Week 87: Breaking News: 94 Flies Killed at a Single Location. Culprits Were Wearing White Shirts and Ties

I know the subject line for this week’s email was a little long, but we worked our fair booth this week and the flies were terrible!  Earlier, we won a little red plastic fly swatter from the Valley Tellicom communication booth and we put it to good use.  We killed 94 flies.  The flies were bad and it was at least a million and one degrees in that building!   During our time at the fair, we talked to a lot of church members and maybe five or our investigators.   So, it could have been worse, right?  After all was said and done, we were only able to teach one person about family history. 

Family History is awesome people! (Just not the flies) UGH

On Friday, we worked the booth for 8 hours and on Saturday we worked it for 15 hours, including take down.  Because of that, we actually didn't get home before 11:00 pm, which made for a long, hot, sweaty day – and oh yeah, flies, lol. 

A long with serving in the booth, we served along-side a church member that owns a fudge shop.  The only thing I'll say about that is - they had like 21 different flavors and they took really good care of us, lol.  Other than working the booth, this week was relatively slow. We ended up having a couple of lessons cancel, so we just walked around and talked to people on the street.

Pictures from our 9-11 Hike to support our local responders.

This week I would like to share a little about the atonement of Jesus Christ and the final judgment, which was the topic of our Sacrament Meeting this week, which brought me great comfort.

While judgment day may seem like a scary thing, the outcome is something so beautiful we can't even comprehend it here in our mortal state.  Jesus Christ’s Atoning sacrifice (his suffering for our sins, pains and afflictions) is what makes it possible for us to return to our Loving Father in Heaven.  Each of us can have our own personal relationship with Him.  There is no sin or transgression that is outside the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is actually selfish for us to think that the Son of God suffering and dying for us is not sufficient enough for our shortcomings. 

When the day comes when we are judged, it will be the most just judgment that we will ever endure. As a little word of caution:  As long as we are doing what we are supposed to do (i.e. read the scriptures, pray and repent) there is nothing to fear. 

Something else I learned our wonderful Sacrament Meeting this week is that no matter how many times we slip up, we can repent and hit the repeat button.  David A. Bednar stated "If we are just a little better today than we were yesterday - we have nothing to worry about."

I know that this is true doctrine and if we abide by its precepts we WILL be able to return to our maker.  Just remember that God loves you. 

And I love you guys and am really enjoying the last 12 weeks of my mission. While time may be short, it is of the utmost importance to me. I'm having fun! How about you ;)

Love you,

Elder C.W. Dickinson

Week 86: What a week! #GPG

What a week! This week was really, really good/happy.  Lately, I’ve been remembering and practicing one good thing that I learned from playing football.  That would be having a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) – and, man, has it worked.  I also received a care package from one of my favorite seminary teachers ever. Thanks Sis. Sell!  It was a ‘Don't Worry - Be Happy’ package and it was much needed! I've been doing just that – not worrying and just being happy and I’ll tell yah what, it has really worked.  We have been seeing a lot of success, too.  It makes for a really fun time.  I wish every week could be just like this last week.

I guess the best part of this week was our finding a part-member family to teach:  the R__s family.  The dad is a church member, but the two kids and mom are not.  Because our recent acts of service, they are now wanting follow the example of their dad and be a more Christ centered family, which is wonderful!  The dad has recently been reactivated and will hopefully one day baptize his family. Maybe during my time here or maybe not - who knows. Quien sabe.  This was definitely the best part of our week. 

Awesome Farewell Luau with the O's Family. I love them so much!

We spent a lot of time just walking around and talking to people who were out walking.  Being that Clifton is a company town – meaning the mining company owns all of the property – literally the entire town- because of this the company dictates the laws that say we cannot tract due to the different shift-work schedules.  So, we talked to over 60 people on the street this week!

We had an opportunity to help brother R___s in his taco shop.  We helped saw concrete and will eventually help him laying some pipe.  It was a fun project and I gained some good experience.  Some service is more fun than others, and this fun, plus it opened up the opportunity for us to teach his family.

I can't say much about Clifton and Morenci, other than you need to experience it yourselves. There is a kind of charm about this place that just can't be explained.  It has been proved that this is one of the best areas in the mission - next to Animas. So, I got super lucky in getting the opportunity to come back to the Duncan Stake/District. 

Our current abode! :D

Just a few pictures from our P-day hike.

Doctrine wise, I do not have a teaching point this week, but remember what I said about having a PMA.  It really has made a difference in my life this week and hopefully yours too 😉.

My new companion is Elder Heiner.   He is the bomb.com.  He is super calm, friendly and always happy. He is just an awesome guy to be around. 

I miss the O__ family. That was a hard goodbye and leaving them was really tough on me, but I have been well accepted into this ward already.  Bishop McBride says he remembered me from 20 months ago – during exchanges, lol. So, that's already a foot in the door and the new stake President sat in on one of our lessons with us.  He said he is super proud of the Duncan District and it is on fire right now.  In this little remote area, the Dirty Duncan District has five baptismal dates as a stake and will be possibly adding 3-5 more in the next week or so!  Our companion set has one baptismal date set and we might be able to add 4 more soon.

Nothing but a positive report this week. I love y'all and can't wait to hear from you.

Love you,

Elder Connor William Dickinson

Week 85: Dirty Duncan District – Round Two :)

Well, well well.  Another week has come and gone here in the ATM (Arizona Tucson Mission).  With a new week comes a whole bunch of new things.  From a new area to a new companion, a new baptismal date and a new apartment and such.

Too much food + 8 straight hours of church = this disaster! UGH

You can probably read into in the first paragraph that I am getting transferred to my final resting place.... drumroll...... Clifton AZ.  I am super excited for the final leg if my mission. I get to finish in a small mining town about 45 minutes North East of Safford, AZ.  My new companion will be Elder Heiner. I don't know much about him, but he seems like a cool Elder.  I started my mission and will end it in the Duncan District (we call it the Dirty Duncan District because we do so much physical labor as service – I’m so excited).

Today, for P-day, we will be going over to my adopted Tongan family. Yes, you guessed it the O__s.  We will be having a mini luau again with a pig and everything!  I am super excited.

It has been storming here a lot these last two days - and I’m not complaining – it is nothing but pure gratefulness for some relief from the heat.  It’s really funny watching the reactions of Arizonians seeing rain.  It is the equivalent of a 6-year-old on Christmas morning.  It's actually super entertaining.

This week we met with a whole bunch of people – so, I’ll narrow down this week’s highlights to just one thing.  The highlight of my week was teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to M___.  I know I have talked about her before, but M__ is 85 and is a super cute Hispanic lady.  During this week's visit we helped her hang some pictures, playfully pick on my companion in Spanish (which he doesn’t speak), we FaceTime-ed with her recently baptized son A___ who participated in our lesson from his home in Virginia.  We shared our testimonies of the Gospel and how it has affected our lives. We asked A__ to invite her to be baptized if he felt he should do so. As the lesson went on he did just that and she set a baptismal date.  

Super awesome experience! Celebrating with her family! Love it.

I have never witnessed such a beautiful fervent testimony as A__’s during a ‘Mom & son’ discussion between the two pf them.  It was so sweet, it gave me goosebumps. Why? Well the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the path way to an eternal family (like I talked about last week). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the blue print to happiness.  Not only that it is an essential process to obtain exaltation. So, the reason it gave me goosebumps was because I witnessed a vital step in that process, a tender change of M___’s heart, reaching out to take A___'s hand - through baptism - and join his eternal family. Just writing this gives me more goosebumps, lol.

Just like A___ and M___, this message is for everyone. It WILL bring you everlasting happiness. So next time you see two guys in a white shirt and black name badge with the large name of Jesus Christ on it ask them why they are so happy.  Ask them how you can feel God's love. I personally promise you that if you do so, it will not only change your life, but the lives of your friends and family as well.

I leave this humble testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace. my savior, Amen

I cannot wait to hear from y'all. I love each and every one of you guys.

Love,

Elder Connor William Dickinson 

1 this is what happens at a dinner when you eat too much. The catch you slacking.  This was also after 8 hours of church

Margie and I with Alex and family

Dickinson place - and no, I'll never live here lol. Its to darn hot