It is pretty unrealistic that Nicole is actually having a baby and the child will be kicking and screaming this week... Well maybe not kicking and screaming since I am told that he will have the best mother in the world. Either way it is a strange thing to say that a newborn will be in the family. I never remember Megan being small. Just stuck at age 13 is all. That is so awesome though. NEED PICTURES.
I guess I will have to report on the process of "rebirth" in Texas. The funny thing is that we actually had a convert baptism yesterday and Elder Taylor and I didn't mention him in either of our letters! Sorry! His name is Nicholas and we helped teach and baptize him in 13 days. He is 8 (neither of his parents are members so he is a convert) but comes to church every week with his grandparents and enjoys it. His grandpa baptized him which was touching for all of us. He was very nervous about saying the baptismal prayer correctly so we had Elder Taylor throw on his whites and help out in the font. Not too bad for Elder Taylor. Y'all can tell he is a great missionary since he is baptizing his 3rd week out. Nicholas is a great young man and he is asking us to come over to teach his parents. I think we're pretty good friends. Although every time I walk into a ward activity it takes about 30 seconds before 10 kids jump on me and need help spinning the merry go round at light speed. I love it though. Nicholas and his grandpa have an awesome bond and it probably jumped out 10 times more than before he baptized him. That's what the gospel seems to be all about.
The 3 day leadership meeting was awesome this week but wore us all out. The spirit was obviously there and great things happened as we went out and applied what we had learned. On the 2nd day I went out tracting with Elder Christensen from Hemphill (yes that's right) who has only been out 6 weeks but is training. He was at first overwhelmed being young but wow he was an awesome leader. We were lead by the spirit. Before exiting the church parking lot we prayed for 2 lessons and a baptismal commitment (I have a firm belief in very specific prayers.) We started walking a ways down the road because we were told "all the streets by the church have been tracted 10 times" until the verse in Doctrine and covenants which says something like 'it is not needful to move swiftly while the inhabitants on either side of the river are perishing in unbelief' so I detoured straight into knocking into the closest house. A few knocks later we taught a man who wasn't interested. A few knocks after that we knocked into a lady who let us right in. We did everything we remembered and applied all the new trainings and the difference was staggering. For example at the end of the lesson we had her grandson Nathan read Moroni 10:4-5. He struggled to read through it but at the end I asked "What does the mean to you?" There was silence for about 90 seconds. Finally he answered "God is going to tell me this book is true." to which our reply was "and when you come to know its true, will you be baptized?"
"Yes."
I think that was a good referral for the Elder's area we were in.
The best part about it is that although we may have not been teaching as powerfully by the Spirit in the past, we have been trained and we are doing it now. Move on, move up, move forward.
The next day in training President Smith asked an Elder to meet with him after lunch. President Smith started training once the interview was over but the interview Elder wasn't present. A few minutes later he walked in clearly upset about something. I think naturally we were all wanting to know what happened. However we forgot about it and moved on. In the middle of one of our role plays he raised his hand and said "President, I'm going to tell them what we talked about... My grandpa died and Elder Allen's testimony touched my heart deeply." Clearly the Spirit works whenever he can. It is pretty obvious that missionaries will be less teachers and more instruments.
I suppose it is time to report the big news of the week. Bishop Nielson has been talking up the 24th of July event and that every other year they get baptisms out of it. Naturally we were pretty excited. We got there and some kids and I got ourselves sick on the merry go round then joined in with everyone else for food. We were at Lake Nacogdoches which was a pretty awesome sight (i.e. A lake with boats on it). However the scene and the feel of being there seemed a lot like Deja Vu. Jody was next to us and we started talking about it before the conversation faded. Brother Hughes (my crazy east Texas best friend ward mission leader) sat down and we talked about how I was cleaning the font today and planning Nicolas' baptism. Brother Hughes announced that planning baptisms was his favorite thing to do. At that point Jody looked over at us and said... "How would you like to clean the font a 3rd time?" I looked over to see her serious face and noticed that she wasn't kidding. Brother Hughes asked "When are we going to plan your baptism?" "Soon she replied" "Next week?" "Yes."
Holy cow I cant describe the wave of emotion that put tears in my eyes. She has chosen to be married and baptized this coming weekend and so let the planning begin! I think Bishop may have surprised himself this year by not only getting a baptism but a wedding too. The absolute best part about this week is that one year from next Sunday... Hello Temple and eternal family! She is already planning on the first temple trip for baptisms for the dead... That was probably one of the most overwhelming moments of my life. Sweet. Glorious.
I have more to report but no time to write it. My journals are caught up though!
Love you all.
CONGRATULATIONS NICOLE ON YOUR BABY TONIGHT. I WISH YOU THE BEST AND WILL SAY SOME BIG PRAYERS. LOVE YOU (BOTH)
Elder Metcalf
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Start Bailing
Life seems exciting for all of us lately!
This past week we found out that the First Presidency is changing up the meetings and trainings in the missions. It is way exciting like most all changes can be. I am not sure what the schedule is for next week but I get to go to a leadership training in Tyler for 3 days and I am not sure what that will do for emails. Heads up.
Anyway this past week has been fantastic. I have Elder Taylor fresh from the MTC and he is from Medesto, California. I don't even feel like I am training. The MTC must also be changing up how they teach things because he already has some fantastic skills and is a very capable teacher from the get go. This past week we have really tackled some fears that needed to be taken care of long ago.
I probably wrote about this before but several months ago my district leader gave a training on "fear and the critical moment" meaning that each day we can either chose to grow or we chose the easy way. This past week I duplicated that training in our own Nacogodoches way to the district. Throughout the week Heavenly Father held me accountable to what I had taught.
In planning one night, I was looking at our map looking for the right area to tract. "Where does Heavenly Father have those that are prepared?" I asked. However the thought then came to me "What area on the map would I most fear to tract?" So we went there. Walking away from that tracting experience was interesting. The fear had been addressed, resolved, and destroyed. So the next area to tract was the next most feared. Gone and destroyed. It is amazing how we can look back at the hard things we have faced and come to find out that they weren't that hard. We seem to make them seem hard ourselves. Those of us with little Faith can massively be blessed when we look at a fear and take it head on.
Another fear I have had is calling part member and less active families. So I started to call less active and part member families. You'll never guess what happened! They answered and we talked. Amazing isn't it? That fear approached certainly paid off last night as we went to a Sister's home that hasn't been to church in 2 years. Just so happens that we ate dinner with the Relief Society president and her family and they volunteered to come out with us. It was a much needed appointment for that sister. She hadn't had any elders over for about 3 years and accepted visiting teachers again.
Saturday night was awesome. I felt like praying for a miracle to happen before sacrament meeting and sure enough the lord in His great mercy answered a prayer. We got to PEC and one of the leaders let us know that a less active who hadn't been on the records was going to become active again and wants her 13 year old son to get baptized. We didn't see them in sacrament immediately but Bro Hughes noticed a young man wandering the halls at the beginning of priesthood. So we went and found him and he came to priesthood with us. He is an awesome young man and we look forward to meeting with them this week.
We also had a 20 year old show up randomly to church and asked us to come over this week. Well turns out he has an 11 year old cousin that wants to baptized as well. What the heck? Now I can almost guarantee you that I will be transferred in 5 weeks because this place is about to explode with converts. I have seen a lot of growth here and none of it is because I did something special other then what any missionary is supposed to do. The cool part about it is that it gives more satisfaction to the work and a stronger spirit to approach a fear and say "Get out of here! Romans 1:16"
And don't get me wrong, I am still scared outta my mind half the time. I have, for some reason, made being bold a thing of fear. Why? No idea. Its what were commanded to do. And of course we have Nephi's words that the Lord will provide a way to overcome all of our fears.
As far as our investigators go, we know we have a lot of great plans in this upcoming week and it will require us to put fears that we have overcome in the past and to move on into new fears, or step into the twilight of our Faith. I know that as I, or any other child of God, does this we grow substantially. Any fears we may have provide the resistance and opposition necessary to gain strength spiritually. Maybe that is one specific way to define Faith. Acting on a fear by attacking it with all our might mind and strength.
Jody is about to make that giant step of attacking a fear called marriage. She is so close it is driving me crazy. Bro Hughes instructed us that it is much better to have a conversation of Gospel topics with her rather then strict formalities. That is something I love about Preach My Gospel, that we go by the Spirit. Probably the biggest reason the Apostles are changing up trainings and how they are done. They want me or any other missionary to teach more powerfully with the spirit. Holy cow there is so much to learn and so short of time to learn it. I know I have already figured out one way... don't be afraid! Good heavens I honestly believe that this is the transfer that Jody will be baptized. It is exciting. It is fears being tackled with confirmations of the Spirit all along the way. I love this family and I love these people. It hurts when progress is hindered or stopped. Whether it be a slam at a door contact or a investigator saying "I didn't read" It hurts. I am way excited to see how the Apostles will help me overcome these fears and challenges. In one way, that is what it's all about.
We don't have to be afraid of anything. We have everything. It's the Gospel and others need it! It cant be taken away from us and it stays with us more the more we give it out.
I love the Book of Mormon... Why oh why cant I get everyone to read it, perhaps its a fear I have that needs to be overcome! Either way I pray the Lord helps me to overcome it.
Love you all dearly. There is great comfort in knowing y'all are stuck with me forever. Cant wait to ride your coat tails into the Celestial kingdom.
love Elder Metcalf
This past week we found out that the First Presidency is changing up the meetings and trainings in the missions. It is way exciting like most all changes can be. I am not sure what the schedule is for next week but I get to go to a leadership training in Tyler for 3 days and I am not sure what that will do for emails. Heads up.
Anyway this past week has been fantastic. I have Elder Taylor fresh from the MTC and he is from Medesto, California. I don't even feel like I am training. The MTC must also be changing up how they teach things because he already has some fantastic skills and is a very capable teacher from the get go. This past week we have really tackled some fears that needed to be taken care of long ago.
I probably wrote about this before but several months ago my district leader gave a training on "fear and the critical moment" meaning that each day we can either chose to grow or we chose the easy way. This past week I duplicated that training in our own Nacogodoches way to the district. Throughout the week Heavenly Father held me accountable to what I had taught.
In planning one night, I was looking at our map looking for the right area to tract. "Where does Heavenly Father have those that are prepared?" I asked. However the thought then came to me "What area on the map would I most fear to tract?" So we went there. Walking away from that tracting experience was interesting. The fear had been addressed, resolved, and destroyed. So the next area to tract was the next most feared. Gone and destroyed. It is amazing how we can look back at the hard things we have faced and come to find out that they weren't that hard. We seem to make them seem hard ourselves. Those of us with little Faith can massively be blessed when we look at a fear and take it head on.
Another fear I have had is calling part member and less active families. So I started to call less active and part member families. You'll never guess what happened! They answered and we talked. Amazing isn't it? That fear approached certainly paid off last night as we went to a Sister's home that hasn't been to church in 2 years. Just so happens that we ate dinner with the Relief Society president and her family and they volunteered to come out with us. It was a much needed appointment for that sister. She hadn't had any elders over for about 3 years and accepted visiting teachers again.
Saturday night was awesome. I felt like praying for a miracle to happen before sacrament meeting and sure enough the lord in His great mercy answered a prayer. We got to PEC and one of the leaders let us know that a less active who hadn't been on the records was going to become active again and wants her 13 year old son to get baptized. We didn't see them in sacrament immediately but Bro Hughes noticed a young man wandering the halls at the beginning of priesthood. So we went and found him and he came to priesthood with us. He is an awesome young man and we look forward to meeting with them this week.
We also had a 20 year old show up randomly to church and asked us to come over this week. Well turns out he has an 11 year old cousin that wants to baptized as well. What the heck? Now I can almost guarantee you that I will be transferred in 5 weeks because this place is about to explode with converts. I have seen a lot of growth here and none of it is because I did something special other then what any missionary is supposed to do. The cool part about it is that it gives more satisfaction to the work and a stronger spirit to approach a fear and say "Get out of here! Romans 1:16"
And don't get me wrong, I am still scared outta my mind half the time. I have, for some reason, made being bold a thing of fear. Why? No idea. Its what were commanded to do. And of course we have Nephi's words that the Lord will provide a way to overcome all of our fears.
As far as our investigators go, we know we have a lot of great plans in this upcoming week and it will require us to put fears that we have overcome in the past and to move on into new fears, or step into the twilight of our Faith. I know that as I, or any other child of God, does this we grow substantially. Any fears we may have provide the resistance and opposition necessary to gain strength spiritually. Maybe that is one specific way to define Faith. Acting on a fear by attacking it with all our might mind and strength.
Jody is about to make that giant step of attacking a fear called marriage. She is so close it is driving me crazy. Bro Hughes instructed us that it is much better to have a conversation of Gospel topics with her rather then strict formalities. That is something I love about Preach My Gospel, that we go by the Spirit. Probably the biggest reason the Apostles are changing up trainings and how they are done. They want me or any other missionary to teach more powerfully with the spirit. Holy cow there is so much to learn and so short of time to learn it. I know I have already figured out one way... don't be afraid! Good heavens I honestly believe that this is the transfer that Jody will be baptized. It is exciting. It is fears being tackled with confirmations of the Spirit all along the way. I love this family and I love these people. It hurts when progress is hindered or stopped. Whether it be a slam at a door contact or a investigator saying "I didn't read" It hurts. I am way excited to see how the Apostles will help me overcome these fears and challenges. In one way, that is what it's all about.
We don't have to be afraid of anything. We have everything. It's the Gospel and others need it! It cant be taken away from us and it stays with us more the more we give it out.
I love the Book of Mormon... Why oh why cant I get everyone to read it, perhaps its a fear I have that needs to be overcome! Either way I pray the Lord helps me to overcome it.
Love you all dearly. There is great comfort in knowing y'all are stuck with me forever. Cant wait to ride your coat tails into the Celestial kingdom.
love Elder Metcalf
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
It's a boy!
Transfer calls were on Saturday and President Smith asked if I would take on the responsibility to train a new missionary. I don't know if I feel more sorry for him or myself but I don't doubt we'll have a lot of laughs. Kind of crazy to know that the Lord apparently trusts me enough with someone brand new. Good heavens I still haven't felt like I have learned anything.
Well last night was hilarious now that I look back on it. Elder Upchurch and I were trying to sleep around the usual time but about an hour later I hear "HEY METCALF YOU STILL UP?"
"YES"
Man, the worst sleep ever gets even worse.
About 2:30am last night is when all the fun started. I'll start out by saying that we probably don't live in the greatest town in the world so when I was abruptly woken up in the night by a loud BANG needless to say I was way freaked out.
"....psssttt...upchurch..."
"....whatttt...."
"I'm scared outta my mind....i think that was a gunshot..."
"..go back to bed..."
Finally when I unfroze I got up to check out the situation and it was just a couple slamming doors and fighting. The usual shenanigans at the good ole Northview complex.
Elder Upchurch goes home in about 3 hours so I will just say it has been a crazy past 6 weeks. I am surprised that we got so much work done while laughing so much. I think the good part was that I learned a lot more to relax and enjoy the hard and fun times of serving a mission.
Jody fed us last night for the 4th of July and I think we had barbecue for the 4th time that week. Which for some reason just keeps getting better and better. (Holy cow I talk about food way too much) However we did some running and cutting back on so much destruction to our bodies known as overdosing on BBQ that we actually lost about 7 lbs each.
The best part about the night is that Jody asked if she could come out teaching with us. Our response was funny because we were pretty stoked on it. She has a great testimony for the Gospel and the Book of Mormon and has no problem getting baptized. Just that one thing that is a big road block to the actual baptism.
This morning was fun, the ward threw on a pancake breakfast (oh great, more food stories) and we had many non-members there that were easy to socialize with. At times we feel like we just might be 17 year olds trapped in these 22 year old bodies because the youth swarm to us wanting to 'hang out'. Must be Elder Upchurch.
The majority of our dinner appointments this week, the members had non-member friends over which is awesome because it seems like the ward is trusting the missionaries a lot more. Everything was going great until a member asked "hey I hear y'all are leading the mission in teaching and have 7 baptisms lined up, is that true?"
"not really, we cant baptize!"
I have learned to deal with it more so instead of having my world crash every weekend I have to understand that these people have their agency and no matter how much I may be able to bring the Spirit, it still is their choice whether to hit the snooze on the alarm or not.
I had another unique experience where I was going to give that 'resurrection of the Book of Mormon' lesson to a family and then it hit me that it goes much deeper then I had intended it to. You think about when the church was set up by Christ during His mortal ministry the church itself was mortal and was eventually murdered by the persecutors to the truth. The Atonement is so powerful that it even resurrected the church and the Gospel and that they will never 'die' again. The cool part of it all was that at the beginning of this transfer I had been working and praying for a new way to teach and understand the message of the restoration. I was pleasantly surprised that I had received such a unique answer to a prayer.
Another great experience this week was taking out a youth who never seemed to interested in coming. Now he is participating and giving teaching a shot. In Sunday school he even started participating and following the lesson while the others simply took a back seat with their iPhones. Heck yeah, the Lord is well aware of His youth.
A big miracle this week was a lady that overcame her fears of the Church and came to tour the building. This was huge for her. She has received some great spiritual witnesses but has heard a lot of racist comments concerning the church (all anti is lies!). She agreed to come to a church tour but wasn't there at the time we had scheduled so we went over with our member to teach at her home but instead she put on her shoes and said "I'm ready! Let's go"
In the chapel, the Spirit was the strongest. For some reason it felt like I was experiencing exactly what she was feeling. So I asked "How do you feel?"
"I feel like I am at home..."
How awesome is that? Surely in some way we should all feel like home in the chapel.
Anyway I apologize for how weak this letter is this week. Still trying to recover from last night's stress...HA!
Pray for this new missionary to have compassion on his crazy trainer. I think we are going to have a great time though.
Love y'all.
Elder Metcalf
Another glorious preparation day with some much needed 18 holes of golf. ok, so we probably didn't need it but it makes total sense why the general authorities golf so much. We had our elders quorum president who owns the place come out with us on the last 3 and it was a joke to watch him put it 300 yards down the fairway and then Elder Upchurch and I launch it straight to the trees about 2 yards or so it may have seemed. It is getting way hot and humid here and I am starting to use the sunscreen for the first time. I think I' ve gotten used to it pretty fast though and it isn't bothering me as much as my Provo companion. Maybe it's the reason Lake Powell conditioned me so much.
I couldn't help but think about how missionary work is a lot like the sports we play. In this case of golf I noticed that as the people played through us we kind of got discouraged. Every so often we totally crank that ball a couple hundred yards straight down the middle, why not now? Its kind of like how here in Nac we are teaching a lot but the baptisms seem to not be coming in like they should and discouragement sets in. Anyway enough gold analogies. I swear I am not that obsessed.
Our week went really well again this week but our entire district has been suffering big time from lack of sleep, heat and sickness. Our baptism that was supposed to go down yesterday didn't because she does not want to get married at all. Really discouraging but we us missionaries tend to forget that people have their agency and even with strong witnesses they wont do one thing here or one thing there which prevents progression. That is something huge as a missionary that has been profound. Sometimes the days come when you are either worn out physically or emotionally or both and it just doesn't seem like working is going to do much good. Then kicks in the thought that either you are out here because it is all true or not. So why waste time, missionary work is all true!
We had a way cool experience last night when our dinner was a ways away so we asked a non-member to take us out with him since he was going anyway. It was the dad of the family of 6 that we are teaching and we think it really broke some ice on the way out there. Of course with my obsession with smoking (the food kind) he gave me some sweet ideas for the smoker that we're going to build in 14 months. (I have to do something to keep me happy in that depressive state.)
Well I have shared with you are top investigators already and the rest of the week was very interesting. We had the youth out with us this week that helped a lot with the teaching. I think they are getting pretty excited now. "Hey, do you want me to take this one?" Referring to doors we start knocking on. Pretty sweet sense I didn't get that chance in Utah. I am living my teenage years through them all over again.
We had a pretty cool experience tracting where we knocked a door but no one answered so as we walked away she came to the door and as we were talking she simply cut me off and said "alright, come on in." We couldn't though because of the rules so we taught her on her doorstep and the Spirit really took over, she practically quoted the Book of Mormon a couple times and was touched as she read some of the scriptures from it. We gave her one that was signed inside of it with one of the young women's testimonies which seemed to be perfect. We look forward to going back and following up.
Well make sure y'all take some double dips in that lake for me. I will survive for a summer!
Love Elder Metcalf
I couldn't help but think about how missionary work is a lot like the sports we play. In this case of golf I noticed that as the people played through us we kind of got discouraged. Every so often we totally crank that ball a couple hundred yards straight down the middle, why not now? Its kind of like how here in Nac we are teaching a lot but the baptisms seem to not be coming in like they should and discouragement sets in. Anyway enough gold analogies. I swear I am not that obsessed.
Our week went really well again this week but our entire district has been suffering big time from lack of sleep, heat and sickness. Our baptism that was supposed to go down yesterday didn't because she does not want to get married at all. Really discouraging but we us missionaries tend to forget that people have their agency and even with strong witnesses they wont do one thing here or one thing there which prevents progression. That is something huge as a missionary that has been profound. Sometimes the days come when you are either worn out physically or emotionally or both and it just doesn't seem like working is going to do much good. Then kicks in the thought that either you are out here because it is all true or not. So why waste time, missionary work is all true!
We had a way cool experience last night when our dinner was a ways away so we asked a non-member to take us out with him since he was going anyway. It was the dad of the family of 6 that we are teaching and we think it really broke some ice on the way out there. Of course with my obsession with smoking (the food kind) he gave me some sweet ideas for the smoker that we're going to build in 14 months. (I have to do something to keep me happy in that depressive state.)
Well I have shared with you are top investigators already and the rest of the week was very interesting. We had the youth out with us this week that helped a lot with the teaching. I think they are getting pretty excited now. "Hey, do you want me to take this one?" Referring to doors we start knocking on. Pretty sweet sense I didn't get that chance in Utah. I am living my teenage years through them all over again.
We had a pretty cool experience tracting where we knocked a door but no one answered so as we walked away she came to the door and as we were talking she simply cut me off and said "alright, come on in." We couldn't though because of the rules so we taught her on her doorstep and the Spirit really took over, she practically quoted the Book of Mormon a couple times and was touched as she read some of the scriptures from it. We gave her one that was signed inside of it with one of the young women's testimonies which seemed to be perfect. We look forward to going back and following up.
Well make sure y'all take some double dips in that lake for me. I will survive for a summer!
Love Elder Metcalf
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