Week 9

Beunos Dias!

Breakfast with some of the Elders.

How has everyone’s week been going? This week has been pretty good. On Tuesday after I had finished with the emails, Elder Allison and I went to JDawgs with Elders Walker and Devine, to celebrate Elder Devine’s three-month mark. It was really good. Afterwards we went to this pretty cool ice cream place. While there I had an interesting moment. When we walked into the ice cream shop, there was a rap song playing. I recognized it, and didn’t think too much of it. But then the rap music changed to some pretty mellow 80s music. One of the workers behind the counter had changed the music when they had seen us come in. It really helped me realize that I needed to be better in some of the ways that I have been conducting myself as a missionary. Someone is always watching. And its not that I have even been doing anything bad or wrong, I just could be doing better in some things. It was also interesting because (as far as I could tell, based purely on how this employee was dressed and adorned), she most likely wasn’t LDS. Yet she knew enough about the missionaries that she knew we don’t listen to rap music. And politely put on some very soft music. I was grateful for the reminder that I need to be better in my conduct, and that I need to be the best representative of the Savior that I can be.

I also realized through this experience that my fellow missionaries need to listen to better music when they get home! None of them even knew the 80s song that came on! I was so ashamed! But it was a fun night.

The exercise program that Elder Allison and I started last Monday has been going really well. I feel happier, and have been sleeping better. I also have more energy to do stuff. To bad there isn’t anything to do!!!!!!!

On Thursday we went to Sunnyside Park, up by East High, and the U and did some service. We spread new wood chips on the playgrounds. I drove two groups of Elders to the project, and was able to shovel wood chips for an hour straight. It was very good, and was a great workout.

On Friday, Elder Allison and I were asked to help move some new senior missionaries into their apartments. We have been asked more frequently than any other companionship. Which is great! It means that the APs understand that we are more than willing to help and to serve in any extra capacity that we are able to. But it is also not great, because it means that we are being noticed, which I don’t want. I would love to just keep my head down and work. To quote the old 2^nd counselor in the mission presidency when I talked to him a little while ago, “I would much rather be an Indian, than a Chief.” Those are my thoughts exactly. I would much rather just serve in a small capacity, and be a cog in the machine, than be someone trying to make sure the cogs are working.

Yesterday morning I had the assignment to speak in the Monday Morning Devotional. The subject was me. I was supposed to talk about me, so that the other missionaries can get to know me better. So I spoke and was very candid and honest about life. It was interesting and slightly sad to see the faces of the senior missionaries when they found out that I am a real person, and am not special needs. I could feel the shock when I told them that I had a job, and that I actually had had life experiences. It saddens me to see that the seniors

automatically assume that all of the young missionaries serving are mentally handicapped. But I bore my testimony about Heavenly Father’s love for his children. It was a good meeting. After the meeting, i was treated like an actual adult by the senior missionaries on the mission. It was a really good day.

I got an appointment card to meet with President Fenn today. In about an hour and a half. Transfers are today, and appointment cards on transfer days usually (99%) mean that you are receiving an assignment. So that kinda blows. I was hoping to be able to fly under the radar, and serve in any capacity given to me, but hoping to avoid any form of leadership. Oh well. I will serve in any capacity and assignment given to me, but I was really hoping to be able to just serve as a junior companion for my whole mission. 

Hope everything is going well in your life. Know that Elder Bartholomew loves you, and so does the Savior. 

Love, 

Elder Bartholomew

Week 8

Hey Everyone!

It is my 2 month mark and I'm not dead yet!

This week has been pretty all right. It started out kinda slow and frustrating, but turned 180 degrees, and has been super nice. 

Nothing crazy or exciting during the week, but I was able to go and help some seniors in an assisted living facility in Holladay use Family Search. Afterwards, we went and got Wendy's. That was pretty fun, and a song was playing by Creed, that actually sounded like real decent music, and not like Creed. It was good. Last Saturday we went to another concert in the Assembly Hall. It was a trio-- piano, cello, flute-- which performed classical music. It was really good, and helped reinforce the fact that I love live music. They were super talented. 

Because of how lousy I have been feeling as of late, I asked a senior Elder who I am close to from the zone I am in to give me a priesthood blessing. 

I cannot express how grateful I am for the priesthood in my life. I told Elder Anderson that I wanted a blessing of comfort. When he laid his hands on my head, and gave me the blessing, I was filled with new motivation, and new energy. The comfort I was looking for was given, but not in the way I had expected or wanted. In the blessing, I was told to-- in more words--suck it up and go to work. I am not on this mission for me, although it will benefit me. I was told that I am on this mission for the other Elders of the mission. I have been filled with new-found energy and motivation to really get to know and love the missionaries whom I serve with in this mission.

I am extremely grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity to grow. 

Don't get me wrong, I still think that being in Salt Lake is the worst. But it is the assignment I was given, and I am going to serve with everything now.

I love you all. I am so happy that I know you. You all mean more to me than you know.

Love, 

Elder Bartholomew

A really cool poster that was hung on one of the crosswalks down here

Week 7?

Hey y'all!

This week has been pretty ok. I'm not really having fun, but I wasn't expecting 2 years of fun when I decided to go on my mission. The beginning of the week was pretty normal, with nothing really happening.

I met with the mission psychiatrist last week, and it was actually pretty good. I was treated like an actual human being, which was very relieving. He's a pretty funny guy, and is super in tune with the spirit. I also had a small surgery yesterday to take care of some pretty bad ingrown toenails, and that went well. 

Saturday night last week, a few of us Elders went to this good burger place called Crown Burger. Totally wish there was something similar to that back home..... But after we went and ate, we had the opportunity to go to a concert at the Assembly Hall. It was a group from North Carolina. The group is called Sweet Potato Pie. I would definitely look them up if I had the ability to. They were amazing. It was really nice to listen to really good live music, that wasn't Mormon music. Don't get me wrong: I love MoTab, but I can only take so much. The group was absolutely amazing, and I loved it. It was a good break from the normal.

Balm of Gilead, 2012, Ann Adele Henrie

Mixed media on panel

I don't really have any pictures from this week, so I will leave you with this piece I found on lds.org This painting was created in response to widespread natural disasters and calamities around the world, and was inspired by scriptures from the Old Testament: “O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours” (Isaiah 54:11), and “I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee” (2 Kings 20:5). The Savior’s Second Coming is foretold as an event that will be great and terrible, but also one that will bring healing and relief. The healing power of Christ and His Atonement was symbolized in the Bible by a balm originating in ancient Gilead, used for healing wounds. Here the Savior reaches out to those that have suffered and becomes our personal Balm of Gilead.

I know that even though we may be struggling with whatever life is throwing at us, that we can borrow the Savior's love, and use it as our own Balm of Gilead. 

I love all of you and hope that your week has been great!

Love, 

Elder Bartholomew

Week 6

Hello Everyone!

This week has been pretty dull if I'll be honest. 

Last Tuesday was transfer conference. Elders Allison, Clark, Devine, and I sang our rendition of Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy, which went very well. We all were really nervous and had prayed to be able to perform well and bring the Spirit to the meeting. We were blessed with talents beyond our own, and sounded great. President Fenn spoke afterwards, and actually changed his whole message based on our song. He talked about how we can be more unified, and how we as missionaries can be that Lower Light for someone else, who most likely will be another missionary who is struggling. I took a lot out of his message for us. After that we were given our transfer assignments. Elder Allison and I stayed as companions (YAY!) but we also are still in the same zone for at least another 3 weeks (UGH). Elder Clark and Elder Devine were split up and put in different zones, and have different Pdays than we do, which kinda sucks. But, oh well: as is life. 

The rest of the week was really slow, and boring, and not really great.

Yesterday for Labor day we hiked up to the capital building. Then Elder Allison and I, along with Elder Clark and his new companion, Elder Whiffen (whose apartment I stayed at my first week), hiked up City Creek Canyon a little ways, starting in Memory Grove. It was a nice day out, but being there made me miss being at home, and just was lousy in general. We then had some free time, and a few of the Elders played dodge ball at the Stake Center. I ended up hurting my back just a little, and it has been sore since then. 

Other than it being generally lousy, it wasn't a bad week. I still have a great companion, and I am still able to serve God.

I love you all and hope that this week has been good for you!

Love, 

Elder Bartholomew

PS: I wont be able to send pictures this week because the computer I am using sucks. Sorry!