02/18/2019 The Ketchup Packet

Ok so first I'm going to address the communication policy change, which I'm sure all of you people who keep up with the church have heard about. If you aren't aware of the changes, just Google it. But the SparkNotes version is pretty much I can communicate through means other than email every week on P Day to family members now. This includes calling and videochatting. That means what was previously just 2 calls a year is now like 52. If you want calls, just FB message or email me when is good and I'll definitely try to make it work. Also unless I have an unaddressed burning concern, an unanswered presssing question, or an unsatisfied deep intrigue, I will probably keep calls to around 10 minutes. 

Also I don't know if this policy change extends to friends, but until I am told otherwise I will allow 1 to 1 Facebook Messaging with friends to a limited extent, I just won't call. I will still use email though so that method is still an option. 

Alright enough of that

This week was pretty good. We had a mission tour with a general authority, Elder Kyle S. McKay and his wife. They gave some great counsel, specifically Sister McKay's words stuck out. She gave some great remarks surrounding interactions with people. She said that as long as we are acting kindly and presenting ourselves as servants of the savior, whatever we do, the people we interact with will feel closer to God, even if it's just a little bit. And she also gave some examples of how our efforts as missionaries are never wasted. One of the McKay's daughters served in France and she ran into a lady who had had a brief conversation with Elders 15 years prior. She was too busy then but remembered the experience and thought that the sister missionaries she had just ran into now was God knocking on her door again, and this time she talked to them and eventually got baptized. The Elders from 15 years prior probably don't remember that interaction with her, just another rejection in a day of probably many, but the lady did remember.

We didn't do Jacob's Ladder this week. If you don't remember it, check last weeks email. I want to do Jacob's Ladder more, but I feel there may be some resistance from people with the mission now. One Elder got very sick a couple days after the service and was in the hospital for a few days (they never identified the cause), and this week another Elder broke out in some rashes and went to Urgent Care one evening. Given the nature of Jacob's Ladder's work (clearing old, vacant houses or lots), it seems like it could have played a part in the first Elder's hospital trip, and maybe even the second. However, I still really liked it and I know those at Jacob's Ladder really appreciated our help. 

One night walking home near our apartment we saw a man laying down on the sidewalk with his cart out in the street. At first we walked by, I mean there are a lot of homeless people in Memphis and there is little we can do to help them (we don't carry money on us and Books of Mormon do not double as blankets), but I felt we needed to go back and ask the man if he was okay. He was laying on the sidewalk as if he was dead but he eventually opened his eyes and looked at us. He was extremely weary and his back, left arm, and one of hips were all hurting bad. We helped him up and walked him back to his house, which happened to only be about 30 yards away. I am ever grateful we were there for him. He was a very good man. He talked a lot about the gospel and the resurrection. A lot of sweet doctrine. 

Dumb Moment: if you know me you know that I am kind of fidgety. I often feel the need to be doing something with my hands. One evening I found a ketchup packet in my jacket pocket so I started fidgeting around with it as we walked. That night we also ran into one of our friends. So we got to talking with him for a long while waiting for the bus. During the middle of the conversation, the ketchup packet popped and sprayed rather perfectly on my tie. That was incredibly embarrassing, but rather cool that it got exclusively on my tie. Too bad I really like that tie. Now it smells like ketchup. 

That same night I also stepped in some deep wet clay from some digging that had been going on near a sidewalk. So my shoes were all muddy and my tie smelled bad. I was rather done with that day. 

On a greater note, our friend that we ran into that night also came to church. It was really cool because he shared his story during Sunday School. It takes a lot of courage to do that in front of a bunch of people you have never met before. He is a really great guy. 

Pics 

1) the zone this past zone conference. It was a while ago (before the Davises left), but I just got the photo this past week. 

2) haven't posted a good graffiti picture in a while. Here you go.