Week 51: some people are like the pentamic scale

Week 51 Journal

Monday, June 19th, 2017:

This was a nice p-day.  We cleaned, did laundry, shopped, and emailed all to a good schedule.  The brother who drove us around bought us lunch and his wife cut Elder Clayton's hair, too.  It was awesome, especially since we didn't have lunch plans.

Our activity–the final zone activity before the transfer–was volleyball.  I loved it.

We got to visit a few former investigators tonight, all of whom weren't interested.  All of the Muslim people I've met have been very nice, by the way.

Tuesday, June 20th, 2017:

We could be so much better at planning.  Not just daily; we're scrambling to try to arrange for people to come to a lesson to help a sister in our area stop smoking.  We already rescheduled once.  Still, as long as I'm aware of something like how to improve on planning and I'm trying to improve it, I consider that the best I can do and stop worrying about it.

We had a lot of "in-transition" time today; it started to rain at one point so we biked back to our apartment.  There was also a lot of people we needed to call today.

In visiting an elderly couple and offering service, we were asked to give a blessing.  Blessings are very powerful spiritual experiences.

We had a lesson with Suaad and her kids Muhammed and Abdul.  President Hillier came with us.  He helped a great amount when it came to things we as missionaries sometimes forget, like giving praise when appropriate.  Overall, the lesson went much longer than lessons should go, as President Hillier pointed out, but still it was a great lesson.

Suaad and her kids are like the pentamic scale.  Some people are all augmented fourths and diminished fifths, where no approach seems to work to them, but you can play almost anything on the pentamic scale and it will sound good.  That being said, you still have to build somewhere with the notes to make a musical statement.

Wednesday, June 21st, 2017:

We planned out a new member's forthcoming lesson really well.  We'll do it next week, with a preliminary meeting earlier in the week.  Five different groups of people are involved.  It is a kind of logistical miracle to get it all set up.

I'm still working on getting lunches down to 30 minutes.  At that point, I have trouble with even leftovers.  Oh well, I'll get it soon enough.  I'm making progress.

We got to a good number of people today.  I wish we had odometers on our bikes!  We can cover our whole area thoroughly.

We tried going to a pickup basketball game to seek referrals at 8:30 pm.  Besides a correlation meeting with the 12th ward mission leader and his assistant, it was the only set event of the day.  We did not play any basketball.  Elder Clayton talked to some of the people while they warmed up; as for me, I needed to get my head in the right game.

One of the kids we taught on the 6th saw us after dinner and told us "the books"–the Book of Mormon–aren't true.  His dad told him so, he said.  Moreover, he said that his dad burned the books we gave to him and his brother.  

Thursday, June 22nd, 2017:

We got through almost all of weekly planning!  The key is to get in the right "mood" where we're both ready to plan and focused.

We biked a lot today.  It's been hot; today was only 90º but yesterday hit near 100º.

Transfers are so close–unbelievable.

We had edamame at dinner tonight.  I didn't realize how I enjoyed it until tonight.

I made a card for the sister we're going to help stop smoking next week, as her birthday is today.  It was pretty simple–at least as far as my card designs go–just a pop-up 2-D cake and "Happy Birthday!"

Friday, June 23rd, 2017:

We finished weekly planning in a timely fashion today.

District meeting was on consecration.  I've decided I need to stop caring so much about the really temporal things and just do the work: for example, it's good that I want to record my mission experiences, but cutting back on my journal allowed me to be more balanced and go to bed on time.  I really enjoyed the training.

I got a letter from my mom and another from my sister, Chelsea.  Thanks!  I read and enjoyed them both.

Today was busy, but at one point I had a bad episode of gas.  We couldn't really go to visit anyone, so we just waited. This too shall pass. I suppose it is among the most lighthearted and embarrassing reason to not be able to go out and visit people.

Saturday, June 24th, 2017:

We started proselyting this morning by helping a couple tend to their garden.  The man's mom used to tend it.  It's over an acre of garden, which demands constant care.  I fixed a set of wind chimes for them and realized they are easy enough to make that I'll make a giant set for myself after my mission.

Our zone blitz went well; the zone tracted an entire complex.  It was kinda fun.

As we went to visit one member regarding her friend, a family we work with often for Suaad saw us.  They gave us two referrals, one of which was inspired by the publication of the Book of Mormon in Nepali.  We sent the word off to the Nepali Elders so they could pay the family a visit.

Later, at the church, we were calling more people when a member we met at Wednesday's basketball asked for a blessing.  He isn't active and had a bad day.  While it was unexpected, it would seem blessings are never expected.

We learned about the upcoming transfers!  I'm staying, but Elder Clayton is going.  I'm somewhat sad about his transfer. I would have been okay had I served with him the rest of my mission.  With things moving on, I'll hopefully be able to move out of my comfort zone in a good direction.

Sunday, June 26th, 2017:

We attended sacrament meetings at 9, 11, and 1, stopping at the apartment in between for lunch.  Needless to say, it was a busy Sabbath day.

Suaad was sick, so she dropped her kids off at a friend's and saw a doctor.  It complicates things, but they're still going to be baptized.  They are so ready.

Hopefully, we will teach another family on Thursday.  The parents, partially-active members themselves, are swept up in life.  Their kids have shown a genuine interest in learning.

We cleaned up some records, saw a few people like David and Katirina, and closed the night.  It was not so much that Elder Clayton sough to say goodbye–we happened into David–so it was still a productive effort on our part.

We had mole for dinner from a Hispanic family in the 11th ward; it called back to mind the Spanish Branch in Evanston.  I wonder how they're doing.

I've determined a formula for contacting.  If the Spirit prompts me to do something, I do it, but save that I should contact anyone unless: they're in a car, motor bike, or bike and thus traveling by very quickly; we have a set appointment we need to get to; or we're at a business, in which case we contact if we're already going to the business for something and it happens more naturally.  So, I should talk to everybody else.  Sometimes I mentally excuse myself because they're on the phone, or they just don't seem like they want to talk to me.  I'm seeking to talk to everyone now.

Elder Clayton in the swing of things