November!

Hey everybody! Well it's November already, it's sure going by fast! Yesterday marked the halfway point for this transfer. Transfers are 6 weeks, by the way, and we're on week 4 as of today.

 

Well there probably is no actual highlight for the week, as missionaries don't celebrate Halloween, so I'll just go over some of the more important details. For starters, if you didn't clue in to that last sentence, we had to be in at 6 in the evening, and were not allowed to go out. Our president told us to do some deep cleaning of the apartment as we had nothing else to do. Let me tell you, cleaning the apartment was a lot better than just sitting around so there really is no room to complain. Well, we had some candy from members that we all decided we didn't want to eat it all, so we wanted to hand it out for the trick-or-treaters. Funny enough, we didn't get any. We live in a pretty populated area, but it can be a bit sketchy, so I wouldn't doubt it if the parents didn't want their kids going around this area. Well even though we didn't go trick-or-treating, we still got a bunch of candy. As we went around visiting people the days after Halloween, we got plenty of the leftover candy that people didn't want. We still have most of that, we tried bringing it to the zone activity we did today, and, we still have most of it...

Well, as a low point of the week, we had two so-called investigators, one of whom seemed to us to just want to argue. She is a very Catholic lady, and has a bunch of problems with what we believe. She also got a good amount of information from the Internet, and we had a difficult time trying to straighten that all out. It really felt like a big argument and she told us she wouldn't read the Book of Mormon, and wouldn't ever change religions. Sadly enough, we had to drop her as an investigator. Her records are still in our area book, and maybe the later missionaries who come through will go back, and she'll be more ready to listen.

The other one was a guy who we did a bunch of service for, and we would go over once a week to help out with the things around his house. Missionaries had been doing that for a long time, and nothing has come from it. We did what we could to try and get him to read the Book of Mormon, and he actually did once. But every time after that we were never able to get him to read. He also has a daughter who is older and moved out who is a member, but he still won't attempt to listen. We tried our best, but he too, had to be dropped.

The really sad and difficult part about it all was that we are kind of low on things to do and investigators to teach, but if nothing is going to happen, then we really don't need to be there. Our President talked about this sort of thing during his training when we had zone conference. He told us that we should "teach them that will receive you". He said that we should not teach those who aren't progressing, even if that means we go out finding. So that's what we have done.

Now, on the other hand we have been trying to work with a lady who has a member friend, and we were trying to get it all together with both of them, but it was never working out. Well, we eventually stopped by, and set a time to go back, and when we did, we offered for her to take the lessons, and she had no objection to it. Thus giving us a new investigator. Funny thing with that one is that her most available time is about when we normally met with one of the investigators we dropped.

Going further, we met another lady who was a former investigator, and she didn't want to get baptized a bit ago, but we finally were able to get in and meet with her and she had a bunch of questions. We don't have an exact return appointment with her, but we are going to be calling her to see if we can. Not only that, but she was open to having us back to go over the lessons with her again. Her main concern was that her nephew was probably going to be getting married soon and he is a member, and would be sealed in the temple. As she is not a member, she wouldn't be able to be there for it. So her concern was that should she be getting baptized and become a member just so she could be there for that. Well, no not really. Even so, she was open to having us come back and have the lessons again. So this soon will pretty well make up for the investigator we had to drop as well. Hope all is well at home!

--Elder Huffaker

 

By the way, yes I did get my box, thanks for it! It was kind of an interesting thing that happened. The picture of the stuffed animals, which was on Saturday was the same day I got the box. As we live with other missionaries, they texted us and said that I had a package, being the stuffed animals (even though it was mostly for all of us). So I got excited when I saw that for a few seconds, then I thought they were pulling my leg. Well we were stopping back by the apartment about that time, and so we saw the "package". Well we went back out for the rest of the day and aparently the mail had come and lo and behold, there was a package for me. Now the problem I'd like to express to you is that we live in a, well, not so favorable place, with the authorities there frequently, and when we get mail, the people delivering NEVER knock on the door to inform us something is there. So it's just dropped there and we always "discover" a package if there is one. Anyway, so the other elders get it and stick it under my pillow, and didn't say a thing to me about it. When we came back, the nicer of the two missionaries informs me of the package. Which is all ironic because they told me I had a package that day, and I actually did get a package. Also note that the new missionary has gotten more mail than me in this apartment(hint hint) and I don't get quite as much(HINT HINT). Now we get to the opening of the package. Remember it's fast Sunday the next day. So I get everything out of it, and it's already late at night, close to being time for bed, so I'm about ready to start my fast, and so I didn't get to enjoy anything. Then the entire day Sunday I couldn't, at the end of the day, we had a big meal, so I was completley stuffed, and eating was at the bottom of my list. Needless to say I only had a cookie last night, and have hardly eaten anything from it. Yes I am sharing so you know. The cool thing is that I was thinking, I had found some holes in more of my socks, so some were thrown away. And I thought, "you know, it'd be nice if I got some more socks soon." And what's in the box? Socks! Amazing isn't it? I thought it was really cool. But thanks for the box

Earthquake!

October 29, 2012

Well this week was quite the week. Elder Wright and I are definitely working hard, as I cannot remember all that happened this last week. We have been doing this lesson with members to have them pray and think of someone they know that they could invite over for a family home evening where we share a spiritual thought (usually a brief L1) and have them invited to learn more. So far we haven't seen anything come from it, but each time we have come up with someone that the family can invite.

Other than that, we do a bunch of tracting which is always an interesting experience. We are also close to dropping a family unfortunately, but we had the prompting recently to go by and so we are going to try by again tomorrow. We also have a potential investigator who happens to know a really awesome member family who lives down the street. They will be accompanying us when we go back this week.

In other news, we experienced an earthquake yesterday at about 8:30. My companion was actually in the bathroom, but I was at my desk studying. For those of you worrying, don't. It was a very small one and shook for about a second or two. There was another one following it that didn't even shake for a second, and was even smaller. It was interesting to experience an earthquake, even though it was a small one. And for those of you who don't know, from my experience, the way it's depicted in the movies, is about what it's like. You hear a rumbling right before it, with no time to do anything really and then this one was a shake back and forth, not up and down, which are the two most common I guess. Now, the rattling noise you usually hear in the movies is just what I heard in our apartment during it. Everyone is fine, nothing happened. No downed lines or poles or trees, all buildings are fine. It was interesting.

--Elder Huffaker

Here's the picture of me with my old companion with the guy who we met at Subway. That was the time I think I told you about how we didn't have a dinner and I had a really big craving for Subway. Well, my companion didn't want Subway, but was willing to go if I wanted to. Well, I didn't want to go just because I was the only one who wanted to go. So I told him either he's getting something, or I'm getting something for him. Reluctantly we went. Well, the guy there noticed we were missionaries, as he had taken the discussions a while ago. Well, he was interested again, and so we gave him the number for the sisters in the ward he lived in, and he called them as soon as he could. This picture is just after his baptism. I didn't get the picture of him with his baptism whites because we were late because the other missionaries we lived with are slow.... But that's the story behind it.

--Elder Huffaker

Are you ready for this?

October 22, 2012

Well, are you ready for this? Yes, transfers happened. I have been transferred to be in the Solemint ward, with Elder Wright.

Now, lets examine what that entails: for starters, we are not told who it is we will be with, and where it is we are going. Therefore, I had no idea, and spent a bunch of time getting all my stuff packed up. So, day of transfers comes, and we get to the meeting and our president tells us who we will be with. Well, President goes to say who I'll be with, looks at us and says "Well you're already sitting with your new companion."

Now to put some of the pieces together for you. I was in Mint Canyon. The Mint Canyon and the Solemint Elders live TOGETHER! Therefore, I spent a bunch of time getting all my stuff together, and then loaded it all up in a car and traveled to the building where we were doing the transfer meeting. Got there, unloaded everything, got through the meeting, and then loaded everything back up in the same car, and went back to the same apartment, and just put it in a different room.

I measured the distance I had to move my stuff when all was said and done. It was 26 feet from the one room to the other. All that effort to move 26 FEET! Also, both Mint Canyon and Solemint wards meet in the same building. That means I'll still see most everyone that I was around last transfer.

On another note, Elder Wright just got done being trained, so he's out a little more than 3 months. His trainer went home on Wednesday, but we had to be with him since Tuesday morning. So we saw some of the members in his ward, and we jokingly said, wouldn't it be funny if I went to be with Elder Wright? Well what do you know, that's exactly what happened. It was quite an experience.

So Elder Wright is from Utah, go figure, specifically Coalville. We also didn't have to go through the whole get-to-know-you-thing, because I lived with him for a transfer, so all that was all out of the way. He's definitely a hard worker, and loves to work out as well. It will be a great transfer. As for my former companion, I will still be around him as we still live together. He is, in fact, training. His trainee is Elder Wells, from Westfield, Indiana.

Well, the work in this area is also a bit slow, but Elder Wright and I are going to fix that! Hope all is well at home.

-- Elder Huffaker

 

Here is Hank. He is our investigator who dwells on Elder Wright's desk. He lovingly listens as we practice teaching him the lessons. And then a shot of the sunset

New week, transferred.... wait what?

October 15, 2012

If you read my subject line, I am getting transferred. Again. For those of you thinking, wait, didn't he JUST get transferred? Yes, yes I did. The reason? Unknown.

As far as I can tell, I'm getting transferred and I'm not supposed to be in this area anymore, and there's somewhere else I'm supposed to be. I had enough time here to get in to biking shape and leave. I have been told that I'm going into a car area, so all that biking and getting in to biking shape, is now unnecessary. Other than the two missionaries going home, I am the only one in our zone who is getting transferred. It kind of sucks, as I would have liked to have stayed longer than just one, and now I need to pack all over again.

Well on the other side, it's always cool to go to a new area, and experience that as well. It will be interesting to have another change of scenery and companion, and I'm having mixed feelings about all of it. Mainly I think I'm just a bit frustrated that I'm going through this all over again. But, if our president feels inspired to put me somewhere else, than that's where I'm supposed to go and I will gladly accept that.

Well, as for the week, unfortunately, we had a dinner appointment on Sunday night, and the members were sick, and so they just made and brought the food to us so we would not get sick. However, that didn't matter. We ended up sick on Tuesday morning. My companion was up at 2 A.M. and had need of the porcelain throne, for both exits. I woke up at 4, feeling horrible, and found out he was in the bathroom. Well he didn't make it out until about 5, and then it was my turn. When we went to bed the night before, we were both feeling just fine, and it hit us the next morning early.

Well that whole day was horrible, and we stayed inside. The only thing I had to eat the entire day was a slice of bread. I had some Gatorade and water to replenish the loss a little bit, luckily after the early morning we had, nothing ended up coming back up.

Then on Wednesday, we decided to stay inside as we did not feel all the way better, and we did not want to spread it. Then on Thursday we had Zone Conference. Luckily we had gotten over what we had so, as far as we know, none of the other missionaries got sick. It was a great zone conference, and our president was super excited about the increase of missionaries with the lowering of the age. naturally the amount of missionaries will spike, and then level out, but he said, and I feel, that it won't go back down all the way, because it allows more people to have the option of a mission. A mission could be a choice of either do this or a mission, and now it makes it much more possible to do both. Especially for sisters.

The other thing he mentioned about it was that with the lowering of the age, it will allow people to segue immediately from high school to a mission, so some of the 18-19 year-olds will not be lost in that waiting period before a mission, after high school. Thus the number of missionaries will increase, and then normal out, but will be higher than what it currently is.

I'm not entirely sure what will happen exactly, but our president is expecting a near double of the amount of current missionaries for approximately two years. He's now preparing the mission to receive an abundance of missionaries. It will be cool to see what happens over the rest of my mission as I will be a part of it for a while. All in all, the conference was great, and afterwards we went to dinner and had to go home after that.

So if you're keeping track, that's: Monday- P-day, Tuesday- Sick, Wednesday- Sick, Thursday- Zone Conference, Friday- District Meeting. Thus making Saturday the only full day of proselyting. And the only time we had to do our weekly planning as weekly planning should be done at the end of the week, so we weren't planning on doing it while we were sick. So this was an interesting week, full of stuff, and now I'm getting transferred, to top it all off.

So basically I got transferred here to get into biking shape, get robbed, get sick, and get out.

--Elder Huffaker