Mission Update 5/26/10

Sounds like Elder M. and Elder Gonzalez are doing well. Here's the update:



Hello Family,

How are you all doing? That is pretty crazy that school is just about out! Good job! This next year will be pretty exciting for everyone. So, what are some fun things you're going to do over summer?

I've been doing well out here. We've had some great things happen, and a lot of fun experiences. Here's some of what's been going on:

We went to the Field Museum last week after emailing. It was pretty fun. They have some neat things there like mummies, dinosaur bones, big jewels and much more. We then went to Edwardo's to get some delicious Chicago pizza. After that, we went over to Melbria's home for our first lesson with her. She accepted a baptismal date, and to have daily lessons to help her get ready! We are very excited for Melbria. She is doing so well. Her daughter was baptized within the last year in Mesa, Arizona, and is really excited about the Gospel. We also got some food from Wal Mart and got ready for the week!

Thursday was an interesting day. It started off really lame, but turned into a really great day. We had pretty much everything cancel until the early afternoon. We had one appointment scheduled at the Church, so we played piano for a while until we just figured the person wasn't coming. As we were playing the piano, the music stand tipped over and dumped off everything on it. Our phone fell from there down to the key cover, and slid down the back of that INTO the piano. We couldn't get it out. It was really a mess, so that wasted some time trying to retrieve it. After that, we went out to a dinner appointment with a member, who brought a friend over for a lesson. It went pretty well and was nice to teach the friend. We then had an appointment with Vera, who we had tracted into last week. The appointment was awesome. She really understood the Restoration, and recognized the startling truth that her preacher doesn't have the Authority. She was really taken aback, but is very positive (she has survived 2 Sundays at her own church since we first met her, which is good)! We had a great appointment with the Motts. They're a part member family that wants to have a daughter baptized. We're going to work with them and help them get ready. The dad is going to get ready to perform the ordinance, and it should happen pretty soon! He agreed to do what it takes, and it was a wonderful meeting. From there we went to Melbria's and presented her with a baptismal calendar we had prepared in the morning. It is a calendar with daily scripture assignments that correlate with the lessons we will teach to help her prepare. She says she's willing to make sacrifices, and is very excited! We are too. After that, we went back to the church, and found out a way to take off a removable piece of the piano and got our phone back! Our prayers and the prayers of others really paid off there.

Friday was a good day. We went to the Carlsons in the morning. We practiced teaching and learned from Sister Carlson. At age 10 she decided that she would read the scriptures 3 hours a day for the rest of her life. Over 60 years and hundreds of readings of the scriptures later, she has an incredible bank of knowledge. It's pretty fun talking with her, and her awesome husband, Brother Carlson. She lived with Indians for a while, and learned their chants and oral legends. It's pretty awesome, but they actually have the story of Nephi and his brothers coming across the ocean on an "oak leaf." The only differences from their oral histories and the Book of Mormon are the pronunciation of names, and they paint Nephi as a bad guy who left his innocent brothers, the patriarchs Lamahn and Lehmool (adjusted for pronunciation),in the wilderness. After that, we had some lunch. We had an appointment cancel, so we did stop bys and tracting. It was raining, and started raining really hard. We had an appointment with the less active Louis, which went well. We then had someone call us to come help them with something, and taught them a lesson too. After that, we went to teach Melbria. She is doing great.

Saturday was an interesting day. We had basketball in the morning. It was pretty fun. I got elbowed in the lip, so I look silly with a big purple lip. We left early to go to the funeral for Sister Prewitt's son. It was a Baptist funeral, and was very different from any funeral either of us had experienced. After that, we went to teach Angelique, who had been taught by the Sisters. It went pretty well. We then went to the church to help out with a repass (luncheon) for the funeral attendees. That went well. We then went out to find after having a study time. We went back to visit one of our potentials from tracting and got to teach her. Her friend was over, and was pretty friendly until we started teaching about prophets. He asked us who we were, and when we told him we were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he got really upset and started yelling. He was a Jehovah's Witness. We tried to be calm and nice, but they really get nasty. We talked a little bit more with our potential, then excused ourselves. These people just don't seem to recognize how the Spirit is there, then immediately leaves when they attempt to impose their beliefs on others. I suppose that's why we're here to invite, not coerce. After that, we went over to Melbria's, and had a prayer with her because she had some things going on.

Sunday was good. We went out in the morning for a little bit before church to do a stop by. The former investigator had moved, but we spoke with the lady that lives in the house she moved from. She accepted the invitation to investigate. We also found two more potentials across the street! It was pretty cool. After that, we had MCM and a good day at Church. Melbria came to church for her first time, and absolutely loved it. She was welcomed really well by the Relief Society Sisters, and was exchanging contact information with them after class. I don't think many members realize how important that first Sunday is to really grab ahold of investigators. Fortunately, Sister Carlson is up to the task and will not only introduce herself to people, but introduce them to everyone else. We just take investigators to her, and we know we're set. Family, please do the same for new people at church you see! After church, we went out to do the sacrament for 2 home bound people. That was good. One was Sister Tomasello. The other was the old Stake Patriarch, Brother Mickley, who is pretty old. After that, we went to dinner at the Jenkins' home. Brother Jenkins is going to medical school right now. They are such an awesome family. It was really fun, and they gave us a referral. We then went to Melbria's and brought her a Gospel Principles book. She was (and still is) very excited about Church. We also covered Tithing, and she agreed to live it. We showed her the tithing slip, and she volunteered to pay money into every single fund on the slip every month too!

Monday was pretty good. We had our President's Interviews District Meeting. It was pretty good. That was my last interview with President Roach! What a good Mission President. I'm grateful for all he's taught me. After District Meeting, we ate at Dock's fish. That was pretty good. We then went by Sister Prewitts, and taught her and a friend of hers. It went well. She's hanging in there. We then went to teach Vera, and the lesson went great! It seems like she had spoken with her pastor, because she started off with the whole "your Bible and my Bible don't say the same thing." We showed her they did, and that concern of hers immediately left. We then taught the Plan of Salvation. It went well. We're excited she is progressing. After that, we went over to the Howerth's home for dinner. We had pizza, yum. We then had a lesson, and helped them do some service. It was close to 100 degrees, and we helped them move a ton of storage boxes, and put in 2 air conditioners. We were really sweating! After that, we did a stop by and set up an appointment, then went over to Melbria's home.

Tuesday was an awesome day. We had to cut studies short by about 5 minutes to go to our first appointment with the lady we met doing a stop by on Sunday. Her name is Alfreda. Before we met her, she had just prayed for guidance from the Lord. Then we showed up, and she couldn't turn us away. The lesson went great. She is pretty interested and excited! We have an awesome new investigator. After that, we went to visit Van. He's doing alright. He's been taught for a while and comes to church, but struggles with the Word of Wisdom. We're going to try and help him get over that. After that, we went out to find. We also ate some Subway for lunch. Thank you for those cards in the package!!! They actually made it! [We had sent him a couple of gift cards in a regular envelope a few weeks ago and they were stolen out of the envelope. Never send gift cards in a regular resealable envelope!! I'm too trusting I guess.] We met a member from the Hyde Park Ward at the Subway, which was pretty fun. After that, we went by Lebron's home for a lesson. He's a less active, and is pretty nice. We then went over to Sister Tomasello's home. She had invited another friend over who we began teaching. We're going to continue teaching Loraine Maloblocki (even though she has a tough last name). We then went to the home of a former investigator we had called from the area book. It turns out she got hit by a car and lost all of her memory, so she is a new investigator in almost every way. After that, we did tracting and finding, but that was about the end of the day. Melbria had something come up, so we didn't teach her.

Today should be good. We're at the library now, and are going to have a fairly low key P - Day. Next week we'll do the museum thing. We're going to go shop and go to the guitar store so Elder Gonzalez can teach me some guitar. After that, we are going to the Busse's home for dinner and to Melbria's for a lesson.

So, here's the short of this long story. This week has been good. I'm doing great. My mission has been awesome and I absolutely love it.

I hope you all have a great week! I always look forwards to hearing from you. I love you a lot. Thanks for all you do.

With love,

Elder Bradley E McMullin