Monday, February 27, 2017

Back on my Feet!- Week 29

Hey!
Your prayers have worked! Thank you, I am feeling a lot better! This last week I felt 10 times better than I did before. It was such a relief to go out again. And it felt good to go out and enjoy the fresh Arizona air;) Every night on our bikes we watch the sun go down and I'm always amazed and reminded how beautiful Gods creations are. I don't know how anyone can see the beauty all around them and still say there is no God!

But yeah Elder Child is a fun companion, I honestly think he has just as much or more energy than Jack! He's a happy guy.

And no that lady at BK actually dropped us, we weren't surprised at all because you could tell she wasn't interested. I'm glad because now we won't be wasting our time with the pointless questions she was asking. We can only hope that she learned and felt something from our lesson with her, maybe someday down the road she will remember it:)

This week was full of a bunch of awesome lessons. On Wednesday we had one with a sister who was baptized in June. She is the best and we had a great lesson with her. She had a rough week and so we shared a very uplifting message, gave her a blessing, and she was very happy about it. On Saturday we had three lessons at the Visitors Center!! Oh man that day was fun, I love the VC so much, I'm so glad our mission has it.We watched the 8 missionary stories with Gabriel and Israel, the kids we baptized a while back, and they absolutely loved them. We're just getting them hyped for the mish someday. I loved watching them too! Remember when we went to the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors Center and watched them? Yeah it reminded me of that, good times! They are some great videos that make people excited about serving their missions. That day we also watched the Joseph Smith Prophet of The Restoration movie with two of our investigators. I think I've seen it like 20 times now and it gets better every time! It tells the life of Joseph Smith so powerfully and you could tell that our investigators were feeling the spirit. I don't think that they expected that๐Ÿ˜Ž We again asked them to read and pray about the BOM and they will know if these events and things that we are teaching them are true. So we hope that they do that:)

On Thursday we had zone conference again. I feel like we just had one! Anyways it was great, the focus was on member missionary work and how missionary work here is super difficult without the members help. We talked about ways we can get members more excited and involved in the missionary efforts of their ward. President Townsend gave an awesome training on using the lesson pamphlets that we have but never use haha. He was preachin man! He also took us back to our apartment after it was over because we are on bikes and got a ride there. So yeah we got the Presidential escort๐Ÿ˜ Anyways later that night we put P-Towny's training to the test, we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ using the pamphlet to our investigator Phylicia. It made a world of difference, the transitions on teaching were clear and right in front of us and the spirit was there. We had Brother Hardison and Brother Bosley there with us and their testimonies were perfect. It was just a good good lesson that we need to have more often!

Yesterday was our first Sunday in our wards combined. It was rough I'm not going to lie. I had 3 wards my first transfer in the mission and I forgot how hard it was haha. We had 8 hours of church and by 6 hours I was struggling really bad to stay awake๐Ÿ˜‚ but don't worry, I've got it to the point that when I do accidentally fall asleep it just looks like I'm praying haha...just kidding! But yeah our wards are all really great! 12th and 34th wards have hardly any work going on in them because the areas are really tough. 60th ward on the other hand is exploding and I'm just so happy I still cover that ward:)

Oh haha and Elder Child water-logged his iPad in his bag because his water bottle exploded! Thank goodness I have mine with area book on it. So I pretty much did all of the scheduling and things this week. So today we are going to the mission office to see what he needs to do.

And my boy Jack is growing up! I'm so proud of him for advancing to the office of teacher in the priesthood.What a stud, man I look up to him so much!The reason I say that Jack is going to be a great
missionary is because he is super passionate and hard working with everything he does. He has a solid testimony and he does well in most things anyways, so imagine him doing missionary work with the Lords help! Soooooo cool!๐Ÿ˜Ž

Well, I hope you all are healthy and happy!  It's starting to get pretty warm here in Mesa! I hear not so much in Utah!  I love you all! 
Love, Elder Findlay
Sunsets!!!

They are already starting to set up for the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple.  The stage is massive!


And these people have like a billions dogs!  Haha it was NUTS!!!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

A New Start- Week 28


Heyo! Its good to hear from you, I needed it especially this week.This week with my new companion Elder Child was really fun! He's a pretty funny dude, he was actually homeschooled so he didn't know anyone I know from Box Elder. Elder Watmough went
home on Tuesday last week which was sad and then Elder Quist and his new companion moved out of our place. Elder Calio and Elder Higham are nour new roommates. I love them both haha, I came out with Elder Higham. Its a party! And Elder Eaton went to the Kimball Stake down south a couple of streets. I still see him a little bit.

We do cover 3 wards now, 12th, 34th, and 60th wards. So or Sundays are packed full of church and meetings. Yesterday was Stake conference which was great! It was really good. The speakers were really good! It turns out Tiana, we baptized her in the beginning of January, spoke at conference and it was sooo good! She's awesome! The world needs more members like her. We have the B family who are coming close to baptism, the only thing really holding them back is Brother B has some problems with the Word of Wisdom so it will take some time. Other than that we have a bunch of investigators but they just aren't keeping commitments.We'll just keep working at it!

Wednesday was pretty crazy, we had a bunch of lessons! We first had a lesson with a lady (name withheld) and we had it at Burger King haha.We taught her about agency and how there is a purpose to everything that happens. She then went of on like 10 or 15 anti questions just randomly. Things like polygamy, drugs, same sex marriage, and all other sorts of stuff. We could tell that she wasn't looking to learn, so for our next lesson we are going to establish our purpose as missionaries and see if she I really looking to come closer to God.

This week was so off and went by sooooooo slow. Sad to say it but it was probably the worst week of my mission:/ On Wednesday I got really sick and I was all achey and had a pretty bad fever. It kept me up all night and I woke up exhausted the next day. I didn't really know what to do so I went out as usual, and the biking didn't help at all haha. On Thursday I was just feeling wasted but I still went out and did the usual. On Friday it was pretty bad so Sister Clifford (mission nurse) said that I should rest so that's what we've done for the last three days including today. Turns out it was strep. Although we did go out tonight, I couldn't stay another minute in the apartment, and we found a new investigator! Not bad considering how the week went. Anyways I really hope I start feeling better!

Anyways all summed up not much stuff happened because I was sick, but this week will be a lot better! I know that it's supposed to warm up this week so we'll see how that goes! I love you a lot Mom and keep praying for you and everyone! Love you!

Love, Elder Findlay

Here is a video from a little while ago.  This was an old missionary record player they used in Argentina. Bro. H. is our ward mission leader and he's the best!

Sunsets!!!

Me and Elder Child
He's a goof, haha, love this dude

This was our last P-day before transfers

Monday, February 13, 2017

Happy Valentines Day- Week 27

Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow Mom!!! How's this week been for ya? I did get your package too! Thanks so much!! I love it haha!! I loved all of the little sayings you put on them too. You guys are the best! And i loved the pictures! Why is so much changing! I've only been gone for 6 months and EVERYTHING is different. Friends getting married,
sister getting married, Utah weather going nuts, little bro growing, up, getting a dog, I could seriously go on forever haha! I cant even imagine what it will be like when I get home. And Island Splash is opening up again? Good for them! The thought of working there makes me a little crazy, but good for her:)

And my little brother is growing up! What the heck, that's not supposed to happen til I get back ๐Ÿ˜‚ He's a stud, I'm sure all the ladies are falling for him. You have no more deacons Mom! I sent him something in the mail so he should be expecting it:)

Oh yeah and the basketball game that we had last week with the high school team was great. We stomped on them, it was hilarious! Haha they got really frustrated๐Ÿ˜ God wouldn't let his missionaries lose๐Ÿ˜œ

Today has been great, we've just been getting ready for transfers and Elder Eaton has been packing. I've been getting rid of a bunch of things I don't need and just re-organizing myself. We did get to go to Brother Thompson's house again and use his massive theater. We watched Prince of Egypt with Elder Watmough and Elder Quist and it was fun. It's one of the few movies we are approved to watch. And Elder Watmough goes home tomorrow so we have been making it fun for him.

And yes transfers are tomorrow! So my new companion is Elder Child, I've been on a bunch of exchanges with him and he was in my district last transfer. So it's a weird transfer move but it will be good! Plus he is going to be district leader so I still get to do a bunch of exchanges! So I did cover the 30th and 60th wards but now our area is 60th ward (which I'm so happy about because most of our work was in that
ward anyways), 12th ward, and 34th ward. And IM STILL ON BIKE๐Ÿ˜ 3 wards is a big area and yet I'm still on bike. Haha whatever I'll be fine๐Ÿ˜‚ thank goodness I am still in the same apartment so I can still enjoy the smell of tacos every night we come home:) 

Not much happened this last week so I don't have a lot to say but I have a few pictures and videos! I hope you all have an amazing week and I love you more than you know Mom! You keep me going everyday!
Love, Elder Findlay


Celebrated my 6 month mark last week.....

Sunsets!๐Ÿ˜


#Backyardtaco :):):)

my valentine to you!๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’—

Monday, February 6, 2017

Livin' the Dream - Week 26

What's up! I am doing fantastic on this p-day. It's been a real chill p-day which I have needed really bad. We have had a crazy week full of lessons with investigators and tons of moving people. And I can't believe I've already been out for almost 6 months, its unreal. Well I won't be considered a greenie anymore, although I still feel like one!   I'm very much enjoying the perfect weather but in a few months it will be super hot again, crossing my fingers I'm in car again by then!๐Ÿ˜Ž Transfers are on Valentine's Day and anything can happen. Elder Eaton thinks he is leaving and I will stay but I could see it the opposite way. The last Elder that was in my area was here for 9 months so it's beyond me what will happen! But I'm excited! 

That's awesome that stake conference was good! I love a good speaker who can really speak their heart, it makes a world of difference. I definitely see the need for what Elder McKay spoke on. There are so many people that I've met here that have fallen away from the gospel and it makes me sad because more than half of them are returned missionaries. Being offended, sinning, laziness, and doubt are all tools of Satan in this world and it gets the best of a lot of people. He knows that he can't win so what he is doing is trying to bring down with him as many of us as he can. That's why it's so important to have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. In elders quorum we were talking about building our lives on solid foundations. If that first foundation of everything we do is based on Jesus Christ then it can't be broken! Its so easy to forget this and its also really easy to do it! Its so worth it, there are so many blessing that will flow your way!

Oh and guess what? So one of the High Schools here is Mountain View, which is also nicknamed "Mormon View" haha. Anyways a bunch of kids from the basketball team think that they could beat us Elders in a game of basketball. It's today at 4:30 and its actually a pretty big thing haha, the Elders team is Me, Elder Thompson, Elder Cox, Elder Jackson, Elder Higham, and Elder Lee. These kids are going to wish they didn't challenge us. We are all good ball players so its going to be like the good old days. 

Some of our new investigators came to church yesterday! Mike and Teresa were there which was great! It was a really good sacrament meeting I think so we hope they liked it. They had to bounce after Sacrament but it was good that they made an appearance! Since it was Super Bowl Sunday it was an interesting one. I wasn't too bummed about missing the game until everyone we talked to asked "so are you watching the game?". That's when I was kind of missing it haha but I'm glad I'm here. I did get to see the score quite a bit though, I just asked everyone we talked to. It was a great night though. We were riding our bikes through one of the apartment complexes that we cover and I saw this one guy just texting on his phone so I went over and talked to him a little. And as he was talking I looked around and noticed that there were a bunch of boxes with stuff spilled out in the front of his apartment. He was looking pretty sad so I asked if there was anything we could do for him and he opened up and told us about his girlfriend and how she got mad and chucked his stuff all out in the street. So we helped him cleanup and he was really happy that we helped out. So he gave us some limited edition ghostbusters soda pop haha! I love helping people out, now I know why the Lord did it so much!๐Ÿ˜

All in all it was a solid week. Things are great and the Lord is working his miracles. I love you momma and hope you have an awesome week! I keep praying for you everyday. Tell everyone I say hi! Love ya! 

Love Elder Findlay

I love our temple!

chillin

I got to hammock for a few minutes today!
 #livinthedream #missionhammocklife