Week 96: Service!

This week ended up being a pretty good week.  We ended up doing a lot more service than we had planned. 

On Tuesday, we had a good mixed-bag kind of day, which included some finding. While we did put in the effort, we didn't find anybody new to teach.  We did have a lesson with M___, basically the only person we are currently teaching.  She has a baptismal date scheduled for December 8^th.  We committed her to live the Word of Wisdom.  Currently, it seems like our efforts may have gone in one ear out the other.  However, we are hoping and praying she will heed our council, but it is looking bleak.  Oh well, we are trying our best to get her to commit.   We also had some service at Bro S___’s house and at the Taco Shop.  Our Ward Mission Leader needed to work on his heater (it’s been below freezing at night lately) so we helped him with some pipe fitting and then ran to the Taco Shop and worked on wiring junction boxes.  It was a nice ending to our day.

Wednesday and Saturday's are our usual service days. Wednesday we were able to do a little service at the Taco Shop. We helped hang FRP paneling on the ceiling (see pictures). Ugh, was that a task or what?!  Wednesday evening we had Stake Correlation and District Meetings. Both of which went well.

Thursday we had exchanges.  Elder Lamb came up to Clifton and instead of spending the day finding we did more service at the Taco Shop.  We completed installing the FRP paneling on 75% of the kitchen, which is HUGE. It was a big deal.  We need to finish it up this week so he can pass health code inspections! So that is on-going.

Friday we had a laid back day of weekly planning and My Plan.  Let me tell yah, this week’s My Plan topic was on dating and marriage., which was …daunting. I tell yah, it’s just weird to think that in 3 weeks I'll be back on the market, lol.

Saturday we did more service. Why? Because, I love service.  I promise, I'll have more to talk about next week, but Saturday I spent the entire day siliconing around FRP seams, various outlets and even a hot water heater.

I've adopted a funny saying until I complete my education.  Goes like this, "I'm a Jack of all trades but a master of none."  Well that's only for a while longer right? ;)

Sunday was a banner day, a.k.a. busy as heck. We gave Sacrament Meeting talks on temples.  My talk went very well and man, it is hard to write a 5 minute talk, because there is so much to talk about in such little time.  After that, my home coming talk will be a piece of cake. I should probably get started on it, right? Lol.  After giving talks we had to teach Gospel Principles class and after that we ran home and ate lunch, did personal and companionship study and then headed to Safford for interviews with president!  All of which went well except they started an hour late, oh well.  After that we had to haul home quick for a short dinner appointment with the B___ family.  Then we ran to the night Sacrament Meeting.  (Every week we have a 35 minute Sacrament Meeting for shift workers at the mine.

What a week!

Just remember throughout this coming week:  If you have any struggles or afflictions of any kind always, always remember that God is there for you.  He is our literal Father in Heaven. He is there for you, to strengthen you in time of need. Oh and I'm sure he would love to hear from you. So, send one up.  ;)

I love you guys and can't wait to hear from you tomorrow.

Love,

C.W. Dickinson 

Week 95: Runnin’ and Gunnin’ (mainly running)

This week was an interesting week, but it started off pretty rough.  From Monday night, after we said goodbye, I was pretty sick. This sickness lasted until Friday afternoon. Thursday night, a bunch of ladies at our Book of Mormon class forced me to go go the clinic.  Turns out I had an uber high blood pressure (166/92).   After some blood work and other tests – it turns out I was super dehydrated.  That didn't really explain the pain in my stomach, but oh well.  We got things figured out and I am feeling much better!

On Wednesday, I tried to work through my health issues, which ended up being a bad idea because it only made it worse.  We went and worked at the taco shop for quite a while. I wired up a couple receptacles and junction boxes - all on my own.  It was cool to test my knowledge and the taco shop is nearing completion.

Friday:  We did our weekly planning, My plan and I-Plan, which is always fun. This next week I’ll be working on the section dealing with dating and temple marriage. That's should be exciting, right?

Saturday we had the Ward Fall Festival and we had quite a lot of people show up. It was fun to laugh, tell stories and share some good fall food!

I am so sorry I don't have much to report on, but that's what happens when your boy spends most of the week sick and almost dies of water loss, lol

That being said, we are cruising right along with one of our baptismal dates while the other went haywire, packed up and left.  Oh well, everything happens for a reason. We still love her and wish what is best for her.

Even with all the time being sick, we went through our Area Book and selected a few former investigators and stopped by to check up on them.  We ended up finding 3 new investigators this week!  I'm not sure how far any of them will progress, but this is a good time to exercise some faith, right?

Since I don't have much to report, I guess I'll close with a short thought.  There is a quote I ran across this week in one of my readings by Bruce R. McConkie. (He is my favorite by the way)

Anyways, he said something along the lines of:  "Everyone who is in the church, on the straight and narrow path, who is striving and struggling but has a desire to do what is right, though he is far from perfect in this life.  If he passes out of this life on the straight and narrow path, he is going to go to an eternal reward in his father's kingdom"

This quote gives me great comfort knowing that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he wants what is best for us. So much so, that in order to live with him we don't need to be perfect. We just need to be worthy.  That's all. So, no matter how irrelevant you may feel, keep up the good work, keep up the good fight and in all things make your Heavenly Father proud.  If you do this, you need not worry. God loves you and He is waiting to bless you. Each a and every day He and His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, wait with their hands extended just waiting for us to grab hold, to bear our burdens and to love us into the eternities. 

I love you guys so much and cannot wait to hear from you!

Love, 

C.W. Dickinson 

Week 94: A Full Week = A Full Heart

This week, like my subject line says, was a full one.  It was a week full of the Spirit, good times, lots of driving and much more.  Some things didn’t go as planned, but that is just how missionary work goes.  That being said, this week ended up being very productive.  I know this because the time flew by.

So, I guess I will just hit the highlights of the week, but there are a decent amount of them so stay tuned!

The most exciting part of this week was the baptisms of D__, C__ and I__ R__ on Saturday.  I cannot even begin to explain how strong the Spirit that was.  To witness this recently reactivated father use his priesthood to baptize the rest of his family was something very special.  When they entered the water, all of the 30+ people in attendance started to tear up and cry.   The cherry on top of the whole thing was R__ (the dad) is a big, tender hearted guy and the way that he laid each one of his family members into the water was so tender and love filled.  Ugh, I cannot even try explain it without tearing up.  It was such a beautiful thing.  The next day (Sunday) they were confirmed members and that was another beautiful and tender moment!

The second best part of the week would have to be the special trip to the Temple on Wednesday. The spirit was also very present there and the whole time I defiantly felt God’s love for all of us. 

The following day we were able to attend a Zone Conference, maybe my last one.   We learned about the importance of teaching and serving others.  However, at this point in my mission, attending zone conference is kind of like beating a dead horse, because there is only so much you can learn after being taught the same lessons over and over again.  That being said, I still managed to pull some things out for my benefit.  Also being that it was potentially my last conference, I was looking for how I could use what I was being taught in my post-mission life, since there is no more hiding the fact that that will be happening in the near future.

So, Saturday ended up being the R___ family’s very big day.  Why?  Well, not only was it the day of their baptisms, but it was D__ (the mom) and R___’s (the dad) anniversary.  Also, it was D__’s (the mom) birthday.  A little overwhelming, right?  After the baptism, the party really got started.  We spent the afternoon preparing and spit roasting a pig.  It was a little harder than when we did it with the O___ family in Midvale, but it ended up working out.  I was able to use some of my knowledge gained in Midvale Ward.  However, this time everything was done by hand – the old fashioned way.   Plus, there were so many Filipinos there and they are worse than the people in south Tucson when it comes to feeding us too much.   I ended up eating like 13 egg rolls.  I think they just thought it was funny making me eat so much, lol.  Saturday was a really good day and there were plenty of laughs to go around for all of us!  As for D___, all the hard work was worth it, because she said it was the best birthday ever.  That really made me smile!

For this week’s spiritual thought, I would like to leave you with a simple thought that God truly does love us.  This Sunday we were able to teach the lesson in Gospel Principles Class.  It was about the Creation.   The lesson’s subject matter coupled with some of the answers some class members gave really made me take a step back and think of all the blessings we see every day - but take for granted.  Blessings like clean drinking water, the scenery we see every day, the precious AZ sunsets and air to breathe.  His creation, the Earth, is His canvass and each and every day He manifests his love for us.

I would like to leave a challenge with y’all, that even on the worsts of days, look for the beauty, the hidden blessings and the manifestations of God’s love.  I promise that as you do this you will feel of His abundance and never ceasing love.

I can’t wait to hear from y'all.  I love you, Keep the faith.

Love,

      Elder C.W. Dickinson

Week 93: T minus 5 days until the baptisms!!!

I don’t know about you, but this week flew by and that is okay, because it means I was busy and I’m one week closer to being home!

This week had some good things and there was also quite a bit of down time, which we spent walking around talking to random people.  In fact, we walked almost 9 miles on Tuesday! However fulfilling that was, the back and foot pain the next morning were a bear.

So, I guess I will start off with Tuesday.  Tuesday was a good day.  We spent most of our day walking around and talking to people.  We also had a lesson with M__ and B___.   We have been meeting with them since I transferred to the Clifton area.  They both have had rough pasts and have struggled with some things, but I can see how learning the gospel is really making them happy. At the end of the lesson, we felt prompted to extend a baptismal commitment – a goal to work towards.  Together, the four of us determined their tentative date would be the 8th of December. So, that brings us to a total of 5 baptismal dates!  Wahoo!

Another Highlight from the week:  We found out, due to some circumstances, instead of just two of the R___ family being baptized, all three will count as convert baptisms. So, next Saturday is going to be a big day for their family!!!!!

On Wednesday, after our District Meeting and the drive back to Clifton, we ate some chow and headed out to do some service at the Taco Shop!  While there, I learned/ remembered how to frame in a window.  It was a fun time and it looks surprisingly good!  After that, I put in/wired up some more outlets for the exterior of the shop.

I love, love, love this service work and on Saturday we had such a fun day!

Thursday:  We got ourselves into a load of POOP…literally.  We helped a member clean out her horse pens.  What we didn't realize – because it had been over 2 weeks since they were cleaned and last week it had rained for 4 straight days.  So basically we moved three 40x20 pens worth of poop.  I always thought about having horses would be cool, but Thursday sealed the deal.  I no longer want anything to do with horses, lol.  What would have usually took us 45 minutes ended up taking 4 hours - all by shovel.  Ugh, talk about a wrecked back!

Friday was mainly used up with our weekly planning and by working on my My Plan and I-plan programs.  It all went well. After that, we stopped by a few people of interest with no luck, but sometimes that is just how the cookie crumbles.   That being, said My Plan is coming along, but it is so weird to think that I have already completed 1/3rd of it!  This week’s My Plan was just about setting goals for the future.

Saturday was so awesome!  In the morning, we were able to help Bro. S__ (our awesome ward mission leader) set up the sound and audio for the Ward Primary Program we just had on Sunday.  He is the one teaching me all the electrical stuff.   That being said, after that we went to the Taco Shop and built a counter that separates the ‘Order here’ area room from the kitchen.  So, Bro. S___ did all of the measuring and cutting and I assembled all of it (check out the photos). We were a pretty efficient team, I must say.  After the counter was built, we put some thin veneered OSB (oriented strand board) on the outside of it and then we build a counter top for it. Bro. S___ happened to have a bunch of old reclaimed barn wood. So, we made a counter top out of that and sanded it smooth.  We wanted to make something that had lots of‘Wow’ factor that his customers would remember and talk about. We will seal it in a thick, clear epoxy later this week.  I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and gained some valuable experience.  Needless to say, I found my niche in the reclaimed /restored furniture business! 

Other than that and finishing the lessons with the R___ family, those were the highlights of my week.

"Just do the very best you can each day. Do the basic things and, before you realize it, your life will be full of spiritual understanding that will confirm to you that your Heavenly Father loves you. When a person knows this, then life will be full of purpose and meaning, making balance easier to maintain. 

This ‘cut and paste’ quote will have to be my spiritual thought for the week.  It says what I want to say, but much better than I could phrase it.  Just remember, that you have a loving Heavenly Father who wants what is best for you.  Take life day-by-day and live in the moment.  Do the best you can do and when the time comes to be judged, Jesus Christ will make up for the rest!

God loves you and so do I.

I cannot wait to hear from you all!

Love, Elder C.W. Dickinson 

Week 92: Service, Service and More Service

Mosiah 2:17 states:  “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

And now, a bible reference: 

Matt. 25:40  “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” That being said, this week was one of my favorite weeks...why?  Because, I was able to do a very good amount of service.   DISCLAIMER:  Pictures will be sent to Mom’s messenger. Monday night through Thursday we did exchanges in Clifton and then in Lordsburg.  During my exchanges on Wednesday I was able to travel down to Lordsburg (my first area) with Elder Thompson (one of my past companions) and visit Brother B__ H__ again.   It was a super sweet reunion and we just so happened to be in the right place at the right time.  We were able to help him patch his mother’s roof.  She has a metal roof that has a leak.  So, we used this rubberized coating to patch it up.  It rained the next day, so hopefully the patch worked! We were also able to do service at the foodbank on Wednesday.  It basically included mopping the floors - nothing special or fun - but hey, service is service, right?  After the fun on the roof top, we were able to help somebody pull weeds.  It just so happened the person was the top salesmen at the local Ford dealership, so we got sweet hats!  Friday:  My goodness.  We were able to go back up to Sis. H__’s one more time for Elder Heiner.  We hopped in the car and drove the long trip up to where she lives.  When we got there we split and stacked about a 2 month supply of firewood for her, since her husband was out of town for work.  I have a lot of pictures and fun videos of the work we did.  The fun part about chopping firewood was getting to drive a side-by-side four-wheeler to move the wood from the pile to the porch. Oh, and the fact that it was 47 degrees and raining.  That is as close to snow that I’ll see for a while - so I really, really enjoyed it!!  After doing that, a shower has never felt so good, lol. Saturday was another day full of service.  We were able to help Brother R___ at his taco shop. It is closed for 3 weeks so we can hopefully finish up everything that needs to be done in order to get his restaurant licenses.  Right now, everything is outside under an overhang.  This is what we achieved: 1.      Wired 2 lights into a breaker box 2.      Wired a junction box 3.      Stripped an entire room to the studs 4.      Drilled 150 holes for wire through studs 5.      Installed 3 bales of insulation 6.      Ate at R&R pizza Buffet 7.      Put on some metal roofing This week I gained some very valuable experience.  I learned how to run wire, make a junction box and wire switches.  It was a blessing to be able to help and to be helped while I learned this valuable info.  Don’t worry, a licensed electrician was teaching and keep an eye on me. Why is all of this knowledge valuable?  The character which is built when serving another child of God is priceless.  The smiles, hugs and thanks given after doing service for someone in need will make your life more rich then money - and in more way than one, I must say. This week I learned that missionary work can happen in more ways than just walking up and down the streets talking to people.  I have seen in this area how consistent service softens hearts.  If it was not for the service we would not have had the opportunity to teach Bro. R__s family - two of which have set baptismal dates.   You cannot put a price tag on that – it is truly priceless.  Service + love + charity = salvation for those you come to love and for yourself as well.  ;) On that point, I would like to leave you all with a challenge: This week serve someone, whether it takes 5 minutes, an hour or 10 hours - lol.   I can promise you that the feeling you get for that service will be nothing short of amazing and will have you coming back for more.  Remember, all good things come of God.  Remember that and remember Him in all you do - then, at the last day all will be well with Him, who is in Heaven. That is my humble testimony and I leave that with you in the name our Savior, Redeemer, the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ, amen! I love you all and cannot wait to hear from you!! Love, C.W. Dickinson