Hello from Utah!
Alrighty... before I even get started. I'm going to give some shout outs! Thank you Hirsche's, Beck Prince, LINDSAY, Parents, Grandpa, Austin, Heavenor's, Gibb's, Elder Gibb and a few others! Man I felt like a spoiled little ratty brat! I had like six packages. It felt good though, I felt loved. I appreciate all of them, all thoughtful. Maybe one little suggestion for Breanne. Don't right on the customs sticker that there is MONEY inside the box! Not the brightest, but what we can expect its Breanne! JUST KIDDING. OK well I love my family and friends that's a given, or else I would just right a one paragraph email like every other Elder here. When everyone is yelling at and calling me to get my butt over to the gym I keep writing. Because I love you guys, I'm going to use the full time we are given.
So yup yesterday was my birthday! Weird. It sure didn't feel like it. I was on exchange with Elder Bourleson (Zone leader) in his area on Monday and on Tuesday I was on an exchange with Elder Santiago (new missionary) in his area. I completely forgot it was my birthday yesterday until dinner really. The family asked how old I was and I thought for a minute and just answered 20 with a grin. Although my buddies in the zone, our zone leaders took me out for lunch on Monday that was cool. We are going to Draper with them today to play ball with some other Elders. I can't wait. So unreal week though. With this new Wednesday Pday thing I feel like the week is longer, not in a bad way. Just that I have 10x the amount of stories I want to share! Alot with have to wait until I'm home with the journals.
So I think the coolest thing about being a missionary, hope this doesn't sound prideful or like I'm boasting of myself. But I love when members or Bishops or Stake Presidents say, "I feel the spirit when I am with these Elders." We have had a few Bishops pull us into there office and let us know they are proud of us. They let us know that they KNOW we are being obedient. That we are working in unity. That we are out here for the right reasons and they know all these things because when we come into their home and share a scripture and leave with a prayer they feel it! People have told us there is a light around you guys! I don't think literally but I just think really? I just get so used to it I take the countless number of spiritual experiences we have for granted! I can't do that, and I don't anymore. Miracles happen everyday but we just need to recognize them! And when we recognize them we have to thank God for them. I love this service I am in!
I also love being prepared. We were sitting in one of our wards this Sunday, actually we were sitting with the Fowlks. The high councilmen who was suppose to speak didn't show up. So the Bishop got up and ask if we could stand. He said now these fine Elders, Elder Pizzey and Elder Lundwall don't know this but they are going to be our speakers this week! I was stoked. So up we went and sat there during the sacrament. Enjoyed the sacrament and finished the meeting by speaking for 10-12 minutes on whatever the spirit told me to share. Just another ward down! The best thing was we had two potential investigators at that meeting. Sometimes you get scared bringing people to church as a missionary. Just don't always know if the members will actually do their part. Be mindful of what they say or if they will shake the hand of every person they don't know. Well since we were the ones speaking we could completely tailor the lesson to THEM! And now we are teaching them, I love it. No such thing as coincidences.
I haven't even hit the things I've wanted to talk about today! Shoot! Dang! Freak! (missionary swears). Well last Friday Elder Lundwall and myself were weekly planning. We were still a little down and focusing on some of the negative things that were happening in the area. We were still doing the work but with very little faith and a poor attitude. Well at the end of that week planning session (PMG P.147) there is step 13. The last step. We made some appropriate goals and took them to heart. We snapped out of our wimpy moment and just got to work. It's hard to describe the change but there was one, a big one.
I love baptismal interviews. I interviewed a man in his 40's with cancer this past week. He doesn't have much longer to live, less than a year. Family and everything. But you could imagine how humbling that was. Baptismal interviews can be so spiritual, what a opportunity for me. I love my district. We have got some good Elders right now and they are all working hard. I don't have time to look up the scripture right now. But it's Alma talking about the joy he has of his brethren success. I feel that, I get so proud of them. It's somewhere in Alma 17 or 26.
So the exchanges this week! (sorry rushed, no time left) I loved them. To be honest I learnt more from a new missionary than my zone leaders! I am probably just to close with our zone leaders so it was more fun than intense and spiritual! Elder Santiago, he is from Taiwan Mexico and only been out a couple weeks. He has a great trainer E. Conrad (been out 1 year). Elder Santiago is the a funny little guy, I think of him as cute. He is still working on getting the English down but doing unreal. I love missionaries with no fear and will to challenge and testify to anyone! Well he's one of us, I find it's the only way to truely feel satisfied in this work. The original plan was for him to come to my area because he has only been in his for a couple weeks. But I thought it would be good for Elder Lundwall to take over our area for a couple days and I knew Elder Santiago was ready to show me how its done. So I changed it up. He was way excited. We worked so hard yesterday. Walked 11 miles, I never walk though I'm all about the bike. We had some unbelievable experiences tracting. We did it so prayerfully. No some of you are going to think this is weird but it's so REAL! First we circle the huge apartment place. Then we pray and ask for guidance, then we walk and just listen to the spirit. BAM! Change direction and we went 200 feet the opposite direction. Knocked on two doors, then we heard footsteps behind us. Turn around and open our mouth. We ran into a recent convert of one year, turns out her 14 year old brother is interested. We schedule a time. Same thing we walk and pointed to a certain group of the apartments. Lets go. We go to the second level and the third door we knock (fifth of the day) we find a family. They met with missionaries before, had some problems but now they are ready...... What! Same thing. Thank God, and continue on. We knocked some other doors we were led to and ran into a member. She had a referral for us on the other side of the building. We go check it out and no ones home. We knock a few more (2 hours in and only 25 knocks) but nothing, so we decide to head to a different ward. As we are leaving there is this lady with her little boy WAY on the other side of the parking lot. We change our direction TOGETHER (same time, no words said) and walk in a straight line towards her. Guess who it is? The referral of that member earlier and even better she is has been wanting to meet with missionaries! UNREAL. Man did we give thanks.
I'm sorry that was quite the story and hard to explain, hopefully it made sense. I loved that day though. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present. I love serving with an Elder who has the same feelings for this work as I do. Who is excited to hussel, to get outside! Sometimes I wonder why can't my companion be dragging me around! But in the pass 9 weeks I've learned something. We aren't just here to invite others to come unto Christ, we are also her to invite our companions unto Christ. We are here for each other. When we do what we should be doing any contention goes away and the relationship works out. I can trust that he will be there for me as well and he as. I love serving and I'm going to do the best I can. I'll come home a new man, not a teenager! I'm 20 now! hehe! Love you all, especially you guys. Mom and Dad that is.
Love your Elder Pizzey.
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