"What a week what a week!"

I just want to start off by saying that I love you guys. Man!  What a week what a week! The work is moving forward!  We're finding people and we're teaching!  And with that I'm learning that I have so much room for improvements that I need to make when it comes to teaching.  But this week:  We went on two exchanges, back to back. One with the elders in our district (because Elder Andersen is the District Leader) and then one with our Zone Leaders.  I went to Norman on the first exchange, and then for the second exhange stayed in Noble.  It was kinda nuts because while up in Norman I didn't have time to plan for the exchange with our Zone Leaders in Noble, so I basically did some planning on the fly and made things up as we went.  Haha it was interesting.  Oh! And we also had a priest from our ward with us do a mini-mission, from Friday at 4 pm to Sun. 4pm. Never heard of one before but basically it is what it sounds like. He gets it approved by the mission pres. and stake pres. and bishop and then comes with us for 48 hrs and lives the missionary life. Sleeps in our apartment and everything. I actually thought it was a really neat idea because it gives you a more realisitic idea of what a mission is going to be like.

 

During the exchange with our Zone Leaders, like I said I was planning on the fly... So cool story. I had nothing planned for like two hours.  Elder Hendersen and I, on a previous exchange, probably two months ago, when I was comps with Elder Townsend, had tracted into a guy and he said he was busy for a few weeks but come back later.  So I remembered that and was like what the heck--  Why not?  So we went back to this guy's house and his wife actually answered the door but let us in, and we taught them.  Long story short, you could see the desire in her eyes and kinda maybe his --invitation to baptism and she said I'd like that and he said I don't believe in baptism.  No worries though!  It gives us something to work with! 

 

Yesterday we taugh another couple, who also has a newborn child (notice how we keep on finding families? It's awesome!!).  They let us in after we prayed with them a few days ago and they never had any type of religion in their life ever.  So this lesson was really different for me, because we started basic basic square one. But man let me tell you what, end of lesson, invitation to baptism, and the husband, who mentioned to us that he keeps "getting in trouble" said ya and the wife said she wants to understand more.  No worries!  Haha we have somethin to work with!  They've got the desire!  Man it's awesome.  I love it.

 

Oh and I gave a talk yesterday at church. Only had Saturday to prepare for it.  Iiiiiiiit was interesting. I didn't write it out. I went the bullet point method. And then tried the expound on it. The talk was on Elder D. Todd Christopherson's talk in the January Ensign titled "Reverence for God is the Beginning of Wisdom".   Not your everday sacrament meeting talk but I enjoyed speaking about it.  In the talk I made mention about Tyler, and afterwards half the ward was like "you have a twin?!" And I had the thought "I've been having dinner in your homes for the last 4 months now... how do you not know?" Ha I love this ward though.  Good good people here.  A lot of characters. 

 

In our studies this week I've been studying Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel, the Christlike Attributes. Ha man I've never been more rebuked in my studies before in my life. Two of my favorite attributes that have really stuck out to me are Hope and Patience. It says that Hope "is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance" (courtesy of lds.org) and Patience "is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious". Haha I'm not nearly as hopeful or patient as I need to be. So Elder Andersen and I made a goal to work on hope and patience this next week.  Because boy howdy do I need to work on those.  Alrighty, well I've gotta skidaddle. I love y'all, and pray for you each and every night! Keep on keepin on! The Lord's hand is ever present in our lives, we just have to seek him!

Elder Traasdahl