Week 91. Azalee’s Baptism!!

Hi. Another late week. My grandma said it best when the longer I put it off the harder it gets to write. Thanks Grandma, love ya. And thank you all for waiting, here are the highlights:

Kickball - we played kickball as a zone. District against district. We won of course and I had an awesome homerun and a slide into home. 

Caitlin - Ran with Caitlin on Monday. Had to call the whole zone to find an Elder to do it with me. Finally got Elder Burris, the deaf one, and it was fun. Afterwards we got burritos and she told us she wanted to be baptized June 17th. Super cool! 

 The next day, she talked with her mom, an evangelical, about how she wanted to be baptized and her mom just ripped into her. Told her we were a cult and that she should be smarter than that, tried guilt-tripping her and more. It sounded like a very unhealthy conversation. But Caitlin said she knows what she felt and that she needs to be baptized and that before she does she wants to try and explain it to her parents so they can at least respect her. She's a stud. 

3rd Service - Elder Niven forgot to tell me about this, so we got a text asking if we were on our way. We said yes and left immediately. Luckily other missionaries were notified and so it went fast and easy. It was loading up a uhaul for a less active and her non member husband. Super cool people and sad we didn't know about them before they left, but we gave the guy a book of Mormon to read on the way to their new home. Hopefully something good happens there 

Wednesday BBQ - had a great time there, lots of people came and some random people walked up and joined. Tried talking to everyone and invited them to come to other activities we'll see if anything happens tho. But Mos was the DJ, and the Hardmans grilled. 

Cookies with Moulding - another fun day of cookies. Went on splits with the APs. Elder Moulding and I did cookies. Our question was: what is your purpose in life; and we had some really awesome conversations with some people and also some odd ones. You know, the usual. So the odd one this week: this girl asked us if they were Mormon cookies. I said they were chocolate chip made by a Mormon. She was weird about it. Then her Dad hustled over, grabbed his daughter, and said as he pushed her away, There is no purpose to life and we don't want your cult cookies. I thought the last part was funny, but the first part was just sad to think about, especially how he said it infront of his daughter. Then what's the point? I'm glad we have a purpose, because with the knowledge it brings, life can become easier. Hopefully they realize that someday 

Restoration Lesson - Had a lesson with Kat, Kalya, Addi, and Azalee. We typically don't teach members the same lessons we teach friends, and even tho Azalee was there it was directed for the others. But it was super cool to just teach and discuss the points of the Restoration and the importance of Prayer. Something that really stuck out to me this week

Lothlorian Apt - we have to clean it so they can get rid of it, but the last people to live in it were Sisters. We had 8 bags of clothes donated and 6 bags of trash. It was insane. 

Azalee’s Baptism - Didn't have to fill a font, God covered that when He made the ocean. But we did get there early to help set up chairs and make sure everything was ready. We had the whole program at Bishops house and it was actually awesome. Other than missionaries and ward members we had Mos Caitlin, Danny (a friend some missionaries brought), and 2 Sisters from the Seattle Mission that first contacted Azalee. They thought it was crazy we got permission for an ocean baptism and we thought it was crazy they got permission to come to it. 

There were other people at the beach and our 2nd counselor Larry talked with a lot of them. It was super beautiful and awesome. Pics below

Spiritual Thought - I think God was trying to teach me a lesson these past few weeks. We're supposed to daily plan and set up a detailed schedule of things to do. But recently that schedule has to continue to be edited and moved as random things come up. That kind of stresses me out because I feel like I'm missing things and not getting the things I planned on done and so now I need to find a way to fit it in.

 But what I think He was trying to teach me some more faith. Faith that what I'm doing in the moment matters most, that sometimes God has us go off the plans to be there for someone who needs it more, and that no matter what I'm doing as long as it's for God, it's good. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Love y'all and hope those scriptures hit home to some of you

Pics

Also ran into a trash can with my car. And so help me, if I get crap for this...