Week 75

Happy Thanksgiving!......  

Elders Thompson and Annand

This week has been great!  It started off a little interesting - so Elder Thompson got a text last week saying that he needed to pack his stuff because he was going to be transferred.  Well, Tuesday afternoon when we were on our way to Mill Creek for transfers, we got a call from the zone leaders saying that he was going to stay!  The look on his face was priceless, haha!  He was super shocked, as was I!  I've never had that happen before!  Anyway, I'm glad that I can serve with him for the next month and a half!  :)

The weather here is starting to get VERY chilly!  I think it sits around 40 degrees during the day, but once the sun goes down (around 4:30 pm), it starts to get in the 30s, maybe even 20s!  Biking is fun - you have tons more opportunities to talk with those around you.  It's awkward to ride up to someone and start talking with them, but after a while you get used to it.  :)   I will be spending both Thanksgiving and Christmas here in Oak Harbor - which I'm super grateful for!  Even though it is cold, this area is veeeeery beautiful!  I love it here!  The members are great, the work is going well, I'm just on the up and up overall!  I love the work of a missionary!

Last night, the sister missionaries in our ward had a baptism!  It was excellent!  The spirit was strong, and everyone was very supportive.  Elder Thompson got to perform his first baptismal ordinance!  He was nervous, but we practiced a lot and he did a great job.  :)  We have 4 investigators who are close to baptism.  One of them, however, is 89 years old, and it is very difficult for her to make it out to church.  We are trying and hoping for the best!

Saturday, we had a special mission conference with Elder David A. Bednar and Elders Schwitzer and Christensen from the Quorum of the Seventy.  If I could share everything I learned I would!  But that would be too much to write!  I loved it!  Elder Bednar assigned 3 talks to read before he came, "Ask in Faith", "Converted Unto The Lord", and "Seek Learning by Faith". 

"Ask in Faith" by Elder David A. Bednar   (click arrow to start video)

"Converted Unto the Lord" by Elder David A. Bednar   (click arrow to start video)

"Seek Learning by Faith" by Elder David A. Bednar   (click link to start the audio recording)


They are all very good talks, and I would recommend you read them!  On the first half of their visit, we shared insights on what we learned from the talks.  We asked questions which were answered by them during the second half.   Elder Bednar shared something absolutely wonderful about marriage - marriage is something that you create.  Love is a verb - it is something you have to put effort in and do.  You cannot expect love to happen just because you are rich, have lots of nice things, or whatever.  Love and a happy marriage comes as you spend time creating and maintaining it.  I know I'm only 20, and marriage is still a couple years from now, but I definitely will remember that!

Well, this Thursday is Thanksgiving!  Our preparation day was moved to Thursday, but we have permission to e-mail for one hour today because the library's will be closed.  I'm excited to play football (Turkey Bowl!) in a couple days!  Elder Thompson and I will be going to the "Elk's Club" with a group from our ward to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I'm excited!  They have free Thanksgiving meals every year and feed about 5,000 people on Thanksgiving day.  Another thing to be grateful for!  

I am so humbled for this opportunity that I have to serve a mission, help others others come closer to Jesus Christ, and to help them experience the same joy that I have felt through living the gospel in a righteous manner.  I am grateful for the love that our Heavenly Father has for us, and for the love that my family has for me.  I am grateful for the miracles that I have seen in my life, and for the daily blessings that I receive.  I am grateful for the Book of Mormon, and for the restored church of Jesus Christ, and for all of the knowledge that has been restored to the earth.  I am grateful to be a Mormon!  :)

What are the things that you are grateful for?  

I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving.  I love you all so much!



Love,

Elder Alexander J Annand