Amen!

Wow a pretty stark change has taken place out here, I find myself looking at the clock during conference quite frequently and yell in my mind "SLOW DOWN!" We printed up some sweet fliers during the week and handed out about a hundred of them. One of the more funny, weird, and waste of time moments of the mission took place. You see, so sweet were the flyers that we went to make copies of on campus but a member student had us get them approved for posting on campus. So we went around posting these conference invitations for a long 4 hours. When we finally finished we went to the student center to have some lunch (as we discovered there is a panda express.) as we were eating we noticed an interesting sign that didn't click in my mind for a few minutes. "The cafeteria will be closed early for Easter holiday." As soon as we started eating we noticed the campus had become strangely empty with very few students compared to what it was like in the morning. Alas, our work was in vain, they had just been released early for a 5 day Easter break. Elder Runyan (District leader) and I couldn't help but to start laughing hysterically. Our feet were hurting and our hands hurt from stapling but we had to laugh.

Had a pretty devastating turn of events that I will write about then forget about. Green Eggs and Ham let us know she "doesn't want to be Mormon anymore." Apparently a 'spiritual' retreat has invigorated her enough to have a new determination to become a minister herself. What had really happened is that she never picked up the Book of Mormon again after reading it in between the first lessons. I cant believe how much offense is taken to the Book of Mormon. There has been a few instances here in Nac that have caused quite a shock. I have fallen deeply in love with the Book of Mormon yet I am noticing a deeper opposition towards it. It is a sad way to look at it but definitely with that opposition, continues to prove what source it divinely came from.

We had a man approach us in Wal-Mart today asking where I was from, then proceeded to go on to tell us that he chooses to follow Paul and that we follow Joseph Smith, he was a bit confounded when the line "above all we follow Christ" slipped out. I feel like I just may start turning in to J. Golden Kimball with this opposition! It is quite fun though, some very unique and sometimes hilarious opposing forces. "I believe that the Bible has flaws and that there are other scriptures out there" says one, "would you like to read the Book of Mormon" ...*gasp*...

But I must put the positive spin on this. We having been meeting with a super nice woman named Rose every week this transfer. It is hard to explain that there is the one Authority and the one church considering how much she loves and teaches in her other church (sometimes out of the triple.) One night I noticed her neighbor across the street reading his Bible. Of course we gave some standard compliment to him. We talked for a bit then departed. A week or so later we dropped off an invitation to Rose and he was outside, we asked how his reading was going. We talked for about an hour and now we have a couple new investigators. Deryl has been, in his personal studies, taught by the Spirit exceptionally. He had just recently been in a argument with his pastor about the lost books of the Bible. He now has a pretty firm desire to find out if the Book of Mormon is one of them. Funny how the Spirit works because he was the *gasp* earlier along with his wife. Very humble follower of Christ.

We have been meeting with a part member family every week of the transfer as well. A mom and her 2 daughters are investigating while the father has been slowly reactivated. A couple lessons ago we both noticed a change in countenance on her face. It was awesome! Turns out she started reading the Book of Mormon! Yes yes I love the Spirit even when I don't know he is working behind the scenes. What member on earth doesn't want to have the truth revealed by God himself to an investigator? Read the Book of Mormon prayerfully and it shall be done. Awesome.

Well a couple of stories that nearly made me cry was about the Elder who went without letters for 9 months and the 2 mission calls, one being beyond the veil. Good heavens I am grateful for all y'all's letters and emails. very uplifting to know I have a family that cares for me. Humbling as well considering all the problems throughout the teen years (all the years for that matter) but during all the talks on how to raise families in General Conference the thought flashed through my mind a lot... "that's my family...he's talking about my family."

During conference I wrote down something that I have been so determined to understand more and more... that being "reality." Oh good heavens if we all realized the reality of the 'awful crisis' that some of our mistakes put us in or the reality that we will all die (you cant overcome that no matter how prideful you are) or the reality of Satan as his massive attempts in our own little worlds... if I could just understand more of that type of reality then the Atonement would be all the more easier to cry out to. [cue in Alma 36]

What I can testify of is this, That the mission the Lord has put me on has engulfed me in a stark vision of reality.

The reality of Satan
The reality of evil
The reality of lust
The reality of repentance
The reality of faith
The reality of forgiveness
The reality of the Book of Mormon
The reality of the Spirit
The reality of Christ
The reality of The Book of Mormon

yet I desperately desire more of reality in my life. Then again, what Christian wouldn't?
I have been trusting myself a lot lately but my trust in God will be increased greatly, for in his strength I can do all things! Like Baptize!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you
Uncle Elder Metcalf