July 25, 2010 - Exciting News, Companions with a Relative!

Hello family!

Well I don't have alot of time today for email, had a big letter to mission president to write and we are running a little late with alot of things to do! So sorry if this one is short. Well let me throw out there the big surprise. First things first right. Well I am serving with three other missionaires..... in one companionship! A FOURSOME!? I know! Crazy right? We got a call from the assistants asking, well no telling us we would be having two visa waiters. So we picked them up wednesday and it started there. Let me introduce them. Elder Gray from a small town outside of Sacramento waiting for his visa to Tijuana Mexico! And the other is Elder McClung from Bow Island Alberta! Waiting to go to Tijuana Mexico as well. Wait a minute did I say Elder McClung? That sounds familair. Wait a minute we are second cousins! WHAT! I am serving with a relative! Is this wild or what! When they called out his name I immediatley thought of Tanner, Kristen and Marnie! The McClungs? Then we start talking as we are driving away and it everything starts coming together! We were flipping out.



So how cool is this? I am serving with E. McClung, showing him the ropes. I love him man. Plus he dated a girl for two years before he left, same situation I'm in. That calls for some fun chat but don't worry we are focused! So your probably thinking for missionaires one companionship? How does that work? It doesn't, so we split up. The first couple days were pretty scattered and all over the place. Trying to plan for four people, whos going where, with who. After some prayer I came to a conculsion it would not work like this, I mean they could be here for six months.

SIDE NOTE. Mission has roughly 70 visa waiters, a few have adopted into missioin, some few days out and others few months. They have no idea when they get their visa, just when it comes. We just recieved 30 this last week and all spanish companionships who have room for visa waiters have visa waiters. We are the first English speaking companionship to have spanish speaking visa waiters. So many blessings of this deal, the greatest and most selfish one! We get an extra hour of personal study because they need language study! I love it haha!

So I decided to seperate our area. Elder Ng and Gray have Willow Creek Stake on bike (it's flat and smaller) and Elder McClung and myself have Wastach Stake (hilly and big). I didn't just put us together because I love Elder McClung but for certain reasons. Elder Gray can speak forever and sometimes Elder Ng is good to let him talk and Elder McClung is great but sometimes a little quite so I can get him to speak and take over if he ever needs it. But man I love these two Elders they brought some vital skills into our companionship we need and the enthusiasm and efforts they've shown up with is unreal. I love them both they are the perfect missionaries to train, humble. Elder England definetly put me in my place sometimes and I truly needed it and am thankful for it. These two don't need that, just need love and any advice I can give, they always ask for it. I LOVE IT. This is a great experience for E. Ng as well and he's doing pretty good as well. He is realizing how hard it is to train and I think it has made him more open to suggestions, even asked me for some help the other day.



So this is truly a blessing. 24/7 we are double working our area, it feels so good. This week was excellent though. It's so funny the ups and downs of a mission that happen daily. This week we found five new investigators and have six people on date for baptism, we should have ten though. Hopefully this coming week we can get the people who have become a little washing progessing again and back on date. There are so many people and stories! I just don't have time to tell you all of them it stinks! I'll tell you this. Adam the golden guy we were teaching, who wanted to serve a mission he's off date. He was telling everyone about his baptism on the 31st, all his friends. Then out of the blue we recieved a call from him letting us know he needs to cancel our next lesson because he needs a week off to think about things. His mom is really giving him a hard time, the family is not to supportive. So he said he wouldn't ignore our calls but he hasn't answered one since and it will be a week tomorrow. Pretty sad, we were devistated. But it will work out, he was way to perfect for this to happen. Pray for him.



I'm sorry but I must wrap up this email we got no time! And I really want to go play ball :) But I am loving serving a mission. So many experiences and things to learn. We had great friday night at the Vigil's home all four of us. He told us tons of stories from his mission. Being thrown off porches, killing dogs who attacked him, people pulling knives, etc. YIKES! He shared lots of crazy stories, then after we had dinner we all shared some scriptures, just kepting going around in a circle. I love Sis. Vigil and I told them I will be back with my parents to visit. They can't wait, the perfect convert. All ready involved in Relief Society.



Good week. I love sundays, nothing beats it. Attending at least three sacrements a week, well six with the double work we got going on! But yes, some spiritual moments. And to top of the week we climbed up the mtn 50 feet to watch the fireworks from 10-10:25 on July 24th. The whole valley was lit up. Love the work, love my companions. Looking forward to his week it's leadership training! That includes me! From 9-3 almost every day this week, so hopefully I learn some new things! OK family and friends, take care. Next week I will share some spiritual experiences OK!



Keep the faith. Elder Pizzey.