January 26, 2011

January 26, 2011 - Week 5 of Transfer 8


Hello to my roots!

I loved those pictures you sent! I am jealous, I want snow snow snow. Here it melts ten minutes after there is a big dump, then while its melting they drive around in huge trucks plowing the slush/puddles while dumping 1000s of pounds of salt on the road! Seems like an excuse to me to make more. Then the salt ruins the roads every year so they redo all of them, more jobs. It even ruins all missionaries dress shoes so once again more jobs in the shoe making factories. Something needs to be done about this...

Well the reason I write so early today is because we have a zone activity at noon! Elder Dick and I decided to plan the greatest one in the world! We are heading up to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon with our whole zone (21 missionaries, rides all arranged). Brighton and Solitude ski resorts are up there and if you remember the Branch I covered in my first area (greeny area/where I was born) is up there. So my old Branch President, Pres. Mills, who I got close to is having us all over to his big cabin for the day. He has acres and acres of land. We will be sledding down an entire mountain and being pulled up to the top by snowmobiles, basically getting as close to braking the rules as we can. His wife has cooked us up Chili and hot dogs and some dessert! So all that and a cozy fire for those who don't like the snow in our zone, I think it should be good. We will be up there from 12:00 till 4:30. Everyone is stoked.

Another little update. Next Monday we have ZLC (zone leader council) and its normally once a transfer for five hours. I guess this time they are changing it up a little bit. We are to be there at 6:30 AM and it ends at 8:00 PM! That's not it. We are to bring two sets of Pday clothes and NO proselyting clothes!? What is going on now... I am confused. But keep it a secret we aren't aloud to tell other missionaries. Its a little weird. I will have to let you know what its all about.

So I think this is the time in my mission where you I will always look back on and appreciate. Everything just keeps going. People keep progressing, acting by themselves, recognize answers from God and eventually getting baptized. After baptism they continue to progress, make plans to go to the temple, receive callings, get the Priesthood! Its just to cool to play a part in all of this. David got the Priesthood, Courtney got a calling, Dung is getting the Priesthood this week. I love it! The only negative is we have one ward (the one we keep finding and baptizing in) the WML hasn't given one new member lesson to any of our recent converts in the past two months... Its sad. Its impossible for us to do them, like I said the work keeps going on. But we are doing our best to help him out.

We started to teach Paris this week, it was the greatest lesson ever. We were double booked so Elder Atwood and I taught him. Instead of having me describe him let me show you a video from mormon.org. It is basically the same person. They have the same name, look the same and talk the same. I can't wait to show Paris this video. http://mormon.org/me/1RY0-eng# Its a little weird to be honest how similar they are. We meet with him again tonight, I will keep you posted next week.

So yes Courtney was baptized this past weekend. I would probably say one of the best baptisms I've had on my mission. Everyone who attended had the same to say. Monday night the Curleys and us had dinner over at the Heart's (couple in the ward who came to lessons with us) and it was funny to ask Courtney what she thought about the baptism. She loved it and so did Chad. She had support from everyone, family even flew in. Courtney and Chad triggered something in everyone, some of her family who hasn't attended church for years decided to attend their home wards because of the spirit they felt at the baptism.

This weekend should be great as well. Friday night Rocco is getting baptized, he is the best. We met with him last night and in the closing prayer, which he said, he prayed for help in preparing for his mission! Can it get any better than this? I forget how much I have shared about Rocco but he is a stud. He has done everything by himself. Showed up to church by himself, gone to all three meetings. Reads like no other in the Book of Mormon, he is a strong guy. He should be a candidate for one of those mormon.org videos lol! Considering he is professionally "free runner". I'll see what I can do get him on there. Then on Saturday another lady is getting baptized! I taught her in my first area, she was actually the first person I ever invited to be baptized on a specific date! I remember that day, inside the chapel at the wastach stake center. She was on probabtion at the time but now we are all good and ready to go! Then later that night Matt Lane is getting baptized. This guy couldn't get any more solid. The events in his life that have recently happened have brought him to the perfect place. Completely humble and willing to follow. Matt's in our University 44th ward and I think he is one of the quickest I've seen progress to baptism. He is just start the Book of Alma, that describes it all.

OK no specific stories this week just a quick update! I hope you have been able to get a feel for some of these people I'm teaching. And I hope you can feel my love for all of them. I feel as if I am constantly learning out here, I guess life is like that too. But every time I meet with people they teach me something different. Here is a lesson I have learned in the past six months or so, TALK TO EVERYONE. Mainly as a missionary this applies. Yesterday we ate red lobster, nice I know, but I almost didn't talk to the guy wiping the tables. Inside of me I kept having this feeling "just do it you wimp". So I did. His name is Alex. He's lived here for three years and read the Bible three times. He has never met with missionaries or read the Book of Mormon. I was able to give him the copy I had on me, along with a few things I thought would be good for him to read and my testimony of course. He gave me his phone number and wants to meet with us. Good thing I opened up my mouth isn't it. Well say hi to everyone! Time flies, I better make the most of it!

Love Elder Pizzey.