So I guess I'll start with the transfer news. It seemed like a lot of things happened, but also like nothing changed. So the trainer thing is not set in stone for this transfer. On Friday, Salt Lake City called President and said they'd like to send him some visa waiters, if they don't get their visas by 4 PM on Monday. So, that means that I don't even know if I will be training yet. And because it's a maybe, they already had a companion lined up for me. So what happened is that Elder Goodrich is going to be staying with me, and Elder Haltli has left to go to Hidden Springs in Moreno Valley with Elder Maughan. I am still the District Leader, though my district was changed around. Now I have the Spanish Sisters in my district, as well as the Sun City Elders, who are on bikes, but the Perris Ward Bike area has been dissolved. Elder Mayo is going to Temescal Valley in Corona, and Elder Hofer is going to the Menifee Lakes Ward. Elder Brown and Elder Cox are still together, the Spanish Elders are the same, and the Zone Leaders stayed the same. Things are definitely kind of weird because lots of people are going back to wards where they have previously served.
A very interesting teaching opportunity from this week was on Wednesday night. Elder Haltli and I had the opportunity to teach President Mullen. To back track a bit, last Monday, President Mullen called and said he wanted to come out on a team-up with Elder Haltli and I in order to see how he teaches. So we spent the next two days calling and texting literally every investigator and potential we had a number for to try to set something up. But by 5:00 on Wednesday when he called to confirm, no one was willing to meet with us. So I told him that, and he said that instead he was just going to come have an interview with us instead. And then when he arrived at the church, he said he was going to do some roleplaying with us. And so he went outside and talked to Elder Goodrich before his team-up came, while Elder Haltli and I quickly planned a Restoration lesson. We told President Mullen to be our investigator Michael, which came in handy later that week, and he did a very convincing job. The roleplaying went pretty well, and by the end, it wasn't so nerve wracking to teach him. We then evaluated the roleplaying, and he taught us some cool doctrines to help with concerns that had come up, mostly about the difference between priesthood and priesthood keys, and how that relates to the apostasy. Then he talked to Elder Haltli alone for a bit, and left. It was honestly really cool to be able to just talk with President Mullen in such a relaxed and personal manner, because normally he's just walking around at multi-zones when he listens to you teach.
This past Sunday, Elder Brown was able to have his baptism finally. So the two kids from the Underwood family were baptized, and then the Norfolk family as well. It was so cool to see a family get baptized, and it reminded me of when the Dotson family was baptized, which has been a little over 8 months ago. Elder Andrew said he's going to be having dinner with them sometime soon, because Sister Dotson's friend lives in his ward now, so hopefully I'll get pictures and some news from him soon. Elder Brown asked us to do the Restoration lesson for the baptism, which was good, and President and Sister Mullen were there and even complimented us on it. Though I'm sure his tutoring earlier in the week had helped us prepare . Then President Mullen gave the talk on the Holy Ghost, and it was probably the most in depth talk I've ever heard at a baptismal service. It was kind of fun to watch President Mullen teaching young children, and see a little bit of Grandpa Mullen come out every once in a while.
As for the rest of the week, we were able to go do service with Anna Arnold again. We were helping her move fencing and helping with her animals too. She has chickens, two prize-winning mules, as well as her dog. The mules are both like 10 time world champions in various events. And she said at one point, she owned the mule that was on Little House on the Prairie. She fed us lunch, and we were able to talk a little bit more about her grandson, and she brought out the copy of the Book of Mormon he left her with his testimony, but she said she hadn't been able to read it like he asked her to because when she reads scriptures, she can't understand them. So we said we could help her with that, so hopefully we can have teaching appointments scheduled separate from our service activities with her.
I think that pretty much sums up the week for the most part. If I do end up getting the trainee, I'll probably send you an e-mail on Wednesday when he gets to send his check-in e-mail to his family, just to let you know. If you don't get anything, it's just me and Elder Goodrich for this transfer.
From the West Side . . . . . .
Elder Cornaby
This past Sunday, Elder Brown was able to have his baptism finally. So the two kids from the Underwood family were baptized, and then the Norfolk family as well. It was so cool to see a family get baptized, and it reminded me of when the Dotson family was baptized, which has been a little over 8 months ago. Elder Andrew said he's going to be having dinner with them sometime soon, because Sister Dotson's friend lives in his ward now, so hopefully I'll get pictures and some news from him soon. Elder Brown asked us to do the Restoration lesson for the baptism, which was good, and President and Sister Mullen were there and even complimented us on it. Though I'm sure his tutoring earlier in the week had helped us prepare . Then President Mullen gave the talk on the Holy Ghost, and it was probably the most in depth talk I've ever heard at a baptismal service. It was kind of fun to watch President Mullen teaching young children, and see a little bit of Grandpa Mullen come out every once in a while.
As for the rest of the week, we were able to go do service with Anna Arnold again. We were helping her move fencing and helping with her animals too. She has chickens, two prize-winning mules, as well as her dog. The mules are both like 10 time world champions in various events. And she said at one point, she owned the mule that was on Little House on the Prairie. She fed us lunch, and we were able to talk a little bit more about her grandson, and she brought out the copy of the Book of Mormon he left her with his testimony, but she said she hadn't been able to read it like he asked her to because when she reads scriptures, she can't understand them. So we said we could help her with that, so hopefully we can have teaching appointments scheduled separate from our service activities with her.
I think that pretty much sums up the week for the most part. If I do end up getting the trainee, I'll probably send you an e-mail on Wednesday when he gets to send his check-in e-mail to his family, just to let you know. If you don't get anything, it's just me and Elder Goodrich for this transfer.
From the West Side . . . . . .
Elder Cornaby