March 30, 2015
Well hello everybody! It is good to be with y'all again
today! This week was a fantastic week and one of the best weeks we've had
around these parts for a while!
Well, this email will be kind of the "jumping all over
the place" type. So be prepared.
One reason why this week was good was because we were always
pretty busy and had productive stuff to do! The weather is finally permitting
us to be on bikes any day that we want so we try to bike as much as possible
now which makes the days seem super productive because you are always being
productive while you are riding the streets! So that was one reason. Another is
because we are finally teaching a few people, so stay tuned for that. Also, our
mission is making a big push for service so and it was perfect because we had a
couple extra service opportunities pop up this week!
Anyway, wanna here about a crazy miracle? So, Bro. Mermella
has had some messed up kidneys. He had to go to dialysis three times a week and
sometimes even more for over a month. Just a week or so ago the doctor told him
that his kidneys had zero chance and that the only way for him to survive
was for a transplant, and those aren't exactly easy to come by, and he would
have had to lose tons of weight for that too. But late last week he went into
dialysis and the doctor told him that his kidneys are healed and he has been
released from dialysis!!!!!!!! HOLY COW PEOPLE! I hope you realize how amazing
this miracle is! The man was basically gonna die and now he is healed! The
power of the priesthood and prayer is so so strong!
A few days ago we had the chance to sit down with a man at
his house. For the sake of confidentiality that is all I am going to say about
who he is. Anyway, we started talking to him and very quickly he started talking
about his marriage/relationship problems. As missionaries we aren't really
allowed to give any kind of advice like that, so we just encouraged him and his
wife to do what we can preach to people, like pray and read scriptures. So we
talked to him (more like he talked to us) for quite some time about this stuff.
But what I got from this experience was that I realized that he trusted us and
as a result the whole time we were talking to him I just felt so much love for
him and his wife. It feels so amazing when you know someone trusts you enough
to sit and talk to you about what he was talking about, especially when you are
a 19 year old boy who knows nothing about life. For some reason that experience
has stuck with me the past few days and I am so happy that I am in a position
where people can openly talk to me and share their lives with me. I also have
thought a lot this week about how I just really love the interactions with
people. Don't get me wrong, sharing the gospel is cool and all, but the moments
that I get to just interact with people and sit down and talk with them,
whether it be with a random person on the street, someone we know, or someone
just at church, make this experience worth it for me!
We went on exchanges with the zone leaders this week! They
have just been going on exchanges with random companionships lately an
apparently it was our turn. But I stayed in Sweetwater with Elder Cutler, who
is a crazy fitness fool. We went and worked out in the morning at the track. We
did a pretty sweet workout with some running mixed in. And by we I mean he. I
did two sets of the workout and almost threw up, so I just ran a few more laps
and called it quits. He did like 7 sets of the workout.......... he's insane.
He is in crazy good shape! Like, 20x better shape than I have ever been in my
life! He is a state champion wrestler from Utah and is just one of those
workout nuts.
On Friday we were able to
go out to Colorado City and help Dutch Verschoor finish some stuff around his
house before he leaves for good. That man is funny! I wish I would have had
more opportunities to be around him outside of church because he is a fun one
to be around! The conversations you have with him can only be had with him. We
talk about crazy stuff, man. Crazy stuff. I realized I don't even have time to
write about anything we talked about because it would take me too long so this
paragraph is not unimportant. But whatevs. We went to the Patton's after that
and we got to go out and check out their baby horse! That was fun! That little
rascal is pretty fun!
Teaching this week was good! We taught Melissa and Troy
again. Melissa is awesome and is still just really interested in learning. Our
visits with her are pretty informal though. She always asks us questions and we
get off track talking about stuff and have to real it back into the lesson. But
I enjoy our lessons. We taught Troy again as well. If it wasn't for Elder
Cutler we probs would have had a no bueno lesson but Elder Cutler saved us and
it went really well! We also taught another guy named Leno. He grew up in a
mormon community in Nevada. He is Catholic and said he isn't interested in
changing. We taught about the last half of the Restoration and left him with
some pamphlets to read. He said he would read them and see if anything sparks
an interest to learn more. But he is a really nice guy and so hopefully he
reads and finds something he likes!
As far as food goes, it wasn't a crazy week for food.
Dutch Verschoor did smoke some teriyaki chicken which was way good. Mesquite
pretty much can make any meat taste amazing. Its great stuff! We also had a
potluck after church yesterday! Those are always good! It wasn't anything
special, but hey, free food. I love being in a branch where they can just have
everyone stay after church and have a meal! Holla!
Well, I hope y'all have a good week! I love y'all!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Reed Ericson
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