Service for Days...Week #82

Hey Mom!

Yes, my eye is doing fine.(He was diagnosed with Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis this week)  I don’t feel anything at all, unless I’m wearing my contact lenses. So I’ve been wearing glasses all week and they are working great! They make me look smarter so that’s a plus haha😂 I will be wearing them for the next few weeks. And I’m pretty much covered for sunglasses, I mean I don’t wear them that much and I can live without them for a few weeks. I won’t need any prescription sunglasses, I’ll be okay. I actually served in my Opthamologists ward, Brother Woolf. He super funny! He was in Stonebridge Ward up in Las Sendas. He said that if the insurance doesn’t cover the expenses for the appointments, he wouldn't charge anything. Super nice guy. #BlessingsofbeingamissionaryinMesa. 

Yep, this week was transfer week. Elder Burningham and I are still together😎 He is probably one of my more favorite companions, our personalities are pretty similar. Plus he’s a super hard worker, he’s going to be a good leader in the mission. And I’m glad you got my boxes, I’m slowly sending stuff home so I won't have too much to bring home in August. There will probably be more coming when Sister Kenney comes to Mesa, I actually think she’s here this week. Yeah don’t worry about sending me anything. I’ve been trying to save up for a new pair of proselyting shoes. It's surprising how fast I wear them out!  I’ve been through like 4 or 5 pairs on my mission. My feet have been giving me some problems lately, so I’ve been wearing my Nike insoles in my shoes to make them more comfortable😂 

In response to your question, yes things have been better this week. I guess something that I’ve been pondering a lot about this week is the circumstances that some people live with. It’s difficult to see how fallen apart people’s lives are. That is one of the things that wears me down. There is a lady that we are working with right now who is struggling so much with life. She had a good family, a home, a job, a good life. Now because of some mental issues she has lost everything. She has been stuck in this spiral for years and years and can’t seem to get out. She breaks down in hopelessness every time we talk with her and it’s hard to see. I mean I’m only 19 years old, I haven’t experienced anything close to that. Sometimes I just feel helpless, like I don’t know what I could possibly say to help this person. I want to help her, but how? I’m just a kid from Utah. It's hard to see people in shambles, but I know that the message of the Gospel can pull lives back together. Bearing testimony of the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ can give people the hope and push that they need to get things going. Bearing testimony doesn’t always have to be done verbally, but by example. When we apply the Atonement, we change. When we change, people around us see it and start to wonder how or why? What is behind this change? People notice that we have a power and strength that can’t be found anywhere else. The Atonement is real, I invite everyone to use it daily and share your testimony of it by your personal growth and change. 

We did a ton of service this week which was a huge blessing. There is an area in Mesa called Lehi (you know it’s very Mormon here when they have a city called Lehi😂). Lehi is like a farm/cowboy community, it’s actually pretty funny, everyone wears cowboy boots and hats😂 Anyways they have an event called “Lehi days”, it’s basically a huge rodeo. It’s run by the Lehi stake and so they allowed us to put up a missionary Booth. We had Book of Mormons and Easter Pageant invites. I’m pretty sure we invited everyone there to the Easter Pageant. Anyways we talked to a lot of people and shared the wonderful message of the Gospel with them. Plus we were able to see some of the rodeo. It was a pretty sweet deal for a service project. They also had the BEST barbecue...

The other big service project that we did this week was set up all of the Easter Pageant props. It was seriously the funnest service project I’ve ever done! We basically prepared everything for the show because they are starting rehearsals soon. Elder Thompson was with us so we had a party. It took a good 8 hours, but afterward they bought us pizza and we ate on top of the stage. Looking over the temple grounds and all over Mesa was beautiful. I look at nature and without a doubt I know that God created it all. One of my favorite scriptures is found in the Book of Mormon, Alma 30:44 and it says “all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things upon the face of it, yea, and it’s motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a supreme creator.” I know that God created everything for our happiness. I’m so grateful that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much.

I love what my mission has taught me. I’ve been able to learn so many things that have changed my outlook on life. It’s been a huge blessing. I love God, and I love His work. I hope that I can continue to find my path and greater purpose in this life:) I love you Momma, I love you so much. Your amazing, I hope that you have a good week!

Setting up for the pageant....

Lehi Days....

And...my weekly car pic :)