Scoop, There It Is!

 สวัสดีทางชนบท Howdy!

First week in Orting is in the books! It is certainly a change of pace from Seattle, but I love it! It's a really small town, and it has all of the small town charms, so I've been loving it to death.

IT AINT MUCH BUT IT'S HONEST WORK

A lot of the work down here is service based. So we've been mowing lawns, stocking food banks, moving the heaviest bathroom vanity in the known universe, and chopping wood for one of the strangest men in the known universe. It's been a good time. The weather has been very very good, so being out and serving has been a ton of fun. Also, my tan is coming back gradually. And with that, my watch tan line, let's go!

THE GREY DOT GRIND

The area book over here is full of people who haven't been taught in a long long long long long long time. So, we took it upon ourselves to reach out to these people!! In an area as small as this one, tracting is not the thing to do. Everyone here has been tracted several times over. So we've just been going after those who have already been found. We met a few cool people! We'll have to see if they're going to start progressing more as we meet with them.

The other way we've been trying to find people to teach is through the members! The obvious play when you have a population of members as high as Orting has. So I've done soooooo much texting. So much, in fact, that my thumbs are actually sore. This email is a labor of love haha. But from that, we have a really full schedule next week! Looking forward to meeting some of the awesome members down here and getting my hands dirty helping them out in any way they need (even if my stick arms aren't strong enough to lift their stuff).

A DAY OF MIRACLES

I've been listening to the most recent Conference, and a talk that stood out to me was "Behold! I am a God of Miracles!" By Elder Rasband. In it, he shares about an experience where an online devotional the church had put so much time and so many resources into was in danger of being cancelled because the power at the set went out unexpectedly. He prayed for a miracle, according to the Lord's will, that the lights would go on and the devotional could go on. And they eventually did! He later found out that he wasn't alone in his prayer, as President Nelson texted him and told him that he, too, prayed for a miracle. This is still a day of miracles. In Moroni 7:27 and 29, it says, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men? ...And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men." This truly is a day of miracles. Though you may not completely understand the reasons for all things, and though you my feel like God has abandoned you at times, remember that God works according to man's faith. If we trust in Him, though they may not be Earth-shattering we will see His hand working personal and loving miracles. Be patient, exercise a particle of faith, and never forget that God "doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world."

LAST THINGS LAST

-"Scoop There It Is" is the best name for an ice cream shop ever.

- I successfully used an axe and didn't lose any body parts.

- I'm teaching more English classes, so more Thai people!!

- Never forget that I love you. *tips cowboy hat and rides over the horizon*

เอ็ลเดอร์ คาวบอย (Elder Cowboy)

Elder Barrett