We had a very memorable week in the Texas Dallas Mission.

 

Our zone continues to take off so I am excited about that. Monday night we taught Anthony again who's mom is against the church. We listed the concerns he had about getting baptized and there was only one other one besides his mom which was callings. He was under the impression that when he got baptized it meant that he would commit to a 2 year mission to the church. Just kind of goes to show that we have a different vocabulary than most that can get confusing. His mom went to work this Sunday so he snuck out of the house and came to church (although he did have to leave early to beat his mom home). We had a lot of fun together.

 

A highlight this week was after specialized training I went to Melissa/Farmersville for exchanges. They had a 14 year old girl there who had been attending church for 2 years but had just received permission from her mom to be baptized. Elder Sullenberger and I went to a members home, taught her all the lessons and then I interviewed her in the shortest baptismal interview I have ever conducted. When I asked "What does it mean to you that President Monson is a prophet?" She replied "Well, every time I hear his voice or read his words, I am happy...It's the spirit." She was baptized Saturday night which went extremely well.

 

We have been teaching a young man named Tony for a couple weeks now who is preparing for baptism in July. He has been attending church for quite sometime now but needed a little extra loving boldness to get his baptismal engine turned on. We taught the plan of salvation on Wednesday by getting a white board, drawing it all out and briefly going over it. We kept the lesson to about 14 minutes yet he seemed to understand more about the plan once we were finished, than most. I have definitely grown a testimony of simplifying everything I teach into basic sentences to allow the Holy Ghost to work more effectively. He came to church on Sunday and loves the branch. In Elders Quorum, a few members were sharing 'missionary experiences' which he got a laugh at, since he is one.

 

That night we also taught a less active who hasn't been to church in years. I felt inspired to turn the pages to Luke 19. It seems whenever I or another missionary struggles that the best antidote is to tell them who they are! "You are a daughter/son of God for crying out loud!" I was reading the verses and it was another one of those experiences where you could tell when occasionally the Holy Ghost would step in and add something. I could probably count experiences as profound as that on one hand but they seem to be occurring more rapidly as I endure to the end. We had lunch with her Sunday then she came to church.

 

Friday we had an assistant exchange. They said that they were down for anything I had in mind as far as our regular work and helping out other missionaries, so I got creative. The assistants both have phones and each companionship has one phone so I organized a "phone blitz" in a particular, missionaries area, because the work was slow and a companion had just broke his foot. Elder McHardy gathered together about 100 numbers while we called all of them setting up many appointments. It turned out much more effective then tracting in the hot sun in the early afternoon in suburbia.

 

Tuesday was extremely heart wrenching. It was our final meeting as missionaries with President Smith. When we got there and he walked into the room on time and started the meeting, we stood up out of respect as usual but there was a great reverent tone about it. Sister Smith gave her training and promised not to blubber then the assistants gave theirs. After that it was our beloved mission president's turn to take the pulpit for the final time addressing the missionaries in Dallas. He spoke on 10 specific points of how we could be most effective in the Lord's hands, essentially, a summed up training of his 3 years in Texas. It was phenomenal. Then he gave his testimony which was the most sure and excellent I had ever heard. He had to stop and leave us all in silence every few sentences to hold back tears. Then with his amen we began the closing hymn, 'The Spirit of God.' President and Sister Smith couldn't sing, but the missionaries in the chapel sounded like we had angels in the background. Towards the end of the 3rd verse each row, one by one, began to stand up. At the 4th verse, the Smith's were up as well. The final hymn, the final prayer. I doubt there was a dry eye in the room. The missionary giving the closing prayer had struggled in the past with President but couldn't withhold tears. It was a tough mission conference. Then they went to the back and we hugged President and Sister Smith at parting.

 

Sure do Love Y'all

Elder Metcalf

 

P.S. watch the trunky comments... I have enough to worry about knowing the exact hour mom has me walking off the plane.