Since Christmas:
We have had a few more people become interested and have started teaching them. We have about 5, 6 maybe 7 people we are teaching. The rest are either not interested or know or used to be members but don’t want the church anymore so the past 2 weeks all we can really do is either knock or visit possible friends. Besides that there isn’t really anything else we can do. Sometimes there isn’t necessarily anything notable about my week. Normally my day consists of waking up, taking a shower (to fix my hair), having breakfast, personal study and companion study, daily planning, lunch, biking to visits, knocking and occasionally a lesson, then dinner with a member and some more biking to knocking and stopping by people.
On Thursday we got the bike fixed in the morning and did a bunch of knocking and visits. We taught an older lady named Ralyn and then had dinner (It was steak. I was only able to eat half of it. It was so big but quite good) with Sister Fechtig. She is probably about 80 and has quite the life story and she has been blessed to have the gospel for the past 50, 60 years and after we gave her a Priesthood blessing.
On Friday
We got ready for the day and drove to our lesson with Charmain and Sandy. They also invited a guy named Troy. They all are interested. Then I had my first mentor meeting (which is essentially like class at the MTC but the mentor helps you apply what you learned in the MTC to your infield missionary experiences. After that we had lunch and started biking until Elder Squires bike chain broke so we called the other Elders and they picked us up. Then we called the mission office and they came and looked at the bike. They determined that we will need a new chain so they brought us to the bike shop and we came back to put it on the bike. After that we had dinner with the Hudsons, they made us lasagna and a salad. We then did some knocking and stop by’s.
Saturday
Had the regular morning schedule: Getting ready for the day, breakfast, personal and companion study. This time for lunch we went to Subway. Then we went to do a whole lot of stop by’s and knocking doors. Then we had dinner at the apartment. Then I look a shower to wash myself off. Then I went to bed early while the Elders were talking about who knows what, actually I could hear everything they were talking about, this time they were talking about a rap song and words that rhyme with Batman and such. Then they came in to go to bed and then we had an hour and a half of talking. Somehow we got to making a story about Elder Squires being kidnapped in an old Ford van and being so heavy that the goons struggle to kidnap him. It was so funny but slightly weird. I ended up with a headache from laughing so hard.
Sunday.
I got about 4 hours of restless sleep and woke up with that headache. We went to church and I was fine until we got home and my headache got worse as I was hungry. So I ate a tortilla and an apple (we were out of bread at this point). There is a good possibility that I may have gotten a fever somehow. I took a shower to cool me down and took a nap. I felt better after the shower and nap. One of the other Elders in the other companionship wasn’t feeling well either so on Sunday we didn’t do very much. We went to dinner at the Nelsons. By the end of the day I felt better.
Monday (preparation day)
Woke up form a good night’s sleep (probably a full 8 hours with once or twice waking up) I woke up with hardly any headache if any and there was fog outside (WE GET FOG!!!!) It was so amazing and unexpected. We went to Walmart and we got groceries. Then I talked with my family for a little while. Then we went to the church and some of the missionaries played basketball and others played on the piano or talked with their families. Later I finished the last 40 minutes of video calling with my family and then we went back to the apartment but me and Elder Squires had to take separate cars because the cars only seat 5 and the car we came in the Elders had to go to teach. In the car I was in one of the Elders and I began talking to each other, he was quite friendly, and it turns out he likes wolves too. He also told me another Elder likes wolves as well. So now I have 2 wolf buddies.
I have learned (particularly from my setting apart blessing) that we are all on the path even though we might not be at the same place on the path and not everyone goes at the same pace along the path. All that I need to do is love them for who they are, encourage them and see them as God sees them with an eternal perspective.
What I have learned.
Through these past few weeks I have learned to have confidence in myself and in my teaching abilities, though sometimes I don’t have a lot to say or can’t say a lot and I have realized that it is okay. Sometimes all they need is those few words I might say that will make the difference. I haven’t yet had an experience with that but I think there will be many to come. I have learned to rely on God’s timing and that I will be led to those who are ready and willing to receive the gospel. Also I have learned (particularly from my setting apart blessing) that we are all on the path even though we might not be at the same place on the path and not everyone goes at the same pace along the path. I have learned to see others with more empathy and to see them with God’s love and how he sees them with their eternal potential.
There has been both good times and hard times but I have already grown so much. So far I have been doing good. I know this is where I need to be and that God will help me to grow and teach others.
Sincerely…
-Elder Ian Shaw.