Thursday, December 18, 2014

First Transfer!

Before I write from Hyrum's last letter, I need to let everyone know that he was transferred this past Tues.  So he has a new address.  Please email/call me for his new address (adri_ruby@hotmail.com).  He is now in Santa Maria.  He will be a "trainer" and his new companion is brand new out of the MTC this week.  When they take out the old missionaries and put in two new ones that have never been there before, the missionaries call that "white-wash".  

I'm sorry for not writing much lately.  I blame it on the Christmas season.  I'm having a hard time "keeping my head above water".  I know lots of people feel the same way, but the blog hasn't gotten the attention it deserves lately.  I'll try to make up for it today:)

Here is Hyrum's letter before he knew he was getting transferred:

Elder Walker has been talking me up in his letters to President Felix.  At first, I really thought training sounded like something I wanted and felt qualified for.  Slowly, that pride has wore off and I feel inadequate about training.  I don't know all the rules really well yet.  There are just little rules that Elder Walker reminds me of.  Being assigned to train is a great expression of trust from President Felix and God.  However, whenever I start to think of my inadequacies in training, the thought comes to me "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies" (President Thomas S. Monson).  I do admit that I need a bit of a change to grow more, but we will soon see what God thinks.

One of the assistants to the President (a missionary) came to spend Tuesday night and Wednesday with Elder Walker and I.  His name is Elder Lee ("Elderly" haha).  Elder Lee is awesome!  He was so humble and taught by example.  When people would say they had talked with missionaries before, or they knew what Mormons were all about, Elder Lee would invite them to pray to know if what they (the missionaries) had taught was true.  He would invite people to come to church off the street!  I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before.

We did a "power hour" with Elder Lee.  We all pointed to one house at the very beginning.  The person who answered the door was probably 17 and he stepped out of his house and closed the door behind him.  His name is DJ, but he reminds me of Matt S.  DJ plays all the "popular sports", but he really likes art.  He took a Restoration pamphlet and said he would read and pray about it.  He thought he would do that by that evening!  We have an appointment with him tomorrow (Tues), so I hope it goes well.  At the end of the "power hour", we said "one more door".  The girl who opened it is a freshman.  Her name was Hanna.  We gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she'd read it.  We have an appointment with her on Thursday.  Hmmmm. What do you know?  Two new investigators in one "power hour" and one of them looks like my best friend, Matt, and the other is named Hanna!  Coincidence??

Elder Lee told Elder Walker and I who he had imagined us to be as he had spent the day with us.  He told me that I would have a "deep and wide" impact on the missionaries in the mission.  "Deep", he said, "as in a lasting, loving impression on each individual missionary", and "wide", he said, "as in many missionaries throughout the mission."  That meant a lot to me.  He said that I have a quiet confidence that is really genuine, kind and loving.

I am sure learning a lot.  This mission has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.  I am learning/ experiencing the Atonement.  I am learning more about myself and I am learning how much I don't know!

Thank you for all your prayers.  You know, missionaries are the most prayed for group in the entire world.  We are bound to receive so many blessings, as we do.

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