JUNE 16, 2009 TUESDAY

This morning district meeting started an hour later than normal so we had a little more time to get ready and to brush up on our assignment. All ten of us were in our seats by 11:00 and for a change we started on time. Sister Stoddard talked about how a missionary will know if he/her is a successful missionary. Elder Harris gave a lesson on loving the people we serve and how important it is. Elder Carrier gave a Reader’s Digest version of a talk on missionary work by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Elder Pine had the game which was supposed to have a spiritual element connected with it. He had us play hide-and-seek; we all hid and he tried to find us. As he found someone, the someone would then join to help find the rest. All were found but me. He finally called me on the phone and told me to come out, the game was over. The lessen behind the game was that it resembles our missionary work. Some are easy to find, but others took more work and diligence. As people were “found” (baptized) they would help find the others. And last, but not least, Diana and I talked about how the priesthood blesses our lives and how the gospel blesses our family. In between we had a get-to-know-you activity in that we filled out a questionaire created by Elder Norris after which he read the answers one at a time. As he read them we tried to guess who the author was. We were glad when the meeting got over because we had an appointment with Tony Dkere and we barely had time to go home, get our stuff and get to his apartment. The trouble was, he wasn’t home again. We left a note and an invitation to come to Church and a fireside. This is the second time he wasn’t there, but we won’t give up.

Today was Christiana Sigrist-DeMelo’s birthday and, since she lives in Forch, quite a distance from us, we talked Elders Pine and Jensen to drive us out there. Unfortunately she wasn’t home so we left the gift by her door. As we were going back to the car her husband drove up. He said he didn’t know when she would be home, and he mentioned he hadn’t remembered it was her birthday. Now that he knows maybe he’ll make it up to her.

On the way back Elder Jensen asked me if I would go with him and Elder Pine to teach Rolf Hediger this evening. We had a little time before the meeting so while we prepared a dinner of chilimac, Elder Jensen worked on the computer putting something together for zone conference coming up on the 22nd. We are getting pretty good at putting something together on the spur of the moment.

The meeting with Rolf was good. We took turns reading Alma chapter 5 and then we discussed the different things that impressed us. Rolf is a one time member many years ago who withdrew his membership because he wasn’t living his life in accordance with the gospel. About seven months ago he made the decision to come back and has been working on it ever since. His main stumbling block is smoking. He’s tried many times and can’t kick the habit. Hopefully one of these times he’ll get over the hump. He seems so humble and sincere and he’s reading both the bible and the Book of Mormon everyday. We bore testimony that the Lord would help him if he really really deep down was committed to quit.

The missionaries brought me home and I got Diana and we went to Institute. We got there a little late and Denise Maurer was sitting in the foyer waiting for an appointment with the bishop. Diana talked to her while I went into opening exercises and then to the New Testament class. The discussion topic today was the first chapters of Revelations. On the other hand Diana went to the World Religion class. She said she enjoyed the class because this time they read scriptures and compared them to other religions beliefs. After class we mingled with the youth while eating pigs-in-a-blanket and German potato salad. Yummmmmmmy. We saw our help was needed in the kitchen for drying dishes and to help clean up. We made it home by 10:15. Another long day. And our home phone won’t let us make outgoing calls. But at least we can receive them, and we have our cell phone.