29 Feb 2016

 This week was good. On Tuesday we had transfers. Elder Rodgers drove me to my new area. The address they gave us for the building I had to pick up Elder Paul at sent us to the middle of a trailer park. We eventually found it. The whole first day we walked because my bike was still at my old apartment. We went around and pretty much met a bunch of the ward missionaries. My apartment is really nice though It's probably one of the biggest ones I've stayed in too.

On Wednesday we contacted people for a lot of the day. And then we had a lesson with a recent convert later in the night. We were talking about the scriptures and how they apply to us. Then the guy (His name is Nelson) said something and Elder Paul, our member present and I all  opened our scriptures to the same place so we could share it with him. None of us planned on sharing that scripture at the beginning of the lesson, but the spirit prompted all of us to share that scripture it was really cool.

On Thursday we ate lunch with some old dude. We ate beef stroganoff and it was pretty good. After that we had weekly planning. It was long.  All of our lessons the rest of the day fell through. So we had a chance to do some more contacting.

On Friday we had district meeting. It was not the most exciting meeting ever. The district is kind of odd. After district meeting we went home and ate lunch. Then we went and visited a dude that moved from Cameroon. His English is ok, but we are getting a translator. After we visited him we went to the mission office to get a French Book of Mormon for him. Then that night we had a meeting with one of our ward mission leaders. We are going to start teaching active families and help them with their missionary efforts.

On Saturday we had a packed day with like 7 lessons planned. But one by one they all fell through except for the one at the end of the day.  So we did some service for this lady who is moving. Then our ward mission leader took us out to lunch. We went to Culvers! I was so happy, it's the first time I've gone in like 2 years. So it was a slow day, but we worked hard.

On Sunday we went to all 3 sacrament meetings. I liked the 5th branch. It was pretty cool listening to them speak Marshallese. We had a head set for a translator, but I didn't use it for the last talk. I also already knew some of the people in the Marshallese branch, I played basketball with them in my last area. So it was cool to see them. Church was fun. We found a non member at church and pulled him into a room taught him and put him on date for March 26th. It was a good lesson, a little jumpy because that's the first time we taught the restoration together. But we found out Brian (the guy we put on date) just moved in with his girlfriend, who is the one he came to church with. She is also in high school too, so it's not like we can get them married. Frustrating.  Then we went and visited some members and that was our night.

So I now cover two English wards and the 5th branch which is the Marshallese unit. The Marshallese branch covers the whole valley so if I stay maybe I will get a car. It's weird to think that I may end my mission in this area. I think I will have one more area, but who knows. This morning we went to this Philippino ladies house and ate breakfast with the 2 sets of sisters in our stake.

22 Feb 2016

This week was great. On Monday we went ice skating in Murray. It was really fun to watch the people that haven't done it before. I was proud of myself as I didn't fall over at all. We had lots of fun. Then later we were cutting through the parting lots at the Valley Fair mall and a young lady stopped us. I think her name was Kara. Anyway, she asked us some questions about baptism and repentance. She got baptized when she was 9, but hadn't been active since. So we explained to her that when we take the sacrament we renew our promises with God and it's like being baptized again. She started crying and said thank you and then we went our separate ways. After she was out of sight we realized that we should have gotten her address and sent missionaries to her home. We felt pretty bad. So we will be watching out for her so we can make things right.

On Tuesday we had a lesson with one of our on date investigators (Amber). We taught her lesson 4 and 5. She was really excited for her baptism and to receive a calling after she is baptized.  We also made the program and I am giving the talk on baptism. After our lesson we went to lunch with our senior couple at Cafe Rio. It was really good and they were playing regular music so that was a tender mercy. Then later that night we went to Kolbie's baptism in Millcreek. It was a good service. I got to see Elder Fike again. After that we ate dinner with the Lewis family. We have been teaching their 8 year old daughter, Mariah. They are an active family but they just waned us to teach her and prepare her for her baptism. They are a really nice family. Sister Lewis is from Brazil and she is really funny. Before we left she told me to send her a wedding invitation when I get married. I assured he that it wouldn't be for awhile then she said, "That's what they all say." But it will be awhile.

On Wednesday we taught Amber again. We talked about latter day prophets and went over the baptismal interview questions. She did really well. She is really excited to get baptized. Then after that we went over the program with the ward mission leader. After that Elder Wells and I were walking to dinner and I realized that transfer calls are this week and we find out on Friday night what's happening. I thought we had another full week left. It also kinda hit me that I only have 5 months left so I can't waste a whole lot of time. Then that night we had a lesson with a returning member , her name is Tara.

It was a good lesson and we taught the Word of Wisdom. She is pretty accepting of everything we talk about. After that I played lightning with the young men. It was fun. Then we plastic wrapped the sisters door and headed home.

On Thursday Amber had her interview and she passed! Me and Elder Coleman did the interview because Elder Beagley had his Trunky Temple trip because he's going home. So while the interview was going on it started to hail and thunderstorm. Then it started to snow. Utah has crazy weather and it changes so fast. After the interview we went to Cafe Rio. It's a tradition that started with Elder Helgesen that we go every Thursday before weekly planning. Weekly planning was good. Just as we were finished we got a call from a man named Johnny Carroll. He lives at the other side of the area. Our ward mission leader in that ward told us about him, but I had never met him. So we got a ride and went to his house. When we got there he was drunk. He was also threatening to drive his truck off of a cliff. But we calmed him down.  He is super depressed because he lost his job and some other things. While we were there he finished 5 cans of beer. And be told us that he wanted to go to rehab. But yeah that was interesting. After that we went to dinner, and then went and contacted people. After that we went to the stake center and played basketball. I sucked it up really bad. I am so out of shape. We got home planned and then crashed.

On Friday morning we had district meeting. It was kinda sad because we had 3 missionaries going home. We had a training about studies and how we can make them better. After that we ate at Chilies. No one paid for us this time. After that we helped carry a microwave up a flight of stairs and then we did some contacting. After that we went to dinner.  We had some kind of pot pie. It was ok. After that we did some more contacting. Then I got sick and we came back to the apartment. 

So at about 9:25pm we got our transfer calls. So I am going to the Granger West Stake and being Sr companion to Elder Paul. I have met him a few times and he is really weird, but apparently he works hard so that is good. After that Elder Semu and Coleman came to give me a blessing. I was told not to worry about this upcoming transfer and that it would make me grow. So I'm not so nervous anymore.

On Saturday we went to the baptism of Mariah Lewis. She is an 8 year old we have been teaching. We had the privilege of helping confirm her after she was baptized. Right after that we had Amber's baptism. It was very short and simple. I gave the talk on baptism and I was also a witness when she got baptized. So we have had 2 convert baptisms this week. Not a lot happened the rest of the day, I visited some people to tell them that I was leaving. There was actually some people that were sad. A wife of one of my ward mission leaders surprise hugged me when she found out. She said "Just don't hug me back and it's ok." I thought it was pretty funny.

On Sunday Amber was confirmed and we helped pass the sacrament. Then we went to Koibi's confirmation. After sacrament meeting no one showed up to gospel principles so sister Thaxton invited us to the marriage and family relations class, so we went. It was kinda weird, but we had fun and learned a little bit. After church we went to a Samoan house to eat dinner. I ate a lot of fried chicken. After dinner we went to visit some people and then we went to the Thaxton's house. I was sad all day because I'm leaving and lots of people said they would miss me. So I've been depressed all day.

I learned that I will be covering a Marshallese unit in my new area. The only reason I'm nervous about my area is that I will offend them because I won't like their food. I'm also sad because my district leader Elder Beagley is going home, I will miss him.

Love,

Elder Pleshek

15 Feb 2016

This week was good. On Thursday we ate at Cafe Rio which is always a good thing. After that we had weekly planning. It was good. We set good goals and made good plans for our investigators. Sadly no matter how good we plan our investigators still have there dang agency. 

On Friday we had district meeting and for some reason Elder Beagley always picks me to lead the music. Since I don't know how to do that I just wave my hand back and forth or make circles with my hand or make something up. After district lunch Elder Beagley and I went on a day exchange so he came to my area. We did a lot of contacting, but nothing came from it. 

On Sunday we gave talks in one of our wards. For the first time I was the concluding speaker. I had a 20 minute gap to fill and I thought I could do it because when I practiced my talk it took 19 minutes. I must have talked faster because I was nervous because I only filled up 15 minutes. So that's what all happened since Wednesday. Have a great week!

10 Feb 2016

I'm alive!!! Sorry I had a temple trip today and that is why today is Pday. 

Last week was good. On Monday we went bowling for our P-day activity.

The start of the week was slow, but it picked up towards the end of the week. Some missionaries in the East mission have been teaching a kid who lives in our area. So we had a pass off lesson. We went to Millcreek for it. One of the missionaries who has been teaching this kid is Elder Fike. Elder Fike is from the Central mission and we were in the same district for 3 transfers so it was nice to see him. Kolbie "the kid" is getting baptized on Saturday. We found another girl this week. Her name is Rosina and she is on date for the second week in March. There is another girl named Amber who is getting baptized in two weeks. So that will be exciting.

When Sister Caldwell called me I was walking out of Chilies because we ate lunch as a zone. In Chilies we were about to pay and the waiter said someone paid for us. Someone dropped over $200 to pay for an ounce of missionaries. Anyway, every time I go to the mission office Sister Caldwell always has to tell me that I have a beautiful sister and all I ever say is "I guess." I did get my driver's license and I got certified to drive in case I get transferred to a car area.

We had zone training meeting this week. It gave me a chance to study conversion. So this week my studies were really awesome.

Yesterday we had two non-member lessons cancel on us. It really sucked but it gave us a chance to visit some less actives. We even found someone to teach pretty soon. This family that is partly active because of their work schedule, have a son that turned nine yesterday and he hasn't been baptized. It's been a pretty good week so far. Well that's all I got.

1 Fab 2016

This week was good. We had a snowball fight on Monday for P day. Elder Andersen and I built a pretty good fort, but it couldn't with hold the 260 lbs of charging Samoan Elder Semu. It was really fun though. 

On Tuesday we went to the mission office for some reason and one of the office couples told us that we were moving. We live right under the APs. The leases ran out on both apartments. Our apartment cost more because we have one extra room. So the APs found a cheap place to live and we moved upstairs. Before I forget, my address has changed a little, I'm in apartment #1 now. 

This week was deep cleaning the apartment so we can close it. We had to clean up after probably three years of missionaries. There was a lot of crap. The walls were scuffed, the carpet was full of stains and the tub was kinda gross. The carpets are cleaned and the walls are repaired so it looks a lot better now. The really fun part was moving the washer and dryer upstairs. They are stacked and don't come apart so one of our APs and Elder Shin, one of our zone leaders, helped move it. I was holding half of it when we were going up the stairs, but I was on the bottom so all the weight started coming on my side. I thought I was going to die. We are moved into our apartment now, but we still have to put everything away. The upstairs apartment is a lot nicer and its above ground. So it's not like living in the pit we were living in. 

On Wednesday we had interviews with president Palmer. It was pretty great. I asked him about training and he told me I was worthy and qualified to train. He also said that he would look into it. Then he opened the transfer board in his office and showed me all the incoming missionaries. So we will see what happens. The interview was great though, I love President and Sister Palmer. They are so great. Yesterday we were supposed to pick up two new investigators, but they both canceled on us. This week was pretty uneventful because of our move and deep cleaning. Until next week.