It was a good Tuesday, we went on exchanges with the assistants they came last night. I was with Elder Snow which went well. We did mostly Chinese finding...well first we went to institute which was good. Then we visited some addresses...met Ju who Elder Snow met awhile back, met James the inactive member, the really excited Meng Jiao with the dog that sheds a whole lot....and yeah. It was cool. Later we met Emily in the parking lot....and ChunYi!! Who was pretty cool, and seemed interested.
Following that, we ate dinner, and then went to Funkys and met members...and didn't seem like there weren't many non-members. Oh well, it went ok. Then we headed home. Not sure how much it helped. However it was good.
-Elder NostalgiaToThe80's
Wow, tiring and good day. Saw a lot of blessings and miracles. 1st after going for a short jog we went over to help clean the church(since the ward is pretty small they benefitted from our help) so that was good. As well we talked with Dallin! Who asked for a Book of Mormon to give to a guy named Raymond that he met that seemed pretty interested. That was cool we were there to be able to help with that.
Had a big day of service for Brother and Sister Shaver. We cleaned out their crawl space. Full of heavy food boxes and then they wanted us to put dirt in the crawl space to give the foundation better support. I shoveled dirt and sent it down a board to Elder Dickamore and he spread it around. Then we switched and it was a lot harder spreading the dirt in the crawl space and not hitting my back. They gave a grill cheese and Brother Shaver talked about how we needed to help the young men of the church. Hard work but good day.
Cool miracle though, we saw we had a text from a Jazmine, Elder Dickamore met her in January apologizing she hadn't gotten back to us, but saying that she wants to meet. That was pretty cool. We weren't quite sure how to respond. We called and she texted she would call us back later. So we studied...and were really tired from moving buckets of food. Did our companionship study in preparing to teach Elder's Quorum tomorrow, then part way through Language study Wu Xu Bo texted and responded to our inquiry about a blessing, and he said he would like one, then he also asked if we would be at church tomorrow. W said yes, then he responded with "Sounds good I can't wait to share my life with you guys. BTW I have a friend who wants to be an investor tomorrow She will be in church too." Haha...Not quit sure what he meant, but it sure was funny. Really cool though that he is bringing a friend to church tomorrow. That was the other miracle that happened. It was a really blessed day.
Then, I ate some food that was good, and Elder Dickamore sewed up the extra backpack in the closet which was pretty cool of him to do. Super nice of him actually.
Then we went to bed.
-Elder SleepyServiceSomeAwesomeMiracles
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
New Area New companion
 |
| Elder Smith has been transferred to a new area. Harrisonburg, Virginia. His companion is Elder Dickmore they have been out on their missions the same time and know they will be going home together August 16st and before this had decided to be roommates at Utah State University. This should be a good companionship. Also Derek has a cousin-in-law in his zone. Brittany Brunner Calder's husband Ben's sister just got to Virginia. Sister Calder is on the back row in gray shirt. They have never met because Derek was on his mission when Ben and Brittany were married. Harrisonburg Zone Hike |
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Service, proselyting and transfer
Our faucet got fixed!!! That was really exciting to wash dishes by hand and not having to use gallon jugs as the water source haha. Then we went over to Karyn's new place to paint...we did take a slight wrong turn...but the map was incorrect.
We got there, started taping stuff, then we started priming stuff, and it was a bit hard, but went well. Then painted some other stuff, Rodney a co-worker of hers was there. She also bought tons, and tons of food, for breakfast and snacks...it was pretty unique. Cool though, after working or awhile painting the trim(that is what we did and the primer, Rodney did the Sea-Salt wall) and then during lunch we had pizza delivered. It was really good. Then we got back to work, painted more stuff, finished.
We got home, ate the pizza she gave us. Got ready, and putting on proselyting clothes...well it felt pretty good. Definitely felt right, that service is good, but our purpose is to teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. So that is what we went and did. First we tried to give the Hoskins family a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, but nobody answered. So we went to the Stony Point apartments....and walked around, and wow it was quite, quite cold....especially for Elder Grimaud. We were able to knock on some doors...that was really the only way we talked to people...(no one wanted to walk around in the cold). We did meet Shamika...who we will hopefully see later.
Came home, had a good language study, called Manchester about district meeting we missed, heard about PMG Jeopardy, had conference calls, had a good time with Elder Grimaud, and went to bed.
-Elder OSMHasNothingOnUs#SGKR
Side note, Saturday was transfer calls...so arooound 2:00 I started getting a little nervous that I would get a call. Because I wanted to stay one more transfer. Then during dinner...well basically immediately following...I felt the phone vibrate twice, then saw ">Elder Snow"...and well...knew it was the end.
He called, spoke in Chinese which was cool...and told me I was being transferred....and Elder Grimaud would be staying. So that was sad....but I guess part of the calling. So that was sad to say farewell to the Vargesons...but we planned on coming over again to actually say goodbye.
We got there, started taping stuff, then we started priming stuff, and it was a bit hard, but went well. Then painted some other stuff, Rodney a co-worker of hers was there. She also bought tons, and tons of food, for breakfast and snacks...it was pretty unique. Cool though, after working or awhile painting the trim(that is what we did and the primer, Rodney did the Sea-Salt wall) and then during lunch we had pizza delivered. It was really good. Then we got back to work, painted more stuff, finished.
We got home, ate the pizza she gave us. Got ready, and putting on proselyting clothes...well it felt pretty good. Definitely felt right, that service is good, but our purpose is to teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. So that is what we went and did. First we tried to give the Hoskins family a copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World, but nobody answered. So we went to the Stony Point apartments....and walked around, and wow it was quite, quite cold....especially for Elder Grimaud. We were able to knock on some doors...that was really the only way we talked to people...(no one wanted to walk around in the cold). We did meet Shamika...who we will hopefully see later.
Came home, had a good language study, called Manchester about district meeting we missed, heard about PMG Jeopardy, had conference calls, had a good time with Elder Grimaud, and went to bed.
-Elder OSMHasNothingOnUs#SGKR
Side note, Saturday was transfer calls...so arooound 2:00 I started getting a little nervous that I would get a call. Because I wanted to stay one more transfer. Then during dinner...well basically immediately following...I felt the phone vibrate twice, then saw ">Elder Snow"...and well...knew it was the end.
He called, spoke in Chinese which was cool...and told me I was being transferred....and Elder Grimaud would be staying. So that was sad....but I guess part of the calling. So that was sad to say farewell to the Vargesons...but we planned on coming over again to actually say goodbye.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Elder ChoppingBigLogsIsn'tTooFunButIsRewarding
Cold, cold run...wow the run was really cold this morning...but also really good. We did get out pretty late though which definitely wasn't good. Then we went onto studies...and I tried to set goals for the upcoming transfer...it didn't go really well... think I did too much pondering...and not enough searching. After that we planned, and then went over to the Hardy house(Brother Stafford texted us)to help chop wood. I was excited...it went well..at least with the small logs...the bigger ones..well those were unite troublesome. Me swinging the axe was probably a little ignominious(#Buckley). Things worked out though...Brother Stafford did end up breaking the tip of the wedge that Brother Berryman lent....but up until it broke, it work really really well. Really fun though, we left after about an hour and a half of good chopping. Definitely took me back to the last scout camp with Skyler, chopping wood and trying to be Captain America....definitely wasn't that easy though.
Then we tried visiting some Chinese people...the door we knocked on, the guy just moved in..and so we must have recently missed them.
Following that we went over to visit Joe...He is still thinking about being baptized..but doesn't see why, and his mom is quite Baptist....but he seems more open to the idea...so we shall see. He seemed committed to read The Book of Mormon though, although it was a unique lesson, I still felt it was good, and that the Spirit was present. Which I am grateful for.
After that we tried visiting some other Chinese people...none were home, but we may have found some potential houses.We returned home, Elder Grimaud got Wendy's, I came back, made stuffing, pasta and pesto, and green beans...all were really good. We also called Laticia...Wendi answered, and said she would remind her..I felt kind of bad because she seemed ready to go to a baptism...but then we learned that it got canceled.....after dinner we went over to the nice neighborhood by the church..and it was filled with lots of elderly people...all of them were quite nice, and it was a good time to get better at "Teaching when I find, finding when I teach" which is hard for me...but improving. As well the people we met were probably one of the wider scopes of responses...I'm Jewish, I'm already Christian so we are good , Not interested, I've been a deacon at Bon Air Baptist for 20 years, you're coming around too late, we are set Catholics....and things like that. Nothing came from that except for our personal development. As well working on my beatboxing skills...which each time...it amazes me more and more how Elder Critchfield does it....also it was quite cold....
We returned, got gas, then studied my language, which went well, I was better able to use the goals and plans that I've set to accomplish things...hopefully it will continue to work well.
Then...listened to some great talks by prophets and apostles...this past conference Elder Stevenson and Elder Christofferson.
Then...went to bed!
-Elder ChoppingBigLogsIsn'tTooFunButIsRewarding
Then we tried visiting some Chinese people...the door we knocked on, the guy just moved in..and so we must have recently missed them.
Following that we went over to visit Joe...He is still thinking about being baptized..but doesn't see why, and his mom is quite Baptist....but he seems more open to the idea...so we shall see. He seemed committed to read The Book of Mormon though, although it was a unique lesson, I still felt it was good, and that the Spirit was present. Which I am grateful for.
After that we tried visiting some other Chinese people...none were home, but we may have found some potential houses.We returned home, Elder Grimaud got Wendy's, I came back, made stuffing, pasta and pesto, and green beans...all were really good. We also called Laticia...Wendi answered, and said she would remind her..I felt kind of bad because she seemed ready to go to a baptism...but then we learned that it got canceled.....after dinner we went over to the nice neighborhood by the church..and it was filled with lots of elderly people...all of them were quite nice, and it was a good time to get better at "Teaching when I find, finding when I teach" which is hard for me...but improving. As well the people we met were probably one of the wider scopes of responses...I'm Jewish, I'm already Christian so we are good , Not interested, I've been a deacon at Bon Air Baptist for 20 years, you're coming around too late, we are set Catholics....and things like that. Nothing came from that except for our personal development. As well working on my beatboxing skills...which each time...it amazes me more and more how Elder Critchfield does it....also it was quite cold....
We returned, got gas, then studied my language, which went well, I was better able to use the goals and plans that I've set to accomplish things...hopefully it will continue to work well.
Then...listened to some great talks by prophets and apostles...this past conference Elder Stevenson and Elder Christofferson.
Then...went to bed!
-Elder ChoppingBigLogsIsn'tTooFunButIsRewarding
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
exchanges, district meetings and more
On exchange with Elder Genduso met some interesting people, such as Scott....as well some pretty cool people like Brandon by the bike rack. The most notable experience was when we saw Marcus, an inactive member on the side. We went over, and he wouldn't talk, but motion for a piece of paper....Elder Genduso pulled one out and started communicating with him.....I wasn't really sure what was going on, he kind of headed the discussion...which was common or most of the day. Come to find out through paper communication, that he said he has some disorder that when he speaks he has seziures...or something like that, and has resorted back to Hinduism.....and Elder Genduso made many powerful invites, and offered much help....yet he still declined...and we eventually left...with quite the interesting feeling, definitely not the most happy of feelings.
We actually went to our first district meeting with Elder Griffin...it was good, different but good. We did go on a scavenger hunt run by Sister Cordova as part of it...we found Our Purpose. After that though we tried and visited Arlene Fultz...who wasn't there. So we went and knocked on the doors of Yukon Road. Then we met Kathleen VanPossun! She is pretty cool, nice really small older lady that is a UU(Unitarian Universalist)...kinda sounds like something out of the book series "Journal of Curious Letters" really nice and interested in learning though, she doesn't have a belief in Christ or God though which should be a bit different.
Then in the evening time the Manchester Elders came over and we got to know them a bit before heading to sleep on the dreaded cot....actually I slept on the couch to see if that would be better....you will find out tomorrow. Also, to note, my evening prayer was quick wonderful and refreshing...that is something I feel grateful for, that my prayers have improved. Especially tonight in helping me kind of get away from the world.
Elder Smith
We actually went to our first district meeting with Elder Griffin...it was good, different but good. We did go on a scavenger hunt run by Sister Cordova as part of it...we found Our Purpose. After that though we tried and visited Arlene Fultz...who wasn't there. So we went and knocked on the doors of Yukon Road. Then we met Kathleen VanPossun! She is pretty cool, nice really small older lady that is a UU(Unitarian Universalist)...kinda sounds like something out of the book series "Journal of Curious Letters" really nice and interested in learning though, she doesn't have a belief in Christ or God though which should be a bit different.
Then in the evening time the Manchester Elders came over and we got to know them a bit before heading to sleep on the dreaded cot....actually I slept on the couch to see if that would be better....you will find out tomorrow. Also, to note, my evening prayer was quick wonderful and refreshing...that is something I feel grateful for, that my prayers have improved. Especially tonight in helping me kind of get away from the world.
Elder Smith
Monday, January 23, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Looking for service and using Chinese language more
Still in Bon Air new companion Elder Grimaud from Smithfield, Utah. Zone leaders
Jan. 7, 2017
Studies in the morning....well like Elder Kopischke said...if you have good studies, your motivation will be high during your mission. It is really true. It is not unrealistic to feel the Spirit every time you study the scriptures. It was a really good study this morning while preparing for zone meeting. The Book of Mormon is really really wonderful. Well, we definitely had a really good day planned out...but in the morning it was snowing...so we weren't sure what to do...there was probably two inches already on the ground. Super super exciting...but we changed our plans a bit...I tried biking around in the snow..that didn't work...just slid and stuff...so we still went to Brother Conolly, well Elder Grimaud and Elder Starr did, Elder Maedgen and I got gas and went in search of people that needed help shoveling.
There was a good amount of people out...but no one of them said that they needed any help. Nice people for the most part though, there was one house that we thought had a shovel outside...walked up and it was just an intense ice scraper, picked it up just to look at it...then their door opened! So I think I said something like "Hey, we are just missionaries seeing if anyone needs help shoveling, we don't have shovels(Elder Grimaud had the shovel). We thought this might be a shovel...can we help?" It was a really uncomfortable situation...he didn't need help. After that we decided to knock on all the doors that had shovels outside...none of them answered though...it was good though. After that we found out that Michael Bressler had two shovels we could borrow, we hurried over there, shoveled two of his neighbors driveways that were elderly women. One he said was super sweet....the other he said...well was really mean...but actually the "mean" one saw us, and thanked us, I don't think the other one was home. Then we headed back to the apartment.
-Elder SnowySnowyVille
Jan. 11, 2017
Really cool experience, probably the best experience of the day. Recently I have been feeling the importance of me being called to speak Chinese here. That I should specifically look for Chinese people more...I also thought, "these are nice apartments...there has to be a Chinese person living here"...as I pondered this and we were walking around the apartment complex...we were just about to return to the car...when we saw someone pulling in...but they were pulling into the garage so we I stopped....then there was someone way down the road doing something and I thought maybe we should go and talk with them....we discussed and thought it was the same person we already met....but then the closer car door opened and a person started getting out. We walked over, offered a card, saw her and could tell she wasn't American, explained who we were, asked where she was from(she is from Taiwan) and Elder Grimaud mentioned I speak Mandarin, and we said some things....it was pretty cool. Her name is Karey, and she wants to make us tea....we weren't able to mention we don't drink tea...oh well. It was really good, we weren't really able to share much, a little bit about the Book of Mormon, she is Lutheran, she quickly accepted it though just after hearing a tiny bit about it...she was also very impressed with my Mandarin which always makes me feel good and better see the fulfillment of the gift of tongues. We got her number and plan to meet again..that was pretty cool. Really grateful, and humbled for having that experience.-side note to that story...while we were speaking Mandarin, she asked if Elder Grimaud spake any...we said he didn't..then she essentially said the Buford quote "Hey Candace is gone...lets talk bad about her". It was really really funny.
Last thing...well I am being healthier...I look at labels a lot more.... get up at 6:30 exactly...not 6:20 even if it is easier that way...I just have to be smarter about how I use those first few minutes in the morning. Improvement and Progression are one eternal round(Hymn 284 "If You Could Hie To Kolob").
Also, I really like Elder Grimaud different than most companions, but great also...a lot like Jared sometimes.
-Elder Improvement
Jan. 7, 2017
Studies in the morning....well like Elder Kopischke said...if you have good studies, your motivation will be high during your mission. It is really true. It is not unrealistic to feel the Spirit every time you study the scriptures. It was a really good study this morning while preparing for zone meeting. The Book of Mormon is really really wonderful. Well, we definitely had a really good day planned out...but in the morning it was snowing...so we weren't sure what to do...there was probably two inches already on the ground. Super super exciting...but we changed our plans a bit...I tried biking around in the snow..that didn't work...just slid and stuff...so we still went to Brother Conolly, well Elder Grimaud and Elder Starr did, Elder Maedgen and I got gas and went in search of people that needed help shoveling.
There was a good amount of people out...but no one of them said that they needed any help. Nice people for the most part though, there was one house that we thought had a shovel outside...walked up and it was just an intense ice scraper, picked it up just to look at it...then their door opened! So I think I said something like "Hey, we are just missionaries seeing if anyone needs help shoveling, we don't have shovels(Elder Grimaud had the shovel). We thought this might be a shovel...can we help?" It was a really uncomfortable situation...he didn't need help. After that we decided to knock on all the doors that had shovels outside...none of them answered though...it was good though. After that we found out that Michael Bressler had two shovels we could borrow, we hurried over there, shoveled two of his neighbors driveways that were elderly women. One he said was super sweet....the other he said...well was really mean...but actually the "mean" one saw us, and thanked us, I don't think the other one was home. Then we headed back to the apartment.
-Elder SnowySnowyVille
Jan. 11, 2017
Really cool experience, probably the best experience of the day. Recently I have been feeling the importance of me being called to speak Chinese here. That I should specifically look for Chinese people more...I also thought, "these are nice apartments...there has to be a Chinese person living here"...as I pondered this and we were walking around the apartment complex...we were just about to return to the car...when we saw someone pulling in...but they were pulling into the garage so we I stopped....then there was someone way down the road doing something and I thought maybe we should go and talk with them....we discussed and thought it was the same person we already met....but then the closer car door opened and a person started getting out. We walked over, offered a card, saw her and could tell she wasn't American, explained who we were, asked where she was from(she is from Taiwan) and Elder Grimaud mentioned I speak Mandarin, and we said some things....it was pretty cool. Her name is Karey, and she wants to make us tea....we weren't able to mention we don't drink tea...oh well. It was really good, we weren't really able to share much, a little bit about the Book of Mormon, she is Lutheran, she quickly accepted it though just after hearing a tiny bit about it...she was also very impressed with my Mandarin which always makes me feel good and better see the fulfillment of the gift of tongues. We got her number and plan to meet again..that was pretty cool. Really grateful, and humbled for having that experience.-side note to that story...while we were speaking Mandarin, she asked if Elder Grimaud spake any...we said he didn't..then she essentially said the Buford quote "Hey Candace is gone...lets talk bad about her". It was really really funny.
Last thing...well I am being healthier...I look at labels a lot more.... get up at 6:30 exactly...not 6:20 even if it is easier that way...I just have to be smarter about how I use those first few minutes in the morning. Improvement and Progression are one eternal round(Hymn 284 "If You Could Hie To Kolob").
Also, I really like Elder Grimaud different than most companions, but great also...a lot like Jared sometimes.
-Elder Improvement
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