Week 25: Morro Bay

March 29, 2021

Today we went on a cool hike in San Luis Obispo, and I got a haircut for preparation day. Afterwards we taught Tony with the Petrilli's, and it went really well. We talked about General Conference and how the prophets guide us and how they are a blessing to our lives. After that we did some Facebook and set up visits with members. 

March 30, 2021

Had a good time today, did some service for some old people, then we had a lesson with Brother Pace and his family. Then we had exchanges and I went with Elder Teeples and Elder Fuller in a trio. We went to SLO Downtown, and we had a few lessons. It was helpful because I learned how to more efficiently contact and how to teach more simply. Great Elders, learned a lot, and we had some member visits and then a Zone Zoom call that President Carter joined in on. Short journal today because we got back late to the apartment.

March 31, 2021

Today we did some more service, and we're going back tomorrow and hopefully we can set up a lesson after service. Then we had a lesson with Warren, and he has kind of been all over the place, and nothing we're saying is quite sticking to him, so we'll see how much longer we'll be teaching him. But we had some good contacting today and it always feels good to just completely send it, even if they are avoiding you, and it's an awkward situation, and you don't know what to say.

Our Equinox has something wrong with it, the engine light came on and we looked under the hood, and it had sprayed oil everywhere, and our car has been going about half power but using twice as much gas, so we set up an appointment at a Chevy dealer in Arroyo Grande for Monday, hopefully our car survives until then. 

April 1, 2021

Today we did some more service for Candice's family, but we'll go back another time. Then we went contacting right after lunch, so we were able to meet some new people. then we did some weekly planning and some more contacting. Then we had dinner and did some more contacting. We contacted for about 4 hours today, I'm actually kind of sunburned today, but it feels good. Then we had a visit with the Valerie's and they gave us four names of part-member families to contact that we had no idea about. We also got a number to send over to Bakersfield, talked to lady who was covered in tattoos and wasn't seeming very interested, but we decided to go ahead and full send. So we got her number and we'll send it over soon. Hopefully something good comes of it. 

April 2, 2021

We had a very busy, weird day, so much so that we didn't have time to get more than 30 minutes of personal study in. We had district council, which went good, and then we got Panda Express, which I will always be grateful for. Then we did baptismal goal setting and then some more service for Stacy, and then we did some service for the Shurtliff's. After dinner, we did a little bit of contacting before we had to leave because there was a bull loose in the park. Then we figured out how we're going to watch General Conference tomorrow at the church. Then we had a New Testament testimony meeting and President Carter invited us to write a testimony to read later, so here goes:

I have always said I know things are true, but until fairly recently I never really knew why. I know that I have a Heavenly Father, because I have felt His love as I pray. When I fall into temptation, or sin, or sorrow, I pour my soul to Him, and He comforts me, yet helps me have the conviction to better myself. As a Father should. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, because as I have repented through Him, and changed my heart ever so slowly through His grace, He is always with me. I feel His love and understanding as I go through trials that in the end are minuscule, and He still sends His Holy Spirit to help me. The guilt that He has taken away from me doesn't just happen, it's nothing I could do in my head or pretend, it's a real thing and I have experienced it firsthand. And I also know that the Holy Ghost is my lifelong companion, and the one that makes it possible to feel the Lord's guidance and love. He's how the Lord has guided me in my life, and especially here on the mission. I do everything in my power to be worthy of having the Holy Ghost with me, because left on my own, I don't add up to much. But it's nice to put into writing not just the fact that I know something, but why I do as well. 

April 3, 2021

Today was General Conference, and it was great because we were able to get Warren to watch it with us at the church. Then we were able to do some service with Jeremy, and commit him to watch Conference with us tomorrow. After that, we got Subway, chips, and a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, so it was a good second session. Then we went contacting, and then watched the priesthood session with Dan and Daniel, and had a delicious dinner of salmon afterwards. Then we did a member visit, and called it a night. We are very blessed to have prophets and apostles to inspire us and keep us anchored in Christ. 

April 4, 2021

Today was a great day for us, we got Jeremy to watch General Conference with us, and beforehand we told him to come with a question in mind. He walked in late to Elder Soares' talk, and when it was over he said "Well, I got my answer already." So that was awesome, and we were able to get Warren to watch the second session as well. 

After that, we did some contacting and some Areabook calling. We were able to set up a couple of visits, so that's about as good as it gets for Areabook calling. I really liked President Nelson's first talk today, and it strengthened my testimony in him being a prophet, because it was like he was talking right to me. It's as busy as ever and I find missionary work to still be like a pendulum, sometimes I wish I could go through this faster, and other times I wish I could stay here forever. I guess it's the nature of the job. It was an awesome Easter, and it spiritually charged me.