April 20. 2015

Blog:

Monday, ZONE P-DAY was a joke. No one showed up except for my companion and I, another set of elders from our district, our zone leaders, two companionship from the Star stake and a set of sisters. It seems like a lot but two elders didn't even bring p-day clothes and played board games the whole time and we really didn't get an official game of anything going. So it sort of flopped. Although we did have a good dinner. The members forgot they signed up for dinner so they went out and bought Bodacious Pig (A BBQ restaurant) so that was good. The only problem was I wasn't really hungry for pork so I didn't really eat it.

Tuesday it snowed. Well sort of in the picture I tired to use the trampoline to offset the white at it was sunny and raining with high winds all at the same time. It was definitely divers weather. We also tried to stop by some members who just had a baby that Saturday. Two pounds 11 ounces. It was really early. She got sick and it forced her into an early labor. The most amazing thing about it was that the baby had a fully functioning heart and lungs so it was breathing on its own. What a miracle that is. We then taught this awesome family in the ward whom I had never really had the opportunity to meet. It was a blast. There are some really funny people in this ward. We then had dinner with our Elder's Quorum President ,Brother Jamison, and they made this Goulash. I never really liked the idea of goulash but it is really tasty. We ended our night at a members house, who I never realized it until we got there, is a vegan. Well sort of. He eats like a vegan but doesn't have the PETA stance and is doing it to support his mom who had to change her life around.

Wednesday was slow. We had service with the Despains. I never knew how much a horse could poop until I started to help them. We re-cleaned the place we did last time but this time we had to actually search it out through the weeds and grass that has grown up, We also were able to help finish cleaning up a members yard who is trying to get their house done so that they can sell it. They bought pizza and hot wings (for Elder Garcia), as we were pretty sure he was getting transferred out. We then had a lesson that cancelled on us :(.

Thursday was interesting. We had a great zone meeting in natural light. Meaning our district leader, Elder Lee, my previous companion, wanted to have the windows open in the relief society room instead of turning on the lights. So his companion, Elder Folau, keeps calling him a hippy. It was funny. We, Elder Garcia and I, then went down to subway for lunch and had two members pay for us. How does that happen? One person offers some money to help pay without telling us then as we get ready to pay another member pipes up and offers to pay the whole thing. We then had a few members walk in and sit down with us as we all ate. It was the best! We then went to do service with the Sisters in our district. We picked up dog poop, mowed, edged with a weed whacker, fertilized, and watered in the fertilizer. We also took turns so that one person was not stuck with the same job the whole time. Not only that the neighbor of the Sister we were helping do service for asked if we could mow her front yard as she was having family come into town later that day. So being the AWESOME missionary I am (and humble) we, Sister Birge did it. I just wanted to say thank you mom and dad for all the times you made me work in the yard and all the knowledge you have helped me gain on how to work a lawn mower and edge with a weed whacker. I had to help all of them learn how to start the mower and it is a newer one and has a more electrical start and an engine that makes it move on its own. I was surprised as they just kept pulling the cord and didn't realize the lever that says stop or choke on it and have it on stop but keep pulling the chord. Also that I had to teach my companion how to edge and fix the chord in the weed whacker so that it would come out when he hit it on the ground. To top it off I fell under peer pressure for two Ice Cream cones from the sisters for eating a worm. 2 Ice Cream Cones > Worm. To finish off the day we had dinner with the Hulberts an awesome family that makes some odd foods. This time though they just stuck with some original Mexican, Fajitas. They also just bought a tandem bike and said anytime we want to use it all we have to do is ask. So our next arrival at District meeting is going to be in style!

Friday was more bamboo. The sister we are helping did buy some poison so not only did we pull up some of it. We poisoned a lot of it as it had grown under her fence into her neighbors and the housing complex's land. I am thought going to try and make some bamboo swords to see if I can do it. They are going to be awesome! We had a rushed dinner with a member as they were rushing off to an after school party. Home made Pizza is the best!

Saturday was fantastic. It started with morning waffles with the family we live with. They make them almost every Saturday morning. I was full after three of them. We then did some service for some non-members who we helped move in a few months earlier find some clothes as they are now expecting a baby girl. So we had to dig through the well stacked boxes, we put in, to find the clothes at the very back for the storage unit as they didn't know she was pregnant when they moved up here. The husband then took us out to eat a MickeyRays BBQ where I had the Clucker burger (Beef patty, beacon, and an egg) and a side of mac and cheese. Keep in mind that I am still full from breakfast and have now just shoved a 1/3 lb burger on top. We then met up at the Stake center for the Transfer call. Which didn't come but we did find some cards and played spoons I almost won. We then left as the call hadn't come when planned and did some service for some members shoveling gravel into a front loader to spread it out around a new, back concrete patio they just made. There was a bird that laid it's eggs in the gravel that was already spread so every time we got near it, it would squawk at us and try to lead us away from it's eggs. We then left there and went back to our house and got the call. Elder Garcia is getting transferred Spanish speaking and I am staying here. The funniest part is he is still in the Zone so I will get to see him every other P-Day and at zone meetings. We then left to go to dinner with a member that took us out to Los Mariachi Loco. Some really good Mexican food. I am also trying to bring in the Caso Blanco dip. As most places around here have no idea what it is until I explain it. Then they go to great lengths to melt real cheese into the dip. I also got a burrito and ate it all. By the end of the night I felt as though my insides wanted to be on my outsides and I didn't even want to look at, think about, or smell food. Needless to say that night I kept getting up to the bathroom because I thought I might throw up. I didn't; and I can't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Sunday was full of goodbyes. I spend most of that morning laying down as I was still in pain from the gorging the day before. We then got out to church where just about everyone some how heard that Elder Garcia was getting transferred and wanted to say goodbye. After church we went with some members to a farewell for a sister who is leaving to Alabama or Arkansas, I still don't know who she is but she is going to be awesome. I then realized how grateful I was that I didn't invite the missionaries from my home ward and they wouldn't have known anyone there. But, I guess at the same time they may have been able to get some good contacts out of it... if there were any non-members that came. I am not sure how many were there. But who knows, they may have known more people and gotten out there as most of the people who showed up were members of the Indian Creek ward. We then stopped by some other members who wanted to make sure they said bye. Finally it ended at our ward mission leaders house who wanted to make sure he was the last members he said bye to, other than the members we live with that is.

This was an awesome week. The work is really picking up, Even if most of what we have been able to do is service I know that we are leaving impressions that really are helping change the lives of members and non-members. Just remember that when people know you are a member of the church they generally use you as the standard to set when they meet other members. So set the bar high. Not a self righteous standard but one that shows that we are set apart as children of God committed to serving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

I know that all of you who will try to serve with a willing heart will find the help or strength you are longing for from your Heavenly Father. I promise that you will feel His love and know that you are ever watched by a caring Parent who hears your prayers and will ALWAYS answer them. In sacrament meeting one of the youth brought up a good point. "Heavenly Father will always answer your prayers. Sometimes it is a yes, or a not right now, or even an I have a better plan in mind." Remember that Heavenly Father knows you and has a bigger picture than you do.

I love you all,

Elder McCallson

ps. I really hadn't heard anyone say "picher" instead of "picture" until Sunday. It was kind of funny to me as Saturday the family we had dinner with was talking about words that they say that the other person or people think they say funny.

 

 Snow in late April

Two Midgets: Elder Garcia and a famous Sainted Woman born blind and as a midget