Family and Friends,
So for those who are wondering how much longer you've got, yes there are only 3 weeks left til this trip gets cut. I cannot believe that two years have come and gone, I'll be 21 in just a couple days, and everything just feels so weird.
This past week was booked beyond compare. For all the weeks I've served, seriously I've never had so much going on. We had two separate interview/district training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, Elder Hamrick (Other Zone Leader) and myself had to be in attendance to, Mission Leadership Conference on Friday, and then baptismal interviews for several individuals and families coming up this weekend. Baptisms are happening in the Dahlonega Ward.
It's all been really exciting and good work that's happening, but with all the moving and hustling and bustling there seems to be so little time for my little baby ("grandson") elder valentine! I felt uber bad that we didn't get too much time to train and actually work together this past week, but this kid is still fantastic. I'm very proud of him because on Friday while Elder Hamrick and I were at MLC, Elder Valentine and Elder Hull (Hamrick's companion) visited a girl we're teaching, Chynna Bell, and had a great lesson with an extended baptismal invitation for her to be baptized on October 27. She accepted and wants to work toward that day. Sunday she came to church for the second time and actually bore her testimony in front of the whole ward. Quite miraculous! Yeah, I'm very excited for her and again so proud of my boy making his first baptism commitment. Wish I could have been there!
Also on Sunday an investigator, Mary Morey came to church for the first time. We met her the previous week through a referral from the Spanish sisters. She's in her 60's, lived all over the USA and has been searching for a long time for spiritual knowledge and truth. She's kinda like a genius, highly intelligent, thoughtful and considerate, lover of music and piano. After church she came to dinner with us and we invited her to be baptized as well and set a date for September 27. She really desires to understand and learn more and has already made great relationships with some of the ward members.
Last night we stopped by Mary's, she gave us southern grapes that were huge! After we talked more and then shared the Restoration clip of Joseph Smith seeing God the Father with Mary. She liked it and has already been praying and reading tons of the Book of Mormon, and wants to read more of the Joseph Smith papers.
Honestly now with some really great success and as the sands of the hourglass lessen, I feel even more pull between home and the mission, two both be at even ends. I had actually asked President Bennion during interviews last week what the policy was on extending missions cause Elder Anderson and I thought about staying longer...
Unfortunately it turns out that in order to extend or have an early release a transfer day has to fall within the month of your release day. So since I started my mission at the beginning of October and since transfers are exactly six weeks, there would be no way to extend toward the next transfer day because it would be in November. /:
Oh well! Ce La Vie! Things are still going good and the mission is still going really great, I'm learning still every day, and have definitely seen the changes in myself. I've been really inspired with the individuals around me lately too, the missionaries and the members. I'm not always grateful, but lately everything seems to be at it's last for me, so I definitely feel it a whole lot more.
I love this gospel, and the Lord. He is my shepherd and friend! Thanks for all that y'all do and keep up the good lives, have a good week!
Sincerely,
elder adam black
PS this video Reach Out with Love was co-produced and written by Elder Parker Thompson's brother
https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/reach-out-with-love
So for those who are wondering how much longer you've got, yes there are only 3 weeks left til this trip gets cut. I cannot believe that two years have come and gone, I'll be 21 in just a couple days, and everything just feels so weird.
This past week was booked beyond compare. For all the weeks I've served, seriously I've never had so much going on. We had two separate interview/district training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, Elder Hamrick (Other Zone Leader) and myself had to be in attendance to, Mission Leadership Conference on Friday, and then baptismal interviews for several individuals and families coming up this weekend. Baptisms are happening in the Dahlonega Ward.
It's all been really exciting and good work that's happening, but with all the moving and hustling and bustling there seems to be so little time for my little baby ("grandson") elder valentine! I felt uber bad that we didn't get too much time to train and actually work together this past week, but this kid is still fantastic. I'm very proud of him because on Friday while Elder Hamrick and I were at MLC, Elder Valentine and Elder Hull (Hamrick's companion) visited a girl we're teaching, Chynna Bell, and had a great lesson with an extended baptismal invitation for her to be baptized on October 27. She accepted and wants to work toward that day. Sunday she came to church for the second time and actually bore her testimony in front of the whole ward. Quite miraculous! Yeah, I'm very excited for her and again so proud of my boy making his first baptism commitment. Wish I could have been there!
Also on Sunday an investigator, Mary Morey came to church for the first time. We met her the previous week through a referral from the Spanish sisters. She's in her 60's, lived all over the USA and has been searching for a long time for spiritual knowledge and truth. She's kinda like a genius, highly intelligent, thoughtful and considerate, lover of music and piano. After church she came to dinner with us and we invited her to be baptized as well and set a date for September 27. She really desires to understand and learn more and has already made great relationships with some of the ward members.
Last night we stopped by Mary's, she gave us southern grapes that were huge! After we talked more and then shared the Restoration clip of Joseph Smith seeing God the Father with Mary. She liked it and has already been praying and reading tons of the Book of Mormon, and wants to read more of the Joseph Smith papers.
Honestly now with some really great success and as the sands of the hourglass lessen, I feel even more pull between home and the mission, two both be at even ends. I had actually asked President Bennion during interviews last week what the policy was on extending missions cause Elder Anderson and I thought about staying longer...
Unfortunately it turns out that in order to extend or have an early release a transfer day has to fall within the month of your release day. So since I started my mission at the beginning of October and since transfers are exactly six weeks, there would be no way to extend toward the next transfer day because it would be in November. /:
Oh well! Ce La Vie! Things are still going good and the mission is still going really great, I'm learning still every day, and have definitely seen the changes in myself. I've been really inspired with the individuals around me lately too, the missionaries and the members. I'm not always grateful, but lately everything seems to be at it's last for me, so I definitely feel it a whole lot more.
I love this gospel, and the Lord. He is my shepherd and friend! Thanks for all that y'all do and keep up the good lives, have a good week!
Sincerely,
elder adam black
PS this video Reach Out with Love was co-produced and written by Elder Parker Thompson's brother
https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/reach-out-with-love