Week 81 Blitzing in Bellingham

Hello family. Yes, everything is okay with me. I got emergency transferred because of Elder Milner. He sprained his ankle and couldn’t drive. Now he is doing a little better, but I still am the one driving us around everywhere for now. This week went pretty well. Our trio went down to two after yesterday. It’s now just Elder Milner and me. A little sad but I enjoy it just being us. I kind of got sick of being in a 3 pack for 3 transfers. Well anyway, let’s get to the week, shall we:

Elder Milner, Elder V, and Elder Hammond

Monday

We had a great p-day. We got to email in the morning, however, I did not get to email because some of the computers were not working and so since all the rest were taken up, I had to email on Tuesday. After, we then went to Coconut Kenny's, a restaurant in Bellingham. We had a good time there. It was Elder V's last time. Then we drove up to Winco and went shopping. From there we went and washed the car, which has always been one of my favorite things about B-ham is the free car wash. After making our red car look nice and shiny, we then went back to the church and played games. The vertical coordinators came up with the Eastmont elders and played basketball with some of the other elders. The rest of the missionaries played a game called Signs and another game, but I don't know what the name of it was. We had a good time. Later that night, we went and had dinner. Then for the rest of the night we went and saw some people.

Tuesday

We started the day with helping at the food bank. With this one in Bellingham, we usually just sort food, and that's what we did here. After, we then went to the church and did our mormon.org time. I got to email at that time. After, we then had comp study and then went and saw some people. Later that night, we had a lesson with our 8-year-old that we were teaching named Laihloni. We taught her about families and temples. After her lesson, we then went and had a lesson with a less active named Irres. She also fed us dinner. We just taught her the restoration. After, we then drove to the church and had our meeting with Bishop. That ended the night.

Wednesday

We had district meeting. It was pretty nice. We had President come up and be a part of our district meeting, only because I got ET'd and needed an interview since he did Arlington's on Tuesday, and I wasn't there anymore. However, I didn't get to hear Elder Brown’s instruction. But I got to hear Shaylas. She's a member from the Laurel Ward who is really close with the district. After district meeting, we went to the family history center, and Elder V did My Plan. From there, we did comp study. Oh, and we had lunch after district meeting too. After comp study, we went out and saw some people. We had a lesson with Jason French, an investigator they have been teaching. We just talked about the Book of Mormon and understanding it. We also taught tons of people that day and picked up 5 new instigators too. Later that night, we had dinner, and then we went and saw some more people. We also had a lesson with Fabian, an investigator, and put him on date for April 7th. That's how we ended the day.

Thursday

We started with comp study. Then we went and saw some people in the top part of our area. Nothing big happened so we went to the Laurel Ward for a district blitz in the zone leaders’ area. We had lunch at a taco truck and then went out to go tract in their area. We tracted a couple of apartments and got a couple potentials for them, but no investigators. After helping them out, we then drove back to our area and started to see more people in our area. Later that night we had a lesson with Laihloni. We taught her about learning and serving in the church. After her lesson, we had dinner. Then we drove out to Sudden Valley and saw some people. We were going to have a lesson out there, but it got canceled. So, we drove back home and ended the night.

Friday

We started the day with blitzing in Bellingham Bay’s area. We had a good time! Elder Milner and Elder V went and tracted somewhere in their area, while Elder Brown and I went somewhere else in their area and tracted. Elder Brown’s comp went with one of the Spanish Elders and went to some appointments. Can I just say, it snowed a lot this week! We got snow almost every day this week. It was so weird. Elder Brown and I had a good time though. We went tracting in one of the streets by the college, and I recognized some of the streets we went down because it was my old area. After the blitz and helping to find people, we then went home as soon as we could because the snow was coming down really hard, and we can’t drive in snow. So, we came home and had lunch, then we went into comp study and did weekly planning while Elder V packed his suit cases. After planning the whole day, we then went out and saw some people before we had dinner. Later that night, we came back home and did the rest of weekly planning.

Elder Brown and Elder Hammond

Elder V packing

Saturday

We started by helping Justin, a person in the ward move to his new place. He used to be a member but got excommunicated, but he's making his way back! Anyway, we helped him move. Then we had to leave to go to a lesson with a recent convert named Hoiet. She's from Vietnam. We taught her the word of wisdom, the law of chasity, and the law of tithing. After, we went to our next lesson with Crise, our investigator. We taught him about the plan of salvation. From that we then drove all the way to Linden to watch a baptism happen for the YSA Ward. I got to see a few members from my time serving there. It was really cool! After, we then drove back home. Elder Milner got changed, and then we went to Laihloni's baptism. It turned out great. She liked it, and Elder Milner baptized her. Later that night we had dinner with Brother Shank at a restaurant named Anthony's. We had some good food there. After, we then went to a lesson with Avorie. She's a 9-year-old we have on date for baptism coming soon. We just read scriptures with her. After, we then went to the ward mission leader’s home and showed him the progress record. That ended the night.

Laihloni's baptism  

Sunday

Sunday was a sad day... Elder V is dead... (not for real though) He is just on a plane ride home. We started the day with church. After, we came home, had lunch, and then went to a lesson with a less active member named Holland. We read scriptures with him. After, we took Elder V to the church, and he got picked up by the AP's. After that sad moment, Elder Milner and I went home and did personal study. Then we went to dinner all the way down in Sudden Valley. Just so you know, that's the end of our area. After dinner, we drove all the way up to the Laurel Ward and helped them find 2 new investigators with the YSA sisters. We went and tracted some apartments in their area and helped them find 2 new investigators. It was great. After, we then drove back home and did our accounting with Elder Brown. 

Elder V's "Funeral"

Well, this week has been really good number wise. We picked up 7 new investigators this week. It was pretty great.

Before I finish, I want to share a spiritual thought. From the Infinite Atonement:

"One Sunday morning, our teenage son stood with two other priests to administer the sacrament, as they had done on many prior occasions. They pulled back the white cloth, but to their dismay, there was no bread. One of them slipped out to the preparation room in hopes some could be found. There was none. Finally, our troubled son made his way to the bishop and shared the concern with him. A wise bishop then stood, explained the situation to the congregation, and asked, "How would it be if the sacrament table were empty today because there was no atonement?" I have thought of that often - what would it be like if there were no bread because there had been no crucifixion, no water because there had been no shedding of blood? If there had been no Atonement, what would the consequences be to us..." 

Let’s ask ourselves where would we stand without the Atonement, brothers and sisters. Brother Tad L Callister goes on to say that we would become a follower of Satan, that we would not be able to get back to our Heavenly Father because that's what it really means. The Atonement if you look at it, it really looks like At-one-ment, as the book describes and as many have studied about it. The Atonement means that we are reuniting ourselves with God once again. Because Christ took the world’s pains and sins upon Him, we are able to repent and go back to be with our Heavenly Father.

Hugh Nibley says it best: "The word really does mean when we write it out, at-one-ment, denoting both a state of being 'at one' with another and the process by which that end is achieved." 

Sometimes we have to try to understand why God did these things and when we do, it gives us great joy and gratitude to our Savior and our Heavenly Father. I know that this is true, and I hope we can truly ask ourselves this same question. If you do, you may find something different then what Brother Callister says. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Hammond