Monday, June 30, 2014

Lacrosse and a Marine Military Base

With transfers, it always brings a new excitement, and boy I'm excited! 

First things first, I am now in Beaufort, SC with my new guy Elder Ah Fook!  People here love our names, it will never get old.  






This first week has just been packed full of awesome experiences.. I don't really know how to explain them all. Oh well. 

Wednesday morning comes around, we go running.  We went over to one of the middle schools here.  There in the field were two lacrosse goals.. I about fell over.. it's been over a year since any sign of lacrosse in the South. and now, in South Carolina I am reunited with it.  So excited.  One of our active priests play it, so we are gunna hook up with him and play. 

This week we went contacting less-actives and we knocked on the door of this family and the mom answered and talked for a second and then called her son out.  He was wearing a Florida lacrosse shirt.  I about lost it.  We instantly became friends and talked sports and all.  He's leaving for a week on a camp, but when he gets back, we're gunna play.  

I am going to love Sundays here.  I get 5 hours of church.  In the morning we go out to Parris Island and hold services and the Marine Recruits going through training come.  Talk about a spiritual experience.. I gave a short intro about me and my life, told them how I was a signature away from being in the army.. they all got a good laugh at that and said I made the right choice.  But wow.. being with those men and women for 2 hours was incredible.  A couple of them are graduating this week so they all bore their testimonies. Words can't describe the emotions I felt being with them and talking with them.  Their highlight of the week is being able to go to church, and these people are training to be the biggest, fastest strongest people in the world. and yet they have that desire every week to go to church.  Yeah it's a relief from the work, but still.  You can feel their testimonies.  

Like I said, we were doing a lot of less-active work already.  We had a great lesson with Brother McCarthen. We talked about Joseph Smith's life and all that he went through.  As we got up to leave, he asked us if we would sing "I am a child of God" with/for him.  That was amazing in and of itself.. That song brings the spirit like an A-bomb.  It was a really neat experience.  

Our last experience was yesterday.  One of the counselors in the bishopric had us over for a dinner and also one of his friends over.  It was a neat experience.  We kind of dropped this on him.  He couldn't escape.  haha.  But we had a really good lesson.  He was real stubborn with some points of the gospel and all.  But in the end, we used bible scriptures to help him understand where we are coming from, where the fulness of the gospel is located. He isn't completely closed minded, but he is just stubborn.  But we are excited to work with him. 

Well, off on another week of pure awesomeness of military and missionary work. 

I love you all.
Elder Bodily

Monday, June 23, 2014

Transfers and Tie Exchanges

Hey y'all.  I can't believe that its been another week. this week has flown.  Not too much has happened..  I'm gunna keep this one short.....  We got transfer calls Saturday night and the news is that both Elder Hillier and I are being transferred. Our car is old, and they are making this a bike area, so President Cottle felt this the best option.  It was hard saying goodbye to all these people I have fallen in love with so much.  I've been out over a year.. and yet I'm not used to this.  I don't think I ever will be really..  

The main experience of this week was Sunday. We had ward conference here in Pearson.  Wow.  Our stake president is one amazing man.  It takes a great man to be able to make a joke about someone being a jigalow dancer and then have everyone crying when talking about an experience that happened during the Sacrament.  The priest was nervous, it was his first time. and with the stake people, it adds to it.  He struggled saying it quite a few times, then the other priest put his hand on his shoulder and said some words, and the priest was able to do it fine.  Our stake president got the boy's permission right after that to talk about it.  The boy has eye problems and is legally blind, but you couldn't tell and so he has to have it memorized.  But he spoke on how probably none of us could do it either if we were in his spot.  Then he continued to talk about the importance of the Sacrament and keeping our covenants.  The spirit was so strong in that meeting, like I said, everyone had wet eyes.  I am so grateful to be able to have been there for Sacrament meeting and as my last here in Pearson.  It helps too when after church there is a huge potluck lunch :)  Wow, it was so good..  



We have spent the last couple days saying goodbye to our members and our investigators.  These 3 months flew by for me.  With transfers come tie exchanges.... well, I think I have quite a few.. hahaha! 



Well, I suppose till next week!  It brings a whole new area and experiences.  I know this gospel is true.  I've read the Book of Mormon, and I've prayed about it.  Just as the Spirit has testified to me, it can to you all to.  

Let's go do some good.
Elder Bodily

Monday, June 9, 2014

A lady with a rifle . . .

This week flew by and we had quite a few great experiences. It started Tuesday. We were planning on doing some service but it didn't happen, so we drove around and made random turns, and we are on a long road and we drive past a new subdivision we'd never seen before. So the next day we decide to go work that area.  What a gold mine.  We only knocked 3 doors and found a part member family, a less-active family, and a really good potential family!  Wow.  We are excited for that area.  The less-active family's daughter is a girl we met before, so we are excited to go up there this week and continue the work. 

On Thursday, we were doing our normal work, but we decided to work an apartment complex, and yet, we only talked with 2 people!  Betsy and LaMarion.  The first black couple I've met here in this area.  It was good to talk with them.  Both searching for answers and had questions.  We simply went over the Restoration.  They were accepting to it.

On Saturday we contacted a referral we received Friday night.  Man.  That was a trip.  Out in the middle of no-where.  John Buchan.  We knock on the door and an older lady answers and is kinda apprehensive, and then we say we're looking for John, and she gets more nervous than before, and we hear a truck coming up the drive and she tells us that we shouldn't be here any longer.... so we start walking towards the car but he stops and we felt that we should stay..... as he is standing there, the lady asked where her rifle was.....  Man, I was nervous, haha.  But we talked with him and taught him the Restoration.  He was very accepting so we committed him to baptism and he accepted!  We are excited!  

This upcoming week we have a lot planned.  Those new areas and new people are going to keep us busy!   Also on Saturday we visited our investigator Ressa.  She had a very hard couple weeks.  She found out that one of her dogs has cancer....  She loves her dogs very much.  She wasn't too open to talk at first, but we just comforted her.  It felt good to be there for someone and just to listen to their problems.  It wasn't anything too gospel related, but we were able to strengthen her.  I have grown a love for her so much, and for her dogs also.  

Well!  We're off on another adventure this week! 



I love y'all!
Elder Bodily

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Party after party . . .

Where has time flown?

Sunday morning came, and when I woke up, well, it just felt like another day.  But it is JUNE! This year is almost half over.. wow.. haha. This week has gone by quickly. Not too many big experiences, but it was just overall a good week! We ended the week on a great note. Interviews with President. It is always good to be able to visit with him 1 on 1 and receive guidance from him. 

We had a really neat experience this week.  On Tuesday we went out with a member, Brother Hardee.  He is great. He lives out in a town called Millwood and we have a lot of members out there, but it is just country and we don't know our way around, so he was showing us around.  We went to dinner first at a small highway diner.  Such a good cheeseburger.  While there, we met a couple people who were part of a less-active, part-member family.  After we ate, we headed off with a family - it was the extended family of one of the ladies we talked to at the diner.  Everyone down here is part of a large family..... It's insane.  I can't keep track of em all.  Anywho.  We talked with the older couple and then left.  A couple days later, we were out visiting at another less-actives home and guess what! Part of that family we looked for at the beginning of the week were there!  It was awesome!  Then come Sunday, a couple of them were at church!  It was great.  The Lord truly does guide us to people, even when we are in service clothes in the down pouring rain....  It was great. 

Now skipping back a little bit.  You gotta love scattered emails.  On Friday, it was slow.. weekly planning always is.  After weekly planning we saw a less-active drive by with a trailer and some couches.... so we walked over to see what's up.  He was out sitting on the couches in the back yard on the trailer waiting for his wife to get home.... good thing we went over, cuz he would never have gotten them in without us.... it was a struggle!!  Wow, so we got the new couches in, and then the old ones out... and guess what!  He gave it to us. We got a sectional in our house now!  Our house is almost complete.  It's pretty awesome. Needs a little air freshin and cleanin, but it's still a sectional!!   


(I have a very funny story about Kevin and a "sectional".  Message me and I'll tell you! ~mom)

Saturday was a party!  Literally.  It was just a one big party day.... It started with interviews, and then we got back and went to a pool/birthday party for a family in the ward.  It was a party for a 1 yr old.  It was great haha.  Sucked we can't go swimming though. :(    And then after that we went back and changed to go do some service.  That was fun.  We had to weed-whack around a huge yard, and the thing we were using at first quit on us, then we had to go get another weed-whacker and then we got it finished.  Before the rain came in!  The sucky part - the machine we used at first was pretty much a lawnmower, so it stuck out our window and it wouldn't close.. joy.. haha.  But during the rain storm we quick stopped at a graduation party thing for a less-active family.  That is where we met another part of that huge part member family :)   It was fun there.  The mom of the family loves us!  It was great.  And then we left there and went over to a family that was doing volleyball and burgers.  The rain had stopped for the time being, so we were able to get a game in.  The most precious thing happened during the game. the family has a 2 yr old boy, Colton. He was crying for something, and ran up to me and held onto my leg, so I picked him up and he just wrapped around me and started to pat my back.. it was so cute. Everyone was like. "awww!"  Yeah, he is awesome.  And then the rain came again and forced us inside.. yeah.. our window was still down.. boo..  

Sunday was fun too.  We had a little fun.  During Sunday School, two 18 yr old member girls went over and covered one of our cars with notes and the other with marker.. it was pretty good. not gunna lie. but.. you just don't mess with three 19 yr olds and a 20 yr old....  It was a good time :)  











(I believe the missionaries returned the car-decorating favor . . .)

Well... I love this gospel!  I love being able to work with people that I get along with so well.  That's what the gospel is all about.  We finally got the Ensign conference edition and wow.. it is just so powerful.  Everyone needs to read it and apply the things in it to their lives. 

loves,
elder bodily

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Happy Memorial Day!

This past week has flown and I'm not quite sure how.  Not too much happened to us this week.. It was just a normal week for us.. I suppose I'll share just scattered experiences.. 

On Tuesday we were driving down a long dirt road and our daily goal was to try to talk to everyone.  We passed a road, and I thought we might as well try.. so we flipped around and went down the road.. and there was one house at the end haha. So we stopped and knocked! A 20 yr old girl opened and talked to us. Come to find out she is one of our member's cousin!  It was a neat find.  She said she had a church.. They all say that.. ergh.. but it was good to talk to her.   

On Thursday we spent the day down in Homerville.. that was an adventure.  We had a folder with all the names of the people that live in that area. about 44 of them. 1 active member, Brother Moore.  But at the end of the day, we had figured out something on every single one of them.. either their number was wrong and their address is incomplete, or they don't wanna talk to the church, or they are inactive, and don't wanna change really.. joy.. but it was a good time.  It helps us with our work for the future.  We have regulars in Homerville that we visit.  Those are always a good time!  One of those regulars.. DQ!  boo yah.  Always a good time..   




On Saturday we were driving around in the back country trying to contact people.  Well, our road was blocked by a semi in the ditch haha.  So we turned.  It wasn't an accident.. well, it was, but ya know?  We stopped at the first house and we met an older couple working out in their shed.  Well, I say older cuz they looked older than they really were. But they were super nice. They go to the Holiness Baptist church in Douglas, but they were super nice to us.  The wife offered us a drink and crackers.  It was wonderful.  Not willing to change, but they were awesome to talk to.  



One day we were driving around and we found this gem of a hole.   It fills with water and then, as you can see, truck tracks around and through.  So you already know.. I sure wish we had a big truck.. haha. 



One experience I'll share this week..  On Friday, my companion was in the kitchen studying and I was in the study room and I was praying and I said an out-loud prayer.  Now, it's a normal thing for meals and companion study, but for personal prayer, I hardly do it.. but it felt so wonderful. I know prayer is always one of those things that its communication between God and us, and I know prayers are answered, but it felt so wonderful to just have that feeling.. to feel I'm actually talking with someone face to face, so personally.. ah. I love this gospel! 

Until next week.. maybe I will have more email worthy experiences, but sometimes the mission is about growing personally.  It's not just always about the super spiritual experiences, and yet I love it so much. 

Elder Bodily