Week 26: Morro Bay

April 5, 2021

We had a pretty crazy but fun day. We took our car to Arroyo Grande to get it fixed, and we thought it was going to take two hours at the most, and it ended up being about seven. But luckily the AG Elders, Elder Koyle and Elder Yates, let us into the church building and brought us along to their district activity, which was field hockey and ultimate football. Then we went to Sylvester's and I got a very delicious burger. After that, we hung out at the church until we got our rental car, which was another Equinox. After we came back at 6:30, we did some shopping, Facebook, and now about to go to bed. 

April 6, 2021

We did some service today in Cambria, kind of setting up an estate sale. Then we drove back and did some studies. After that, we did a drop lesson with Stacey, we could just tell that she wasn't actually willing to progress. We gave her a Book of Mormon, and Brother Cleveland is going to keep in touch with her. We'll maybe do some more service for her later, and keep in touch, but she won't progress right now. After that, Elder Merling and I hit the road, because we had exchanges today. We headed back to AG, because they had fixed our car already. But when we got there, we realized that there was a crack in the corner of the windshield. So we made a bunch of calls and had a lot of fun staying there for about three hours. We got home again at 6:30 so we had a short dinner, some Facebook, and some member visits. 

April 7, 2021

We didn't have service today, so we did some contacting at 10:30. We got into a bash, met some Jehovah Witnesses, and talked to a bunch of people. After that, we did a lesson with Warren, and we might need to drop him, sadly. He just kind of isn't progressing and he doesn't retain some of the stuff we tell him. He's getting up there in years, and he's a great guy, but nothing's really happening. We'll see. 

We had a cool thing happen where we were calling through Areabook a couple days ago, and came across someone named Kristen, and we set up an appointment with her. She had a baptismal date before, and fell off, but she said she wants to get baptized. So we're starting to teach her, and we'll probably extend the date to her soon. She even watched General Conference on her own, so exciting things happening in the spam of a couple days. Also, a lady we stopped by and tried to talk to literally gave us a $100 bill and refused to take it back and said to give it to our church donations or something. So we have to figure out what to do with that now. 

April 8, 2021

We had a good, productive day today. We pulled some weeds for service, and then did some studies and then went contacting to break up our studies. There was one contact we had where I was just bearing testimony and speaking super clearly and concisely, and all the words came out right. That's always awesome for me, because I really don't like when I stutter or can't get the words out. And bearing my testimony like that always strengthens it, even though one of the people in the small group we were talking to was laughing at us while I was bearing testimony. That's when I know that the Spirit is with us, when I can talk clearly and simply. 

After dinner, we did some dot-knocking, which is where we go and knock on doors of people that are in our Areabook. We got a few people to say we can come back later, so hopefully something will come from that.

April 9, 2021

Another good day, we had CDC and I got some good spiritual insights from the other missionaries. I'm always trying to be happy I get correction when I learn I've been doing something wrong. It's good to do things the right way and not the easy way. Then we did some contacting, and we got four people in before someone would actually let us invite them to learn more, instead of saying 'not interested.' A new record haha.. After some more Oyakodon, we did some more dot-knocking, and didn't find any interested people, but crossed off some names and made some progress. Then we did some Facebook for two hours because our member visits cancelled. We also got my packages today, so it's time to gain a quick 10 pounds from candy. These pens are really nice though. 

April 10, 2021

We had a good day today. We had a social media training, and then we had lunch, and then some contacting, and then more store contacting, where I bought some running shoes, size 13, for $15. Quite a steal, I'd be losing money to not buy them at that price. Then we had an amazing dinner with the Farrise's, a super nice couple in our ward from Cambria. They took us to the Sea Galley restaurant on the Embarcadero, which is really expensive. We had a calamari appetizer, and then a filet mignon, with a slice of mud pie for dessert. Some of the best food I've had in a long time. Though I felt guilty, because they spent at least $60 on each of us, pretty crazy. Then we did some Facebook until we had to go to a couple of member visits, and it was a solid day. 

April 11, 2021

Awesome day today. We got Warren to church, and he showed up in a leather jacket, with his hair slicked back, with his cane and his missing finger, it was pretty slick. Dan and Daniel came as well, so that was great. We went to Elder's Quorum with Dan, and Daniel went with the priests. Tony has been sick, so he watched it over Zoom. 

We had some lessons cancel, and so we got our studies in. We had some Domino's for dinner, which the members got us, and then we hit the road and did some dot-knocking, where we had a cool miracle happen. We were looking for somebody named Kelli, and we couldn't find her address, so we were about to give up after trying a few places. But Elder Strauss was inspired to try another apartment complex that could've possibly been where she lived, because maybe the address was wrong. So we tried this last place, and she was there, and she was open to hearing more about our message. We taught about half of a lesson and I really stressed how much God loves her, and by the end she was crying and the Spirit was really strong. So we set up a time to go back and teach her again. Just strengthens my testimony that this really is God's work and that He will lead us to those who will open their hearts to Him. So hopefully something comes of that. I really hope to teach her again.