Monday, November 30, 2015

Pressure Determines What Type of Missionary You Will Be - November 30, 2015

What's up everyone!!!

It was a crazy and long week. Transfers left me pretty drained.

Definitely hard leaving Belgrade. Monday night we went and visited members of the ward and I would have needed a whole extra week to visit everyone I wanted to. Belgrade holds a special place in my heart and not gonna lie it plucked my heart strings driving past that water tower. Got on the transfer van in Bozeman, then we left for Helena which meant we drove past Belgrade. Felt the exact same way I did when I took Front Runner through Murray after the MTC. Lots of memories, lots of people I love, but I'll be back.

Got to Helena where I met Elder Landry (stud zone leader) and we packed up the truck for Great Falls. On the drive from Helena (BEAUTIFUL DRIVE, complete blizzard but it was sweet) I asked who my district leader is.... "You." I laughed, then asked again.... "You"

I was already nervous knowing I'm going into a new area along with training a new missionary then this bomb is dropped on me. So we get to Helena and I'm still trying to comprehend what I'm gonna do then I see ma boy Elder Jaques. He too is training so we spent the night hanging out in Great Falls since our companions didn't arrive till the next day. This was a major blessing getting to talk with him, gave me the run down on being a district leader and it was much needed, repaid him by introducing him to a steak burrito enchilada style and a order of chips and queso (???? - sorry for the spelling Spanish speaking missionary friends) so ya, much needed advice from my old trainer. We had a good time reminiscing of the trailer days and our good friend Jimbo that we drilled on our way to the trailer for the first day (Jimbo is a gopher, not a person).

Next day I met Elder Asbury from Northern California. He's awesome. Quiet, humble, hardworking elder. Celebrity look alike is probably Andrei Kirilenko. We grabbed some food then made the 1 hour drive to Conrad. The small town feel and the way the Christmas decorations are hung up on Main Street reminds me a lot of Radiator Springs. Our apartment is pretty old but it has running water and a furnace so I'll take it. A lot better than what other missionary's have so I can't complain.

Our first dinner in Conrad was also our first Thanksgiving dinner in the field and we went out to Bishop Briggs. It was about an hour drive out of town and it was gorgeous. Not much civilization out here. Our area is HUGE and we cover a few small towns outside of Conrad.

***Coming from "Sack Lake City"  I thought Belgrade was a small town....

Then I went to Conrad.... Then I drove through Dupuyer.... They just keep getting smaller and smaller.

Ya, huge area. Lots of driving, lots of cows.... Not a lot of people, pictures will show that. We get to the Bishop's place and they own this sweet ranch type place that's like the nature center on steroids. Sooooooo cool. Mountains in his backyard are the other side of Glacier National Park which is pretty cool. We went on a little off road Montana safari to help him find his son who was out looking for an elk and that was fun. Dinner was in the Education Center and it was super good. They have a sweet set up, definitely will be going back up there with the family one day.

Ward is awesome too. Really enjoyed Sunday and getting to meet everyone. Sister Becker is a huge Utes fan so we had a good chat and the Bishop's wife has apparently already watched some Uvids. Really friendly ward.

It was a hard week, real adjustment for me. Not gonna lie it was probably the hardest week so far. Just feels like I have a lot going on. Great Falls Zone has been one of the least successful zones in the mission and here I am leading a district with a new missionary in a new area. Never really aspired to be a district leader or any of that yet here I am. I've really had to turn to the atonement this past week, I'm a firm believer every trial we go through is an opportunity to learn and if that's what I need to learn then so be it. The atonement is real, I have needed it and will continue to need it. This time of year isn't easy, seeing Christmas everywhere I look is hard.

Feels like I got a lot riding on this transfer, but I received an email from my dad, and though it wasn't about missionary work, a quote really stood out to me.

"Pressure determines what type of leader you will be"

Ya, lot going on,  but I'm grateful for the challenges that lay ahead.

I will go and do, even though I don't really have a clue what the heck I'm doing. I just want to be happy, and end of the day nothing out here is going to bring me more happiness than filling in more names under my list of "mansion neighbors" I have at the end of Enos 1:27. So ya, pressure is certainly there, definitely a little scared and nervous, but onward ever onward. Doing my first baptismal interview on Friday so at least the sisters in Shelby know what they are doing haha.

Conrad is sweet though, Gonna be cool bringing my family up here one day.

Love ya,

- Elder K





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