Well yesterday I had an interesting lesson taught to me during personal studies. I was reading Helaman chapter 6 where the Nephites really get nasty which I thought was interesting because of the chapter preceding in vs 12 about having a solid foundation. During this, it was super windy. I was watching the wind ravage a tree outside but not a single leaf fell off, even a couple of the ones that were turning brown already. I suppose the lesson I was getting from this was even knowing the attacks are constantly coming and it feels like I am a single leaf on a tree, as long as I am attached through the Gospel, no wind strong enough will bring the tree or me down.

 

Early this week I was feeling this so called 'wind' when we went to some return appointments. Monday night we had back to back lessons where the questions revolved around anti Mormon literature. One of the ladies had some papers in her hand during this defense but sensing insincerity I bore my testimony and basically didn't make too many more comments. After all this time I am still dumbfounded that people hear our invitation to read and pray yet they rely on human wisdom and interpretation to determine their choices. Elder Packer's comment in conference comes to mind, something like 'if you want it easy, this is not the church for you.' Anti situations oddly enough create a climate for my testimony to grow because we are a people that receive answers directly from the Lord and need not worry about the sometimes ignorant interpretations of man. I say this with respect though because there are good honorable people out there who have been taught all their lives that we are 'of the devil' and it is not necessarily their fault for being trained to hate us but is a tradition of their fathers.

 

Tuesday was different, I drove down to Plano on exchanges because a missionary in our zone had to get staples pulled out of his head he received earlier in the week. The doctor was actually the Bishop from the Frisco 2nd ward so it was fun to reminisce. That night our dinner forgot about us even after we reminded them but it was interesting because we ended up at one of their daughter's homes in the 2nd ward and for some reason it just seemed like we needed to be there. It was something that felt like an orchestration of the Lord that cant quite identify the result yet.

 

Wednesday was super busy which was a lot of fun. We had an incredible experience with a man we have been teaching for a while who we didn't think was progressing too well. We went over to his home in the afternoon and he went inside, grabbed his 6 year old granddaughter and a Book of Mormon and came back outside. He asked for me to pull up a good chapter from it so I flipped the pages until 3rd Nephi 11 felt like a winner. He then gave the Book to his granddaughter who then read half of 3rd Nephi 11 all the while the family was listening to this angelic little voice. Every couple verses our investigator stopped to explain what was happening. The spirit was strong and it was awesome.

 

Thursday we met with Dina and taught the 3rd lesson to her and her family. This time we didn't have a stake president or a Bishop with us so the intensity was down yet high because we would handle all the objections. Dina is still super golden and came to the branch on Sunday. I asked her family if they wanted to join the church when she did but they weren't at that point yet so I used Elder Bednar's analogy about how she was like walking into a room turning on the light switch while they are more like waiting for the sun to rise. I thought it was rather clever...

 

Friday we went on a weird exchange. Unfortunately there are a couple of struggling missionaries who needed help on the same day so we altered 3 companionship's to make it work. Amidst this confusion my companion accidentally took our phone to Bonham, 50 miles away, so I didn't have communication with anyone via the cell. It was great! We met with Summer and her family and also felt it appropriate to take her oldest son who has yet to be baptized to the library to play checkers and some other shenanigans. Later that evening we received a text saying that her son was the best he had ever been. I ordered some 11 X 17 pictures from the distribution center for their home and they were super excited on that. Sadly, I also was working with a minor flu which I think I am getting over. I went to our apartment for a few minutes to get rest but then felt too much of the itch and pushed on through the evening. The spirit is the best medicine.

 

Saturday I met Elder Oaks and Elder Rasband... Yes it's true! They were in the region training the Bishop's and stake presidents and President Smith coordinated the opportunity for the entire mission to be addressed by them. I found Elder Jones my 2nd son from Kanab and we caught up on everything we could while being respectful. Elder Oaks' message was incredible. He referenced conference talks he had given which was quite unusual yet awesome. He also added some things to them that he said he couldn't in a general conference setting. He gave and expounded on 3 clusters of information on why we are the only true church and so on. He and Elder Rasband took a picture with the mission and took the time to shake our hands and greet all of us. Studs. I had a bit of a quiver in my voice when he asked how I was doing and when Elder Rasband asked where I was from. I was surprised they actually asked me something but thank heavens this wasn't my first GA or Apostle experience (Mom and Dad, did I ever mention I met Elder Holland while working at KCSG?) so I didn't make too much of a fool of myself.

 

Sunday we had a couple investigators at church. Dina and Huson (whose parents are Muslim). It went very well. It just so happened we ate dinner at the friend of Huson's home so we got to teach him the Restoration. Another orchestration of the Lord. Seems to happen a lot as a missionary...

 

Anyway, I will be talking to you on Sunday and writing Monday!

Sure do love y'all

Elder Metcalf

 

p.s. we have a brother Simpson in our ward, does grandpa know a Robert L Simpson who recently passed away but was a general authority?

     I also met a Gale Swanson that knows uncle Rick