Highlights of Thoughts For the Week

It is definitely crazy how fast time has gone! It seems like just yesterday that I was marking one month off my checklist, and now I'm already to two! Although 2 months really isn't much in comparison to 2 years, it was a little crazy when I realized that between the last time that I noticed how long I've been out (1 month) and now, I've gone from being a 24th of the way done with my mission to a 12th! And in another month I'll be up to an 8th!  Of course those number shifts are going to start coming less and less frequently really soon, but it's still kind of an interesting way to look at time passing!

This last week has been crazy! The work really picked up, and that, in addition to the fact that Elder Wihongi will be leaving has made it really busy! We've been saying tons of goodbyes, teaching a ton, and just working really hard. It's been a little hard for me to focus on the here and the now with Elder Wihongi being forced to look towards post mission, and everyone giving him post mission advice. I'm excited for the chance to get a new companion and be able to really just dig into mission work and not have to think about post mission life for a while!

Some highlights of thoughts for this last week:

• I've been getting Big Red gum in every package I've gotten so far, and even though I'm not technically allowed to chew gum (it tends to be distracting when you're talking to others) I've found a use for it!  Apparently Big Red gum is the gum of choice for people who are trying to quit smoking, so I've been giving away tons of packs of it to all of our investigators who are trying to quit smoking. So keep the Big Red coming! Haha.
• We had dinner at Sister Sanchez's house this last week. She made us papoosa's, which were delicious! I don't know if I've mentioned before, but she's sort of like the missionary mom for our ward. She's just amazing. She always thinks about others more than herself, and is nice to everyone.
•  I've decided that when it comes to socks, Powersox is the brand to go with for mission work.
• Special request from one of my investigators: we're teaching someone named Adnan.  He's 29 years old, and has some pretty serious mental issues, but is the nicest guy that you're ever likely to meet.  This last visit, he asked if I ever miss my family and if they ever miss me. I told him that we both miss each other, but we both know that the work I'm doing is important, and that makes it easier to handle. He asked me to be sure to tell them that "there is a boy named Adnan, and you are changing his life, and his life will never be the same because of you. I hope that helps them miss you less."  I'm so blessed to be out here and have the opportunity to share the gospel and help people.  Sure there are things that I miss about home, but I have the rest of my life to do those things, and only two years to do this, so I'm going to commit myself fully!
• Last thought: I love general conference. I've always received guidance for my life from it, and I know you all can too! Even if you're not a member of the church, just think of it as a weekend of Ted Talks for your life and your spirituality! Go in with a question about something you're not sure about right now, and I promise you'll get an answer! I'm so glad I get the opportunity to help other people learn about and enjoy this amazing conference and the blessings that come from it!

Q&A – 9/28/15

1.) What are your plans for General Conference?  --I’m not positive on general conference yet... From what I understand we try to get investigators to members houses to watch it, and it can be really stressful. I'll definitely miss being able to just relax and enjoy it for myself, but I guess it's a worthwhile sacrifice to help others experience it!

2.) Have you been given any hints as to whether or not you'll be staying in the same area this transfer? --I actually found out most of the stuff about transfers Saturday! I'll be staying in the haven ward, and will still be a junior companion! (Definitely relieved about that one). All I know about my new comp is that his name is Elder Dixon and he hasn't been out much longer than I have. Super excited though!

3.) How many wards do you work with? And how many missionaries cover your area? --I only work with one ward, haven, and our ward only has one set of missionaries. Some companionship’s have two wards, but I only have one, and the geographical area is pretty small. I think there's a map that lets you see the ward and stake boundaries on lds.org if you want to find it and post a link.  
Haven Ward, Warm Springs Stake, Las Vegas Nevada

4.) Are you adjusting to the heat? --I'm adjusting to the heat pretty well! I really don't mind it too much, because I've just resigned myself to being hot and sweaty for the next two years, haha. That being said, it's starting to get cooler, and should be really nice soon!

5.) Best moment of the week? --We had a combined district meeting on Wednesday which was pretty cool! We met with the district that usually meets in the room next to us at the same time. The trainings were by the two district leaders and also 2 of the departing missionaries, and were really good!