This weekend is Halloween (yay) which will be sweet. Unfortunately, it is on Sunday ((boo) not intended to be a ghost, but a sad boo) but we're having parties in the wards we cover on Saturday. Elder Whaley and I have decided that we are going to be Tempe Missionaries(missionaries from the Tempe mission) it's a bit of an inside joke but I'll tell you about it when I come home. I have got a lot of stories about the Tempe missionaries.
Anyway, it was my first week in my new area which is across the street from my old area. In fact we have to cut through parts of my old area to get to parts of my new area. And there are several people who have a boundary exception, meaning they are living in my old area but are accepted into my current area. Oddly enough I had dinner with one such family last night. It was so weird but I still love it here. I love this part of Mesa and this may be the only part of Mesa I ever see. I don't think I'm getting moved again so I'm fairly sure this is my last area. *gulp* I can't believe I have been a missionary for this long. I never thought it would come. *sigh* but alas let us all press on.
We had a great week. We took some pictures from the baptism of Linden Johnson. Linden's son joined the church about a year ago as did his wife. He said it'd never before him but some humbling circumstances convinced him otherwise. His son saw the change in his life and invited him to church and then invited him to meet with missionaries. He became good friends with a guy named Chet Arnett. Linden since then(about a month ago) has read the Book of Mormon 3 times and been baptized. He is so amazing. His baptism was wonderful and look forward to getting to know him even more.
This week we set 6 more baptism dates for November to add to the 3 that were already here. We're excited we had 10 people come to church who were actively investigating. I'm working my hardest to keep this going. We have a lot of ward support and we're working miracles. This week we expect to set a few more baptism dates. I'm excited things are about to blow up here! Elder Whaley is so awesome too! We get along great and he's trying his hardest just to do what's right and follow the Lord so humble and as always "so good".
I wish I had more time to write. But I'll get to write when I'm dead! Ha! Aw, I just made myself sad. I feel that I need to be here and that I can make an impact, it is really weird to be so close to where I just diligently served around the people who I love so much but I know what is right and what I'm supposed to do. Yay! I'm grateful to be a missionary and happy the Lord is so patient with me. I'm grateful to be a part of his church restored on the Earth and to share that with people, it's so much fun!
I'll let you know more next week, today has been crazy but all and all I can say... Adieu
Love, Elder Caywood
So here we go, drum roll please, because you may have noticed that I am not writing on Tuesday, being that to my knowledge that it is Wednesday right now. I do apologize, the space bar super sucks on this right now so there may be a few words that you have never seen combined before. I probably shouldn't have said sucks, but I don't want to take the time to retype, hey maybe I'm a true American after all, hurrah for being so lazy I won't retype. Well I guess it's more of a time crunch thing but I'm wasting plenty of time writing about this, wow I got skills...
Anyway, I did get transferred, but not far. In fact the church building I got transferred to is visible from the apartment window in the area I just left. I literally moved across the street. I kid you not. I was in the Maricopa North stake and am now in the Maricopa stake. This could possibly be my last area... Which does make me want to cry. I'd like to think that I have more time but unfortunately it appears the minute hand is just a few ticks away from midnight. Which in turns means I'm going to just be that much more drastic. I'm going to work even harder. Yes I know harder!!! I'm going to go until I have to crawl to invite people to come to church. I will do it all!!! YAHOOOO!!!!!!!
As for my companion his name is Elder Whaley and he has been out for a month. He is from Virginia, he is tighter than spandex but in a good way (that is open to interpretation but will be discussed at a different time). He just got trained by his trainer who left to become a zone leader. It's honestly a little weird just being across the street and I don't feel that has truly set in yet.
Before I left the last area we did get a couple people progressing. The area is beginning to pick up again and we have a few dates set for November. I'll get to go back for those which I'm pretty excited for. I had a lot of people sign my journal. It doesn't feel like it, but I was there just as long as I was in Snowflake, go figure. It was some sad goodbyes but a lot of good feelings, I felt that I did my job there and that it is now improved. I worked my guts out. And Bishop Jackson said I'm an official member of 20th ward and told me when I get married to come move back! Ha ha, I guess we'll see, I like the idea but I'll think about more realistically when the time actually comes... hopefully not soon, I fear it'll take the most of my courage to even speak to a girl when I go home.
Anyways lots of fun stuff ahead. I'll let you know about the new area next week, love you bye!!!!
Love, Elder Caywood
Today is Elder Robertson's last P-day which is actually quite strange. I don't really understand it. I don't what it'll be like when he's gone cause he's always been around. I don't know, I'm at a loss for words. He was in my first area in the district as a wee 6 month old missionary. Then he got transferred to my same zone in my 2nd area and then we were companions for 5 months and worked miracles. Now finally he is in my district down here. So, what I'm trying to say is he is one of my most favorite people in the world and I don't know what I'll do when he's gone (eh, that's a lie I'll just do missionary work it helps me cope) But that's what today has been like.
The week seemed to go a little slow. I'm way tired, I don't know why. I think the medication I'm on just makes me a little drowsy which isn't good because being a missionary makes you a little drowsy. I can just say after I walk off the plane the first thing I'm doing is hibernating for about 3 days. Then going on a diet, I decided I'm just going to eat what I want for the rest of my mission, there's no hope, I mean we're fed dinner every night. So why fight it anymore! Yahoo!!! :D I love desserts every night mmm.
This week we had a bit of a hard week but we did have that baptism date that we set, we're teaching him again tonight. We got really close with a girl named Lorraine who we are praying for a lot. She's about 17 and a senior, she's super close to being baptized. We're trying so hard! She's incredible and she's like me getting introduced by friends from school (the only difference is she's a girl and she's actually cool unlike me... I am the epitomy of weird!) but nonetheless she just needs a few more answers and a little more faith. Thursday we're teaching a kid named Alex, he is Darlene's grandson, he asked us the other day "can I fall in the water too?" I said "Sure why not?" So we're going to set a baptism date with him as well. So as you can see things are picking up in my little slice of Mesa.
Transfers are next week and I can officially say that I have no idea what is happening. I really don't know where I could be going. But I'll let you know with any juicy details that are happening next week. I really have loved this area. It was hard at first and we had to work our hardest and continue to have to work our hardest to keep it going. I love it though. The people are phenominal and so loving. I really do feel at home even if the kids in our apartment complex scream obscenities until the wee hours of the morning. I still love it here. We have seen so many miracles that have strengthened my testimony of God so much. Miracles have not ceased only fatih has, we have to look for miracles, I know they are there though.
The last thing I'll say whas I got to go on a way awesome exchange with our zone leaders. It was fun and we worked really hard. We had quite a few awesome street contacts and taught some cool lessons. Except for one, we were teaching this one guy named Robert and we were a little concerned when he said he had a legal gaurdian (because he's like 50) after we said a prayer and he asked if he could go take a nap, it was so funny. That night I got to interview a lady for baptism, her name is Jennifer. She was super nervous, like super. I sang her a song to calm her down because she likes music. It worked out great because little funny things happened to calm her down during the interview (like our birthday being the same day). We're going to take Lorraine to the baptism so she can see what one is like. At the end of the night I have to say I'm sure glad I'm not a zone leader, they are so busy and so tired all the time.
Well thats all I got. Love you, BYE!
Love, Elder Caywood
It dumped yesterday! It just dumped buckets of water. We were eating lunch with a couple of other Elders and the water just started slamming on the door. There was so muich water that it actually blew the door open. Water was everywhere and then chunks of hail started falling. I wish I had a picture of the tree that was uprooted in out apartment complex and fell on a car. It was crazy. Crazy with craziness.
Well you may be wondering why I'm writing a day late. Well interviews were yesterday and Monday the library was closed Monday. Needless to say the extra day without rest has umm wore me out. it was hard and I thought I was going to fall asleep mid step. Dang altered schedule.
Some interesting how you say umm, marks have been hit. One of those was Last week when I hit 18 months as a missionary. It's really weird to think about that. It feels like I've been doing this forever. In reality it's only been a short year and a half since I have been removed from regular life. It's weird but I will make the best of the time I have left. Today marks 3 years since the day of my baptism into the church, yup it's official, I'm a regular in these parts now. It's kind of weird to think how different I am from then. So to make up for that I try not to think about it unless I talk to angry people on the street. "you guys are all the same! Brain washed!" "No I'm not I joined a few years ago" "Well did you study it!?" "Umm yes, for a while actually and I felt the Spirit and knew it was right" "Well you were taught what the Spirit feels like since you were little!" "No I wasn't I just told you I'ma convert dude" "ARGH!" Then they walk away everytime or tell me that there is a special place in hell reserved for me. It's amazing how "nice" people can be.
This weekend was General Conference and I think I got more out of it everytime. I ebnjoyed President Ucthdorf's advice in the first session, about sticking to fundamentals. It's so true! Why do we talk about such big over your head stuff, when we can get things like repentance down! I enjoyed it and would expound more but lacking the time to do so.
Last night we set a baptism date for the 30th of October with a kid named Miguel. He's super awesome and is doing well. He paryed at the end of the lesson and it was so sincere. I loved it! Many more miracles are on the way. We're going to try to set a few more baptism dates this week and I'll let you know about it.
This week I also got to do an exchange on the Salt River Pima Indian Reservation. I can't believe that something that different is close! We had a blast and talked to a lot of people and the Elder I was with(Elder Harper 4 months in the field) helped me out a lot. I went to For McDowell a little community by Scottsdale, it was cool and a little rural(reminded me of Snowflake!) It's so awesome to help out the missionaries and to learn from them as well! Well this letter is long later. Love, you, bye...
Love, Elder Caywood
