My Groceries!

I'm not saying that we should just nuke the paper mill in Lewiston, but if everyone in the town just decided to go and visit another city, I wouldn't be opposed to a bomb or two destroying the paper mill. We went three times this week, and each time, it smelled like the sewer released some brand new challengers who wanted to fight.

So anyways, they had us all travel to Lewiston on one of the occasions to go and find people for those elders to teach. I got paired up with their ward mission leader and was let loose. We were able to share a nice message at the less active members house and get her a ride for church, and then it was up to us to try and find new people. The ward mission leader didn't feel like tracting so he pulled me on over to an old folks community to talk to his other less active friend. That friend had a friend of her own over, who when she saw us coming, was starting to leave. She blew past her and went to his friend, so I did the first thing I could think of and comment on the escapees shoes. That started some nice conversations where I bestowed upon her the knowledge of parkour and some teenager lingo. Eventually, I learned about her husband who passed away a few years prior who she missed dearly. I was able to teach her about the resurrection and some of the plan of salvation. She was pretty grateful, and now those elders have one new person from us to teach. Nice. 

This week was harder in terms of finding. Not only could we not quite find any new people, but one of the families we found prior was living in a tent along the river, and they just moved without us knowing! Unlucky. Our other investigators have supposedly been the busiest people in the world. I didn't come out of the MTC yesterday, so I know what that means. :p but it's all good. Some people just aren't ready, but as we demonstrate our faith, God will lead us to others who actually are ready and will embrace the gospel. 

One day, we had been gone from the apartment for several hours, so we turned the air conditioning off. We return home around 9 and the power was out. I became so frightened for my newly acquired groceries! But also, it was roasting in our trailer. I tried to cool it down by opening and closing the door several times. I didn't struggle falling asleep, though I did have a hard time staying asleep as always. I was awake at 3:30 am when the power returned, scaring most of my life out of me. But as I lay pondering in my bed, I realized that I would be the dominant husband. My wife can sleep with ear plugs in because each time our baby cries at ungodly hours of the night, I'll already be awake and will therefore have no problem getting out of bed and helping it chill out. Let's go, boys. 

Not much else of interest really happened this week. I had my final zone conference, and I got a letter from the mission office telling me all this stuff to do before I return home. The temperature is dropping from the hundreds to the 90s, deer are just about everywhere, and the new trend we are in is now plums, instead of blackberries. Someone warned me that plums can also curse you with Montezuma's revenge, so I've been careful there. Other than that, there you go. *insert some comment about the stake president and hugging girls here*

My Last Zone Conference

Maybe there's more money on my card?  Here's to praying

Orofino's Alive Now

Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go? Even though most music in our mission is now banned, I can still listen to my Christmas music if it appears in the hymn book or can bring the spirit. Every night has been a silent night, and I have heard the bells on Christmas day every day. Let's go, boys.

We went on exchanges, kind of. A zone leader spent the day with us, so we had my favorite thing, a trio! Anyhow, here's the story of how I was "trolled by the holy ghost." That's what I call it when it lies to you to make you go the right direction. I felt strongly we should go and visit this old man who lives in a trailer park. He ends up not being home, so Elder Haws feels that we should walk over to the restaurant. As we are going, we pass an RV with tents and some angry dude smoking. Me and Haws both had no desire to talk to him, but the zone leader strolls on over despite that man's complaints. After a couple minutes of not much, the old man's wife and grandson arrive on bikes. It was quite interesting, each one of us talked to each one of them for a minute and then traded places until we had each talked to each person for a couple minutes. Old man softened up, and his wife and grandson ended up really wanting to hear more, so that's the story of how we netted 3 new people to teach in one go.

We were able to have a lesson with a potential investigator family which turned them into two new investigators on Monday. We taught the restoration with lots of power and all that jazz. Due to weird schedule stuff, we sent me in alone with a member to go and visit. The husband had been called in for work, so it was just her. As I talked with her, I was very surprised to hear that not only did they keep their commitment of reading the introduction of the Book of Mormon, but he just kept going and in two days made it from 1st Nephi 1 to Alma 26. Like geez, man! I haven't even done that before. I also learned that he really wanted to go to church, and she was thinking about baptism in the past. I bet we can invite them to be baptized shortly. Woot. Anyhow, before I went to that lesson, I had expressed to Elder Haws that I was hungry. As I waited at the members house to be picked back up, they fed me a roast coupled with jello and a protein shake. Couldn't believe it. Miracles. 

One day, I didn't really know what we were doing, I was just following Elder Haws. We mosy our way into a home that has a big ol buffalo sticking out of the wall. We talked and hung out for a while and I really had no idea who they were. Then Elder Haws asked me to share a message. I started by asking them who they even are. I was dealing with a less active woman of 30 years and her nonmember husband who would love to join. It was satisfying to open the book randomly and know the contents of that specific chapter without skimming. I shared with them a message that basically says that when you show God you are willing to listen, he will guide and direct you. He thoroughly enjoyed the message and he said that they had many missionaries in the past, but for some reason, I was the first one she had allowed to even open the Book of Mormon. I don't know what was special about me, but I know God prepares very specific people for the missionaries in an area, and we were lucky enough to stumble upon one for me! Now we are teaching him and his granddaughter as his wife participates. Nice. 

Something that I have fallen in love with in Orofino is the presence of berries everywhere. You can't walk very far before scoping them out, growing along fences and trees. I was wary at first of just picking a berry and eating it without washing, but after seeing enough locals and Elder Haws eat them, I finally went for it. Now I am always picking berries and staining my fingers with their purple colors. There was one day where we just kept coming across berries, and so I must've eaten over 300 berries. None of the locals bothered to tell me about Montezumas revenge, so now I understand to chill on the berries and only eat 300 or less. 

We had the great privilege of having Elder Stevenson of the 12 apostles come and visit us. It was so cool to shake his hand and look into his eyes and feel the spirit so intensely. He is basically like Peter or Paul or any other ancient apostles. I got to sit on the front row and was in awe at how he made eye contact with me so many times. You can really feel the love that he has for all of us, despite not really knowing us. He is so kind and genuine and really wants us to be happy and successful. The coolest thing to me is, that's how they all are, even the scariest of them all, Elder Holland. 

So that about sums it up for this week. The once dead area of Orofino netted us six new people for the week. Berries galore. I'm having so much fun driving my sweet rav4. My mission is almost done and I haven't given up and won't give up until that stake president says to go hug girls. 

Behold, the berries

We drive on lots of mountain roads

Resurrect Orofino!

Another week another dollar.

My whole mission, I had heard tales of lore of the stench of Lewiston, due to the crafty nature of the paper mill. We showed up in Lewiston and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it wasn't that bad! Over reacting scoundrels ;) So anyways, they had us go tracting for other missionaries, so we shake n bake our way through those sloppy streets, and after a few doors, find our way into three new people to teach! A nice family has been patiently waiting for the opportunity to be closer together, and after we testified how the gospel can bless their family, they instantly wanted it. Nice! Anyhow, when it was time to go the next morning, a foul stench seethed through the air, singeing each nose hair I currently own. I take it back, the rumors are true. Lewiston is nasty.

So back to Orofino. This area has a history of lower success due to the nature of the residents. So many people live so far away, it is hard to try and visit them. The small towns in existence have often been tracted out, so it can be discouraging. However, God sets you up if you show your desire! So we mosy on over to the town of Pierce, where we slip n slide straight into your boy, Gary, and his lovely wife, whose name I've forgotten. He has had enough of his time as a Jehovah's Witness, and he wants a family friendly church that will help them be closer. That's a common trend recently. He is a busy boy, but he very much so wants to have us over. He will receive his investigator status next week. Also, his name isn't Gary. I just can't use their real names ;)

Later on, we slopped our way through the town of Weippe (Wee-ipe) and found ourselves talking to a gentleman working on his car. His wife used to investigate the church, and she has fond memories of it, though shes lost contact with missionaries. He has heard her talk about it, so he also desires to have us over. He excitedly agreed to have us over on Monday, where we will begin teaching him and his wife and sister. Boys!

We get the opportunity to go and minister at a military academy each Sunday. It is such a humbling experience because the attendants aren't forced to come, they all show up if they desire. It rained and rained and rained this week, and it wreaked havoc at the academy. I was shocked to see water gushing out of the ceiling. It conveniently landed near a sink, so we had a bucket going which drained into the sink. Water ran down walls and dripped through the ceilings, yet each of these young men and woman were there because they wanted to be, and they gladly read scriptures with us and had good gospel discussions. It is so cool to see young people take the gospel so seriously. Wouldn't that be something, if we could all love the gospel so much that we would sit through the water falling on us just to hear the words of Christ?

Last but probably not least, we were perusing through what felt like a Hawaiian jungle when we stumble upon a guy who is basically Willie Nelson. His wife died 20 years ago and he misses her real bad. Long story short, after lots of his stories, we talked about the plan of salvation and now we've got a new friend to teach. 

So an area which is almost "dead" and bare has had some new life breathed into it. Because of our faith, we have already begun to wrought miracles and start to resurrect the final area of the Lord's vineyard He has appointed me a steward over. I'll be home in like 30 days, and I am proud to say that even though I am so tired and have stress and other things, I didn't and won't stop working until that stake president meets with me and says, "peace out. You're released. Go hug girls."

Reminds me of my cat at home

3 Nephi 14:20  Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them

Orofino

Boy oh boy, what a week. I had to peace out with one of my best companions, the sun scorched us with over 100 degree weather and I moved into a trailer park. But that's enough of that jazz, let's get to the point.

So just before I headed out, we mosyed over to our family of 3 who had been coming to church and girls camp and more. After teaching about the temple, they were starting to get very enthusiastic with the idea of being baptized. Your boy Elder Willis just up and asks them to be baptized without having taught anything before hand, and to my great surprise, they just said yes! Woah! What a nice treat it was to leave my second to last area with three more people on date to be baptized, and in the hands of two of my friends.

So anyways, before we headed out to Orofino in Idaho, they had us just go out and tract. If you know me, you know I have other methods of finding, so I rarely tract. I figured we would walk to the farthest building of the complex and then to the farthest door. God knew of my silly ways, and so in that very door was a young married woman who just wants to find happiness. She was a bit hesitant at first, but warmed up really good and we had a great experience teaching her on the doorstep. She is now in the hands of some sister missionaries. It felt nice to be able to provide a new person for the sisters to help come unto Christ. 

So we travel on down to Moscow. I guess I didn't know just how far away Moscow actually is. I couldn't believe it, I was dying in my seat. Like two hours later, we finally arrive, only to be stranded at a church for two more hours. Eventually, our ride shows up and takes me on another ride, until we finally arrive in Orofino at 10:15 PM. I was very glad to finally arrive home in our dirty trailer. That being said, I spent a lot of time the next day cleaning it up and making it nice again. It took a while, but now we have a very clean trailer and it's pretty luxurious.

Here in this area, we have very few investigators. It's tough, everyone just lives so far away. It takes about an hour to get to any of the investigators that we currently have. We have to travel up winding mountains and across vast prairies to really get anywhere. I dont mind when I'm the driver--ive been given the best car in the mission! A 2019 Rav4. I just have a hard time if a member is driving us. I cant stand just sitting there doing nothing and getting somewhat sick from driving and turning everywhere. Anyhow, we go to a family and we teach them the plan of salvation. They are supposedly very difficult to teach and constantly interrupt. However, for the first time, they stayed invested and asked questions and waiting their turn and it was supposedly a huge deal. We went back again the next day with the same results. We don't have the exact date yet, but this family will be baptized in October. Looking forward to it!

Anyhow, I guess that's what we have got for this week. Just constant hour long drives and trying to lift this area in the name of the lord. 5 weeks remain for me, and some good stuff is happening. Goodbye my friends!

Bye Elder Willis! 

Resting for a second