September 5, 2011

September 5, 2011 - Week 1 of Transfer 14

Sounds like you had a pretty rough trip. The story about Dad going into the back alley made me chuckle, people probably thought he was a drunk. (Tal and I and Taren had a quick little trip to Mazatlan and we are got terrible food poisoning) Today is the last Pday before transfers and it’s called “deep clean Monday” in our mission. Basically there are apartment inspections and you got to scrub the whole place down. We are at home right now just taking things easy today. Elder Bertolino is packing and going through all his junk. I believe I told you last week but once again, he is getting transferred up to Park City for his last four weeks (he leaves mid transfer). He will be finishing his mission in Spanish with a new missionary who has been trained poorly his first transfer. I am going to miss him. He has taught me a lot. My new companion is Elder Speigner who has been out a few days less than a year! He has only been a Zone Leader for one transfer and has no clue what lies ahead of him, he finds out tomorrow. He is definitely one of the strongest Spanish missionaries in the mission. I look forward to baptizing with him. Life in the mission has been really good this past week. Let me give you a quick update.

Zone Leader Council was one of the big highlights of the week, they just keep getting better and better. Elder Jay E. Jensen spoke to us in a small, hands on setting. I loved it! Revelation was flowing. At one point I shared connection of scriptures that came to me while he was unfolding the word to us and he got way excited! He made note of it and said, “If the spirit is teaching you then you young Elders can teach an old timer like me some things.” Elder Jensen knows his scriptures like no other. President Miller who knows most of the general authorities believes he might be the churches greatest scriptorian right now! He just unloaded on us and opened our eyes. He taught us how to better study the scriptures and revealed to us the power of the word. It was extremely motivating, I wish you could have experienced it.

Then we had Kayce Goodro’s baptism. We have been working with her forever! And only recently did things get serious. For a long time it was hard to get in the door or to even have her open the door. But eventually the Lord worked on her and her family. We were able to teach the family together. Her husband comes from an active family but he has been less active since age 16 and now he is preparing to enter the temple. They attend church every Sunday and keep all the commandments. Smoking was the big hold up with Kayce but when it came time she humbled herself and accepted a blessing from us. Just recently she shared with us a story we were unaware of. In the blessing I mentioned something along the lines of, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command your body to be free from the addiction of nicotine, even the very cells of your body to reject nicotine.” I don’t even remember using those words but Elder Bertolino and her said that was part of the blessing. Well it turns out after the blessing that anytime she even thought of smoking she felt like hurling! And if the temptation grew strong enough it resulted in her puking. It is quite the story especially when you have Kayce share it, she is extremely intense and maybe a little vulgar! End of the story though, she was baptized on Sunday with her eight year old daughter Kassidy.

The whole disobedient mess that I explained last week has been cleaned up basically after a lot of hard work. We have seen some miracles in the mission recently though. Elder Bertolino and I had our most spiritual experience while sitting down with a missionary to correct him this past week. My love for the Elders and Sisters is really growing. This certain Elder was pointing the wrong way but by the end of our visit he was heading in the right direction. Elder Bertolino and I were like two little tugboats pulling a massive ship from opposite ends to turning it on the spot into the right direction. It is amazing how willing missionaries are to repent and be obedient if they have some help. We read from Helaman 5 about his countenance and Romans 13 about being subject to our leaders. In the weird mission lingo this Elder would be considered my Grandson (Elder Ng’s son lol) and before we left he asked for a blessing and we were able to give him one. I love this Elder.

Transfers, new missionaries, departing missionaries and a new assistant are all this week! It should be hectic and a good opportunity for me to grow. It will be a little scary without Elder Bertolino but I will be able to do it with the Lords help. These past few transfers Elder Bertolino has taught me so many things especially how to use and exercise the Priesthood. I will miss him and do love him. I love you mom, dad and family! Have a good week.

Elder Pizzey