Wednesday, February 24, 2016

These are My Days - February 22, 2016



What's up fam! 

- Last Monday we ventured into Great Falls for my last zone games in the GF. Elder Masauo and I balled up. He had his Y shirt on, I was reppin my Utes. He straight up abused me in the paint but Ute Nation can rest easy knowing I won 21-10 #CallMeDelon . It was super fun, I'm gonna miss the Cutbank elders 

- that night we went to the Barneys so Asbury could get his hair cut. Barneys are so awesome, before we left they shot me with their water gel pellet gun thing to express their love to me. Gonna miss that family. 

- Had one last ping pong party at the #DStaffs. Joe and I won the first round then Elder Asbury and I teamed up and lost. DeStaffany's have some solid ping pong skills. Can't wait to go back and play again... We'll be able to turn on the classic rock station too by then! 

- Last day in #TheRad was a lot of packing and that night we were practicing shooting objects in the apartment with my sling shot. Lot more dangerous wild life in Hamilton so I gotta be prepared. Btdubs, tic tacs make for awesome ammo in a sling shot. Asbury got a gnarly welt, it was quite the raspberry. (Don't worry we had eye protection #TRACK) 

- Wednesday was rough. Leaving Conrad was a lot harder than I'd ever imagined, you don't realize how much you love a place till you leave it. I was in the car with Elder Masauo and Falute and they were teaching me Samoan even though most the words probs aren't missionary appropriate so that was fun, love my Poly elders. 3 hour drive to Helena where I was reunited with my splash elder for a couple minutes. Can't even describe how good it was to see Potter, we know President Wadsworth is gonna pair us up eventually.... One of us just needs driving privileges #TheyBothDone. Also got to see Elder Hendricks and Thompson and Sister freeman from the MTC district, that was good. Joined up with Elder Metcalf and 3 hours later we got to #HamTown and still had 8 more hours to proselyte. It was a long day. 

 - Went over to the Jessop's that night. He is our ward mission leader and I immediately fell in love with that family. Sister Jessop is most like Angie Mann and Bro Jessop reminds me of the GOAT of Jr Jazz coaching (excluding coach Boyd and I) THE Jeremy Wood, BIG basketball family so I love them. Will plays as a freshman and Christine is 10. They have a daughter working for the Aggies women's ball team as a manager and a son serving in Tennessee. I asked if their son has ever served with a leprechaun. That'd be sweet if he and Cody served together. But ya, love that family. Big golfers too, they have played the Parkway a few times and told me about the course they have here in Hamilton that is really exclusive. Apparently Phil and Tiger and lots of other pros have flown in to play it. It's tough to get on to but I told him we will convert the club pro so we can play on a P- Day. #ChallengeAccepted 

- met this dude named Lincoln who was incredibly drunk but hilarious, trailer parks are the best! Honestly don't even know how to describe that experience only that I love my boy Linc. 60+ and he was high as a kite. Super friendly to us and wants to learn more. HE offered to pray with us and it was one of the most... Sincere prayers I have heard haha. Interesting dude. 

- Went out to dinner with the Della Silvas. They had a son serve in New Mexico and said he knew Nate Cloward so that was cool. They took us to Naps which is quite possibly up there with the Mouse and Rice Eccles Stadium. Brother Della Silva and I each put down a 3/4 lb burger and fries which gained me their respect. In between bites bro DS and I were talking college football, he's a big Coug fan so he's my new Brother Skinner here. Super cool family and dang good food. 

- tracted into a young couple on a Friday night who were having their "pizza, pajamas and Netflix night". #Goals. They were soooooo chill! They are into theater art, Metcalf is into photography, I'm into video so we talked about how perspective and timing and all that works in all aspects of art. It was cool, we all clicked really well with each other and are going back this week for a lesson. 

- Sunday was sweet! Got to be a on the spot youth speaker so that was fun! Don't know the ward too well but I'm already starting to love them. One lady was firing shots at Cam Newton and Tom Brady from the pulpit so that was awesome. 

I really don't even know where to begin. This week was just nuts. Leaving Conrad and especially leaving Asbury was rough. I'll be the first to admit I was socially awkward back home and would pick making a video or winning a national championship with Georgia State #PantherPride over socializing ANY day of the week, but being out here I've realized I get super attached to people. Conrad felt like home. Whether it was saying bye to Kel Bishop or the old guy at A&W that we were tight with, you just get close to strangers. Those strangers become friends, those friends become family. I'll admit it was a little disheartening being able to see Salt Lake City on the map in my call packet a year ago but I don't even care cause I want to be as close to my family here as possible. 

So.... Onto the next area and companionship. Elder Metcalf is a total stud. From Mesa Arizona, out about 19 months. Super big into photography and photoshop. We love talking about photoshop and Premier and after effects and all that stuff. Insanely hard worker and incredibly humble, caring, and obedient. With those attributes If I had to compare him to anyone it'd be Elder Hayden Mann so of course I love him. Got a lot of respect for Metcalf and excited to have him train me as a Zone leader. He's already taught me so much, probably most of all is talking to EVERYONE. Doesn't matter if we are stopped at a light and a pedestrian is using the cross walk. We got a #TargetAcquired and that window is down and I'm yelling to a random person about the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. Took some getting used to but it's pretty fun, TALK TO EVERYONE. 

As for Hamilton... This place is BEAUTIFUL! I love it. Our apartment is freakin sweet. I didn't have a bed for the first few days cause the last one had bed bugs and they threw it out so I got a new bed too! But ya, apartment is on Main Street above a bunch of stores. It's a sweet spot. We have a sweet view of Main Street and the mountains out on our balcony. The work is awesome here, we have already gained like 10 new investigators since I have been here and I wish I could go into all of them but I don't have time. I inherited a dang good area. Work is definitely different here than Conrad. Last area you simply mention "Book of Mormon" and the door is shut, well here you are meeting Alma's... And Nephis.... And Ammons... And Lehis.... Etc. Large polygamist community outside of Hamilton who believe in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It's starting to fall apart and we as missionaries are teaching the true gospel. Definitely different teaching people whose concern isn't about the apostasy or Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. They already have a testimony in that, but helping them understand that their "Mormon" church is a break off from the true gospel. Extremely nice and humble people, but it's a different type of work up here. 

That's the new area and companionship! Excited to be here but not gonna lie this week was rough on me. I love Hamilton and Elder Metcalf but I was on my knees a lot this week. I'm hurtin right now, really questioning if I can do this and who I am. Elder Metcalf is awesome , we get work done which is awesome! The work feels a little dry and robotic. If you know anything about the missionaries I trained... We were goof balls but we got work done. Just feeling a little alone on this one. Not sure who I'm supposed to be. 

I'm so grateful for the atonement because I couldn't do this without Christ in my life. In Helaman 7 Nephi is talking about how he wishes he could have preached the gospel in a different circumstance. He felt out of place too. But then he says "I'm consigned that these are my days". That hit me hard. I know these are my days to serve and there's something I can learn from this. 

The Atonement is real, I'm leaning on it pretty big time right now. Definitely one of the harder weeks of the mission but God doesn't give up on us so I can't give up on him. I know these are our days, hard or easy these are our days. God tries us because he loves us. Kind of think it as when Crush lets Squirt swim out of the EAC so he can learn to swim back. 

I know this work is true. We knocked on a door this week and the mom opened with tears in her eyes. We talked for a bit about God and his love for us to her and her sons and they invited us back and accepted a Book of Mormon. Got a call later that night hearing the rest of the story, her 13 year old son was going into his room to commit suicide when we showed up, and later that night he was reading the Book of Mormon. If that doesn't give you chills as a missionary nothing will. Grateful to be a tool in the Lord's hands. Doesn't matter if I'm struggling, I'll do whatever it takes to help our brothers and sisters. 

It's been hard on me this past week, feeling alone isn't fun, but I know God is looking out for me and for all of us. Just gotta keep swimming. 

Love you all, the church is true. 

- Elder K

 
Pictures:

- the GF district 
 

- my trainer Elder Jaques
 

 - Food
 

- #HamTown
 

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