On Monday
I finished getting packed and loaded my stuff into the truck to head
down to Farmington. Right when I decide to start putting my stuff in the
truck it decides to rain... no no no scratch that, pour.... not quite.
Um.... Let's just say it was a Monsoon. Ya that sounds about right. It
was cool, I pulled the truck under that garage and loaded my stuff and
covered it with a tarp. Then I went and watching the water fall from the
sky along with close to golf ball size hail. I watched it for about 5
or 10 minutes. Then the sun peaked out for a second. That was when I had
a spiritual confirmation that my father in heaven was pleased with the
work I had done there. Blanding has had a promise that as missionary
work increases they will have the rain to support themselves. They
didn't have any rain in June. And the day I left, along with another
Elder it was flooding the streets. I was sufficiently humbled.
On Tuesday
I went into the Training meeting and I met Elder Deakin! This guy is
awesome. He was in the Utah State Drum Line before he left on his
mission. He played 4th bass. Ya we get along just fine. :) So after we
get out of the training meeting we go home and I start unpacking. Then
we head out to and appointment. On the way back we realized we are
having car trouble and call the Vehicle coordinator. He tells to bring
it in. The problem is that it jumps pretty hard when changing from 1st
gear to 2nd. So it's a transmission problem. He told we should be ok but
that we would probably be getting a new truck pretty soon.
So on Wednesday
we went and gave service to one of our less actives. He was having us
weed. He gave us a hoe and some other tool that I've never seen before.
So I let Elder Deakin use the hoe and I tried to figure out the other
thing. Well apparently the man did think Elder Deakin was doing a good
enough job so he said, "Give it to the Marine!" It was kinda funny.
Especially with his heavy Hispanic accent. Then we got to go met M. He's
a 40 year old man that smokes and wears oxygen. We met with him and
found out that he was a combat photographer for the Navy for a couple
year. That was pretty cool. He expressed his desire to join the church
but how he couldn't get past the get past the last five cigarettes. I
felt prompted to show him the John Tanner Story and then after we
watched it we were able to give him a blessing. That is a really great
man. I'm so excited to keep working with him! Later that night we went
tracking. We walked up to this house. I told Elder Deakin that he could
take this one. So he walked ahead of me and then the next thing I hear
is, "OH MY! Oh I can't talk to you boys! I'm a Christian! I can't meet
with you boys! I respect you boys but I can't meet with you! I'm an 87
year old girl! I can't meet with you boys!" It's a good thing that the
door was blocking me from her view. I was dying from silent laughter!
It was one of the funniest things ever! I don't know how Elder Deakin
kept a straight face. Oh that was absolutely hilarious!
Thursday
we had district meeting and we car pool with the Zone Leaders. We got
talking and getting to know them, one of them I already knew he used to
be in my district, but the other got talking with me and I found out he
is from Kaysville Utah. And he know Mariah McKinnon. His name is Elder
Knighton. That was a fun conversation. I also got the play the piano for
District Meeting! Later that night we went and visited an investigator.
We knocked on the door and his dog came charging out at us. But it
turns out it was a really nice dog.
On Friday
I noticed a sign that we pass everyday for another church and it had
this quote on it, "When Satan comes knocking, have Jesus answer the
door." BRILLIANT! We then got to go visit a less active family and when
we got there they had this dog lying on the lawn. I go up and pet it and
start to walk away. The dog gets up and follows me. I stop again and
the dog jumps up and puts its paws around my legs and gave me a sort of
dog hug it was pretty cool. Then we got talking and found out that the
husband hates snakes. So we keep talking we share a spiritual thought
and right as we are getting ready to leave across their big pond swims a
little ol' water snake. Next thing I know he is walking back towards us
with a pistol. He said that we should probably cover our ears. He fired
2 shots. Then he laughed at it and showed us what he was shooting. They
were basically shotgun rounds for a pistol. It ... was... cool! Then we
got to met with a person we had tracked into the other day. We gave him
the whole first lesson and then asked if he would be baptized. "Oh I've
already been baptized in your church." UH! That's always a little
frustrating but Reactivation is good to. :) We had dinner that night
with a family that had to small girls. Through out dinner the youngest
would come up to me and say "roar" and I would reply "eek". She would
giggle and then walk away. Then after we said the closing prayer her and
her sister scream, "HUG TIME!" And the next thing I know I've been
tackled on the couch by these two girls giving me a hug. Just so
everyone knows the girls were like 6 and 9. I don't want any confusion
here. :) The whole time that was happening I was thinking to myself,
"Well it is awkward but cool at the same time." :) Then we got to go
visit our only recent convert. We talked with her and her daughter about
temples. At the end the daughter gave the prayer. She had been saying
this the whole time but I really noticed it during the prayer. She
referred to us as, "The boys". Haha. Good stuff.
So on Saturday
we went and gave the first lesson to someone we had tracked into a
couple days earlier. We talked about the Book of Mormon and when we gave
the wife one she was engulfed in it. She wouldn't stop looking at it
for the rest of the time we were there. It was such a spiritual lesson,
come to find out they dropped us the next day. Sad day. Then we went to a
grocery store so E. Deakin could use the restroom. We walked to the
back and he tried the door. It was locked. Then we waited for about 5
minutes and then I noticed the light turn off. He then tried it again
and found that the door was just stiff. Haha. Good stuff. Then we went
up to a less actives house and we walk in and I go to give him a high
five. He proceeds to jump off the couch give me a good hug and then jump
back on the couch. Then we shared a spiritual thought and then as we
got up to leave he gave me another hug. This time around my leg. We had
dinner that night with the H family. The wife is not a member but has a
baptism date. She is an amazing person. She is a volunteer fire fighter,
she has police training and is way fun to talk to. I could really feel
the spirit strongly as we talked with her.
On Sunday
I got to give a talk in church about the Book of Mormon. Before church
started I was waiting in the hall and a kid walks up to me and asks if
I'm the new missionary. I say yes. He say, "cool" and walks up and gives
me a side hug around the waist.
I love Flora Vista! These people are great! I love Elder Deakin and I love my mission! Until next time, Hagonet!
Elder Bryson Chipman
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