Conferences, Calls and Cleaning

Happy Mothers Day

So Yesterday was Mothers day, and was the first day on the mission when I got to call home and talk with the family.  I want to say just how nervous I was to call home...  I'm really not sure why because as soon as you answered the phone I was completely content, it was just that moment right before hitting "send" that all of these nerves come flooding into my body.  It was so great to be able to call home!  It truly was a needed blessing and has really helped me.  There are so many unseen challenges of being on a mission, and sometimes a little encouragement from home is all you need to realign your desires with those expectations from home.  One of my favorite quotes from the MTC, was "Be the Missionary your Mom thinks you are!"  I can't tell you just how many times I've realized my mother's words flooding into my mind and encouraging me on.   I've noticed a big change in myself over the last 3 months, and am very excited to see just how much more change there is in store for me over the remaining 21. 

I want to share a little miracle that happened to me. 

We as missionaries get called upon to go and do service projects all the time, and we love doing them, it's often a break from doing other things, and sometimes other teaching opportunities come from them.   Well we were asked to go and help a man from our ward move, and we had been warned that it could be a difficult move.  To make a very long and detailed story much shorter, let's just say that this man was a candidate for the TV show "Hoarders".  I'm not kidding when i say that we had a 1 foot wide path that led from his stairs, against the wall to the bedroom of his apartment.  We literally had to PEEL off old paper and magazines from the carpet, after we cleared off the 2 foot deep layer on top!  Everything was covered in Mouse poo, or Cockroach poo...  I've never seen so many cockroaches ever!  This man had been living here for over 2 years, and had not thrown anything away.  He has a collection of old magazines and news papers, TV guides and baseball cards.  We threw out 3/4ths of his stuff, and he still wanted to take more with him in his moving van.  This is one of those stories I'll gladly share with more detail on a later day when i get home, but in an effort to remember some details I'll log the story on here.  So you may be wondering what the little miracle that happened to me was...... Well for those of you that really know me, know that I've always had hard time with a weak Gag Reflex...  Sometimes just taking out the trash is bad, but throughout this whole experience, from 4:30 pm, to 9:00 pm, DIDN'T GAG ONCE!!!!  God truly does give us tender mercies when we need them! :)

(Not the actual house. Take from the "Hoarders" site)

On a lighter note We've got 4 progressing investigators, and 2 with a baptismal date.  We are now in need of spending more time 'finding' people to teach, and talking with everyone that we meet is going to be essential.  The only problem is that most of our investigators live about 30 miles away, and that really puts a damper on our mileage limitations.  But we are truly being blessed with success, and learning a lot from each other as companions. 

There are a few pictures that are going to be attached, a few of you may know a couple of people in these pictures.  2 are companion pictures, my Trainer (last companion) and my MTC companion, my trainer is the taller of the 2.  We have transfers coming up next week!  This transfer has flown by!   It's going to be interesting to see if either of us get transferred out or if we are together for another transfer.  Either way there is a lot of great work happening here in Logansport IN! 

My MTC companion Elder Jantzen Pahl (paul), I truly had a fun time with him, and really hope that we'll get to serve together again. 

My Trainer, he goes home next week, Lives in South Jordan, and his name is Elder Eric Jones! 

The group shot is of a few Zones in the northern half of Indiana,  So some of you may know Elder Ovard...  Sitting far left.  Some may know a Senior sister, Sister Lyon, she's on the left side with a red shirt and black blazer, Her son is renting Gpa, and Gma's old house with the swimming pool in Morgan,  Just above her are the Slades.  They are a senior couple from Star ID, so they may know Pat and Steve.  I'm right in the middle standing up, to my left is a kid from Duschene, Elder Roberts, he's my ZL, and is becoming a really good friend!  The picture is kind of blurry, but see if there are others that you know or that I should keep an eye out for.

Love you all, and will get to talk to you more in about 7 months!  WOW Christmas is only 7 months away, so you all better get planning, and start saving!  That's the banker in me.  Until then you'll have to keep up with my blog posts. 

Love Elder Rees!!