Elder Stafford

 First P-Day Email - May 5, 2014

The first time flying in a while was great; After I prayed that we (the missionaries on the plane) would be in NC safely and during the flight, I was alright. The BBQ is great! I love the vinegar flavor in it!

 

On Tuesday the 28th, we had a transfer meeting. 8 out of the 9 new missionaries got their first companion; that one missionary was none other than ME. I was with the assistants for two days. The first day with them was rough. We woke up at 4 AM to get the departing missionaries ready to go home. I didn't go to the airport, which was probably a good thing. While the Mission president and the assistants were taking the departing missionaries home, I was helping out at the mission office. Most of my time there, I was putting 50 mormon.org cards in each plastic bag. I did get to do REAL missionary work that day. We taught 4 discussions and the assistants were impressed with my testimonies.

 

My first companion's name is Elder J from Salt Lake city. He's only been out for 5 months, but I'm in good hands mostly because I'm his second trainee. Morganton is a beautiful place, there are lots of trees which remind me of Oregon. There's a place here called Jake's. They have this thing called the Triple-Triple, it's a 9- patty cheeseburger. Those who eat the whole thing will get a T-shirt. I haven't ordered one yet, but I will when I get the chance. Part of Morganton is a deaf community. There are some members who are deaf, so they communicate with sign language. There would be at least one member in the ward that would translate during sacrament meeting. Elder J knows some sign language. I know how to say potato in sign language. The ward members are great. They love coming up and bearing their testimonies.

 

Last Saturday night we went tracting. We found some people at a rest home to teach. There was one person that I admire and that person is Terry Lackey. He is in a wheelchair and he is a member, but less active for quite a while. I showed him a video called "Mountains to Climb" on my Ipad (yes, we are an Ipad mission), I asked him if he had any trials in his life. When he told me his current trial he's having, I started to show some emotion because I really cared about him.

 

Yesterday night was extremely overwhelming. We taught a family who weren't members, but one of them is thinking about getting baptized. It was hard to feel the spirit because the mom kept yelling at one of her three kids. I honestly felt bad for this kid and I wish I could do something about it. There's really nothing I can do except praying for the family to have the spirit in their homes. After that discussion, I was bawling in tears. I felt sorry for them. I asked Elder J to give me a blessing that night I felt better after that.

 

Today is my first preparation day. After we studied we cleaned our apartment. There's two other missionaries in our apartment, but they went to a doctors appointment because Elder P broke his arm. He was biking when a truck driver cut him off when Elder P was trying to cross an entrance to a parking lot. He grabbed the front brakes and the bike flipped him over. That accident also gave him a bloody leg. The other Elder living in our apartment is Elder K, he is the district leader. We all cover the same area and same ward, but we teach different people. After we cleaned and ate lunch we went grocery shopping at Walmart. How we work things is we get what we need/want as a companionship and we each pay half of the grocery cost. I used both Walmart gift cards to cover the groceries. And then we got our haircuts at a traditional haircut place.

 

Next Sunday we're planning on eating at a family's house and then make phone calls. I will plan on it at 7pm which is 5pm in Idaho.

 

Hopefully spring will come in Rexburg soon.

 

-Elder Stafford