Wack Week Redux

Hey Everyone!

This week has been...... Really crazy... Again.

Saturday was good, and was a pretty standard day. Zone wasn't too busy, so I did some personal study in the collected works of Hugh Nibley.

Sunday was a pretty good day, and we were fed dinner by Elder and Sister Van Ormen. They are from Alberta, Canada, and we spent the meal talking about their home, and the surrounding landscape.

Bowling Ball

Monday was good. We went to zone, and in the afternoon, we found out that our meeting had been canceled for that night, so I coordinated with the APs, and we went bowling together (my district and the two of them). It was tons of fun, and was a really good stress reliever. While there, I saw a friend who actually works at the bowling alley, and we spent a few minutes talking and catching up on life.

Tuesday Elder Willis and I had appointments with President Fenn. In my meeting (which was right before Elder Willis's), he told me that Elder Willis would be going home the next day. He discussed with me why, and thanked me for my willingness to accept difficult assignments from him. It was really nice to hear that my mission president appreciates me, and my willingness to serve in any and every way I am asked to. The rest of the day was spent prepping Elder Willis to go home the next day, and then we went to the temple for a little bit, which was really really nice. After that we finished getting him packed and went to bed.

Wednesday morning we got up at 5:00 am to go to the temple gain to do baptisms for the dead (as per Elder Willis's request), and had a wonderful time there. After we finished we went home, and took care of all of the last minute things that he needed to do, and then he and I were picked up at the apartments, and taken to the mission office, where I was dropped off partway through our mission conference. Elder Willis then was driven home to Cedar City.

When I got into the meeting, the first speaker was just finishing up his remarks, and then the next speaker (our newest AP, Elder Whiffen) spoke. His message was so powerful and what I really needed to hear. He spoke about committing to the mission, and not letting any prior challenge, or hardship get in the way of serving a mission. He brought the spirit to the meeting so well, and I was extremely grateful for what he said.

President Fenn spoke about becoming born again spiritually, and how to have a true change of heart. His message was powerful, direct, and clear as always.

Talking to Dad

Later that day, I went on splits with one of the assistants to go to the gym, and while on the way there, we ran into my dad. I was able to talk with him for just a minute, and it was exactly what I needed to lift me up more.

After the conference was over, he asked to speak with me really quickly, to give him one last update on how Elder Willis was doing over the previous 24 hours. We talked for a minute, and I would like to emphasize that President Fenn LOVES his missionaries, and tries to do everything he can to help them progress in the best ways that they can. It might seem like the opposite from an outside perspective, especially if the outside perspective is presented through my accounts of my mission. I have now lost 3, almost 4 companions early, and that is unfortunate, but that is not how the mission is. President isn't out to send missionaries home, or punish them. I have had the opportunity to try and help missionaries as a last line of trying to keep them here, and I am grateful that I have been able to help influence one Elder enough for him to start making changes for him to be able to stay on the mission. I am sad when missionaries leave early, but for every single one that has been my companion, I know that it is the best thing for them in the long run.

I am so grateful to be able to serve in this wonderful mission, and to serve in the capacities and assignments I have been asked to serve in. I have found more joy while serving here that I didn't think I ever would. The mission is hard, don't get me wrong, and I don't think that I will really miss it when I am home, but I can say confidently that it has been a massive blessing serving here for the time I have served for.

I should probably explain the current situation with companions.

I am now in a trio (again) with Elders Agren and Kupferer. They have both been in my district this transfer, and Elder Kupferer was in my district and my apartment the month before that. They are pretty cool guys. Kinda weird, but then again, everyone on the mission is weird. Elder Kupferer is from Orange County, California, and Elder Agren is from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Neither of them are happy with the sudden snowfall that has happened haha. Elder Agren came into the mission the month after I did, and Elder Kupferer came in the month after him. There isn't anyone else in the district, so my duties as a district leader have shot down significantly. They're both pretty solid elders, but both can be rather rowdy. So I will be trying to spend the next two weeks keeping my apartment calm, and collected.

Well that is pretty much it this week.

Hope that you guys have a good week, and that all is going well for you!

Love,

Elder James Bartholomew