Week 72: Week Bajillion and a Half

This week was an interesting week - not necessarily in the best of ways.  Mother’s Day was wonderful as was emailing home on Monday!  I love, love, love emailing home and chatting with family!  It makes my day and sometimes week.

Being honest up front, this going to be a super short email - only for the fact that Tuesday through Friday morning I was super sick.  Being sick doesn't sound like a lot, but I lost five pounds in that little stretch.  Let's just say, I would wish what I went through on my worst enemy - not that I have any, but you get the point!  So, that was a massive part of our week when combined with our weekly planning, which darn near takes an entire day. 

On Friday night we met with Aliyah again and taught her the Plan of Salvation.  She basically taught us again. It was a wonderful experience and she is still on track for her Baptism on June 9th! 

Now for the highlight of my week!

Brother F__ B__, the one that takes us fishing has been coming to church ever since we first met him.  He was inactive when we met him.  No, we have both met him and his wife several times... but we didn’t know she was a non-member.  After being around us, she said she would like to take the lessons!  She has come to church a few times.  She has some concerns, but nothing that can't be solved.  I just look at this situation and think:  What would have happened if we didn't ask some questions about fishing that when we first met him?  So much of his reactivation stems from a simple question.  That change has now led to his wife wanting to know why we are so nice, happy and joyous.  Let me tell yah, it's not just the fishing, it's the gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort it brings all of us. Now who could have known that I would have used fishing as a missionary tool... let alone being in the middle of the desert, lol. 

I'm sorry this week’s email is so short.   Kids, don't get the stomach bug that's going around - its death! But anywho, that last story is super meaningful to me. I'm not sure why, but it's just been another day on the mission, another day I wouldn't trade for anything!

I love yall.

Love,

Elder Connor William Dickinson 

Week 71: Happy Mother’s Day!!

Well, what a week! We have had a lot of ups and downs lately, which is to be expected in missionary work.  But, more times than not, there are more positives than negatives.  I wouldn't trade the time I've spent out here for anything.  Every day, I am gaining valuable knowledge like construction and people skills, but most importantly I’ve come to know my savior, Jesus Christ.

This week being Mother’s Day week and I had A chance to Skype with Mom & Dad on Sunday I would just like to hit the highlights of my week.  Oh, for those of you who have been getting my weekly emails in the past, but are not receiving them now – don’t worry – I haven’t unfriended you, lol.  When I broke my tablet last month, I lost all of my email addresses – except for the ones I had memorized.

I'd have to say the best part of my week was being able to Skype home for Mother’s Day and being able to talk to my wonderful parents.  What would we do without our wonderful mothers, right?  I wouldn't be here right now, lol.  I would have to say that Skyping home on my mission is an experience I will cherish forever.  Luckily for me, by the time the next Skype opportunity rolls around (Christmas) I will have been home for a month already!  I can't wait to see everyone then, but Skyping with Mom & Dad was defiantly the highlight of my week!

Secondly, we finally finished the chicken coop and got all the girls moved in there.  Give them two more months and they will be laying eggs! Through a lot of sweat and sarcastic jokes from our landlord S__ (it’s his coop) we were able to put together one heck of a chicken coup, which will probably stand through the Millennium, lol. 

Happy Mothers Day!

On Saturday night we had an awesome and humbling experience, which turned out to be one the things that I really love about being a missionary.  Were headed to a dinner appointment in a rural area outside of Benson.  In this area, people don’t like to put their house numbers on their house, so it is really hard to find an address you are not familiar with.  We thought we were close, so we stopped at a house and knocked on the door.  When the door opened, we know we had the wrong house and made an apology and were turning to leave.  The lady quickly stopped us and said, “Oh Elders, how did you know I needed a blessing.”  She was a member who’s husband had just undergone a liver transplant that day and she had been praying all day for someone to come and give her a blessing.  So, what started out as a wrong address turned out to be divine intervention.

Also, this week we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders.  I guess we had a good lesson with one of them.  We met this guy named R___, he is an investigator who has two pet wolves. They were so funny.  Being wolves, you would think they would be vicious, right?  Nope, hey were so timid, but he said when they see a rabbit or if the neighbor’s dog gets loose it's game over, lol.

Oh, also this week I learned that K__ S__ one of my recent converts I baptized in Central Tucson has received the Aaronic priesthood and blesses and passes the sacrament.  Oh, how happy was I when I heard this...this is what serving a mission is all about. 

Today (Pday) we got to go fishing and later this evening we have Family Home Evening with the S___s.

To close, I'd would like to leave you with my testimony of the Church.  Simply put, this church is about families and how by living the commandments we can be eternally happy – as families.   Ever since I made the decision to walk on the plane, leaving behind the only thing I knew, I was happy, not sad.  It didn't make sense to me at the time, but I was doing what my Heavenly Father would have me do - to share his gospel with the people here in Arizona and New Mexico. 

I know this Church is true, that the restoration of the Church is true.  Not only true, but it needed to happen because God is a loving God. He loves every last one of his children as much as he loves his own son Jesus Christ. And because he loves us he sent his only Begotten. To become the Prince of Peace and the savior and Redeemer of all mankind.   I know that God lives. And he is furthering and hastening his work at this very minute.  I invite you all to read pray and ponder about the Book of Mormon. It is literally heaven sent! It'll change lives of others if you choose to share, or it will uplift and edify one’s self!

That's my testimony I would like to leave with yall.

I hope you guys have had another week, and hope there is a good one to come,

Love you,

Elder Connor William Dickinson 

Week 70: Enduring Trials = Success

I had this great email about this week all typed up, but it somehow got deleted, so here are the high points of the week.

Well, it has been ages since I've been able to say this:  We have found a person who is excited to get baptized!  Her name is Aliyah and she is 9 years old, turning 10.  She is the most adorable little girl ever.  When she heard we were coming over, she freak out in excitement.  We have a baptismal date set for June 9th.  So, this was a success of this week.  The road was rocky leading up to this point, but it makes all worth it!

 Along with the good news, it has also been a sad week here in Benson.  Whether it's a young family splitting up, someone our age who has been diagnosed with a rare life threatening cancer, someone who was highly thought of in the Benson community passing away or even our wonderful District being broken up by last week’s transfers - it's been sad, but I've learned a lot from it. 

Benson District

Like I said, this week has been sad, but we ended it with a couple high notes by adding 4 new investigators,  having 12 Quality Gospel Conversations and setting 1 baptismal date.

This week also involved a ton of service including two acts of service I'd like to share with you:

First, we been working at the DAV; a thrift store where all of the proceeds go to Disable American Veterans.  All of the volunteers we work with are disabled vets and it's a blast.

They have us do everything from moving and delivering furniture to hanging up clothes. Knowing who all of our time benefits makes us come away from there so happy.

The second act of service we did this week was moving Steve and Donna's chicken coop.  Man, what a process!   Thursday night we removed the entire coop floor and moved the rest of the building onto the concrete slab we poured last week.  It took the four of us and a tractor to push and pull the forty year old structure onto the slab.  That thing was so rickety it was more than a little scary moving it.   The next morning we had to do everything from replacing base plates and studs to trusses and sheeting the outside.   We replaced corner posts and even framed up the south side.  So, by this Friday the chickens and ducks will be in their forever home.  We just need to finish framing, sheeting and installing a door and vent and all of the electrical – all by Friday.

WHEW!

I know this is a short email this week, but it's from the heart.  One important thing that I learned was not waiting for the storms of life to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.  Sometimes we focus too much on the troubles of the past and/or the present to realize that no matter what, the sun will still come up tomorrow. 

That being said I hope you all had a wonderful week and I can't wait to hear from y’all. 

I love you,

Elder Connor William Dickinson