Really Flipping Freezing on Bike

On Monday, dustin.thelander@myldsmail.com wrote:

Monday being "preparation day" usually means that we do our email, shopping, and some sort of activity. And last Monday that is what we did, but when it hits 6:00 pm, we go back to missionary work. That night is when our big miracle of the week occurred. We finally got to meet the Marello family. Brother Marello is a less active member, and his wife is not a member yet. He works a ton and is really hard to coordinate with. We finally got a good time to meet, and it was a great meeting. We talked about their previous church experiences and how the gospel can bless their lives. Brother Marello loves the church, and says if not for his work situation, he would have never gone less active. He just got out of the habit of going to church each week. Sister Marello has been taught before, but was pushed a little too hard by some past missionaries and simply asked them to stop coming. So in light of that, we will take this at her own pace. She knows it is true- I could tell by the spirit that was in the room.

We had a good district meeting on Tuesday, and I learned that prayer can be used whenever you need it. You can pray right after you wake up, in the car, on a run, in the classroom, anywhere. On our way back from the library, we stopped by the gas station to utilize the facilities and noticed a man with a flat tire. He just said "hey elders", and we knew he was probably a member, as this greeting is used by very few people in the world. We helped him change the tire, and he bought us some hot cocoa and drove us back to our apartment. It was super nice. He was Brother Hall who lives in the another ward near us. Later we found out that he is a less active member in the other ward and has 8, yes 8, kids who have not yet been baptized. It was for sure a tender mercy that we were able to help him in his time of need.

On Wednesday we had great success. We stopped by Brian, Tony, Juan y Jocelyn, and the three kids. All were taught great lessons, and they took all of it well. Please pray for Brian's heart to be softened- he is going through a really hard time, and we know that the gospel can help him so long as he lets it. Tony is great, as always, and will be going to the YSA activities to try and find himself a woman. It was really cool because in our lesson, he talked about finding a girl with great standards so he can keep living his faith. He is a convert of 10 months. Juan y Jocelyn are great as alway. Since their baptism, they have progressed so well in learning all of the things that we teach them which is no easy task. We, as missionaries, know that coming into our church as a convert is like entering a whole new world. So we understand when new members are frustrated that other people know so much more than them, or that they don't know the answers. It is all about the faith that they have that keeps them going. The learning will come- heck lifetime members of the church learn every time they read out of the Book of Mormon or go to church. Pam Campbell is a great example to me. She displays so many attributes of a great person that I would like to be. Most of all, she always keeps working hard to learn and grow in the gospel. She does not miss a night of reading, has only missed church one time, and goes out of her way to research on topics she has questions on. Really remarkable. Anyway, this day (Wednesday) is the one where the email title came from. It was like a balmy 40 degrees, and the wind was howling. Then add our biking to that, and it was darn cold. I think the desert has made me a wimp already.

Friday is our lovely weekly planning day. Weekly planning is essentially 4 or so hours of record filling out, planning for the week, deciding lessons to teach people, and other great things. But, that morning, we got to help Bill Jensen do some more copies. I love helping him out, and at the same time hearing about all of the things he is doing. Currently, he is trying to sell a golf course, gold mine, and an airport. If that is not enough, when we were over there he was prepping to have a meeting with a 4 star general in the military and an ex-congressman about weapons cashes overseas and making mining under the protection of the armed forces. Bill was a Master Sargent in the air force as well- to add to his list of interesting things. He always tells us things he says no other ears can hear, so that is cool. I know things none of you do- haha. But when we walked in he points at me and says "in walks the next great real estate giant". Who knows?- anyway, Bill is awesome, and he bore a good testimony at church.... though he may have talked about jihadist coming into the country, but his recovery was good and people complemented him afterward.

The rest of the week was good as well. We had some success in getting into the homes of some less-active members and though none showed up to church, they definitely know the ward is looking out for them, and that we will be back to teach and uplift them. Sunday was fast and testimony meeting, and the Gallaghers had a son come back from his mission in Bolivia. He gave a great testimony, and something he said really stuck out to me. He said that he could tell the missionaries who had great parents at home. They were just better off and more spiritually ready to go. Got me thinking. I have the greatest parents in the world. They have done so much for me, and I don't really know how to thank or repay what they have done. I owe so much to them, and I love them more than anything. I love you all so much as well. I hope you are all doing well. Can't wait to hear back from y'all. Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Thelander

PS- My favorite scripture this week is Moroni 7:13- "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thingwhich inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve Him, is inspired of God."