February 15, 2009

Trip to Hyderabad; Conference with Elder Watson

  • This week was fun. Today was Zone Conference in Hyderabad. Elder Watson came, he is a member of the 70 and a counselor in the Asia Area Presidency. He was so good. I am amazed at how much more knowledge he has then all of us. I think it is amazing how when you get more and more authority in the church so much more and more knowledge comes. Even Sister Nichols says that she has had things open up to her just by being a Mission President's wife. I think it's awesome. I can't imagine what the Prophet knows.
  • It was a really good zone conference, but because of it nothing really happened this week. This will be short because of that. I spent all day yesterday on a train. We left at 6 in the morning and didn't get to Hyderabad until 7:30 last night. It was really fun though. I got some sweet pictures, too. I'm kinda excited for the ride tomorrow.
  • That is cool that you met some Indian people. I'ts true about the chilies. I have eaten more than I bet all of you have in your entire life combined. I'm not even exaggerating. I'm starting to crave food though, so that's good. I guess. I'm learning how to cook so I can eat something with you when I get home.
  • I ran into President Smith and his wife at Target along with three women from Hyderabad, India. The family was here for the Special Olympics in Boise, Idaho. They were there filling a cart with chocolate to take home. As it turned out, the grandmother had been born in Visak, Devon's current area. She called it her "mother state". They now reside in Hyderabad, where he actually was the week they were in Boise. Funny.
  • The mother was interested to hear that my son was serving on a church mission in India, and requested his phone number so that they could call him when they arrived home. We explained that I didn't have it (she probably thought that was odd), but President Smith got their addresses and we will pass them on to Devon. Maybe he will be in Hyderabad at some time and will be able to look them up. Wouldn't that be exciting?
  • About the chilies, President Smith said that they were not very happy with the American food that they had been having, so the Smith's took them to WinCo to buy supplies for what they wanted to cook. The grandmother bought a whole produce bag of jalapenos and one of dried red chilies. I guess she used them all in the one meal! Can you imagine? I think that Devon is starting to crave those endorphins that come from eating such hot food! MM
  • Well, I love you all. I'm so thankful for your support and love. I know that this church is true and I'm thankful that you all stayed active and were great examples to me. Thank you so much.
  • Stayed active? Was there ever a problem with that?

February 11, 2009

The baptism of Kumari. I dont know if I told you about her, but I didnt really do anything. She has been coming to church since she was a baby and just hadn't been baptized.

"A picture of a white tiger that I was in the cage with. The things you can do when you are American, AHHHHH! !"

A young boy flying a kite so high, you can't even see it.
"It was amazing by the way," Devon says.
A cute Indian girl who looks like she could be Hawaiian




A
Cool
Green
Butterfly

Happy Ponga!
Decorated Cow from
a favorite Hindu Holiday

The Work is Picking Up!

  • This week was good. Transfer calls were this week and Elder Talk and I are still not being transferred. That means we will be companions for at least 4 and a half months. Actually, no one in Visak got transferred; we have all been here since I came here. They pretty lmuch whitewashed the whole entire city, except the Zone Leaders. So, yeah, it's pretty fun.
  • They also made another Zone so all the Zones are a lot smaller. I think they did that so the older Zone Leaders can stay in the city and help us younger missionaries learn. Before, they were traveling to other cities in the Zone, so we hardly saw them. I really like having them around. I still have so much to learn.
  • Next week we are going to Hyderabad because Elder Watson from the Area Presidency is coming to India. We are going to hear him and have a Zone Conference again. It is really soon but I'm still happy; I like Zone Conferences.
  • This week we have been doing well. We have really been focusing on getting members to come with us to all our appointments. We have been doing a lot better with that, so that's good. We have two people set for baptism in the next few weeks. I don't know if you remembered, but we dropped one investigator because he wasn't coming to church. The week after we did that he came to church. He has now come for two weeks straight. I guess sometimes we just have to leave it up to them and Heavenly father. He is one of our sets. Seeing him come through the door at church made me really, really happy. I love that scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that talks about how great is your joy if you bring just one soul unto Christ. It is so true, just seeing him walk through the door to church made me so happy.
  • Well, that is all for this week. I have no good stories. I'm still working hard and missing home a little bit since the news of the baby and all, but I'm OK. I'm glad you are all there to tell me about it. : ) Have a good week I love you all

February 3, 2009

Starting with New Investigators

  • Well this week was pretty good I went on a lot of exchanges with the assistants and other missionaries. I think I was with Elder talk less than all the other people. It was not that great; it's weird to have a new companion for only a day. I seem to learn a lot of new things, so that is nice. I am doing better with all of our slow progressing investigators. I think I just expect everyone to progress fast. I guess I only heard the stories about all the investigators that are baptized in 3 weeks, so that's what I expected. I haven't had that experience yet. I have only dealt with really slow progressers. OH well, it will just take time. Which I have :)
  • This week was good. We found a lot of new investigators, so this week we will have to weed out all those that are interested and those that are just pretending. That is getting a lot easier though so that won't be too hard. Most I think are good. I'm excited for this week.
  • I'm glad everyone is doing well. There seems to always be a new story about Briggs every week. I find that funny. HAHAH Now just think, if you would have let me get a dog I would have trained it and everything and you would have a perfectly trained dog right now. :) maybe....
  • Thank you everything for all the emails you are the best family ever and I'm glad you don't forget me :) India is great you should all come and pick me up it would be fun. :) except I'm not so sure you could all handle it. I would take care of you though. no problem.

Getting to the Quarter

  • Well this week was zone conference. It was pretty good. Zone Conference seems to always make me feel kinda retarded some how. We always talk about investigators that we are stuck with and we don't know what to do next. President Nichols always knows exactly what is going on and how to fix it. I always wonder why I couldn't think of that. I don't know, I guess that's why he is Mission President and I am only a missionary. I think I expect to much of myself. I expect myself to know everything already. I don't know...
  • Yesterday at Zone Conference President Nichols asked everyone that had been out for 6 months or less to stand up. There were 24 missionaries there and 17 of us stood up. It's crazy how young we are and get this, my group is the oldest of all the young people. I'm like ancient its crazy. It's fun though we all just don't have any experience so we don't know how to deal with situations. That poses a problem, but we are learning.

Seems amazing that the Zone is so young! I guess they will make it out of the "refiners fire" with more time to take advantage of the lessons learned. MM