Monday, July 7, 2014

Glendale Week 46 *June 30, 2014

Hello friends!

It is really good to see all of you today! Thank you for stopping by
and checking to see how I am doing in the land of Arizona. This week
was a miracle week for sure. There has been something off with the
work for the past couple of weeks. I don't know what it was because if
I did I would have changed that a number of weeks ago. But this week
things just clicked and people we didn't think to teach all of a
sudden wanted to be taught and it has been great.

We have been meeting with this part member family for a few weeks now
every Wednesday for dinner because the husband, which is the member,
got a new job that requires him to work on Sundays. So when we go over
there for dinner we are giving them their spiritual boost for the
week. I don't know if it is quite the same thing but hey it is fun to
teach the gospel. Anyways the wife is not a member yet and her name is
Amber. They are a great family and love to talk about the church. This
past week I just felt like I should ask her if she wanted to hear the
missionary discussions and not just some lessons that we had made for
them that day. She was all like "oh I thought that's what we were
already doing...." Hahaha. I don't know why we didn't think of it
sooner but she is on board so we are excited to see where she goes.
Her husband was pretty stoked too. I know that their family will for
sure be blessed by not only having the spirit in the home, but hopefully
one day being sealed for time and all eternity.

About a month ago we got a referral for a women named Rachel. We went
over there and set up a return appointment for later that week. When
we came by at the scheduled time she wasn't home. We got busy helping with
less active members and never followed up with her. One day we were
trying to visit a less active sister who just happened to live next
door to her. As we left the driveway Rachel came out and asked us why
we were not teaching her. We tried to explain but in the end it didn't
matter. She invited us in and we taught her the restoration of the
gospel with an invitation to be baptized and she said YES. How cool is
that? We set up,another appointment and this time brought a member
along with us. His name is Richard and he is basically amazing. We
talked to her about Gods plan for her and her family and set the
baptismal date of July 26th. We meet with her two times a week and she
comes to church and everything is going great. She is super bubbly and
happy and isn't shy at all so she made a bunch if friends at church
and it was great. I know that the Lord is helping her to know that
what she is doing is the right step for her.

So I don't know if I told you this or not but brother Fullmer is
finally home. It seemed like just about forever that he was gone. The
house just wasn't the same. The day he got home I walked in to his
room and the first thing he said was "is there anything I can do for
you now that I have my new knee?" Can you believe it? He had knee
surgery a week and a half ago, can nearly walk yet and he is asking ME
if there is something he can do. I try to tell him no but he insists.
I ask him what I can do for him and he laughs haha. He is too nice. I
didn't think it was possible but he is. It is so good though to have
him home. Last night we had a really great talk and it just feels like
home when he is here.

This week I got to go on two exchanges. The first one I went on was
with elder Crane to his area. He is such a funny kid. He has been out
six weeks longer then me so we are in the same boat as far as what we
are feeling and how we see the work going. It is pretty cool. I like to
talk with him and get his insight on what I should do in certain
situations which is nice. He is such a weird kid though hahaha. I tell
him that all the time. It's funny because I don't think I would have
ever became friends with him if I wasn't on a mission. But now that we
are friends it's great. The other exchange was with a zone leader
named elder Barley. He goes home in two weeks so this was his last
hoorah. He is a funny kid too. Normally on these exchanges everyone
has a rod in their back trying to put on a show and be perfect. But he
was so normal. It was a nice change of pace. We just worked hard and
had a really good time doing it. He tried to leave me with the
knowledge he had gained and a lot of it was useful stuff. I know it
will help me out for sure.

On Friday we had a zone meeting that was entirely centered on work.
Working hard but at the same time being efficient and effective with
the amount of work that we do. I think that we all look for reasons
and ideas as to how we can do things but what I have found is that it
is all a personal choice. We have to decide to do something because
that is what we have set our minds on doing. No external force will
ever be able to change your heart. It can force us to do something for
a short period of time but if we haven't made up our mind that we are
going to do that thing, then as soon as that external force leaves, so
will our desires to work. It's a tough pill to swallow but I know it's
true. This life is full of choices. We all have to make them everyday.
The challenge is making more good ones then bad ones on a day to day
basis.

Well that was my week. In between all of those exciting events was
some bicycle riding, water drinking, sleeping, eating and of course
being scorched by the radiant blacktop heat. Always a fun time here.
No doubt about that hahaha. Thank you all for the letters and love. I
hope you all have a good week!

Until next time,
Elder Cole Safford



No comments:

Post a Comment