Wk 44 - Roller Coaster on the Mission?!

Companion: Elder Green
Area: Mansfield

Saw Elder Brumfield at the mission conference!!

We asked him for a drink and he gave us beer..
Haha it worried us but it was just soda! 

Hey yall! This week was absolutely insane! Starting the week off on Wednesday, after we drove down to Powell which is over an hour away we finally got back around 4:30 to email. While emailing we get a call saying we gotta pack and we're spending the night in Polaris because we have the mission conference that next day, so we gotta do about an hour night drive! It was sweet! But getting there at 10:15 and having to go to bed in 15 minutes was crazy! ha ha! I ended up getting to sleep in my hammock out side on their deck next to a pond! It was so legit!! But I woke up at like 5:30-6 because it was light! 

Night drive down to Polaris

Hammocking!!! Elder Green slept on a pool chair...
Haha I offered to trade no worries. 

The next morning we zoomed down to the Galloway building to the Mission Conference where Elder Gifford Nielsen was doing a mission tour! I can't think of any other word that could describe that meeting other than INCREDIBLE!! The Spirit in the whole meeting was so amazing! We talked a LOT about personal revelation! Not only why it's so important for our lives but especially our lives as missionaries. It was so cool how it turned out, Sister Stratford began talking about personal revelation, President Stratford then talked about conversion, and consecration. He explained so clearly how those two things tied right back into personal revelation. Sister Nielsen then gave a training on the power and authority we hold on our missions and after. We are God's children! He will help us! We just need to reach out to Him and He will answer. Then Elder Nielsen came up, he began talking about why we teach the atonement, or the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Then he changed to talk about how we can connect! By saying things that would matter to them! Such as "Have you ever done anything wrong in your life??" instead of "hi, we're missionaries..." Having a great family home evening with a member then asking, "do you know anyone that would like a night like this?" He also talked a lot about member missionary work. Then us as missionaries and how we need to be teaching the message with the most Christ like attributes you can! Love, be meek, bold, listen to the spirit, allow it to soften their hearts! There was so much more I just won't have enough room to type it and I'm just a little too lazy I guess! hahaha But he finished off with an apostolic promise!! It was so amazing! I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor from it!! It almost made me cry the Spirit was so strong!

That night we had a great lesson with Alycia and Layne! Talked about the interview and how Satan will still try to get in her way. We took her cigarettes and her lighter and even her roller! haha It was sweet! She was finally done smoking after 16 years!! 

Friday we had some more service at the Kecks! That's always a party! Fixing their mower again! A different part broke form what we fixed the time before! haha That night we had another basketball tournament! It was sweet!! We had 8 teams plus a few others form clearfork elders that all said they were coming but we only had 4 teams!! It was so dumb they told us they were coming then didnt! but that's missionary work for ya! It was still fun and we had some good games!! 

Ballin'

Saturday we had exchanges and Alycia's interview. Here's where we go on an emotional roller Coaster on the mission!! hahaha I was with Elder Coon here in Mansfield but since we had Alycia's interview, Elder Green and Elder Hepler got to spend the night to save miles. Anyways in the morning me and Elder Coon went to go get things set up for the interview and when we got to the church we had a strong prompting to go check on Alycia. So we called and no answer so we drove way over there and when we pulled around the corner we saw something we didn't want to say and let's just say we had to reteach her somethings. But her and her son both passed the interview. After the interview we were concerned about what we just taught her and had a feeling it was gonna happen again so we had the sisters go check and it did. We also got a text from her that said she wasn't feeling well so she wasn't going to church and haven't heard from her since. Its been very hard but we're pretty sure she'll come back as she gains just a little more faith like last time! 

Sunday was pretty crazy. After the hard event the night before we still ended up hitting the Standards for the 4th week in a row! Friday night I forgot to mention we put Rachelle's husband David who we helped gut his house. We put him and his son on date! He has changed soo much and they came to church for the second week in a row! So there was a huge high low right there! It's been crazy! 

Monday we did some service for a less active, had dinner with a member. Went out to do work but we found no one. That night there was a huge thunder storm! It was awesome! 

Tuesday we got a call from a member when we were eating red lobster! They had their basement flood and asked us to come help get everything out! It was pretty exhausting! Haha but it was worth it! They are awesome people! 

Today we grilled out again! Life's been great just staying positive! I hope ya'll are doing the same because out here we don't really have a choice! It's the only way to keep going and to be happy! 

Love you all! Hope you have a great week! 

Love Elder Smoot