Sent: Monday, April 27, 2015 7:35 AM

 

This week we had quite a few cool experiences happen. Nothing huge investigator-wise, just a lot of cool stuff. I actually wrote the cool things we did each day in my planner so now I remember them all :) I'm getting wiser I guess. Ok you're right, probably not.

 

So Monday. We went to a member's home in Gallatin (Adam-ondi-ahman is in that ward). They had a giant adult size spinning see-saw, a trampoline, some disc golf baskets and some trees we used to slackline across. I fell off the top of the see-saw about 3 times which was kinda scary but I didn't get hurt at all so it's all good :) I actually probably got about a foot off the seat without falling off a few times. I guess I'm even luckier that I didn't fall off more than 3 times. I also taught myself how to do backflips finally. I've always been able to do front flips but I've always been scared of breaking my neck doing backflips. Well I guess missionaries are protected (to some extent, if we aren't doing anything stupid) so I didn't break my neck and now I can do backflips. That was my big accomplishment for Monday haha.

 

Tuesday we got to go to the Country Cupboard again. Their food gets better every time we go there. We also got taken out to China 1 buffet again and then we were given a gift card to go there again by a member about 5 minutes after we left the buffet. I love chinese buffet and really can't wait to go back again :)

 

Wednesday. I finally got my new bed!!!!! I don't know if I told you, but for 3 weeks I was sleeping on this terrible mattress that felt like I was sleeping on rocks. But now I have a nice soft brand spanking new mattress so I can finally sleep again. Wednesday we also visited a family that lives on a sweet farm right outside of Trenton. It's way pretty out there. Super green, lots of wildlife, deer come eat the food off their picnic table if they aren't watching it close. They have a pond on the property (like everyone else in MO) that have some good size fish in it. It's a sweet place to live.

 

Friday we had a zone service project at the Far West Historical site. We just moved a bunch of telephone poles and wooden platforms, picnic tables and benches, and made a little walkway. It was super fun though and they fed us lunch so that was nice. We were lucky with the weather too because it started pouring a few hours after we left. I guess when it rains that whole place just gets way flooded.

 

On Saturday we had a baptism for Pat Hendrix, a 80-something year old lady that the senior missionaries in our branch were teaching. She was way excited to get baptized and had an awesome experience. The Seniors found her in Brimson (that little town of 63 people) by seeing her ruined porch steps. They asked some people to come out and fix the steps and some priesthood men from the branch went out and took care of it and Pat was super excited and loved the service aspect of the church and wanted to be a part of the branch family. The Seniors asked her to pray about whether the church was true or not and she pointed to her heart and said "I don't have to pray about it. I already know that it's true. I can feel it right here". SO that was the super extra special event this week.

 

Our stake has 15 units in it. Yesterday we had an OUTDOOR stake conference so that the whole stake could be together in one place. It was super cold until about and hour afterwards. I got a good video of the stake president making everyone do jumping jacks during the conference to warm up and stay awake. You don't see that every day haha. But it was a way cool conference and I got to see all the members I worked with while I was in the Shoal Creek Valley Ward :)

 

This week we have 3 dinner appointments set up for non-member or part-member families. We are way excited for those. Everyone is always a little more open to the spirit after a good meal :) It's kind of the same as "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach".

 

I read a talk from Jeffrey R Holland this last week titled "Cast Not Away Therefore your Confidence" (It's an awesome talk. Read it). He quotes parts of Hebrews 10, which says "After ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions... Cast not away therefore your confidence... For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise... If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him... We are not of them who draw back unto Perdition". We each have challenges that we have overcome and challenges that we have yet to overcome in our lives. But we also have a promise, a promise that if we follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ that God will "make weak things become strong unto [us]". As Jeffrey R Holland says "Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until Heaven; but for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come". It is so important that each one of us continues in the path that we have entered, that we do not "draw back unto Perdition". I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and that as we obey his commandments and follow his Gospel that we will obtain the blessings that he has promised us, even unto eternal life.

 

Well that's about it for the week. I hope you all make it a great week. I love you!

 

    -Elder Nyholm