On Monday, October 31, 2016 1:40 PM, Dustin Thelander <dustin.thelander@myldsmail.net> wrote:
Hello everyone- hope all is well with you! On Tuesday, we had district meeting and it went very well. A little dry for my taste, but I think all there learned a lot from it. I love getting together with the other missionaries to learn from them, and hopefully teach them something. Afterward, we finally got to see Lance again. From what he told us, he will hopefully start working at Win-co in the next week. He knows the manager there a little bit and thinks that he can get a few Sundays off from time to time. So that is awesome. Thank you all for you prayers for him, they are working. In the afternoon, we stopped by Sister Hamilton's home with some material and she will be making us a traditional Samoan item (lava lava) to wear to church. She also gave us one ie lava lava, and we bought one. So we got two beautiful, and symbolic ie lava lavas- so awesome!!! In the evening, we saw the Tuataga family. They are some of my favorites. All the kids love church so much, but it is hard as both parents work most Sundays. They love the messages we share and most times insist on reading the scriptures for us and then it takes a lot of time to field all their answers to our questions.
Wednesday was interesting. We visited some people in the morning and has some success seeing Levi and the Enos family. Levi is still doing awesome and is the driving force for that family to come to church each week. Then in the afternoon poor Elder Pooley stuck his hand in some cookies and partook of them. 5 minutes later he was in the bathroom vigorously scrubbing out his mouth. He has a slight nut allergy and ate a macadamia cookie. He washed up and then took a rest and seemed ok. We had to take some bikes to the bike shop for Elder Reese, so we headed out there. While stopped at a light the macadamia decided it didn't want to be in Elder Pooley's stomach anymore. So it was out the window with his stomach contents. We got the bikes figured out all dandy and headed back to Adelanto. We thought all was well, then the macadamia struck again. This time in the form of a light rash and itching. We got the poor guy some medicine and stuck him in bed. 3 hrs later he was back to normal.
Thursday was a high teaching day. We saw our new investigator, Sandy. Paul was at work, so we didn't teach another full lesson, but we read the Book of Mormon with her. The chapter was 3 Nephi 11. It is a powerful chapter describing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ making a visit to the American continent after his resurrection. He teaches the people a discourse similar to the sermon on the mount and calls 12 disciples, just as he did in the New Testament. We had to do a lot of explaining, but overall Sandy loved the chapter and lessons it taught. What I love about it is that it sets forth the correct form of baptism. A lot of people do it a different way, but the correct way is the Lord's way, and he explains it clearly so that the people have no need to question how to do it. This was a principal that Sandy really agreed with. Then we, in the evening, taught a new investigator. He is Brother Porter. Our first visit over there, we didn't even know he wasn't a member of the church. This visit we took a member with us, Fuli Mau'u, and had a great lesson. We taught on the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Brother Porter really followed along. He took the lessons, he said, about two years ago. He is looking forward to a refresher. It was great to have Fuli with us as well because at the end of the lesson he was able to bear a strong testimony of how the gospel has blessed his life. Members helping us out is the best way to do missionary work.
Friday was fairly lame. We did our weekly planning session which took a while but was very effective. During this time we look over our week, fill out records, and set goals for the week to come. Then we got a call that the bikes were done (Elder Pooley had some things on his bike he wanted fixed as well) so we went to get the two of those. Turns out that they don't take checks, which took Elder Reese right out of the paying for his bike business. Then the bike shop owner got talking about bikes and we were there for like an hour and a half, for the love of it. Then we got stuck in awful traffic on the way back. After that we ate dinner with Brother Sagapolu, pretty much my favorite member. Following that we went over to the football game at the high school. It was a cross town rivalry game, and more than that it was basically Samoans against Tongans. So, we and the Tongan Elders headed over there. It was a blow out- our Samoan boys killed it. 35-8. We got to stand on the sidelines as well because the assistant principal noticed us and invited us out. Friday Night Lights.
Saturday began early. We played some basketball in Phelan with some non-members of the church and the missionaries up there. Some good games for sure- then we headed back to the horse ranch for some more service. I went with the owner and my good buddy Elder Wedel to another property to help a guy build a big shed/stables. So I got to try my hand at putting together large pieces of steel, leveling them off, and drilling them together while working on high ladders. Fun times. After our service was completed, they provided for us an amazing lunch- tri tip steak and veggies. Way too nice of them, but they loved doing it for us. After a trip back home and a shower we headed to our ward Halloween party. Such a good time, and so much stinkin food.
Sunday we had a great day at church. We ended up being there from 8:30 am to around 6:30 pm because we attended a program for the young women of the ward. We were forced to stay as there was going to be dinner afterward. So we stayed for that and after went to the Sagapolu's for some Coca Samoa. It is so good, try it sometime. This week was great. This coming Friday we get news about transfers. I usually have some sort of feeling about what will happen, but this time I am stumped. I am really nervous, I want to stay in the Samoan ward so bad!!!! I love you all so so much.
Scripture of the week is from Mosiah, chapter 27, verse 25, "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
Love,
Elder Thelander
