Monday - I was hooping today, we beat Elder Smellie and Elder McPherson 4 straight times and they are always the ones that win. :) So after that we spent a quick few minutes planning for our zone training. Then we ate dinner with the Blime's, love the Blimes one of my favorite's for sure! They're awesome and then after that we went to the Knudsen's, we committed them to study PMG and then to teach us the Restoration, so we went and we enjoyed a nice lesson from the whole family, it was pretty fun, then they took us to Dairy Queen for their Family Home Evening with them, so great night!
Tuesday - The Zone Training day! So we were running around from when we woke up. Then we had to run all the way across town to grab the laptop, because we had hopes to try and play a video, so the STLs started to cook the breakfast at 8 am, and everyone was to be there at 9 am. The A/C was broken in the church, so it was literally soo hot in there, it was miserable! So for breakfast we had Pancakes, Muffins, Eggs, Sausage, Milk, and OJ, then the fixens for the pancakes. So also while we were in there, we were on lockdown, because there was a huge storm, and there was a tornado watch going on. We started out and we just talked about the Atonement, we had everyone walk out in the hallway and look at the picture of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane as President had us do in MLC, and then we talked about things we can control and things that we cannot control. Then the STLs, taught us about humility, and they did really good. Then we had a musical number by an elder who sang. Then we talked about some goals and how we can unite as a zone, we need 7 baptisms a month as a zone for the remainder of the year to meet our goal. Our goal is 48 and we are at 26. So it is a lot, but we all committed to say in every prayer to pray for those 7 baptisms and to set a goal and to pray for 1 new BCD by the 1st week of November, and 1 baptism by Christmas. Then we discussed what we can do better with church and member present lesson. Then we presented the Family History week that we are doing, in 2 weeks, it will just be a week of straight using family history for everything and then it all comes together with a dodgeball tournament Nov 3rd, district against district and zone against zone! :) We are doing it with Tally 2 Zone as well, so we are super pumped about it! And everyone else was as well! Then we had a wonderful musical number by the campus sister's and then we heard from the other STL's, they spoke to us about planning, and they did a really, really good job as well! Then we took it over and we finished off with some finding activities in which we discussed some different finding tactics and how we can improve them, we broke off into groups and then role played them, then it all came together, for some testimonies, the missionaries that were leaving bore their testimonies and that brought the Spirit really strong to finish us off. Then we taught this guy named Tom, we found him in the area book as a potential, so we came by and set up a time to meet with him. We got to know him a little bit and taught the restoration, but focused more on the Book of Mormon. He is a cool guy, he wouldn't pray about the Book of Mormon, because he felt that was for people who actually had faith, and he said, I think I am already set in my ways. So then I said, well it won't do us any good to be here teaching you these things, if you aren't willing to try it out. And he said, ya know what maybe so. He was really cool, so we are going back one more time, and we will see where it goes from there, he has a lot of misconceptions about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith!
Wednesday - We have really been trying to do a lot of clean up through the area book, so tracking down all of the potentials. Then we saw Cristina Hamilton, and it was wild what happened. So we are there, just barely start teaching and there is like crazy banging coming from the apartment upstairs, so her mom heads out to go tell them to quiet down.. apparently they have had some problems with them, and Cristina was like don't worry about it.. any whom she goes then comes back, then it starts again, then she goes out again.. this time a little bit more angry. And then Cristina was like I don't have a good feeling about this, then there is this super loud bang from upstairs, so she books it outside and we are just sitting there... So I start getting real nervous, so we get up to see what's going on outside, and don't see anyone, so we go back in. Cristina runs back in and says alright I think we need to call the police, so were like what!? So calls them, and then she goes back out and we join this time, and over at the apartment office there is just like screaming and her mom and this other lady are just going nuts, and I guess the other lady was ready to fight. And so we were just staying clear of that, we didn't want to be in any altercations. So we start talking to this other dude about the Gospel named Brad, and he has met with sister's before, so we talk to him for a minute. Things finally settle down and we get to start teaching about Priesthood and Eternal Marriage. Then Brad comes in with his son Kristopher, and now he is in on the lesson. So it was weird! But it ended up being a really great lesson, and it allowed for her mom and Kristopher, both to feel the spirit, both of them told us how they felt at peace when we talked, so going from the commotion to peace, allowed them to contrast the two! We visited with Bro Barber, and it was a really, really cool visit, some friend of his came in while we we're there and so we were able to talk to him and get him interested in learning more about the Gospel. Then we taught Gonzalo with Bro Gentry and his son Will. Gonzalo picked our topic and it was on Motivation and Managing Stress, so kind of an interesting one. We weren't real sure what to talk about, so we started and it took a different turn, went to Plan of Salvation, and he was wondering about our "chance" to accept the Gospel, because we know everyone will have a chance, so we talked about aspects of the Spirit World! Keep him in your prayers!!!
Thursday - We did our good old weekly planning! And then we met with Torrez LeBrun x2, and we taught them with Bro Shipley in the chapel, our hopes was to finish teaching them the Plan of Salvation.. we did a quick recap, then our life on earth, and went into the Atonement, and their was a question as to why we needed a physical body, why couldn't we just live as spirits? It allowed us to take it and testify as to how we can know that things are true, simple prayer and by answers from the Spirit, we don't have to listen to anybody else. Then we did some family history with them, and they are actually finding quite a bit about their ancestors, and they are loving it! Then we met with Eric at the library for a lesson. We talked with him about our Freedom to Choose and what we will do with that! But he said, I am looking for a church to join where I can serve in the community and get spiritually fed, and I said, well I know a church! We visited with Robert Delmonico. He just needs to read and pray and ask if these things are true, I told him that I can't answer for anyone else, I can't even answer for him, but I can answer for myself, and then I bore my testimony! Then we taught Cristina with Sister Blimes, for the last time before the baptism, finished up all of the lessons! It was super cool, at the end of the lesson, her mom bore a testimony after ours, and just said, Since ya'll have been coming here, I have felt something that I have never felt before, a feeling of peace and clarity, that I have never before felt. I was dealing with some family stuff, and I was able to let it go, because of ya'll.
Friday - We did some service at the Stone's we helped them to load up their furniture into the van, they are moving to Utah! Then we got ready for the baptism, we got all the seats set up. The baptism was awesome!!!! It went really, really well!!!
Delightful service, and Elder Cooper was there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He got permission to come for it, it was really good to see him again! I was able to perform the baptism, and it was so neat!! The service was really good, the Spirit was there really strong! And Cristina's mom really, really liked it, she shed many tears! And she said to Elder Cooper afterwords, I have been sitting in on the lessons, and I am liking what I am seeing, you may have another member on your hands here soon! Also hilarious story, Cristina brought with her some neighbors to support her, and I went up and introduced myself, nice to meet you yadda yadda, don't think anything of it! Then after I go up to them again, to talk to them, and this lady says to me, you don't remember me do you!? So I started thinking really hard, and right then Elder Cooper walked up in the corner of my eye. And I said, "NO WAY, you we're the one who was giving us grief!" And then Elder Cooper says, "I knew you looked familiar, it's you!!!" Hahahahahaha, so one night we we're outside of Cristina's and their was this group of ladies there, and this one was just giving us major grief. Then she showed up at the baptism and was apologizing to us, hahahahahahahaha!! After the baptism we traded off. I had Elder Jackman with me in 1st ward, and Elder Peterson went to 4th ward.
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| Elder Peterson, Cristina Hamilton, & Elder Hintze |
Saturday - Tradeoff! So in the morning we went to a funeral for this man named Ed Smith who passed away in 1st ward! My first sunday here I gave a sacrament meeting talk with him. The funeral was really, really good! A lot of funny stories, and after a long time of not having a temple reccomend just 4 weeks earlier they went to the temple and had them renewed, so they talked a lot about that!! His father bore the sweetest testimony in the words that he shared!! He invited all there to learn about the Gospel and listen to the missionaries!
Sunday - Well Primary Program at church... so you know how that goes, it was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!! And we got Cristina confirmed in sacrament meeting!!!!!! So all of Sunday afterwards, we just spent finding, and running around trying to see potentials, and we were able to set up a lot of appointments, so it was really good. Then we just popped by to see Gonzalo before going home, and it ended up being awesome!!! He slept in and so he went to another church with a classmate, and he hated it, absolutely hated it, the preacher was just raising himself up, and he wanted to leave, said he didn't feel anything.
So things are good here! We have a big MLC this week, which is in Tally! Also have an interview with Pres Smith, so that is always a highlight!! I miss ya'll like crazy and love you so much!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Elder Hintze
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