This week in Pocatello!

Dear All,

So this week has been fun. We have a baptism for an investigator we have been teaching for a couple of months on Saturday. My first baptism in this area and first since I've been out. [This] Brother is awesome, he likes to joke and give us a hard time, but that just gets us laughing. He knows so much, and we are suprised no one has got him baptized before.

We have a total of 7 baptism dates and we are striving to get more. There are those who work 2 jobs or work a lot so they try to meet with us but they keep falling through due to their long hours. We heard from one saying they were glad we didn't stop trying to contact them and they want us to keep trying. If somehow their lives would slow down enough we can teach them, then they may understand what is really important.

Elder Hill... well he likes to be goofy. I do wish he would stop pointing his blow dart gun at me especially when there is a dart in it! I know he probably won't shoot me, but it still makes me nervious..... what if he coughs? I'll be mad really fast. or in pain, or both. Some of the missionaries are a little goofy, especially Elder Maddox he reminds me of my brother TIM, except Elder Maddox has 8 fingers, which he uses for his humor.

We are pushing to get work in all the wards so that President will be more wiling to split the area. I find there is loads of work to do. Just when you have 5 wards to cover and 1 holds 5 of the baptisms you have. and one has a baptism but takes what they are given just goes above and beyond to do missionary work. One ward wants to do work but they just need some work to do and they will follow. WE HAVE 11 REFERRALS. That's what happens when your dinner appointment is with a family who wants to do as much work as they can and you talk with two ward mission leaders who need help in their ward. We extended a offer to one bishop to teach gospel principals class in his ward because they just don't have the right amount of people to give that calling and the Bishop was glad we did that.

So I cleaned the windows in our appartment today........... I almost didn't get in the car to go get e-mails because I was so struck by the fact I could see out the windows so clean it was like they weren't there..... they look Perdy! I was afraid my companion was going to call president and say "President, Elder Hedgecock wont stop looking out the windows since he cleaned them" I was day dreaming and by 'Day Dreaming' I mean I never dreamed the day would look that good through clean windows.

SO the mission approved IPODS.... I WANT ONE! I probably don't need it. But I want it. Then I can treat that Cd player like a frisbee.

We had Zone Conference on Thursday they talked to us about the TIWI's in the mission cars and how they work and how the Algorithim used in the TIWI is so big when written out it takes a whole 8ft by 4ft white board and how it gave the guy in charge of them for the area a headache looking at it.

Well I'm running out of things to report on. Talk to you all later.

Love,
Elder Hedgecock

This week in Idaho

Dear all,

I'm e-mailing later than usual because we had a lesson this morning, which, some would say, "Why? It's p-day." and I would say, "Preparing for the week can come a little later, missionary work should be a here and now thing not 'how about next week?' deal".

We have so much work in only 2-3 of our wards it's getting difficult to give all the wards the attention they need. We have 5 baptism dates and we made a 6th one this morning, and have 3 more possible, my companion and I decided to stretch and aim for 10 so we are going to use a little faith and hope someone will show up interested in what we teach and ask to be baptized! One of our investigators has stopped smoking and said to us, "Baptism must be good, cause this week's been hell!" He then gave us the loads of trials that had come up in the past week. We said, "Satan wants you to change your mind, so keep at it!" He's strong and will do well.

The couple that works with less actives in our area gave us 3 GOLDEN people to teach, one of them is dating a less active and it sounds like he wants to get active again. We have so much work it causes us to schedule appointments at odd times like this morning at 10. Week one of exchanges was 15 appointments and week two was 17 appointments and we have 12 appointments for this coming week, and more coming hopefully. The Stake President called our Mission President and ask about a 3rd set of missionaries, cause all our work is in the 2-3 wards the others seem to be neglected. We want to work with all of them but it's hard when 2 are filling most of your schedule. We gave him a summary of our area and it was ordered by how many investigators we have, less actives, potential investigators, referrals and a group for others who we are not quite sure yet what the status is on them. One thing I really like about Elder Hill is all the work we do. We do lots of work and wish we could do more to assist the Stake on some things they are doing such as Invitation Sunday and Walk With Christ. Seems like we are swamped and I like it! I have always liked a challenge.

Well we have lots to do still and the day is not quite over, so talk to you all later!

LOVE YA ALL.

Elder Hedgecock

First week with a new companion

Dear all,

This week has been super super fun, and yet kinda sad at the same time. We had loads of appointments set for the week, average 2 a day, in fact we had 5 set on Saturday, but we really only had 2 lessons by the end of it. Kind of a bummer. I wish the mission would have a factor for the odds of appointments falling through. maybe it wouldn't be as disappointing, but the good part is a lot of people are missionary minded now. [One person] we've taught is considering having her son take lessons. Ee have 3 baptism dates set right now, all are solid and ready to do what they need to do. We plan to get 3 more by the end of this coming week. The three we have are a few over age youths and their mom knows when the family will be in town to go to the baptism, she just hasn't set a date. Elder Hill and I decided we need to explain the blessings that come from setting a date and following that till it happens.

 

I'm a little winded Elder Hill and I have just gotten back from mountain biking..... FUN!!!! I like it alot. We are going to go again next Monday. I see the ups and downs of working with each companion and the trick is not to try and fix what they are imperfect at, by trying to love them for who they are like the Savior does. 

A lady came and gave us $5 the other day and then another person gave us $20 we split it. You can't keep people from giving here it seems. I try not to just accept it right away, I say, "Are you sure? We'll be just fine" and they may say, "Elders, I want the blessings." It almost would be bad to reject after that. I'm sure missionaries try to find ways to say, "No thanks," and I'm sure members are finding ways to say, "You're going to take this money."

 

Well I can't seem to recall much else now, so I'll just end it here.

Love to all,

 

Elder Hedgecock

THIS week!

Dear All,

This week in the Alameda Stake, 5th and 9th Wards, we set 3 baptism dates and have in the works to have 7 or so by the end of next week. [My new companion], Elder Hill has 3 months left. We are getting along well. We have already had a couple moments we both agree are funny. We're having fun and doing all sorts of work. We've had 2 people send text messages and contact us out of the blue and asked to be baptized, those are 2 of the 3 we have. The third is a pre-existing date. The one who first contacted us asked in text to be baptized, so we met with her and she didn't even let us ask about a prayer and laid out her plans to quit smoking drinking coffee and even getting a tattoo fixed or removed. We are looking forward to having more people setting dates. I have even found a few streets in my area that my last companion never took me down so I'm un-familiar with them. Elder Hill and I are in agreement that we are co-juniors. I realized I'm 4 months in and I think it's dawning on me just how fast 2 years will go by...... REALLY FAST!

Love to all,
Elder Hedgecock