Well, this is really the only picture this week. For
companionship inventory, I have always just set goals for each other about how
we think our companion can do better, but Elder Plowman, being more positive
than me, made us list all our strengths. I thought you could see some of my
Bassett genes in there. I didn't have a girlfriend to put as my strength, so
they just went with mom instead which makes sense to me. I discovered one
"talent" that I have was turning every strength they said into a
weakness...they decided I need to be better about accepting good things about
people/mainly myself. Anyway, it was just fun to do and look at.
We started off this week with zone conference. It was a
replica of what we learned in mission leadership training so we just got to
practice and hear everything twice. Elder Ward did a great job training on how
to begin teaching. The best part was that they revealed two new key indicators
that the missionary department wants us to pilot for Utah missions. Salt lake
is already using them; it’s just new to us. They got rid of ‘larcs’ altogether
(less active recent converts) and added the key indicator of ‘less actives in
sacrament meeting’ and also ‘referrals from recent converts/less actives’. I am
very happy with it. It will change the way larc’s are used. Actually, getting
them to church is more of a measure of the ordinance and will force more
productive less-active lessons, and recording referrals from them will
encourage what we should already be doing but aren’t doing. They asked for a
vote and two people in our zone opposed (oh boy...love those 20-month Spanish
missionaries!), but they went through with it anyways. We went by to visit
those two missionaries and discouraged rejecting the brethren's ideas/counsel
in the future.
I don't know if I have ever mentioned Farr's Ice-Cream, but
it is next door to our apartment building so we go there after rough days to
make us feel better. We had one day last week that was pretty disappointing. We
were excited for what appeared to be five member present lessons and ended up
with zero and didn't get in contact with really anyone all day. We were very
frustrated to say the least and went to Farr’s where we ran into Brother Rowbury.
His son served in Mesa for six months with Dad as his mission president as did
his wife. (Formerly Sister Cottrell). Anyways, they bought me a homemade cookie
ice-cream sandwich from Farr’s, so they are my new favorite people. Jessica
would go crazy for these ice-cream sandwiches. It is right behind the temple. I
will take the family there one day; it’s so good. (The best part is five out of
the six times we have gone the past two transfers someone has paid for us!) And
the thing that Mom would love there is the root beer float. They make it with
root beer ice-cream and milk, so it’s kind of backwards, but it’s really good.
Either way, I am just hungry right now!
We spent some time in planning last night making our grocery
list, and thanks to the law of consecration, we are going to be eating like
kings this month...and since it’s so difficult to get rides, we are going
shopping at Costco for two weeks and getting a grand total of 10 gallons of
milk and 6-8 (tbd) loaves of bread...livin the life! Let’s hope we have room in
the fridge.
Ana and Angel are as awesome as ever. We have been
practicing daily contact with them which goes really well. One night we really
got to just get to know them stopping by their house. They were making carne
asada with their 16-year-old neighbor that babysits for them (new investigator),
and we played with their two youngest kids on the trampoline for a little and
ate their food...the two best things you can do for a Hispanic family to make
them love you. We took Angel on a church tour (the rest of the kids were
asleep), and he was very excited to go and liked the idea of all the classes
and told us about how much he has already changed his life. He didn’t even realize
that he is repenting. They came to church and left after second hour, because
their two-year-old daughter is crazy and wouldn't stop screaming. We have really,
really struggled to get them a fellowshipper; people are so busy, but with a
lot of phone calls, we got our ward mission leader to call someone and notify
them, so that’s a start even if that’s all it was.
We had a rough time this week getting splits which reminded
me of my first transfer with Elder Isla...we were double booked one night with
appointments so we set up a member split the night before. One hour before the
appointments the member cancelled. We called FORTY members of the ward and got
a no or no answer from every single one. It was pretty frustrating; we couldn't
do the lessons because there weren't any men home. We tried to get a list this
Sunday and couldn't get them to do it, so we will try harder and just go do it
ourselves next week of when people are available to do splits.
So Paz was that one whose husband was an issue in the past...and
still is. So this week, she and her two kids were wanting to get baptized. They
already know the ward council and really wanted it. We went by one day and were
surprised by her husband answering the door. He said he doesn’t like
missionaries or Mormons, and his wife cannot choose for herself. He makes her
decisions, because it’s his house, and he has told her she can’t answer the
door or the phone anymore. He doesn’t go to any church, so he doesn't want her
to have an alternative. He just decided that’s the way it is. It's like Ignacia
all over again except worse this time. We have no idea what to do with that but
just leave it.
Patricia’s kids also decided they wanted to get baptized, but
their dad still says no and just doesn't like Mormons. Lovely, lovely fathers.
Yesterday Arasali dropped us deciding she wants to be catholic and not follow
the spiritual prompting she received to listen to us. SO we are left with Ana
and Angel and a couple others. But you can't really complain when you have
people as cool as Ana and Angel to teach. Angel knows everything. He has boxed,
done rodeo, worked on cars, companies, and just experienced tons of stuff; we
really like him.
We are starting a soccer activity with the ward to bring
friends to every Saturday. We brought a couple nonmembers to it this time, but
none of the members did yet. Hopefully they will in the near future if it
becomes a regular thing. We ended up playing for a long time with 20 people
with the sun out. The result was three very sunburned/sore/tired missionaries.
But it was really fun to get to know the ward better and have them fellowship,
finally, with some of the nonmembers we have met.
So companionship inventory was fun this week...Elder Plowman
had us write down a list of all of our strengths and THEN set goals for each other
on how we can do better, and it was a more positive way to do it, so I'm glad
he taught me that. The three of us have been getting along really well and
staying happy even though this week was a disappointment as far as
numbers/investigators/members/other missionaries go...at least lunches will be
good!
Yesterday I went on splits with Brother Delval, and we
visited a lot of less actives while my companions tracted some apartments that
we found. Brother Delval is a young looking guy and drives a BMW with the top
down, so we got a lot of comments about why the missionaries are driving a BMW
now. We had dinner with Sister Ramirez yesterday and that was fun; she is still
a little crazy with her stories and how much she tells us how beautiful we are,
but we love her. The good news is Elder Plowman and I strategically got out of
eating flan, and Elder Pyne had to suffer through it. For those who haven’t had
flan, it’s like compacted, extra, wet eggs that are impossible to swallow…that’s
the best description I can give. The other dinner highlight of the week was the
members buying us Dominos…YES!!...three large pizzas for three happy
missionaries. Elder Plowman had pizza for every meal for like two days.
We are going to start playing basketball Tuesdays and Thursdays
for exercise to bond with the Spanish missionaries in our ward, but today was the
first time, and they didn't wake up to come, so I guess try again on Thursday.
Life is good. I am happy...praying harder and harder to be
blessed. We are pushing hard in our zone to be above the line (stop using
excuses...a lot to do with the talk called Create Success by Elder Ballard)
since we are hearing so many complaints throughout the zone. It's something we
as a companionship are working on, too. though.
I love you all and hope that all is well.
Take care,
Elder Bassett
PS The only other things I thought of for a birthday list is
cordovan Ecco’s size 43...more wants not needs.
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| Costco Trip was successful! Love you. |
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