It's been an interesting week. Definitely been an odd one for weather. We decided to jump up to almost 50 degrees on Tuesday. It was fantastic! I was ready to pull out my shorts. Except I can't wear dress shorts. It was definitely a nice day! We got to go to the temple that morning which was always a good way to spend the morning. Sadly we can only go once a transfer even though it's way close. But then NY gets a good laugh at us and throws us into a 12 degree blizzard on Wednesday with about 14 inches of snow. Jokes on us. No warm weather here! It's been chilling around the 20's for the rest of the week.
For how much it snows here you'd think they'd be more used to it? But during the blizzard where you could see easily at least 50 yards, they shut down driving in the county except for emergencies. Or at least that's what the members called and told us. So we were stuck inside our apartment doing paperwork.
Our downstairs neighbor however decided to set off the fire alarm. Luckily she chose a moment which was kind of a lull in the storm. So that was nice of her. She then set it off again Friday morning at 7:30. It's good to know that the fire department has a solid 6 minute response time. I was quite impressed.
Got to go on my one exchange for the transfer. Which is weird because usually it's a lot more per transfer. But... You don't exchange with sister missionaries. I stayed in my area and Elder Danielson the Zone Leader came up. It was a solid day and we were able to contact a ton of people. We've been trying to sweep through the ward directory and former investigators to find people who have fallen through the cracks. At one door for a less active member, we gave a good knock and some 14 year old girl answers the door. She tells us that he doesn't live there and we strike up a conversation with the usual questions "Have you ever seen guys like us walking around?" Turns out she was familiar with the fact that we were missionaries. So we ask her, "Would you be interested in hearing our message?" She just pauses for a moment and goes "Definitely!" Elder Danielson and I were shocked! You occasionally get a sure but never a definitely! So we set up an appointment for this week.
We also got the great opportunity to be dinner guests for a blind date. That was great! They set up a date and met online and we were there to eat dinner with them. We didn't know what was going on until about half way through the dinner. But we now have a guy who seems to be interested to teach. Except he is from Oklahoma and has some southern accent so sometimes it's hard to understand what he is saying.
Then, of course, Saturday night at 9:30 we get a call from our mission president. "I'm coming to your apartment at 8:30 tomorrow morning. What?!?! Luckily we keep a way clean apartment so it wasn't a big deal. I just spent the whole night worrying over why he was coming. Turns out he just is doing a tour of the mission and getting familiar with the different apartments. But while he was talking to us Sunday morning he decided to inform us that he was coming to church with us. Yep. Anxiety through the roof right there. It turned out okay but I've never been more nervous and self conscious in my life! I am starting to get used to President Francis and the hugs and stuff. It still pushes my personal bubble but I'm getting there! He's a good guy.
Just to give a feel for how close we are to the sites. We had dinner with a family the other night who was at the top of the ward boundaries. Very nice family. They live on Stafford Road. That would be the same road that Joseph Smith's farm is on. Yes. We are that stinkin close to the Sacred Grove. Granted there is a thru way in between them and the Smith Farm. But still!
I've realized a lot lately how much church was almost a Sunday Religion for me back home. And I thought I was good at living it! Nope. Compared to the people out here. I've gained tons of respect for them. Church really is a part of their daily lives. They are known around the community for being Mormon. They know it. They live it. They love it. The Father of the Stafford Road Family was telling me about his business he is starting up. Where local companies pay him to put an advertisement on his TV's. Then he pays a percentage to other local companies to display the TV's in their businesses on unused wall space. Which seems to be going quite successful as he just started it a month or so ago. Great idea. What is he doing with it? Well included in the ads is an ad for the church. A donated ad. Free to the church this member is taking it upon himself to help spread the Gospel. Most of it is just a simple ad for the Hill Cumorah (located just 15 minutes away). It just reminded me about how we all have to do our part in the Gospel. Not just serve your two years and then go back to life.
Apparently spring starts in June here. So there isn't much hope for warmer days for a while. Haha!
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