Monday, May 8th, 2017:
Today was busy! I decided to send my bullet point
summaries as my weekly email to get a new start on my journal. I'm going
to print out the past two weeks for my physical journal.
We started by cleaning, which went well. We picked up
the usual trio to go to Office Depot. They made light sabers out of PVC
pipe and foam. The way it worked out, I made one because they had extra
parts. It was pretty fun. I made my saber silver, but it looked
odd. I realized it looks similar to an E-Liter from Splatoon...
Arts and crafts aside, we then went to emailing for what was
supposed to be an hour and a half, but I took a little longer. The reason
we were so rushed was because we had haircuts with someone who would do it for
free. The hair cuts happened after and now I'm sheared for summer!
I got my hair cut pretty short--probably too short for me--but it'll grow fast
enough.
We then went grocery shopping at Smiths, dropped our things
off and changed, and headed to a church building where we played Frisbee and basketball.
There also was a rugby game going on, and Elder Sulzen tld me about it. Rugby
is a weird sport compared to football, but it's pretty popular in Utah
(compared to Virginia). The game almost never stops moving.
We didn't leave until 5:05 or so, which meant we didn't get
to our apartment until about 5:30. We only got out at 7:00 because we
straightened up a few things. I feel like that happens a lot--we can work
on p-days.
Driving, syncing, using the bathroom, and getting a tool for
the bike seats took up about another hour. We only got to one member, but
it generated two visits--both for other companionships. Oh well.
Three notes:
Remember, if any missionary asks you to send money, just
call their mission office. It is almost certainly a scam, and if it
wasn't it wouldn't come from the missionary! Just check; there's always
time to check.
I got a timer outlet from Home Depot. Hopefully, it'll
help with a sleep schedule (used on a lamp to help "wake us up"
before we're actually jolted awake by the alarm) and crockpot dishes, if I want
them ready at lunch.
I borrowed a helmet from the trio of elders. While I'll get
the bike from Uncle Art at transfers (since we only have a week before the next
one!), Elder Gudmundsen has a second bike. I'm going to ride tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 9th, 2017:
Elder Gudmundsen had a hard morning, but he did better today
so we made it off to interviews.
I had a good interview with President Hillier. He helped
me resolve a concern I had about whether I was doing something poorly and thus
not being called to any leadership. He explained that he moves missionaries to
areas before calling leaders, so it was easy to be qualified but not
called. Besides, he said that I was filling more unique roles wherever I
was placed.
We lingered at interviews a while before heading to exercise
and otherwise completing our delayed morning routine. We got to bike
today. Biking is wonderful but also unusually demanding. We may do
more, but probably not this transfer. Afterwards, Elder Gudmundsen's knee
really hurts, this time the outside portion of his leg. He had to take it
really easy.
We held our last MLS meeting of the transfer--which went
well enough, if a little decentralized in its discussions--and had a district
lunch of waffles, still at the Paul's. They are so nice; Sister Paul
wanted to cook waffles but I couldn't let her do it all. We tarried too
long, in my opinion, but there was no rushing everyone else.
Once we got home, we started to plan. It was clear
that Elder Gudmundsen was fading. At this point, he told me his knee
hurt. It wasn't because of anything he did, as far as he could tell, so I
couldn't be (and wasn't) irritated.
Ww went to dinner at Brother Wheeler's, two hours later,
where we had good sausage and veggie omelets topped with salsa, guacamole, and
sour cream. Brother Wheeler can cook.
We then dropped by a few people to give cookies to them,
including two of the three couples in the Wasatch Hills ward who had babies
last week. Too soon--it seemed--we had to venture to English class, where
we remained until the night.
Wednesday, May 10th, 2017:
Elder Gudmundsen had a really slow morning. I had
about three hours of personal study, though, which is great. We had a
small planning session before we drove to family services.
I was going to record my physical journal electronically
while Elder Gudmundsen was in counseling, but I forgot it. Elder
Gudmundsen had a helpful time, thought, as his therapist matched his
personality well. He has depression, I'll help him as I can.
Our dinner went well, after which we contacted a less-active
returned missionary in the canyon who was working on his Subaru out
front. It was a good hour visit because he was changing his tires and
otherwise working on it.
We got two new apps: a web shortcut (that's basically a
bookmark for a website but looks like an app) for a bible translation website
and a new sharing app, "Feem." Our app we
had--"ShareIt"--was prone to bugs, so Feem replaced it. It
looks pretty cool, but you get a random username and can't change it unless you
pay money. So I'm Fresh Fowl and Elder Gudmundsen is Valuable Centipede.
We then visited a potential investigator, but we had visits
with three different member families along the way so we only got to them
tonight.
When we got in, Elder Gudmundsen started looking at a truck
we saw as we were walking. I confronted him about it, but I shouldn't
have (or not so strongly) because, as I realized later, I was acting on love
for the Elder Gudmundsen who would take my advice. So when he responded,
it got a little ugly. I failed to love Elder Gudmundsen
comprehensively. I apologized later, even though I had seemed to be the
most hurt earlier. I laugh at it now because Elder Gudmundsen had
recently been diagnosed with depression and here I go squabbling about things.
Really, though, I did feel that if Elder Gudmundsen got his
big toe out of home, his mission would be more rewarding and ultimately easier
to do. He doesn't have one foot in the mission and one foot at home, just
a big toe, but that big toe had home prevents him from pulling his other foot
into the mission. That's a really fitting analogy but it reads more
critically than I mean it. If I could explain it in a better way, I'd be
able to gently approach Elder Gudmundsen about it.
That being said, I should probably keep my head in check and
remember that I don't know what's best for him. His therapist told him to
exercise whenever possible and listen to any music that lifts his mood (within
reason). I can only suggest advice, not prescribe solutions.
Thursday, May 11th, 2017:
Today was largely split between not doing anything and doing
weekly planning at about four hours each. While I could have done better
making that time effective for me, there wasn't much I could do. So
there's not a lot to report on for today. Our schedule is pretty broken--I
really hope that if I am transferred, Elder Gudmundsen's companion will help
him in the ways I can't. I guess right now I'm waiting for tomorrow.
Oh, we rescheduled our potential new investigator to
Saturday. She was really busy yesterday so it wouldn't have worked out
anyway. And we were sure to write it down this time.
Friday, May 12th, 2017:
Elder Gudmundsen got up today! We did exercise,
studies, and planning together.
At 10:00, we went to the Paul's with Elders Wehle and McKee
to spent time with a Chinese couple. I taught piano to her while Elder
McKee played him in pool. We made a hasty exit to get lunch at the
kolaches place again. We took the other elders with us.
District meeting was on chapter five of Preach My Gospel and
I realized a close review of that chapter is in order. I've been doing an
intense study of PMG; I just finished chapter one. Closely related,
there's a beautiful bridge between accountability and the fall of man, the
Atonement, and the question of why God lets there be evil in this life:
- Accountability, in part, is how the servant who is compelled in all things is damned. A good man forced to do evil doesn't face the same consequences as an evil man doing evil; the good man is not responsible, or accountable, to the same level.
- 2 Nephi 2 describes how the Atonement sets all men free. With all men being free to choose Jesus or Satan, they are accountable as to what influence they follow.
- The fall of man brought temptation into our lives. Because of the fall, we are being tested. We grow in the face of opposition.
It took some time to leave, but once we did we took to 4:00
to get changed and head back out.
I got a nice card from my mom. All it said was "Dear
Garrett: Out of difficulties grow miracles. Have faith and stay
strong. I love you! Mom." I guess last week was pretty
rough. I thank my mom for her note.
We fixed the Paul's door and cabinets before dinner.
Elder Gudmundsen did, actually. He went to work with his Leatherman
screwdriver and some oil and fixed everything in 40 minutes. He's pretty
handy.
The daughter in the family we ate with raises dogs to be service animals fr the visually impaired. It reminded me of Kirsten. They (family and
dogs) were very nice and the food they made for us was amazing, so it was a
great time.
After checking dress and grooming standards, syncing, and
using the bathroom, we parked in the heart of the combined area of the Indian
Hills and Saint Mary's wards and walked. It was perfect weather and we
got to a good number of people. It's easy to notice the light people have
as members; as we visited around, the contrast was striking. Granted that
even most members aren't pleasant all the time and we're all far from perfect,
I can't deny that the fact that members are (on average) happier people.
We heard of and later shared a message at a scout
campout. The "city" fades into quiet, uninhabited areas right
after the last residential street, which created the odd phenomenon of these
scouts pitching tents on the side of a mountain far from home, even with an
amazing view of the valley. It was less than a five minute walk from the
residential roads of our area.
Also, we encountered our very first rattlesnake on our walk
back! It was tiny, but when I got within ten feet I heard a sound like a
wind-up toy speed up. The "rattle" is less like a maraca than
you might think, but it's definitely an unusual noise, loud enough if you're
paying attention.
Today was a good day. Things could have gone better,
but they always can. Today was a good day.
Saturday, May 13th, 2017:
Today was a slow morning for both of us, but we had a
service project set up for 9:00 at This Is The Place park. We did trail
maintenance for three hours, which is a solid start for a day.
After service, we drove home to change and have lunch.
We had a lesson at 2:00 in Lehi with a referral from a few weeks ago, so it was a
quick turnaround.
I saw Elder Gudmundsen in real motion. Most of the
time, he doesn't go very quickly. But he really wanted this lesson.
After so many days of barely getting by, this was flipping over a log in a
dying fire and finding embers beneath.
Through a logistical miracle, we got someone to translate
and a ride for her, as well as a third male. The Paul’s really helped us
out. Then the investigator cancelled at 1:40.
We let the Paul’s know--fortunately, they hadn't gotten onto
the freeway yet--and started our way back up from Lehi. Elder Gudmundsen
wanted to take Highland Drive up through the mountains because he was tired of
driving on highways. We didn't know it passed right by the Draper temple,
but it did so we stopped and got photos.
We had three other stops. Elder Gudmundsen needed to
use the bathroom, so we stopped at a church building. There were the
beginnings of what appeared to be a Polynesian party, but while we were invited
to stay I insisted we didn't. It wasn't our area and I felt like it would
be like the Lotus hotel in Percy Jackson--it would be very easy to be drawn in
for much longer than anticipated.
The other two stops were at Sonics. Both were very
backed up, but the second was fast enough. Elder Gudmundsen wanted a drink.
Elder Gudmundsen and I had a very long time to talk.
From it, I finally sifted my thoughts: Elder Gudmundsen has two motives, the
missionary purpose and personal want. We all do. I think he will
follow personal want--doing things more just for his benefit, like getting a
slushie at Sonic--a lot when it comes to small, spur-of-the-moment
things. In "the missionary purpose" motives, we take care of
ourselves with adequate sleep, food, etc.--even "destressors" like
p-day's recreational activities and exercise in the morning--but Elder
Gudmundsen pulls a lot into that category. It's not obedience, but it's
partially devotion in a practical sense. There isn't anything in the
rules about going to restaurants outside of p-day because we can eat out during
meal times, but I never even considered going to buy snacks. It isn't in
the rules, but it's not a true need (even in the sense of self-care, it's a
want) so why do it? So I limit myself in personal want in instances like
that. Elder Gudmundsen either does not understand or accept that.
However, I had an interesting cross-thought as I wrote
this. I asked myself: "Does Elder Gudmundsen make sacrifices?"
and the answer very easily came to me that "Yes, he does."
Then, "Do I fail to make sacrifices at times?" with "Yes,
like writing my full journal entry instead of getting to bed on time"
closely following. So I cannot assume I am "better"--I must
take great care to not do so subconsciously, for such is pride--but moreover I
cannot assume Elder Gudmundsen is unfamiliar or accepting of the principle of
devotion and sacrifice.
That being said, I do know what some change relating to all
this would benefit Elder Gudmundsen greatly. I can feel that and
president has told me so as well. However, I also found I am not the one
to help him realize that, even gently. I was stubborn about that before,
but Elder Gudmundsen is better helped by other methods or people than me.
I should just try to learn more from him.
Whoah. Whoah! I just realized the upside to
seeing the positive in people: when I can recognize what they did well, I can
try to learn/integrate that into myself! (And when I know what I do well,
I become more capable.) I only thought seeing the positive in events
would lessen my drive to do better because I could become complacent with where
I am now. I don't know why I completely missed the complementary positive
accountability and positive reinforcement (taking the joy I get in knowing I've
done a job well and learning from what others do well/reinforcing good things I
do, respectively) to negative accountability and negative learning (seeing what
could have gone better in order to push oneself to improve and
"constructive criticism"--knowing what to improve--respectively).
Cool.
*****
After the drive, we barely made it to a correlation meeting
at 4:00 (the drive took a while longer but I guess we needed the slow
route). It was great, if long. After, we drove to our house for
dinner, where I now write in my journal.
I'm going to resolve to give more compliments. I'm
known to be good at seeing what other people need to work on when they roleplay
at district meetings, but I want to change my general character to see more of
the positive. Praise and compliments, when meaningful, will reinforce the
positive (praise) and lift moods/dispel self-doubt (compliments). So in
light of this portion of my journal, I think I've unearthed (to myself) the
power of positive thinking!
This took me 53 minutes of our dinner hour to write, but I
think it was worth it.
~Later~
After I hastily got food, I found that Elder Gudmundsen had
laid down for a nap. He woke up in a funny mood, so we talked a
while. We were going to go to help a family in our stake with their yard,
but the sisters--who beat us to it--told us they were done long before they got
there. Before we left, Abraham (and Jack) texted us to let us know that
they couldn't do tonight. With all our plans cancelled and having talked
a while, we got out at 7:45. We visited only two people, but we got out.
One of those two people had a basketball court on the roof
of his house. It had a great view.
We were supposed to get transfer information tonight, but I
guess President Hillier is finishing it all up. We played a very funny
prank on Elder Wehle by pretending we knew he would be transferred to our area
and I was leaving. The fact that he believed us was so funny. It
was only okay because we know him so well; we let him know the same night.
Sunday, May 14th, 2017:
I forgot that I had set my alarm for 8:30 for Elder
Gudmundsen yesterday. We both got up at 8:00 today.
We made it over to Saint Mary's for sacrament and Monument
Park for the rest of the first block of church. My lunch was tuna and
Triscuits, with some other foods.
Si showed up to sacrament meeting! It was crazy: she
was late so we just sat down with her in the chapel. She wasn't
anticipating attending church services. After sacrament, Jack (the Ward
Mission Leader) and the returned missionary from yesterday joined us in a
room. Si had many questions and really wanted to learn. We set a
"by-default" return appointment, which is to say we found a day our
schedules were all relatively clear and agreed on a time unless someone has
something. So we found a new investigator and she went to church!
Abraham and Jack didn't go to church, so she saved us from zeroes.
After the second block of church, we changed, had dinner at
yet another family's place I've been to before, and called home for Mother’s
Day. My call was about an hour and a half while Elder Gudmundsen's was
two hours and forty-five minutes. I let mine go so long because I knew
Elder Gudmundsen needed a long call (to explain his depression to his parents;
we called at the same time) and my family wanted to talk a lot. We didn't
do anything else that night. Here's a screen capture of what I was looking at:
It was a fun call home. Everyone was doing well and we
all checked in with each other. I teased Kirsten and Jason about getting
married. I'm still giggling a little bit internally; I'll always be her
little brother.
Spencer's booking it on the Appalachian Trail. I heard
that the man holding the record for the AT lives in Utah. He averaged 57
miles a day for about 48 days. Maybe Spencer is not as crazy as I
thought.
Saying goodbye was a little hard, but easier than last
time. Next Mother's Day will feel weird. It'll also come all too
soon, so I've heard.
I've been told that I'm being transferred on Tuesday, but have not been told where I'll be going. Stay tuned!
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| I'm using celery sticks as makeshift chopsticks because I had low blood sugar and was impatient, while none of our dishes were clean. |
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