Hey everyone. It's been a crazy week with lots of ups and downs,
mostly downs, but I'm doing alright. That's the great thing about the gospel. Things
can happen to you and it could throw your testimony off, but you know it's all
a choice, and I always try to look at it all with my head high and not let it
affect me in any way. So, lots of people are asking if I am getting transferred
this Wednesday. Yes, this is my last few days in Bellingham. It makes me sad to leave this amazing place that
I've come to love so much over my mission, but the Lord is calling me elsewhere.
So, let’s get to the week.
Monday
Monday started pretty usual. We started the day with going and doing some shopping. I could only get so much because I didn't have very much money. And the reason to that is because we have been going out so much as a District that my card is just empty. That's kind of hard! So, we've downgraded on going out to restaurants so much so we are now eating the food that's in our apartment more. After shopping, we then went to the church and did some emailing. After emailing, we then went to Dairy Queen. I didn't buy anything because I had no money, so I brought my own lunch and ate that while everyone else ate their lunch that they bought. After that, Elder Rich and I went to a barber shop with Bellingham Bay. Elder Rich needed a haircut, so we went, and he got a haircut. After getting a haircut, we then went to the Civic Center and played ultimate frisbee in the football field. It was really, really hot! After getting blown out by the heat and all that, we went to Fairhaven and hung out with the sisters at a beach down there. I can't remember what the of name of the park was, but it was a cool place. I remember when I was in the YSA ward a year and a half ago, we would always go there to do our weekly planning just because it was a cool place. Charlotte, their recent convert, was there, and we just had a great time playing games and walking around the beach. After that we then came back home, got changed, and went and had dinner. We had dinner with the Ludwigs down in Sudden Valley. They fed us pizza, and he had a lot of musical instruments. So that was fun because he let me play some of them. At the end of the dinner, he pulled out his guitar, gave that to me, and Elder Rich and I played and sang Nearer My God to Thee. After dinner, we then went and saw some people. Sister Thornton, a member of the ward, had a daughter in town that needed a blessing, so we went and gave that daughter a blessing. She also asked us to get a hold of the Tacoma missionaries for them to go over and start to get to know that daughter. That was really nice. Then we went to the church and did area book work and that ended our night.
Monday
Monday started pretty usual. We started the day with going and doing some shopping. I could only get so much because I didn't have very much money. And the reason to that is because we have been going out so much as a District that my card is just empty. That's kind of hard! So, we've downgraded on going out to restaurants so much so we are now eating the food that's in our apartment more. After shopping, we then went to the church and did some emailing. After emailing, we then went to Dairy Queen. I didn't buy anything because I had no money, so I brought my own lunch and ate that while everyone else ate their lunch that they bought. After that, Elder Rich and I went to a barber shop with Bellingham Bay. Elder Rich needed a haircut, so we went, and he got a haircut. After getting a haircut, we then went to the Civic Center and played ultimate frisbee in the football field. It was really, really hot! After getting blown out by the heat and all that, we went to Fairhaven and hung out with the sisters at a beach down there. I can't remember what the of name of the park was, but it was a cool place. I remember when I was in the YSA ward a year and a half ago, we would always go there to do our weekly planning just because it was a cool place. Charlotte, their recent convert, was there, and we just had a great time playing games and walking around the beach. After that we then came back home, got changed, and went and had dinner. We had dinner with the Ludwigs down in Sudden Valley. They fed us pizza, and he had a lot of musical instruments. So that was fun because he let me play some of them. At the end of the dinner, he pulled out his guitar, gave that to me, and Elder Rich and I played and sang Nearer My God to Thee. After dinner, we then went and saw some people. Sister Thornton, a member of the ward, had a daughter in town that needed a blessing, so we went and gave that daughter a blessing. She also asked us to get a hold of the Tacoma missionaries for them to go over and start to get to know that daughter. That was really nice. Then we went to the church and did area book work and that ended our night.
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| At the beach on P-day |
Tuesday
We started the day with sending off a referral, the daughter to Sister Thorton.
After that, we went and saw some people, but nobody was really home. So, we
went back to the apartment and had lunch and then did comp study. After that,
we went and saw more people. Again, no one was really home, and the ones that
were home were not really interested. #Bellingham #missionarywork Later that
day, we had dinner with the Oslapases. Then we went and had a meeting with
Bishop at the church. After that, we did some area book work, and that ended
our day.
Wednesday
We started the day with district meeting. Elder Rich instructed on the vision of getting members to the temple and helping the leaders to do the work. After that, we had lunch as a district outside. Then we went home and did comp study. After comp study, we went and met with a guy named Mark Ireland. He is a less active member that wants to get back into the church so we went to visit with him and try to figure out what we could do. He lives where Jason Byers used to live. We set up a ride for him to come to church, and it worked out really well. After we saw him, we then went and saw some more people. Later that night we had dinner, and then after that we went to the church and did some area book work. Around 8 or so, we went and helped someone move. That ended our night.
Thursday
We started the day with helping at the food bank. After we went and had a lesson with a guy named Patrick. He is really cool. He is a new investigator as of this week. We went and contacted him last week. He was in a rough spot and needed some help, so he prayed to Heavenly Father and then the next day after he prayed, we showed up at his door. This is the first time that has ever happened to me on my mission where someone was so prepared like that. Really cool. He thinks that this is what direction he needs to take, and he feels like there is a gap in his life where he can't seem to understand. Something is just missing, so we went and talked with him about the restoration of the gospel Jesus Christ and how he can be forgiven of his sins. He was really interested and is willing to do whatever he can to be forgiven of his sins. After that lesson, we came home and had lunch and comp study. Then we went and saw some more people. We saw Sister Oldham and answered some questions she had about the church again. After that, we then went with Brother Jones to go see someone named Clarence Hill in Sudden Valley. He was a referral from a member, and he is a member. We went to go in to see how he was doing and have a gospel talk with him. It went really well. After that, we came back to Bellingham, got in our car, and drove all the way up to Ferndale for a baptism that YSA was having. It went really well. Then we went back home and had dinner. After dinner, we went to the church and did some area book work.
Friday
We went to the food bank again. Then we went to Brother Jones’s home to help him do some yard work. He was kind enough to buy us Subway for lunch. The service took most of our day, and I was really tired after it. Around 3 or so, we came back, to regroup and then went to go see some people. After, we went back to their home and had dinner with them. Then we went to the church, did some area book work, and did some weekly planning. That ended our night.
Saturday
We started the day with going and seeing some people. Then we came home, had lunch, did comp study, and then went and did some yard work for Brother Thornton. We pulled weeds and cut off dead branches from trees. It was fun. After that, we came home, got changed and regrouped, and then we went and saw some more people before the baptism of Joey, Brother Jones’s kid. After that, we did some area book work, and that ended our night.
Wednesday
We started the day with district meeting. Elder Rich instructed on the vision of getting members to the temple and helping the leaders to do the work. After that, we had lunch as a district outside. Then we went home and did comp study. After comp study, we went and met with a guy named Mark Ireland. He is a less active member that wants to get back into the church so we went to visit with him and try to figure out what we could do. He lives where Jason Byers used to live. We set up a ride for him to come to church, and it worked out really well. After we saw him, we then went and saw some more people. Later that night we had dinner, and then after that we went to the church and did some area book work. Around 8 or so, we went and helped someone move. That ended our night.
Thursday
We started the day with helping at the food bank. After we went and had a lesson with a guy named Patrick. He is really cool. He is a new investigator as of this week. We went and contacted him last week. He was in a rough spot and needed some help, so he prayed to Heavenly Father and then the next day after he prayed, we showed up at his door. This is the first time that has ever happened to me on my mission where someone was so prepared like that. Really cool. He thinks that this is what direction he needs to take, and he feels like there is a gap in his life where he can't seem to understand. Something is just missing, so we went and talked with him about the restoration of the gospel Jesus Christ and how he can be forgiven of his sins. He was really interested and is willing to do whatever he can to be forgiven of his sins. After that lesson, we came home and had lunch and comp study. Then we went and saw some more people. We saw Sister Oldham and answered some questions she had about the church again. After that, we then went with Brother Jones to go see someone named Clarence Hill in Sudden Valley. He was a referral from a member, and he is a member. We went to go in to see how he was doing and have a gospel talk with him. It went really well. After that, we came back to Bellingham, got in our car, and drove all the way up to Ferndale for a baptism that YSA was having. It went really well. Then we went back home and had dinner. After dinner, we went to the church and did some area book work.
Friday
We went to the food bank again. Then we went to Brother Jones’s home to help him do some yard work. He was kind enough to buy us Subway for lunch. The service took most of our day, and I was really tired after it. Around 3 or so, we came back, to regroup and then went to go see some people. After, we went back to their home and had dinner with them. Then we went to the church, did some area book work, and did some weekly planning. That ended our night.
Saturday
We started the day with going and seeing some people. Then we came home, had lunch, did comp study, and then went and did some yard work for Brother Thornton. We pulled weeds and cut off dead branches from trees. It was fun. After that, we came home, got changed and regrouped, and then we went and saw some more people before the baptism of Joey, Brother Jones’s kid. After that, we did some area book work, and that ended our night.
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| Joey's baptism |
Sunday
We had church! That's normal right? After church we had a meeting with President Wilding. Elder Rich wanted to talk with him. I don't know why, but you never know why. President also shared some information about my family with me. After that, we went home and did lunch, personal study, comps study, planning, and then we went and had dinner with Bishop and his family. Then we went and had a meeting with Brother Schenk and just had a lesson with him. Our ward wants us to go and have lessons with the members, so they passed around a calendar yesterday that members can sign up for to have the missionaries come over and to teach them the lessons. Yesterday was a start of it and it went really well with Brother Schenk and Bishop. After, we came home and ended the day with accounting.
Well that is the week. I hope you all have a good week. Yesterday and throughout this week have been hard days, just a lot of weeping, nothing too bad, but it’s just been hard to understand the Lord’s will sometimes. My love goes out to my family this week. I understand now that my grandfather has passed away. Although I am sad for his passing, I'm okay with it. I want them to know that I really love them. I've learned so much this week, as far as relying on the Lord and submitting to His will. I know that we have to come to our own realizations of these things and it takes time, but I want all of you to know, that if you submit to the Father’s will, and rely on Him, He will bless you beyond what you can imagine. He has given me strength to endure this mission, Everything these last two transfers have been pushing and pushing me to go home and just give up, but I know that every person sometimes go through trials of wanting to leave when the end is so close. I've learned that the Lord blesses those that do His will. He is blessing me, even though it seems hard to keep staying out here, when I could be doing things that I want more at home, like going to college, or getting married,... I've changed my mind on that one. It’s not going to take me six years anymore. I'm going to find the one I'm supposed to be with when I get home. But that's not the point. The point is, we all can rely on the Lord, no matter where we stand. We have to. That's a commandment He has given us. One other thing I want to point out is that He only gives us what we can handle. By small and simple means are the great things brought to pass, and that is how the Lord does His work. If we all relied on the Lord’s will a little more, the world would be a better place, and who knows? Christ may come a little sooner... I don't know. I shouldn't say things like that. I might get struck by hell fire from heaven.... anyway, that is my take away from it. I hope you can apply what you can from what I've said. Anyway, love you all, and I'll see you soon! Bye!
Elder Hammond
We had church! That's normal right? After church we had a meeting with President Wilding. Elder Rich wanted to talk with him. I don't know why, but you never know why. President also shared some information about my family with me. After that, we went home and did lunch, personal study, comps study, planning, and then we went and had dinner with Bishop and his family. Then we went and had a meeting with Brother Schenk and just had a lesson with him. Our ward wants us to go and have lessons with the members, so they passed around a calendar yesterday that members can sign up for to have the missionaries come over and to teach them the lessons. Yesterday was a start of it and it went really well with Brother Schenk and Bishop. After, we came home and ended the day with accounting.
Well that is the week. I hope you all have a good week. Yesterday and throughout this week have been hard days, just a lot of weeping, nothing too bad, but it’s just been hard to understand the Lord’s will sometimes. My love goes out to my family this week. I understand now that my grandfather has passed away. Although I am sad for his passing, I'm okay with it. I want them to know that I really love them. I've learned so much this week, as far as relying on the Lord and submitting to His will. I know that we have to come to our own realizations of these things and it takes time, but I want all of you to know, that if you submit to the Father’s will, and rely on Him, He will bless you beyond what you can imagine. He has given me strength to endure this mission, Everything these last two transfers have been pushing and pushing me to go home and just give up, but I know that every person sometimes go through trials of wanting to leave when the end is so close. I've learned that the Lord blesses those that do His will. He is blessing me, even though it seems hard to keep staying out here, when I could be doing things that I want more at home, like going to college, or getting married,... I've changed my mind on that one. It’s not going to take me six years anymore. I'm going to find the one I'm supposed to be with when I get home. But that's not the point. The point is, we all can rely on the Lord, no matter where we stand. We have to. That's a commandment He has given us. One other thing I want to point out is that He only gives us what we can handle. By small and simple means are the great things brought to pass, and that is how the Lord does His work. If we all relied on the Lord’s will a little more, the world would be a better place, and who knows? Christ may come a little sooner... I don't know. I shouldn't say things like that. I might get struck by hell fire from heaven.... anyway, that is my take away from it. I hope you can apply what you can from what I've said. Anyway, love you all, and I'll see you soon! Bye!
Elder Hammond
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