Hey all! Seriously, every week
I've been in the field has been crazy.
We were doing a chapel tour,
where we show the different rooms of the church to help them feel the spirit of
it, and right after we got a call from the other Elders in Payson, Elder
Messegee and Elder Woodard. Elder Stoker answered, and just kept going "NO
WAY. OH MY GOODNESS." He wouldn't divulge anything, until he hung up. After
anxiously waiting, he said Elder Woodard, a week-old missionary, was going home
for health reasons, and that I would be emergency-transferred to take his
place. So that night I packed my stuff up, went to the Assistants house where
Elder Messegee was, and became companions with him! Crazy 24 hours. Then that
night, we went on exchanges, and I went with Elder Tucker, back in my old area.
It was sad to say goodbye to so many people I had gotten so close with.
We had a baptism on Saturday!
David got baptized, and we got to go back and see it. It felt so good, and I
got to be a witness for it. David was one prepared guy. He and his wife have
held fast to their goal to get sealed in the temple. His wife gave one of the
talks, and she started crying thanking us for all the time we spent with them
and all the joy we've brought to their lives, which made me feel pretty dang
good.
In the new area, one of my
first lessons was with a pretty crazy-looking guy with very rugged and dirty
clothes named Steele. He works at a place called the dream mine. I had no idea
what the heck that was until Elder Messegee explained it after. Apparently, the
story is an embarrassment to Payson, where a Bishop had a dream that there was
a mountain nearby with gold, and he thought it was revelation from God, so he
called upon his whole ward to help him and used tithing money to pay to mine
it. They were all excommunicated. Some people still believe that there is gold buried
there, and Brother Steele believes that the gold plates and the ark of the
covenant are there. He also told us how he talks to Alma the Younger regularly,
and invited us to come meet up with him some time to do so, which we
respectfully declined.
I don't think I'll get a P-day this next week since I'll be
flying around, so it might be a couple weeks til I write again. 8 days to
Macedonia, I'm crazy excited!! It's so close. I'm stressing a little because
it's my last American Pday and I don't want to forget anything I might need
when I'm gone, but it'll all turn out well!
Elder Rigby
Elder Rigby
Top picture: Elders Stoker, Tucker,
me, and Messegee, my new comp!
Lower picture: David, he is awesome!
My first baptism
