Schedule Change

On Monday, January 30, 2017 4:46 PM, Dustin Thelander <dustin.thelander@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Well hello there, everyone! Today is another crazy transfer Monday. Elder Ludwig and I are staying together another transfer!!!!! I am so pumped. Being that we are the local Zone Leaders, we had to make multiple stops today running around people and bikes. We have finally found a down moment here, but the work is far from finished. Due to the Sunday meeting times conflicting with the Carbon Canyon ward and the YSA ward, they made a change. We are no longer in the Carbon Canyon ward. We now cover the Los Serranos ward as well as the YSA ward. We are really looking forward to the opportunity to get to know some new people and to help this ward grow stronger. I don't have my planner with me, so my memory is all that serves me at this point for this letter...

Tuesday, we had our meetings which went great and afterward did our usual end of transfer pictures with the zone members here. I have really loved the group here a ton- so many great missionaries and people. For sure gained some great friends. We had a lesson with Veronica as well. We had a couple of members with us, and it went so smooth. She is committed to baptism on February 11th!! She is reading her scriptures every day, praying, and coming to every activity possible. We could literally leave, and she would be fine, especially with the great friends she has made in the YSA. We just happen to be the authority that will help her along the way.

On Wednesday, we went on splits in the evening with a member of the ward, Brother Peterson. We tried to visit 3 or 4 people with no success. We then asked him who, if anyone, he would like to visit. He put the car in drive and said we are going to the Bensens. He had been thinking of them the whole day. The husband is not a member of the church, his wife is. Stopping by turned out to be an amazing choice. The husband was feeling terrible with a bad back. Just as I was thinking about asking if he wanted a priesthood blessing, Brother Peterson asked the same question. Sister Bensen was very hesitant to ask, but with some encouragement from Bro. Peterson, she asked him. He readily accepted, and after a while of talking with him we gave him a blessing. It was a very spiritual experience to see the priesthood at work.

Thursday we had another great lesson with Veronica. She impresses us at every turn. Then we, on Friday, got packing calls. We both stay, as I said, but Elder Kleinman and Elder Brough both got a call to pack. They are sad to leave their ward and area- they are really good buddies. In fact, Elder Kleinman will be a college roommate of mine!!!

Saturday was some great visits, and then Sunday we got news about the rest of the zone to pass along to the other missionaries. With all of the changes, we now live alone- it is weird. But, greatest news of the century is that I will, for the first time on my mission, have my own bathroom!!!!!!!!!! I will have time galore. Oh, there's big news that we got on Wednesday. We had a big missionary broadcast about some changes to the missionary program (each mission has different alterations). Our schedule has been altered slightly. So, we still arise at 6:30am, and then we plan for our day and have personal study. We now have an extra 30 min in the morning. Then we still get back to our apartment at 9:00 pm, but since we already planned in the morning, after we get back, we have all the time from 9-10:30 pm to ourselves. It is really nice- my favorite part of the schedule change. Also announced is that p-day begins at 8:00 am instead of 10:00 am. It should be nice to have a little more unstructured time. We also have changed the way we report our numbers to the church. We now report a lot less. I love it. Missionaries shouldn't, but some focus too much on the numbers and not the people. As we have before, we focus on the people and connecting them with Heavenly Father. Cool things are happening, and it's cool to be a part of it.

Scripture of the week is from Alma, chapter 12, verse 33-34, "But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son; Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest."

Love,

Elder Thelander