but only if the lightbulb wants to change.
I know, bad change on a classic, but it's true.
So this week has been mostly marked by...you know, stuff. Monday we drove all over looking at different parks and accidentally ended up in Wisconsin. Sort of outside our mission boundaries but I liked to pretend I could say hi briefly to the other Elder Gates over there. Tuesday we finished up some items we couldn't finish monday for Prep Day. That night I didn't feel well and on Wednesday I woke up being dizzy and junk, so we didn't do much. Thursday we had a special district meeting with the whole zone (so I'm assuming it should really have been deamed a Zone Meeting, but not Zone Conference, as that's this week) down in Davenport. That was good, but it took up our whole day. Friday we tried to see some people but most didn't exist. I've come to terms with the fact that the edge of the face of the earth must be located somewhere in the Midwest, as most stories of people, let them be investigators or less actives, end with "and then they fell off the face of the earth." I would not be surprised, as I swear I saw the end of the earth somewhere in South Dakota or Nebraska. Saturday we helped fill the baptismal font for a members' child's baptism. There ended up not being any real room for us in there for the actual baptism so we went to the family history library and learned a little about that for finding efforts. That evening we were invited to a member's Magic Show, which he was able to get us in for free to. Elder Noel loves magic so we went. I'm unsure if it's approved, but I wasn't about to fight the matter. Just label it and file it away in the "Failed Finding Attempts" or "Supporting Members' Occupations" folders. It was really interesting, cool, and entertaining, though. Sunday we had stake conference, but it was a regional broadcast. It was really good and had Bishop H. David Burton, Mary N. Cook, Quentin L. Cook, and Henry B. Eyring. I loved it all, especially that it was tailored to the midwest, but especially appreciated what H. David Burton had to say about this being the Heartland. Luckily it's not the Lungland, as most people here smoke. Later we watched Mountain of the Lord with a really cool recent convert Marshallese teenager. Sadly, however, some of us were more interested in the back of our eyelids at times.... I love that movie, though. Now Elder Noel is having a race through the Book of Mormon with that Recent Convert. I gladly avoid those races and enjoy my time going through it.
I really wish I had more to say, but I don't, really. Take care and more will come next week.
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
I know, bad change on a classic, but it's true.
So this week has been mostly marked by...you know, stuff. Monday we drove all over looking at different parks and accidentally ended up in Wisconsin. Sort of outside our mission boundaries but I liked to pretend I could say hi briefly to the other Elder Gates over there. Tuesday we finished up some items we couldn't finish monday for Prep Day. That night I didn't feel well and on Wednesday I woke up being dizzy and junk, so we didn't do much. Thursday we had a special district meeting with the whole zone (so I'm assuming it should really have been deamed a Zone Meeting, but not Zone Conference, as that's this week) down in Davenport. That was good, but it took up our whole day. Friday we tried to see some people but most didn't exist. I've come to terms with the fact that the edge of the face of the earth must be located somewhere in the Midwest, as most stories of people, let them be investigators or less actives, end with "and then they fell off the face of the earth." I would not be surprised, as I swear I saw the end of the earth somewhere in South Dakota or Nebraska. Saturday we helped fill the baptismal font for a members' child's baptism. There ended up not being any real room for us in there for the actual baptism so we went to the family history library and learned a little about that for finding efforts. That evening we were invited to a member's Magic Show, which he was able to get us in for free to. Elder Noel loves magic so we went. I'm unsure if it's approved, but I wasn't about to fight the matter. Just label it and file it away in the "Failed Finding Attempts" or "Supporting Members' Occupations" folders. It was really interesting, cool, and entertaining, though. Sunday we had stake conference, but it was a regional broadcast. It was really good and had Bishop H. David Burton, Mary N. Cook, Quentin L. Cook, and Henry B. Eyring. I loved it all, especially that it was tailored to the midwest, but especially appreciated what H. David Burton had to say about this being the Heartland. Luckily it's not the Lungland, as most people here smoke. Later we watched Mountain of the Lord with a really cool recent convert Marshallese teenager. Sadly, however, some of us were more interested in the back of our eyelids at times.... I love that movie, though. Now Elder Noel is having a race through the Book of Mormon with that Recent Convert. I gladly avoid those races and enjoy my time going through it.
I really wish I had more to say, but I don't, really. Take care and more will come next week.
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Marshal Islands of the Mississippi
Greetings from Dubuque. It's French, so it's pronounced "Duh Byook," and is french for "Dubbuquay." All of the poor, unused letters in the french language, having to sit there, unnoticed, at the end of the words to which they are attached.
But anyway.
I love it here! It's a city! There's stuff here! And a great ward, and great people. I'm with Elder Noel, who is often quite serious, but is still cool. He also wants to work hard, which makes me even more happy. Things are going great and I'm so happy here. There's a large amount of Marshalese people in the ward, and there are more coming. We are going to teach a new one this week who has been coming for awhile and wants to be baptized, and possibly a friend of his. We have a large teaching pool, too, which is so wonderful. I'm going to love it here, and I hope that the predictions are true and that I die (mission term for go home) here. Speaking of dying, Elder Noel is about to. This is his last transfer, and seeing all of the emotions and things that go along with that are both entertaining and terrifying. It's not to long before I'll need to face my own demise as well. Things are going fast. It won't be long until I'll be telling you all of the stories I have to share in person.
But enough trunky-talk.
The past few days have mostly been service for some less active or part member families, and it's been great. The definite highlight, however, besides church, of course, was the Marshalese Party. You see, when a Marshalese child reaches one year old, it is a GIANT party. Seriously. People drive from all over and even fly in from the Marshal Islands. They all get together and eat and dance and throw money at the child (usually I would use that term metaphorically, but seriously, they really do throw money at the child). They also begin late, so we didn't get to see much of it. We did get to eat some food, which was great. They are very giving people and so they had all of the visitors eat first. As I grabbed my plate, I could not help but wonder what exactly I was looking at in the giant bins of food, some of which was looking back up at me. That's right. Fish heads. A lot of other raw fish as well. When I returned to my seat, I chowed down on my plate full of, you guessed it, rice, ham, noodles, and cole slaw. They catered to us white people as well, which was appreciated. No worries, I got cultural as I did eat some raw fish. Ok, so I use the word "ate" very loosely. It was more of a nibble. I had one of the Marshalese youth provide me some from his plate and he graciously took a picture of me doing it. I, however, ungraciously, and, may I add, involuntarily, gagged. Luckily nobody was watching as I struggled to hold down my lunch. It tasted GREAT, don't get me wrong, just the thought and texture hit me at once as I closed my mouth down on the slab of raw fish with the scales still attached and I realized that there was a divine purpose for me having been called to the midwest and not somewhere foreign. Imagine the hundreds of people I could have brought into the gospel and the thousands I could have offended had I gone foreign. It's not for my sake I'm stateside, it's for theirs. Yet from the whole thing I was able to gain lots of friends in Young Men and talk to the Marshalese young man I mentioned earlier that has been coming for awhile. So all in all it was successful.
I also have obtained a Charlie Blue Tie. For all those that understand what that means....
I guess that's it!
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
But anyway.
I love it here! It's a city! There's stuff here! And a great ward, and great people. I'm with Elder Noel, who is often quite serious, but is still cool. He also wants to work hard, which makes me even more happy. Things are going great and I'm so happy here. There's a large amount of Marshalese people in the ward, and there are more coming. We are going to teach a new one this week who has been coming for awhile and wants to be baptized, and possibly a friend of his. We have a large teaching pool, too, which is so wonderful. I'm going to love it here, and I hope that the predictions are true and that I die (mission term for go home) here. Speaking of dying, Elder Noel is about to. This is his last transfer, and seeing all of the emotions and things that go along with that are both entertaining and terrifying. It's not to long before I'll need to face my own demise as well. Things are going fast. It won't be long until I'll be telling you all of the stories I have to share in person.
But enough trunky-talk.
The past few days have mostly been service for some less active or part member families, and it's been great. The definite highlight, however, besides church, of course, was the Marshalese Party. You see, when a Marshalese child reaches one year old, it is a GIANT party. Seriously. People drive from all over and even fly in from the Marshal Islands. They all get together and eat and dance and throw money at the child (usually I would use that term metaphorically, but seriously, they really do throw money at the child). They also begin late, so we didn't get to see much of it. We did get to eat some food, which was great. They are very giving people and so they had all of the visitors eat first. As I grabbed my plate, I could not help but wonder what exactly I was looking at in the giant bins of food, some of which was looking back up at me. That's right. Fish heads. A lot of other raw fish as well. When I returned to my seat, I chowed down on my plate full of, you guessed it, rice, ham, noodles, and cole slaw. They catered to us white people as well, which was appreciated. No worries, I got cultural as I did eat some raw fish. Ok, so I use the word "ate" very loosely. It was more of a nibble. I had one of the Marshalese youth provide me some from his plate and he graciously took a picture of me doing it. I, however, ungraciously, and, may I add, involuntarily, gagged. Luckily nobody was watching as I struggled to hold down my lunch. It tasted GREAT, don't get me wrong, just the thought and texture hit me at once as I closed my mouth down on the slab of raw fish with the scales still attached and I realized that there was a divine purpose for me having been called to the midwest and not somewhere foreign. Imagine the hundreds of people I could have brought into the gospel and the thousands I could have offended had I gone foreign. It's not for my sake I'm stateside, it's for theirs. Yet from the whole thing I was able to gain lots of friends in Young Men and talk to the Marshalese young man I mentioned earlier that has been coming for awhile. So all in all it was successful.
I also have obtained a Charlie Blue Tie. For all those that understand what that means....
I guess that's it!
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
Thursday, February 24, 2011
I'm Like the Quantum Leap of Missionaries: New Area to Help Each Episode
Yeah.
I'm moving.
Again.
(I've heard from my sister that apparently I've earned myself some extra popularity in circles within which I already had a large amount of popularity due to a certain run on sentence from the email previous to this one, so I hoped with these last three sentences to have gained even further popularity in circles within which I already had a large amount of popularity with really really short sentences; and possibly some excessive popularity with this nonsensical sentence. And by those circles, I mean Rachel.)
Anyway. Yeah. Here's the craziest part: I felt it coming. It's weird when that happens. But the weirdest part isn't that I'm leaving, it's that Elder Cooper is going out, too. We're whitewashing. Which is actually becoming a fairly popular trend now that President Jergensen usually has Zone Leaders be released and whitewash train their last few transfers.
People are pretty worked up about the whole thing. Either they all assume that we did something wrong or they just don't think about anything besides that they'll miss us. Our main investigator, who is 18, is pretty worked up about it, and she and a few other youth (the children of the seminary teacher, in fact) have pranked us a couple times as the usual teenage way to say goodbye. Nothing says you care like post-it note and saran wrap vandalism. We just retaliated by putting a bunch of balloons and streamers in the Seminary Room to celebrate the 22nd of February. Nothing says vengeance like a party. But honestly it surprises me the number of people that are going to miss me after only knowing me a transfer.
That main investigator is doing great. She's gone leaps and bounds since when I was first here and I can only pray that the next missionaries continue the process. She'll do great as long as she lets herself!
Dena and Cassey are officially gone to Texas. We helped them move on Monday and I said my final goodbyes. I really want to save up money to go visit them post-mission.
So the last few days have been spent getting things wrapped up, saying goodbye, and prepping it for the newbies. You'll know where I'm going soon!
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
I'm moving.
Again.
(I've heard from my sister that apparently I've earned myself some extra popularity in circles within which I already had a large amount of popularity due to a certain run on sentence from the email previous to this one, so I hoped with these last three sentences to have gained even further popularity in circles within which I already had a large amount of popularity with really really short sentences; and possibly some excessive popularity with this nonsensical sentence. And by those circles, I mean Rachel.)
Anyway. Yeah. Here's the craziest part: I felt it coming. It's weird when that happens. But the weirdest part isn't that I'm leaving, it's that Elder Cooper is going out, too. We're whitewashing. Which is actually becoming a fairly popular trend now that President Jergensen usually has Zone Leaders be released and whitewash train their last few transfers.
People are pretty worked up about the whole thing. Either they all assume that we did something wrong or they just don't think about anything besides that they'll miss us. Our main investigator, who is 18, is pretty worked up about it, and she and a few other youth (the children of the seminary teacher, in fact) have pranked us a couple times as the usual teenage way to say goodbye. Nothing says you care like post-it note and saran wrap vandalism. We just retaliated by putting a bunch of balloons and streamers in the Seminary Room to celebrate the 22nd of February. Nothing says vengeance like a party. But honestly it surprises me the number of people that are going to miss me after only knowing me a transfer.
That main investigator is doing great. She's gone leaps and bounds since when I was first here and I can only pray that the next missionaries continue the process. She'll do great as long as she lets herself!
Dena and Cassey are officially gone to Texas. We helped them move on Monday and I said my final goodbyes. I really want to save up money to go visit them post-mission.
So the last few days have been spent getting things wrapped up, saying goodbye, and prepping it for the newbies. You'll know where I'm going soon!
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy V-Day from the Alabama of the Mission (Hannibal's Florida)
Hello Everybody,
Things have warmed up quite a bit this week. Today it's in the fifties. No complaints from me.
Things have been going well. We've been teaching an investigator the stop smoking workshop and meeting with her quite a bit. She's coming along well, and we've been helping her with all of her concerns.
Saturday Dena went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I wasn't able to make it to that nor was I able to make it to her confirmation, but that's alright. As much as I'd love to, it's probably good to stay in my area as much as possible and not keep feeling like I belong in Hannibal. I visited there this past week on exchanges, and it was great. We taught a lesson/gave a church tour to a lady that they've started teaching since I've left. It went really well, and she kept saying she had no questions, but I could just tell there was something off about her. I love the gift of discernment and the Spirit and all I've been taught and I have learned up to this point, because I was able to tell by the look in her eyes and face and the feeling that while the lesson was going well, there was something she had on her mind. Finally, I stopped the lesson and, despite all of the times she had said she had no questions, said "I can tell you have a question, what is it?" She seemed taken off guard, but she answered my question with her question, and, eventually, through even more searching questions, got her real concern out: polygamy. At that point we were able to give her our heartfelt testimony's and spirit-guided answers and, of course, reverted back to the fact that all of the deeper stuff of the gospel hangs, solely, on gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. With that comes so much, as is stated in the introduction to that marvelous book. After having her question answered as fully as is possible, she was very relieved. The next day we met with Dena and helped answer her questions, and also saw the investigator family I worked with there. The father has been doing a lot of reading and visiting everybody was really sweet. I accidentally referred to that family's house as home.... I miss Hannibal. I know I'm supposed to be in Quincy, but I love the people there so much and it's so nice to know that they love me, too. And while I missed Dena going to the temple for the first time, she says I should come down and go with her to do baptisms when she moves to Texas to be with her husband. She moves this next week. She loved the temple so much and said that, despite all of the stresses and things that tried to get in the way of her going and everything, as soon as she stepped through the doors, she was at peace.
Love is the beginning, middle, and end of this work. It's everything. Love is the reason we're here. Without it, there would be no atonement, no mercy, no creation in the first place. There would be no reason to try to serve others, to go on a mission, to even live. As corny as I always have seen love, it's really EVERYTHING. God, our Heavenly Father, loves us so much.
Anyway, I get to be on a soapbox daily, I'll spare you any further soapboxiness.
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
PS Make Mormon.org accounts. I'll have mine finished soon.
Things have warmed up quite a bit this week. Today it's in the fifties. No complaints from me.
Things have been going well. We've been teaching an investigator the stop smoking workshop and meeting with her quite a bit. She's coming along well, and we've been helping her with all of her concerns.
Saturday Dena went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I wasn't able to make it to that nor was I able to make it to her confirmation, but that's alright. As much as I'd love to, it's probably good to stay in my area as much as possible and not keep feeling like I belong in Hannibal. I visited there this past week on exchanges, and it was great. We taught a lesson/gave a church tour to a lady that they've started teaching since I've left. It went really well, and she kept saying she had no questions, but I could just tell there was something off about her. I love the gift of discernment and the Spirit and all I've been taught and I have learned up to this point, because I was able to tell by the look in her eyes and face and the feeling that while the lesson was going well, there was something she had on her mind. Finally, I stopped the lesson and, despite all of the times she had said she had no questions, said "I can tell you have a question, what is it?" She seemed taken off guard, but she answered my question with her question, and, eventually, through even more searching questions, got her real concern out: polygamy. At that point we were able to give her our heartfelt testimony's and spirit-guided answers and, of course, reverted back to the fact that all of the deeper stuff of the gospel hangs, solely, on gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. With that comes so much, as is stated in the introduction to that marvelous book. After having her question answered as fully as is possible, she was very relieved. The next day we met with Dena and helped answer her questions, and also saw the investigator family I worked with there. The father has been doing a lot of reading and visiting everybody was really sweet. I accidentally referred to that family's house as home.... I miss Hannibal. I know I'm supposed to be in Quincy, but I love the people there so much and it's so nice to know that they love me, too. And while I missed Dena going to the temple for the first time, she says I should come down and go with her to do baptisms when she moves to Texas to be with her husband. She moves this next week. She loved the temple so much and said that, despite all of the stresses and things that tried to get in the way of her going and everything, as soon as she stepped through the doors, she was at peace.
Love is the beginning, middle, and end of this work. It's everything. Love is the reason we're here. Without it, there would be no atonement, no mercy, no creation in the first place. There would be no reason to try to serve others, to go on a mission, to even live. As corny as I always have seen love, it's really EVERYTHING. God, our Heavenly Father, loves us so much.
Anyway, I get to be on a soapbox daily, I'll spare you any further soapboxiness.
--
"For business reasons I must preserve the outward signs of sanity." -Mark Twain
Love, Elder Charlie Gates
PS Make Mormon.org accounts. I'll have mine finished soon.
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