Elder Wride in California: Week 3

Shalom

The Email title is referring to both my District, and the show because they're both part of the email

1. My District

2. Trials of Being a Missionary

3. The 21st Night of September

4. Spiritual Thought

1. So my District has gotten a lot closer in the past week and a half or so. It just feels like everyone is being more open now which is really nice. We also play volleyball. I never really used to like volleyball, but it's fun. I may or may not have kicked a volleyball into the ceiling of the gym, and almost made a ceiling tile fall. It's sideways, so it's only connected by the opposite corners diagonally. So no harm done. On Wednesday after volleyball, we put volleyball a bit close to class, so we had like 25 minutes to get to our room, shower and change and go to class. But I was just a mess. I cannot rush myself. After the shower, I forgot to close the bottle to my body wash, and didn't know I spilled all over the bathroom stalls and on my clothes, I put on my garment shirt backwards, and it was just terrible. So we had like 30 seconds till class started, so me and my comp were going full speed. At this time, all the new missionaries were arriving, and we passed by them. I'm glad I could be a good example to them, running to class with my shoes untied, with all my stuff barely together. So it was not good. Another funny small bit, the other Elders in our residence are really loud, like they're screaming while we're all going to bed. And one of the Elders in my district said "We should invest in some pepper spray and or tasers, so we can enjoy they're screaming." The execution of it was just pure gold.

My companion and I are doing good, Elder Hardman. We have that back and forth banter a lot. He kind of looks like Ben Shapiro with glasses on.

2. This small part I just want to talk about the trials of being a missionary. We are sooo entertainment deprived. Like, during class once, our teacher put on The District, and like it's so good. It's like the missionary version of a reality TV show. Like one missionary got mad at an investigator for not getting the lesson, and said that they weren't respecting their time. The drama is too good. Also, I miss my Family and all, but I haven't been able to listen to my music playlist in 2 weeks. I'll get a song in my head and it just never leaves. I have like 6 different songs stuck in my head right now. Spongebob Closing Theme, Robin Hood Whistlestop, Revenge by Captainsparklez, Napoleon Dynamite Theme, the list goes on. Just so my family knows, the night I get released, we are watching Nacho Libre.

3. This Tuesday was the 21st Night of September. We sang that throughout the day, and I do remember it. But every Tuesday we have a Devotional, and that night, Elder Gerrit W. Gong came and spoke. It was sick. The talk was titled "Prepare Every Needful Thing". I'm sure it's up somewhere so you can listen to it or something. But my favorite part was after, he shook every missionary's hand. I was near the front and I was in line for like 15 minutes or so, he was there for at least an hour I'm guessing. Probably more. He just really emulated that principle of One by One.

4. So last week I wrote that I wasn't doing great, and the turning point probably would've been last Sunday. After church, we had a "Go & Do" Experience. Basically, we had 2 hours to go study, ponder, or pray, with the goal to feel God's love and come closer to him. But from 1 Nephi 4:6, we were completely "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." I spent most of the 2 hours going over Christ's last moments on Earth from the Book of John. And near the end, I still wasn't feeling or getting what I wanted from the activity, so I decided to play my favorite Hymn, Consider the Lilies. It was sort of to calm me down because I felt like my mind was racing, and I was just trying to feel God's love. When it got to the line "Consider the Sweet, Tender Children, who must suffer on this earth." And I just started crying. I was still a little homesick, and thinking about my little siblings just made me cry. I want the best for all those little kids, and would be so sad if they didn't make it to the Celestial Kingdom. And I then sort of realized that that was how God feels about us and I was flooded with the Spirit.

That's it for this week. I go to California and my P Day will probably change, but I will send an email for week 4. Remember who you are. Don't give up on your dreams. Wear your seatbelt.

1. 21st Night of September